Are there any ways of smoothing TPU for a better finish? (Specifically TPU for AMS).
What I mean is that you can vapour smooth ABS, or sand and fill PLA, to give a smooth glossy effect.
I want to be able to seal TPU models to give a better finish and ideally make it water resistant of food safe so that bacteria can’t get in between the layer lines.
Open to all possibilities and suggestions to trial.
No common/low toxic option to smooth it like acetone. But, you can coat it.
The short answer:No.
There are two methods to smooth a printed surface. The first being mechanical smoothing via ironing which only works on the top layer. It does NOT work well on TPU.
The second method that your questions is asking about is vapor smoothing. That requires a solvent and my research has never found one that works reliably on TPU if at all. I haven’t bothered to attempt it because unlike acetone for ABS, the chemical solvents for TPU were extremely controlled and not readily available via online resellers. To me that was a red flag that these were items requiring special equipment and ventilation. I draw the line at having to use a HAZMAT suit. The second obstacle was the all the research pointed to an answer; “It depends”. It depends on the composition of the TPU formula.
What have you found to be a suitable coating, which still maintains some flexibility?
food grade silicone.
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