Customizable Mold

thingiverse

Just a line of text in a rectangular mold that serves as a foundation for crafting simple designs to ease bar creation and offers an option to smooth the text if desired. The process involves drafting with some basic design elements and selecting an option for smoothing, which can be accomplished by downloading and running the .scad file or using Customizer with non-fast settings just before making the final file, despite the preview timing out. Additionally, in "slow mode," a texture is incorporated to facilitate easier removal from the build plate. So far, we have only experimented with hot process gel soap in these molds - cooling at room temperature for one hour makes it easy to remove with a little spatula, the same tool used for 3D print removal from the build plate. Print Settings Printer: FlashForge Dreamer Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: No Resolution: 0.14 Infill: 10% Notes: I printed in ABS, set the first layer to 0.30, and used normal-ish settings with 3 perimeters and 4 top layers. Adding extra top layers and perimeters would have been beneficial during the first soap pour as we experienced bubbling indicating leakage into the block interior. You can opt for adding a raft if you prefer, but there's no significant loss if it doesn't remove easily since the printed part isn't the finished product. Post-Printing A hot acetone vapor bath to smooth ABS is effective in eliminating print artifact texture. Simply place the part in a bath of hot acetone vapor for about 5 minutes. Be cautious not to overdo the acetone, as it can eventually open pathways through the part skin into its interior. Also, be aware that acetone vapor (hot or otherwise) is flammable and explosive. Research these risks on Google before attempting a hot acetone vapor bath. I perform mine outside the house and bring hot water from the inside stove for heating to avoid exposing flames near the acetone area. How I Designed This Open SCAD I picked up some pieces from old projects, but essentially it's text on a block.