So I ended up diving into the resin printing world, I have already been doing FDM printing for a few years now. You can create some great things on an FDM but fine details are often lost but it works great for large objects such as table top terrain, gadgets, and trinkets. I have only used PLA for material due to no noxious odors and non toxic. This was the main reason I stayed away from resin printers because I did not want to expose my kids. However recently the printers have been getting better along with tools for easy cleaning and resins that are a little safer to be around. I'll touch on these a little more in depth. After a some research I decided to go with the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro. For cost it was in good contention with the Anycubic Photon so it came down to a couple features and looks. Without too much detail the light source on the Photon seems better, both are comparable build space, price, footprint, and operation. The Mars 2 Pro though has an active fan with a carbon filter to take away some of the odor issues. Granted Elegoo also makes rechargeable units that can be installed in either machine along with others. Overall the Elegoo was a bit cheaper on sale and I figured it would play slightly nicer with the wash/cure station made by Elegoo, which was also cheaper than Anycubic version. That brings me to post build issue, washing and curing the resin. You can easily use plastic bins and a homemade UV light or the sun. However for ease of use, uniformity, and containment the wash/cure stations are a game changer. Drop the builds in the container or hang the build plate and hit go so the machine does the work. Then take it out and set to cure which again the machine does the work of rotating and making uniform curing. I also found Elegoo among others making low or no VOC resin and even water washable, rather than the typical IPA or other cleaners. Still you want to use protective equipment like gloves, safety goggles, and a mask (to be on the safe side) but the overall process fumes are lowered. Still I do not plan to use my resin printer in the house like I do the FDM, but carved out a space in my garage. I will post some updates as I get more use out of my new tool. Thank you for taking the time to read and hope your dad game levels up.
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