Sneak Preview #1: The Rejects

One of the unspoken parts of 3d printing is that you're pretty much testing out a production line. You need to figure out the best orientation for printing the object, do test shots, and iterate.

For example, do I need a support structure to hold the print up while printing? For my first attempts at the CS-35A flat car, I tried printing the top of the car directly on the build platform. Prints on the Form One grow layer-by-layer starting from the surface of the build platform, so I'd get a nice flat surface. I'd save resin because I wasn't spending it printing a support structure to hold the piece off the platform. I'd also have a lot less cleanup.

It didn't work - for whatever reason, the thinner areas just above the table don't always print reliably. You can see it in this pile of rejected pieces, with rotted-out holes showing where the resin didn't harden.

And that's a real CS-35A, 40 feet long just below it. More about that later.