Post-processing
What to do with a print once it’s off the bed: sanding, filler primer and paint, acetone vapor smoothing, XTC-3D coating, polishing, annealing for heat resistance, waterproofing, gluing parts together, heat-set threaded inserts, electroplating and laser engraving.
Laser Engraving 3D Prints: Material Safety, Focus, and Settings
Laser engraving lets you add text, logos, or fixes to a 3D print after the fact, but plastics and cured resin behave very differently…
Polishing 3D Prints: From Sanded to Actually Glossy
Sanding gets a print smooth, but it stops short of shine. Here’s how polishing compounds, buffing wheels, and tumblers take a sanded FDM or…
Annealing 3D Prints: Heat Resistance Gains and the Shrinkage Trade-off
Annealing can push a PLA part’s heat resistance well past its usual failure point, but it also shrinks the part, sometimes warps it, and…
Waterproofing 3D Prints: Slicer Settings, Sealing, and What’s Realistic
A standard FDM print leaks by default because of layer lines and perimeter gaps. Here is what slicer settings, resin printing, and post-print sealing…
Glue for 3D Prints: Choosing the Right Adhesive for Every Material
Different filaments call for different adhesives, and using the wrong one is why so many glued joints fail. Here’s what actually holds PLA, ABS,…
3D Print Threaded Inserts: Sizing, Soldering Iron Settings, and Installation
How heat-set brass inserts turn a printed hole into a real, reusable metal thread, with pilot hole sizes, soldering iron temperatures by material, and…
Acetone Vapor Smoothing: The Complete Safety and Process Guide
How acetone vapor turns rough ABS layer lines into a glossy, injection-molded finish, and the ventilation, fire, and handling precautions that make it safe…
Filler Primer for 3D Prints: How to Actually Erase Layer Lines
A deep dive on filler primer for 3D prints: how it differs from regular primer, how to choose one, and the spray-sand-spray cycle that…
3D Print Electroplating: How to Turn a Plastic Part Into Real Metal
A practical walkthrough of copper electroplating for FDM and resin prints: making plastic conductive, plating it, and what results you can realistically expect.
XTC-3D Explained: The Brush-On Epoxy That Actually Smooths PLA Prints
What XTC-3D really is, how to mix and apply it, cure times, safety notes, and the mistakes that ruin a coat before it even…
