Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

[spacerunner]

Take it easy and enjoy my never ending story, as long as you can ... 😎

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

the more one deals with the problem of cleaning of FUD-prints, the more partially contradictory opinions can be found, especially regarding the use of Acetone.

While this substance is recommended by Shapeways itself, how has been previously shown,



other users advise against it categorically, or warn of danger, such as Model Monkey,

It is all the more astonishing that at Shapeways no more precise information on the application (time, temperature, etc.) let found, wherewith they oversimplify the matter themself, because quite so easy, as one writes, it is not.

That's why I did a test with Acetone.

Without thinking of something bad, I have put the 2nd IT into the ultrasonic bath, poured in my bottle of Acetone (250 ml) and turned on the timer, followed by a rather violent reaction, and the bubbling acetone became quickly milky-cloudy, which rather surprised me.

When lifting the IT in the bath, I noticed a slight sticking to the floor, but which could be solved. But since the reaction has unsettled me a bit, I switched off the timer after about 3 minutes and put the IT in a water bath.

While the FUD surface seems to be slightly roughened,



at the sight of the basket, I was somewhat startled, who had suffered quite a bit, as one can easily see.



I should have preferred to remove it before, but afterwards one is always getting smarter.

Now still a current message, meanwhile Michael Key also has uploaded an IT-Version in White Strong & Flexible (WSF) without shrinkage allowance, which with € 36,22 is much cheaper.









So far for today.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

once more to the using of Acetone and its effect on FUD prints.

There are also opposite opinions as in this impressive contribution Investigating the use of acetone to clean models printed in Frosted Ultra Detail Material by Dave Yale, which I found in the Shapeways Thread Best way to clean frosted ultra detail model for painting?, who has soaked these FUD tables in each case 10 - 20 - 30 - 40 - 50 minutes and longer in Acetone and then examined,



after which one FUD table only got soft "knees" after 2 h!!!



And here another strange effect is described by Steve Larsen (Model Monkey) et al. in Powder Appearing On Fud After Storage, what one can see on this ship model of one of his customers.



He had used Tamiya acrylic paint which was diluted with Methylethylketone (MEK), what seems to have been the cause of the observed incompatibility with the FUD parts and led to these unpleasant phenomena.

Therefore, when cleaning my final Intertank, I will keep my hands off this Acetone and use only the gentler method of detergent/soapy solution, which I could see up close in action last week in the dental lab of my dentist, including post-treatment on more professional equipment, but more about that next time.

[spacerunner]

Hi folks,
over the weekend I took advantage of the bomb weather and bathed the final Intertank in the sun for half a day.







Thereby not completely 'exposed' FUD/FXD should cure, which makes it easier to remove the wax.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

here's my report on my flying visit to the Dental lab last week.

At my penultimate dentist appointment, I came up with the idea to confront my doctor with my Intertank cleaning problem and to ask if I could not even consult his colleagues in the neighboring dental laboratory. And friendly as he is, he agreed immediately and said that I should just bring along the tank at the next appointment.

Said done, before my appointment last week, I was in the lab next door and I just happened to get to the nice manager, whom I showed me the original tank on a shuttle photo of the STS-6 and pressed him the Intertank in the hand, together with a short briefing to my previous chin-ups in the ultrasonic cleaning and the necessary parameters, i.e. mild medium (no Acetone!) and about 50°C.

After the impression for an inlay I went back in the lab to the dental technicians 'with bite', as the name ChiliDent suggests already.

This is the manager, Benjamin Geyer, and next to him on the wall stands a Sonorex high performance ultrasonic bath (Bandelin) with integrated heating.

In this bath, he cleaned the IT in soapy water at approx. 50-60°C for approx. 15 minutes, whereby he carried out several visual inspections in between and brushed off the detached wax particles.



Individual areas with remaining wax residues can then be removed in this Reitel Blast cabin, whereby finest glass beads (50 μm) are used.



And then the IT can still be thoroughly rinsed with a high-pressure water jet.



That's how I imagine the cleaning of the final IT for which I have already made a date. These are, of course, exclusive opportunities that I do not have at home and therefore thankfully like to use.

One simply just must have a bit luck!

[Revell-Fan]

WOOOO-HOOOOO-OOOOOOWWW!!! This is a nail-biter!!!

I'm crossing all the thumbs I have, buddy!

[elliott]

It is indeed. All nails bitten down to the quick (not toes though, that would be gross). Fingers and toes still crossed.

[spacerunner]

Thanks my friends for your help,

but this cleaning affair is turning out to a real challenge because of the fine grooves, which don't want let go this damn wax residuals.

But when you look closely, you can see that there are still areas with wax residuals left behind, which shows that the first cleaning was not intense enough, which is why I at home have thrusted them out of the grooves with the steel ruler.





Completely without local mechanical post-processing of these fine grooves, it does not seem to work, or one has to invest more time and care in the ultrasonic cleaning before.
I'll definitely take that into account when cleaning up the final IT in the dental lab and will also look closer into the grooves.

Therfore keep on fingers crossing til the end!

[beckychestney]

Really stiff bristled toothbrush?

[spacerunner]

Hi Becky,

nice that you put in an appearance again.
An old toothbrush but only for brushing off loose wax residues.