Smoothing ABS with water + acetone??

Here is a kickstarter [www.kickstarter.com]

They submerge ABS prints in 3 gallons of ABS with 1.5 gallons water while a pump (or fan) move it all around as the part turns for 10 minutes. I thought that 10 minutes in acetone would pretty much turn an ABS print to goo. I know it's got water in it as well but would it make that much difference? If so it might be a contender to vapor bathing.

I am surprised that acetone is miscible in water but this is an interesting approach.

Depending on the water concentration, the solvent action would be slowed down and allow more control over the smoothing process. I have tried pure acetone and the action is too quick. ABS turns to goo almost immediately.

Another big advantage is having a non flammable mixture.

It is not actually a pressurised system as described. It operates at atmospheric pressure.
I cannot see why the 3D printed part needs to be rotated as well as having a circulation pump. An unneccessary complication imho.

I think the rotation is just to assure even pressure. If it sat still some parts might get a more direct hit with the mix and thus melt while parts on the back may get nothing.

I was actually thinking that just spinning the piece in the mix might be enough.

I also was not aware acetone and water mix but I have never tried it so maybe it does, we have acetone in our bodies naturally and it's in with water so maybe it mixes OK.

My gut still says that 10 minutes would be too long though. And they have a 1 minute dry time. I have vapor bathed items and a few hours are needed before touching the item or you will leave fingerprints. It just does not fully add up to me but maybe it works.

This was just uploaded to YouTube and looks promising, never would have thought about something so simple.

[www.youtube.com]

Actually technically Acetone dissolves water. It separates it into Hydrogen and Oxygen ions. That they don't bubble out is the strange thing. That is why Acetone is used to dry glassware in laboratories (at least when I was in school). It evaporates, and takes the water with it.

I tried the can and paper towel method last night. It worked. I may have left it a little too long though as my print drooped a little where I elevated it on 4 nuts. It also changed color a little, this was red filament and now it's a bit orange in color (though not as orange as it looks in the photo). I did this for 3 hours, I am trying another now for 2 hours and instead of elevating it, I placed it flat on glass with some wax paper so if it sticks I should still be able to remove it.

The print was a zebra type texture for stamping in clay.

@tmorris9

Can and paper towel? Haven't heard of that method, Google didn't give me any results.

Steve, tmorris9 posted the link in this very topic, just 3 posts over yours...

Hi, can't help but add a few comments on acetone and water. Acetone is 100% miscible with water - neither one of them dissolve as they are both liquids. Although technically the water will evaporate quicker in a solution of acetone, when you rinse wet glassware with acetone you are rinsing the water and organics away so that all that is left on the glass is acetone, which evaporates much quicker than water (or acetone/water solutions for that matter).

The paper towels in the can seems to solve the cold acetone vapor bath problem of only smoothing the lower portion of the part. You might be able to use a separate container and the weight of the cold acetone vapor to make a gravity fed system.

Had decent result with can and paper towel on small part, required several part rotations in can to get most surfaces, will try one with a small pc fan on a 9v battery and see how it goes.

I think it accumulated acetone in some parts and bubbles formed