3D Printed Objects – Steps for Sanding Your 3D Printing Project

Published: March 18, 2019

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Steps for sanding your 3D printing project: How to use ÅngströmLap 3D Polishing Films:

Start with the largest grit to remove all pits, bumps, and scratches. Most polymers are easy to sand, so don’t overdo it. However, it is important to sand until you can’t see any odd divots or bumps. Sand evenly across the surface in small circular movements. The first grit will take the longest, will look the worst, and is the most important step. Use good light and inspect the surface carefully. If you miss any scratches that are deeper than the ones you are making with the grit you are working with, they will become prominent as you advance, and you may need to start over. Rinsing the 3D printed object may help you to see missed pits, bumps, and scratches.
Initial sanding and polishing is usually done dry. At any point, you can switch to wet-sanding/wet-polishing by rinsing or soaking the 3D polishing film in water. If your goal is to achieve a glossy finish, you will definitely want to include wet polishing steps as finishing stages in your polishing process.
When you have verified the surface is even, move to a finer grit abrasive film until you obtain the desired surface finish. Our ÅngströmLap 3D Polishing Films come in several grit sizes: Very Fine, Extra Fine, Super Fine, and Ultra Fine. These abrasive films enable you to achieve a mirror-polish finish that would be difficult (if not impossible) to get with sandpaper.

If you need a high-gloss luster when sanding your 3D printed object, we encourage you to experiment with our ÅngströmLap 3D Polishing Films. These fine-grit films may the solution you’ve been looking for to achieve a smooth, mirror-finish polish for your 3D printing projects.

READ THE BLOG: Sanding 3D Printed Objects: How to Get a Mirror-Polish Finish

Additional resources from the FOC team include:

Category Resource:
- FOC Film Page
View the Glossary, Acronyms, Military Specifications for Connectors
Q&A Resource: email technical questions to AskFOC@focenter.com

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FOC Tips Fiber Optic Center has a team of technical experts and marketing strategists with decades of years in the field. This team contributes to the fiber, cable and specialty industries coverage through news, alerts, reports and general media information.

About Fiber Optic Center, Inc.

Fiber Optic Center, Inc., (FOC), is an international leader in distributing fiber optic components, equipment and supplies and has been helping customers make the best cable assemblies in the world for over two decades. Several areas of specialization and expertise, in which they are the industry leader, make them the preferred choice for many of the world’s fiber professionals. In these key technology areas, FOC is "at least as technical as the manufacturer" about the products they sell. Striving to "make the business part easy," they offer outstanding and personal customer service, low or no minimum purchase order values, and from-stock delivery on industry-leading products and technology. FOC is the industry connection to the most innovative optical products, technologies and technical experts who integrate their manufacturing knowledge and vast experience into customers' worldwide operations. @FiberOpticCntr

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