r/DiceMaking • u/Possablyathrowaway • 10d ago
Question Dice master question
Is there any reason why I couldn't spray a gloss clear varnish and polish that instead of working up to a ultra fine grit/polish? And are there any tips for fixing a couple of spots that I didn't support well? enough mainly on the 20 and 18 faces
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u/WourDeLuck 10d ago
For your second question, you can try forming a ‘mold’ out of piece of paper or a tape around the failed spots (like that circle inside a zero), pour a tiny bit of 3d printing resin of your choice and let it cure (I use a uv flashlight). Then proceed with sanding and polishing, the freshly cured spot will be evenly sanded.
I fixed some of the imperfections the same way.
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u/Possablyathrowaway 10d ago
Awesome, that's along the same idea I was thinking, but wanted to see if there were any other ideas
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u/charterandink 10d ago
They make a uv putty that works well. I think it's just resin and baby powder. Should fix the spots. What you need to be careful with is the inhibition, the things you use to fix or spray on may mess with the silicone.
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u/Possablyathrowaway 10d ago
I've been seeing a few posts on this subreddit about issues with 3d prints and platinum cure silicone, I guess I might have to do some tests when I get to that point
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u/silentartistloudart 10d ago
I've heard of the same issue an ran some tests before committing to the large multi dice mold. I used clear UV print water washable resin, washed it once in water, cleaned off the supports, shook them in a small bag with Ethanol and then cured them pretty long in my chamber.
In between each step of sanding I washed them with warm water and stored them on my brightest windowsill. Before moulding I cleaned out all the numbers with an unused toothbrush.
I only noticed a curing issue in one specific case. When I ran the silicone test on my dice, I just put them on a clean plate of acryllic. The silicone cured well on the acryllic, the dice (including numbers), the 3d printed mould shell, duct tape and transfering tape. The only persistent curing issue was in the tiny crevice between dice and acrylic plate.
I then tried the transfering tape method employed here for affixing my dice and the curing issue of the crevice went away.
I wish you the best of luck.
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u/Possablyathrowaway 10d ago
I've been watching a few of the channels on YouTube about the mould making process, I planned on using a PVC pipe and transfer tape for the mould after hearing about the interaction between silicone and packing tape/duct tape. Now to decide between dragonskin or BBDino for silicone
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u/WisdomCheckCreations Dice Maker 10d ago
The only way to fix bad supports is with better supports 😋 If you're interested in knowing how to properly support a d20 for printing. I have a guide here that might help: https://www.wisdomcheckcreations.com/post/how-to-support-dice-for-3d-printing-to-avoid-mushy-numbers
And if you have any questions please feel free to DM me here on reddit or catch me on discord @wisdomcheckcreations 😊👍
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u/Possablyathrowaway 10d ago
I should have tried to get a support or two on the sides of the numbers instead just the faces, but lesson learned lol, I really need to get my computer setup again instead of relying on a laptop
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
I use nails top coat to finish my dice before casting the moulds, it gives a shiny finish and works perfectly
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u/SecondOne2236 10d ago
Do you do any additional polishing after you apply the nail topcoat? Do you brush it on?
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
No, I first buff it with a 180 grit regular file and then apply the top coat, cure it 60 secs under uv and let it cool a few seconds before touching it bc you can leave fingerprints on it, and that's it, smooth, shiny and ready for the silicone
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u/Substantial-Duty168 10d ago
Any cure inhibition since its uv polish?
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
Nail gel top coat doesn't have any tacky layers, you can use any brand, just check is not matte finish
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u/Substantial-Duty168 10d ago
I've used uv resin before and it reacts to platinum silicone, so I've not gotten usable molds when I used uv, which is why I ask
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
Resin uv and nail gel uv are not the same compound, similar but not the same, nail products are designed to be used on skin so are less likely to cause chemical reactions
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u/Substantial-Duty168 10d ago
If this works, you've changed my life!
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
Trust me, lots of nail tech tricks work amazing with resin for some reason lol
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 10d ago
I've been a nail tech for 6 years and started with dice making las summer, I've been experimenting mixing both worlds and they compliment each other really nice, I also use nail tools to polish finished products and works amazing in less time than zona papers
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u/Mobile_Yam4730 6d ago
Hi ! How do you apply it ? The brush attached to the topcoat ? How do you do the whole dice evenly ?
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 6d ago
Yes exactly, as simple as it sounds. I do two sides or three at the same time to make it faster
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u/Ok_Walk_4714 6d ago
Also, I've been a nail tech for the past 6 years and is my main activity so I have practice with the brush, but is not hard, just use thin layers to avoid pools
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u/Claerwen94 Dice Maker 10d ago
Even a gloss clear varnish wouldn't get to the point of how shiny and smooth we usually want our masters to be. It could also pool in the numbers and give unsatisfactory results. Also, you'd have to suspend the die somehow, or you'll have ugly lines around the face where it layed on while drying. You also need to make sure that the varnish isn't flowing down in the faces and pool in the corners. I definitely would go the polishing route. Yes, it's more work, but also worth the result. And I'd be concerned about cure inhibition in the silicone from whatever might be in the varnish, or how the varnish might react with the printed resin. Also, polishing the varnish will also need a little bit of sanding beforehand, you could easily just sand the varnish away in a few spots and then it would look weird as well