PVA filament stained print

So, I did my first print with PVA dissolving filament as support matterial (my dual extruder setup is working pretty well, and designed it myself). The print was of a 1:100 JgPzIV WWII German tank destroyer, and looks really good. The problem being that there is discoloration in the print which by the looks of it was caused by the PVA.

Anyone know if this is normal if not how to remove it? I can't seem to find much documentation on using PVA and cant get the discoloration to lessen by additional water soaks and even tried a scrub with a toothbrush at the end of the last soak.

BTW: The PVA worked really well as support material, bonded to my printbite bed just fine and didn't to my PLA print, dissolved almost in its entirety in just water which is nice

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2016 09:14PM by DaGameFace.

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If you need some help, or don't understand what I just said, feel free to send me a PM anytime

Printer: Prusa i3, 2 E3D v6 Hotends, Arduino + RAMPS 1.4 with a Bypassed 5V Regulator, 400w Insignia ATX PSU, Custom Designed Bowden Extruders

Did you use tap water or demineralized water?
I can imagine, it's the water that left some stains?

Just wild guessing from my part
Olaf

I have now done a few more prints and have concluded that the scrub with the toothbrush must have caused some amount of PVA to be ground into the PLA. the other prints that i have done have had the PVA dissolve completely leaving no white stain.

About my water causing it, I dont think this is the case as the majority of the print is the color it should be, the only place with a stain are the areas that the PLA interfaced with PVA (the only areas I scrubbed as well in efforts to remove the PVA that wasnt dissolving). In addition I have almost no minerals dissolved in my tap water, I have a well and a very good water treatment system.

Just out of curiosity, which PVA are you using? will be venturing down that path soon and would like to hear some anecdotes. Got any pics of the prints?

i am using some sainsmart PVA, before you oreder any look into setting up a container that can keep it nice and dry, i am already having problems with humidity causing it to boil in the hot end, I will post a couple pics tomorrow, dont have a very good camera though

I suspected the tap water, because dissolving PVA is a chemical reaction and that can have side effects.

Thanks for the heads up. Got any pics? I'm going to buy a few different brands and compare.

Here is a JgPz IV it was the first thing I printed with PVA. As you can see it allowed me to print horizontally making the barrel and details on top and back all very nice. This is a 1:100 scale, making it just over an inch wide, so a pretty small print.

EDIT: wow, the paint and the model itself looks better in person, much harder to see the layers, imperfections and mistakes of the brush.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2016 05:15PM by DaGameFace.

Would you say the bottom layers that contacted the PVA had just as good of surface finish as the top layers?

thought you might like this 3D printed Dieselpunk Russian Tank


[www.3ders.org]

Not as good but very close, I can send a pick of the underside. But look at the bottom of the barrel, I didn't clean it up at all just a couple coats of paint. You have to be sure that you make the contact distance of the interface material and the PLA is set to 0.

PVA is a bit tricky, If it sits in the hot end for too long it will burn and plug it, and its much harder to clean than PLA. The other problem is that it absorbs moisture out of the air very quickly and you will hear it boiling in the hot end. Some say they have adhesion problems but it sticks to my printbite bed just fine.

Quote
MechaBits
thought you might like this 3D printed Dieselpunk Russian Tank

Yeah, thats really cool! Not much of a fan of steampunk but hadnt heard of diesel punk before. Will need to look more into it.

I like this one:


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2016 09:18PM by DaGameFace.

Yeah very nice, detailed well painted stuff, love it, though I've lost the ability to gain enjoyment from playing with plastic toys, though 3D Printing is dragging me into plastic fantastic land...i'm still dreaming of working more with metal, with the same convenience of 3D printing.