Shapeways Questions

[basementcalling]

OK, I am sure this is a stupid question, but after you soak your items in Bestine  overnight (12 hours in daylight ok? But that's not the question.) is it OK to reuse the Bestine? How many soaks can you get from one container of it before the wax contaminates it and it no longer works?

Second, how do you search their site? Familiar terms seem to turn up few results, like downspout & gutter, and although I have followed several folks, including a few TRW members, I don't see how to search my feed. Their default settings are awful, and displaying by most recent not much better. It at least allows me to see new items since my last browsing.  I'm favoriting items I find that I like, but I feel like I never come close to seeing what's actually out there in 3D printing land.

[C855B]

To the first stream of consciousness - yes, by all means reuse the Bestine. I've run over a dozen shells plus other miscellaneous bits through mine and it still works fine. I don't know yet how many cycles it will tolerate, however... I suspect @HuskerN will have a better idea, tho'.

I agree with the lousy/horrible/you-gotta-be-kidding search engine on Shapeways. I am surprised every time I log on, discovering things in random browsing that have been there all along that should have appeared in previous searches. Frustrating.

[craigolio1]

Yup. Just about every search I do has 900 results.

[nkalanaga]

Will putting the Bestine in the freezer separate the wax and Bestine, or will it stay dissolved as long as the Bestine if liquid?

I've never used any Shapeways products of any kind, so have no experience with Bestine.  Some mixtures separate, like broth and fat, while other don't.

[peteski]

Every time the wax gets dissolved in Bestine, it will stay suspended in it.  Eventually there will be enough of the wax to leave a waxy residue on the part after it is removed from the solution.  That remaining wax might cause paint adhesion problem.

To be extra safe use 2 containers with Bestine. One for initial cleaning and the 2nd one for a rinse.

[HuskerN]

hey guys,

There really isn't anything magical about Bestine.  I have soaked things in as little as 15 minutes, and I actually have another batch that has been soaking since early winter.  Oops.  I use canning jars as my soak containers to minimize evaporation over time.  I have soaked hundreds of models, and after time the residue from the models will build up to a point where it is best to start with a fresh batch of Bestine.  That said, it takes a lot of models before I consider it contaminated. 

Once the models soak, I simply pull them out with a fork or tweezers and then run some warm water over them as a rinse.  That is it.  A little prep work and it is ready for primer. 

HuskerN

[Iain]

About the only thing I do differently is instead of just rinsing in warm water, I use soap and warm water.