Resin & fiberglassing 3D prints for structural strength?

[ArBiTeR1400]

Question above says it all. Had anyone ever done it before? As some of you may know I got some 3D Marine armour prints coming soon, it has been pushed back by a few weeks due to some problems my mate has encountered (did warned him to slice the assets ). I'm wondering if it can be done, I know PLA has low melting point from research on the net & resin has a habit of heating up to the point you will fry eggs & bacon from experience working with it.
Anyone got any tips & tricks, comment below.

 

[tahu505]

I know there's filament that's a blend of fiberglass and PLA and is super strong, but it's also really expensive and I believe only specific printers can print it. I'm not sure if reinforcing PLA with fiberglass will have similar results, I've never seen someone try that yet. If you're looking to strengthen sections where you're combining two PLA prints, I have seen some people use 3D printing pens to basically weld those sections with more PLA. I hope this helps a bit

 

[Coreforge]

It definitly strenghtens it, I reinforced a print because it had some layer seperation, and. it's pretty strong. Epoxy bonds well, but I don't know about polyester resin.

 

[ArBiTeR1400]

It definitly strenghtens it, I reinforced a print because it had some layer seperation, and. it's pretty strong. Epoxy bonds well, but I don't know about polyester resin.

Did you brushed on or poured? no warping from the heat generated during the curing process? That's what I'm afraid of happening & wasting 800AUD/500USD worth of 3D prints.
Thinking about swapping out fibreglass sheets for carbon fibre ones instead, less mess.
Still doing some research now.

 

[Dan99]

Question above says it all. Had anyone ever done it before? As some of you may know I got some 3D Marine armour prints coming soon, it has been pushed back by a few weeks due to some problems my mate has encountered (did warned him to slice the assets ). I'm wondering if it can be done, I know PLA has low melting point from research on the net & resin has a habit of heating up to the point you will fry eggs & bacon from experience working with it.
Anyone got any tips & tricks, comment below.

Ive had success creating my own epoxy like material out of ABS and acetone. Basically all you have to do is dissolve ABS plastic in some acetone, store it in a air tight container, then use it as glue. Once applied the acetone evaporates and you are left with a sheet of hard ABS plastic. I have been able to get it to bond well with rough sanded PLA though using it with ABS prints is much more effective as the remaining acetone in the glue melts the outer layer of the print, fusing the glue to the ABS layers entirely. Its pretty cheap and simple to make, just be sure to make it in a well ventilated area, and while you are making the glue, be sure to use a glass container and do not tighten the cap all the way when dissolving ABS into it, as it releases some gasses during the process (the last thing you want in your house is a glass pressure bomb).

Also, id recommend you apply this method on the inside of your print, as you may loose detail if you did it on the outer part.

 

[ZiggyGrimm]

Did you brushed on or poured? no warping from the heat generated during the curing process? That's what I'm afraid of happening & wasting 800AUD/500USD worth of 3D prints.
Thinking about swapping out fibreglass sheets for carbon fibre ones instead, less mess.
Still doing some research now.

Just a heads up on working with carbon fiber, make sure you brush apply your epoxy/ resin on first in a very thin layer... wait till tacky, then hand lay it on from center out. Once it is hand layed on, vaccum seal it on there to get even pressure and make sure the whole thing sticks and the weave doesn't bubble or warp. If it doesn't evenly stick it can bubble up off the material (especially fancier weaves like hex), the weave can also distort as you add more layers or epoxy/ resin if it isn't all stuck on there properly.

I've had luck using lightly and quickly brushed on contact cement (both the base material and the fiber) as well as spray glue on both items to get it to hold. I'm not sure which would be best for PLA, you might have to do some trial and error on small sections of the back or feet to find out what works best! Good luck!

 

[ArBiTeR1400]

(the last thing you want in your house is a glass pressure bomb).

Gave me an idea for nerf wars.

 

[ArBiTeR1400]

Once it is hand layed on, vaccum seal it on there to get even pressure

I'm still deciding, from some fibreglass sheets I have stored in my closet or to get some carbon fibre for its superior stiffness & not leaving a mess in my garage to be layered into the inside unseen areas.
Don't have high end tools or machinery to vacuum seal, everything is gonna have to be done by hands but since you mentioned applying the right pressures I'll take note & use a small block of wood to pressure down per each square inch/cm by hands when applying.