Hey gang, Tim here at Core Electronics and today I'm showing you how to post-process 3D prints to make them perfectly transparent. Your friends won't believe the results and your family won't understand, but this guide will tell you all the secrets to post-process a fused filament fabricated 3D printed component to the point of looking like glass.

Importantly is the before and after shots. If you follow through the process your end results will be the same. A beautifully transparent object that allows you to see perfectly through it.

Now all these objects were printed using Polymaker PolySmooth transparent filament. This filament is a PVB material and the magic of this process occurs because PVB is soluble in alcohol. This means you can use isopropyl alcohol to smooth out the layer lines which otherwise lower the transparency of a 3D print. PVB is usually used as a bonding layer in laminated safety glass which you see in most cars. It's pretty amazing the material you can 3D print.

On the table before me is exactly what you need to turn a PVB printed component into a see-through glass-esque component. You will need a component made from Polymaker PolySmooth transparent and for the best results you're going to use a thin-walled object which you can easily get to all the surfaces of. Components like a vase or a jug work really well.

You're also going to want a spray or mist bottle with isopropyl alcohol inside and you're going to want a platform to let those components dry on without much contact points. A 3D printed PLA or ABS infill grid works really well. In my case I pulled apart an old 3D printed vase and used that.

Step one. Spray the inside and outside of the thin-walled object with a liberal amount of isopropyl alcohol.Here are some of the models that I went through this post-processing with. This thin vase was printed using a single wall thickness and it has come out really swell. If I was to continue using this post-processing on it however, I'd end up getting some diminishing results as the alcohol would start to warp the shape of the vase. Absolutely transparent at this stage however and I'm very happy with how it's turned out. You can notice on the bottom though there is some marring from where it stood on the 3D printed platform.

Over here is a thick globe which I printed with two lines making for a one millimetre thick wall thickness. There was no space between those two lines and 115% flow was used to ensure that no air bubbles or gaps were occurring inside the material. PVA support material was also used to make this overhang work and it was dissolved away using water. The thick globe turned out quite nicely however it did require a couple more days of post-processing.

Alcohol using the mist spray bottle. Two. If it is a container, swish the built-up liquid inside it and then after getting all the surfaces moist, empty out as much as you can. Three. Place the component on top of the 3D printed platform or infill made from a material which will not dissolve when in contact with isopropyl alcohol. Four. Do not touch with your fingers at this stage at all as it's going to mark the surface. Five. You can repeat this later on in the day when all the isopropyl has dissolved. Six. Repeat this process for a week and a half, nine days or until satisfied with the results. Seven. Let the components have two days to have a final rest up to prevent smudging as the material will still be soft and pliable until dried completely.Here is a thick vase which I also printed with those two layer lines but I had a very thin intentional air space between them internally. This has LED to some really interesting reflections and refractions inside the model as certain sections have become transparent.

Where the angle of the vase was too steep so there's no air gaps between the two PVB lines, the sections where this is has become a glossy opaque. However sections where it's got that little air gap has kind of garnered a golden haze.

Also as I went very hard on the isopropyl alcohol this model has changed the material properties on the base turning it into a more rubbery material.

Best results will come when you're creating already good 3D prints that are already very transparent as they will enable this process to occur most effectively. I dive into the process to get this done in a previous video and you can see down below in the description for just that.

Big shout out to 3D Print General for enabling me to discover this idea of using PVB material and post-processing it in this manner. It is remarkable the transparency change that has occurred over the stages. Link down below also for his videos on this particular topic.

SLA and DLP printers also offer methods to create components that look a lot like Glass 2 but that will be a future nugget of content.

Until then I'll leave you with a transparent 3D print done on a Creality resin printer exactly like the one behind me by our Core Electronics Forum Superstar Owen. Definitely an excellent print.

Hopefully this has given you all the tools you need to replicate this process at your own Makerverse. Smash that like button and until next time, stay cozy.