With filament-based 3D printing, you can get multiple colors with additional extruders, manually swapping filament, or with something like a Mosaic Palette device. But one of the disadvantages of resin 3D printing is that it is very difficult to change colors during a print.
In this article, I’ll walk you through a technique that lets you get multiple colors in a resin print and that is easy to do. Redditor u/ChinchillaWafers suggested this technique in this post and I decided to give it a try. It worked quite well, so I’m sharing it with you all.
Supplies
To do this, you’ll need the following supplies in addition to your printer:
You can use as many resin colors as you like, but I suggest using colors that contrast well. Gray on white, for example, won’t show up very well. But black on white will.
The idea
The idea here is to leave debossed letters or other spaces in your printed model, such as text inset into a surface. You can then fill those with your contrasting liquid resin and use the UV flashlight to cure it.
A 405nm UV flashlight will cure liquid resin just like your MSLA resin 3D printer does. Other UV wavelengths might work, but these resins are meant to cure with 405nm, so it is best to stick to that.
Because you’re pouring liquid resin into cavities in your print, you need to make sure you model can be physically oriented so that those cavities are level. Otherwise, it will be hard to keep the resin from spilling over the edges before it cures and hardens.
The steps
Step 1:
Start by printing your model like you normally would. For my test, I printed a simple sign with debossed lettering that says “Cameron & Maria” (me and my girlfriend). I printed this in white so that most other colors would contrast well.
Step 2:
Remove supports, then rinse and cure your part. You can also finish curing the part after adding the contrasting resin, but I chose to cure it first since I would be handling the part.
Step 3:
After putting on gloves, choose a contrasting resin color (or multiple colors) and pour it into a small, disposable container. Paint cups work well for this. You could try to pull the resin directly from the bottle, but it would be difficult to reach your syringe inside.
Step 4:
Make sure your print is level, then carefully fill a syringe with contrasting resin. Try to pick a syringe needle size that is a bit smaller than the smallest portion of the debossed letters.
Then very slowly squeeze the syringe to fill your letters with the contrasting resin. You can either do all of your letters at once or do them one at a time (curing each before starting the next).
I recommend doing them all at once in order to avoid yellowing the original print with too much UV exposure. You can see at the top left (by the “C”) that I made that mistake when I first started.
Step 5:
If any resin spilled over the edges, use an paper towel wetted with IPA to wipe it away. Try not to soak up the resin inside the lettering.
Step 6:
Turn on your UV flashlight and shine it over the lettering to cure the new resin. Depending on the depth of the lettering (mine was 2mm), curing can take anywhere from 3-15 seconds.
Safety warning: 405nm UV light is bad for you! Avoid shining it at anything living, especially your eyes! Seriously, I take no responsibility if you blind yourself or develop skin cancer.
Step 7:
Repeat steps 4-6 until your letters are completely filled in. If you end up with spilled-over resin that cured, you can lightly sand the surface to remove it.
Admire your work
And that’s it, you’re done! This is an easy, affordable way to add more color to your resin prints. It works especially well for debossed lettering, so I will almost certainly use it in the future for projects where I want to add a name/logo to enclosures.
It seems like it might also be possible to mix materials, such as a flexible resin with a rigid resin. I’m hoping to experiment with that in the future.
While I’ve been riding motorcycles for more than 16 years now, I didn’t go to the track until I bought my Daytona 675 this year. A big part of the reason that I waited so long was that it seemed intimidating. I was overwhelmed by what I needed to do and buy, which held me back.
Now that I have a couple of trackdays under my belt, I know that it is actually pretty easy to get started. To help others get on the track, I want to explain what you need for your first motorcycle trackday.
Bike prep
This should be obvious, but you should make sure your bike is well-maintained and in good working order before you do anything else. Your trackday organizers will inspect your bike and they won’t let you on the track if there is anything wrong with your bike. Things to check include:
Fork seals are clean and not leaking
Chain and sprockets are clean, lubed properly, and not overly worn
Foot pegs are secure and pivot properly (if applicable)
Throttle closes smoothly and easily
Brake and clutch levers operate properly and cables aren’t loose
Shifter moves freely
Brake pedal has proper resistance and doesn’t bind
Your suspension and tires should also be in good shape. If you are in need of new tires or need your suspension setup for your weight, there should be techs at the track who can do the work at competitive rates. It cost me $40 to have a tech setup my suspension at the track and tire prices were the same (or better) than at local shops. The techs can also recommend tire pressures for your bike and the current conditions.
Assuming that your bike is in good shape, there are only a few things you need to do before you get on the track. These vary by track and trackday organization, but usually you need to:
Cover all lights with blue painters tape
Either remove mirrors or cover the glass in painters tape
Install a dB killer for your exhaust, if necessary
Many tracks have decibel limits and your exhaust can’t exceed those limits. Even popular aftermarket slip-ons can be too loud. Unless you have a stock exhaust, there you may need to install a dB killer to stay below the limit.
Some exhaust manufacturers sell dB killers/baffles specifically for their products, which should be your first choice. If those aren’t available for your exhaust, you can try a universal dB killer like this one.
Riding gear
Every respectable trackday organization will have gear requirements. Your textile jacket for street riding will not cut it. At the very least, you will need:
A DOT-approved helmet
Riding suit (leathers)
Over-the-ankle riding boots
Gauntlet gloves
Riding suits can be made from a variety of leather types, including cow hide, kangaroo hide, and goat hide. Cow hide is always acceptable, but the others may not be (check with your organization). Similarly, a one-piece suit is always acceptable, but a two-piece may or may not be. If you are going to buy a two-piece suit, make sure the top zips onto the bottom.
Your suit may come with knee pucks (sliders) and a back protector, or you may need to order them separately. Whether or not they’re required will depend on the organization, but you should buy them either way.
Wearing my inexpensive Bogotto Losail riding suit
Suits can be very expensive and that cost tends to be what keeps people from going to the track. But a riding suit will literally save your skin and decent suit will last for years. I ordered my suit (a Bogotto Losail) from FC-Moto in Germany for around $300, which is about the cheapest suit on the market. But it is still cowhide and seems to be constructed well.
And whether you’re in cold weather or hot weather, base layers will increase your comfort. Under Armor-style leggings and shirts are great at wicking away sweat and keeping your from sticking to your leathers. The cheap brands are generally just as good as the expensive brands, so there is no need to spend a lot of money.
Tools and supplies
To be on the safe side, you should bring a basic set of tools with you. Those should include ratchets and sockets, hex wrenches, pliers, and so on. You don’t need to bring your entire garage with you, but you want to be able to handle basic tasks if they come up.
You will also want to bring an air compressor and some means to power it. I use this air compressor that plugs into my car’s cigarette outlet. With this, I can inflate or deflate the tires to maintain the pressures recommended by the techs. Keep in mind that your tire pressures will change throughout the day as it gets hotter.
Depending on the track and the size of your bike’s gas tank, you might also need to bring a jerry can full of fuel. My Daytona 675 has a relatively large tank that lasts the entire day, but I have friends who need to refuel multiple times during the day.
Shade and comfort
You’re only going to be on the track for a fraction of each hour. The rest of the time, you will want somewhere comfortable to rest. The track might not have any amenities aside from some porta-johns, so you will want to bring a few things. This is especially true if you’re somewhere hot, like I am in Arizona.
The most important thing is some shade. I use an E-Z Up Ambassador portable canopy. It’s heavy, but provides 10×10 feet of shade and is quick to setup/breakdown. To keep it from blowing away in the wind, you’ll want some sandbags to put on the feet. I just bought some bags and sand at my local Ace Hardware.
Bring your own shade, because the track may not have any!
You’ll also want something to sit on in the shade. Regular old collapsing camping chairs work just fine for me.
It’s optional, but you might want a folding table on which to place your helmet, gloves, etc. between track sessions.
Finally if you want some real comfort, you might consider a portable swamp cooler (with generator for power). I have friends who brought one to our most recent trackday and it really helped with the 105°F+ heat.
Hydration and food
I can not stress enough how important hydration is at the track. However much you think you’ll drink, double or triple it. I’m talking about gallons of water and/or sports drinks. Even if you aren’t in hot a desert like I am, the physical exertion of riding hard while in leathers will drain you.
You should start hydrating several days before you go to the track. Avoid booze and drink as much water as you can stand each day.
Then bring as much fluid as you can with you to the track. A few bottles of Gatorade will not be enough. I would recommend a few gallons of water for each person, at a minimum. You can buy electrolyte packets to mix in with your water (I use Liquid I.V.), which can help a lot. Make sure you have a cooler and ice to keep your water from getting hot.
You will also want food for the track. While you might not have much of an appetite, you should have lunch and snacks ready. Bananas are great, as the potassium can help with cramps. Sugary candy can also help to keep your blood sugar up.
Getting your bike to the track
You can simply ride your bike to the track, but not many people do. That would make it very difficult to bring everything mentioned above. I can also guarantee that the last thing you’ll want to do after a long, hot day at the track is hope back on your bike for a ride home.
For those reasons, you’ll probably want to tow your bike to the track. In the United States, U-Haul is a great place to rent motorcycle trailers. It usually costs me about $35 for a two-day rental, which lets me load the bike up the day before the trackday and then return the trailer the day after.
My Daytona 675 ready to go to the track
Just about any vehicle can pull those trailers. I tow with a 2019 Toyota Rav4 that has a towing capacity of 1,500 pounds and don’t have any issues. Just make sure you have an appropriately-rated hitch, a 2″ ball, and a 4-pin trailing wiring harness.
The trailer will not come with any straps to secure the bike, however. The best method for tying down the bike will depend on the model/style. For a fully-faired super sport like my Daytona 675, I would recommend two heavy ratchet straps, two cam-lock straps or ratchet straps, and two “softloops.” This kit on Amazon has everything you’ll need.
The two softloops can go around your handlebar grips. On each side, a ratchet strap should go from the softloop to the D-ring on the trailer. At the back of the bike, use a ratchet strap or cam-lock strap on each side from the passenger peg mount to the D-ring on the trailer.
If you’re unfamiliar with tying a bike down to a trailer, check out this video that covers the basic concept:
And that’s it! If you follow those steps, you should be well-prepared for your first trackday. Have any additional questions or tips you want to share? Comment below!
