I've recently been printing and building Lightsabers and components out of ABS and then sanding, priming, sanding, priming, painting, etc... to get a nice finished result. What I'd like to do with the T-glase is print out customized/styled blades for these sabers.
First off, to my understanding, it is much more durable (and much more flexible) than abs when printed. How much so? For instance, would a piece printed to the same physical dimensions as a polycarb tube (say a 10" long x 3/4" outer diameter tube with a 1/8" wall) be just as strong or stronger than the polycarb tube? (ie, would it be capable of standing up to the same abuse the regular saber blade would sustain in mock combat?) Worst case scenario it isn't that strong, but would still look great as a display piece that could be twirled around (no impacts) without breaking apart.
I've discovered that print lines can be removed (and a high degree of clarity restored) by brushing on a coat or two of a special epoxy polymer designed for 3d prints (Smooth-On XTC-3D). I can only imagine this adds to the overall strength. Is this the only means of finishing a T-glase print with out marring up the surface? Say I just wanted to prime and paint the print when I was done. How well does it respond to typical abs smoothing methods? (Sanding, Acetone smoothing, Dremeling, Etc...)
Finally, Is there any way to seamlessly glue two T-glase parts together? If I were to print Saber Blades I would have to do so in three interlocking pieces (or make a Rostock Max with a 36" build height! lol). That would require me to then fuse the pieces together some how. Due to the particular properties I'm using it for, the bond between the parts would have to be as good, or better than, as if it were done during initial printing as a single part and, after finishing/clarifying, leave little to no evidence of the physical join (since any visible joints would would likely be very noticeable once illuminated with a high power LED). To that end, would the XTC-3D (used for smoothing/clarity) also act as a bonding agent for the part?
Ultimately, this is just going to be one big trial and error process for me. I'm not even sure how evenly or brightly the LED would Illuminate a 3D printed blade. Left unfinished it may diffuse the light too quickly and/or create hot spots. Clarified it might not trap enough light too light it up (though this is easily correctable by using rolled up gift wrap or wax paper as a diffuser).
So anyway... Maybe an unconventional use for T-glase, but I think it has potential for creating a truly outstanding looking show piece, if nothing else.
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)