Three tips to extend the life of your IPA
I've seen a lot of questions on this sub about how to recycle IPA, so I figured I'd make a quick guide to how to extend the life of your IPA so you have to do less recycling!
- If possible, don't take your print off the printer immediately. Give it time to let most of the excess resin drip back into the vat. I've found an hour is usually plenty.
- Store your wash station so that there's no UV light shining onto it (e.g., no natural ambient sunlight). The resin in the wash can slowly cure which leads to those chalky chunks that get stuck on your prints after wash. I put a simple paper bag from the grocery store over mine when it's not in use.
- Remove the supports before you put the print in the IPA wash. Supports have tons of surface area and can trap liquid resin between them. You can use a heat gun, hair dryer, or hot water bath to soften the supports for removal if you need to.
Happy new year everyone!