discussion Adventures in resin 3D printing

[Tim Marlow]

I can imagine the copyright issues around printing to be a bit convoluted Andy. Just musing aloud, if you buy a file for personal use only, print some for yourself, then later decide you don’t want them, can you sell those prints on? It’s a world away from buying a personal file and printing/selling them to order isn’t it. I get that being an issue, it’s like digital recasting.
Another example is printing some, then painting them and later selling on the painted prints when you no longer want them. Does that infringe copyright?
I’m not looking to do this, just wondering if it’s an area where the law hasn’t caught up with the technology?
Fascinating to watch how easily this has come together for you though.

 

[Andy T]

Your guess is as good as mine Tim. It seems to be a grey area that I haven't got to the bottom of yet.

I do currently have a line though. Thomas regularly does commission painting, and also sells his older or excess models online. If that were to include 3d printed models I'd probably be okay with that.

Like you say though, if he suddenly started printing another person's files just to sell on as is, it's a different story and I'd have an issue with that.

I'm not sure if that stands up legally, but it's a moral judgement that I'm happy with for now.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Seems logical to me. I think I’d have the same boundaries Andy. I don’t think there is a bottom, though others with more experience in this area than me (not hard ) may say different.

 

[Andy T]

And then there's the whole remix situation.

If I downloaded a design then added some extra twiddly bits myself, could I then claim it as my own?

Like you say, the law is probably lagging behind the tech and needs clarifying.

 

[Steven000]

It's all pretty vague indeed but then again copyright is no joke if the designer takes offense.
Also if you're selling things online people might drag your name through the mud on forums and Social media (without you even knowing it) If they believe you’re abusing copyright.

I faintly recall someone posting a large Berlin diorama made with (re)molded Verlinden pieces which he then sold - He also got a lot of negative talk on doing that.

Anyway, you'll probably do fine if it doesn't take huge proportions Have fun

 

[Andy T]

Cheers Steven, a cautionary tale.

I'm currently trying to get my head around CAD software to make my own designs, so I'm safe. Just need to keep an eye on the youth lol

 

[John Race]

I remember a member on here posting he had bought some knock off figures from China, I sure John asked him to leave the forum . There's loads of the net of HORNET HEADS FROM China, I only buy them from an English website.

China seems to have bypassed the copyright laws.

Here and in most of the world.
Copyright law regarding 3D printing digital files (such as STL, CAD, or OBJ files) protects the original digital design and the underlying artistic work of the 3D model. When you download a 3D plan, you are generally purchasing or acquiring a license for personal, non-commercial use, which does not grant permission to sell the physical, printed object, nor to redistribute the file.
Reddit·r/3Dprinting +3

Taken from REDDIT

you can alter (modify) digital 3D printing files (STL, CAD) that you have downloaded, but whether you can legally sell or share that modified version depends strictly on the license attached to the original model, according to experts in 3D printing copyright. The original creator has the exclusive right to create derivative works, so modifications without permission generally constitute copyright infringement.
Law Stack Exchange +3

So there we have it Andy, so unless your son comes up with his own designs, which I have no doubt he will, then selling is not an option.

John.

 

[Andy T]

Thanks for the information John, I'll pass it on to Thomas

 

[John Race]

Thanks for the information John, I'll pass it on to Thomas

Your welcome Andy. I've plenty of time to search the net

 

[Andy T]

Once again I apologise for being a bit slack here.

I had all sorts planned for this blog but if I'm brutally honest I'd rather be modelling than composing posts. I'll get there eventually lol

I'm getting into a good routine with the prints, when I can schedule a time that Thomas isn't using it that is So far I've had a 100% success rate but he has been less fortunate.

He's probably had around a 50/50 rate, mainly by rushing through the preparations. As I've mentioned before, the printer only partly cures each layer. This is fine, except for the first few layers which need to be cured properly so that the build adheres to the plate. With the prints being formed upside down, if it doesn't stick to the plate it falls down into the vat of resin.

Of course, this then blocks the transmission of UV light from below, which is what creates the model.

The easy fix is to cure the first few layers for longer, something easily set in the software, and actually the default, but he likes to mess around with settings and forgot about this important bit.

This results in a huge mess in the bottom of the resin tank. He didn't check for this and just tried running the print again. Obviously, because there was so much crud in the way, the screen couldn't cure the print properly, leading to a second failure.

Dad to the rescue, I explained what had happened and why, then how to fix it. I simply emptied the resin tank as much as possible then ran the machines cleaning cycle. This cures whatever dregs of resin that are left in the tank, along with all of the failed bits of prints, into a solid film that can be easily peeled out.

The golden rule seems to be, if it ain't broke, don't fix it lol, but if something has gone wrong, don't just carry on regardless. Empty the tank, clean everything, check your settings and carry on.


Now that was a huge wall of text If you didn't read much of it, it boils down to - there have been some teething issues, mainly because my of my son's inexperience and/or exuberance. By taking my time, I've had no such issues (yet )

 

[Andy T]

Some pics after that long post

Looking for something to paint I came across an interesting, free file on Cults3d, a huge library of widely different subjects, some free, some paid for.

After downloading the file and running it through the Elegoo SatelLite slicing software, I printed it out



Underneath all of that support structure was a model

After the usual washing & curing cycles, I stripped away the scaffolding and was left with this



I joined the two halves, nicked a spare Warhammer head from my lad, and gave it a splash of primer and then some white, as it is the recommended base for the contrast paints I intended to use




Painting has been pretty complicated but I've got most of the basic colours on so far

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good Andy. Prefer the supports you are using. The “organic” ones always look a little eerie to me

 

[John Race]

Once again I apologise for being a bit slack here.

I had all sorts planned for this blog but if I'm brutally honest I'd rather be modelling than composing posts. I'll get there eventually lol

I'm getting into a good routine with the prints, when I can schedule a time that Thomas isn't using it that is So far I've had a 100% success rate but he has been less fortunate.

He's probably had around a 50/50 rate, mainly by rushing through the preparations. As I've mentioned before, the printer only partly cures each layer. This is fine, except for the first few layers which need to be cured properly so that the build adheres to the plate. With the prints being formed upside down, if it doesn't stick to the plate it falls down into the vat of resin.

Of course, this then blocks the transmission of UV light from below, which is what creates the model.

The easy fix is to cure the first few layers for longer, something easily set in the software, and actually the default, but he likes to mess around with settings and forgot about this important bit.

This results in a huge mess in the bottom of the resin tank. He didn't check for this and just tried running the print again. Obviously, because there was so much crud in the way, the screen couldn't cure the print properly, leading to a second failure.

Dad to the rescue, I explained what had happened and why, then how to fix it. I simply emptied the resin tank as much as possible then ran the machines cleaning cycle. This cures whatever dregs of resin that are left in the tank, along with all of the failed bits of prints, into a solid film that can be easily peeled out.

The golden rule seems to be, if it ain't broke, don't fix it lol, but if something has gone wrong, don't just carry on regardless. Empty the tank, clean everything, check your settings and carry on.


Now that was a huge wall of text If you didn't read much of it, it boils down to - there have been some teething issues, mainly because my of my son's inexperience and/or exuberance. By taking my time, I've had no such issues (yet )

He's young still Andy, and as you say full of excitement over this new printer. No excuse for causing that big clean up though.
At least he's not out standing around and getting into trouble. At all times KEEP CALM .
John.

 

[Andy T]

He was mortified John but at the end of the day there was no lasting harm done, just a few messy minutes cleaning up, so it was all good.

It's a learning process for both of us and after a few quick pointers he's having much more success.

On that note, if anyone decides to get into resin printing, have loads of paper towels ready

I tear a good pile from the roll so they are easy to grab with one hand. Once cleaned up I put them into clear plastic bags which periodically go outside in the sun. This cures the resin so it can be disposed of safely.