Resin printing may often generate a significant amount of waste in the form of support material, which can be challenging to handle. Re-using is a great way to recycle supports to minimize waste in resin printing. That is why I wrote this article to guide you on how you can re-use resin supports.
To reuse resin supports, you can grind them up, mix the scraps into fresh resin in a mold, and leave them to cure. You can also use them as filler material for hollow prints or as terrain features in wargaming prints. Some people use supports inside the resin vat to lift a cured sheet of resin after a failed print.
This is just a simple breakdown of how to re-use resin supports. I will go into more detail in the article, so keep reading to find out more.
How to Re-Use Resin Supports
Here is how you can re-use your 3D-printed resin supports:
Grind them up, mix them with fresh resin, and leave them to cure in a mold
Use them to take out failed prints or lift the sheets of cured resin from your vat
Make filler material for hollow prints
Use them to support uncured prints in the curing station
Turn them into bases for miniatures or terrain features
1. Grind them, Mix them with Fresh Resin, and Leave them to Cure in a Mold
One way to reuse your resin supports is to grind them up into small pieces, mix them with fresh resin, and then leave them to cure.
You can use a blender to grind your leftover supports. I’d recommend using something like the Hamilton Beach Blender from Amazon.
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Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Just throw a handful of resin supports into the blender and press crush. After that, pour the resin into a cup, throw the ground supports in, and mix them up. Before the resin cures, pour it into the silicone mold and leave it for a few minutes.
This will allow the resin and ground supports to solidify and be used for entirely new 3D prints, such as decorative pieces, custom parts, or even functional objects.
It will also help reduce the wastage of resin, thus enabling you to save on the overall cost of resin printing.
A user recommended the Deep Pour Resin for mixing with your ground-up supports.
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Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
One user was asking if he could melt his supports back down and reuse them for minor things like bases. Someone responded that the most feasible method would be grinding the supports, mixing the scraps into fresh resin in a mold, and leaving it to cure.
He added that it wasn’t advisable to heat the resin to melt it as that would release toxic gases that might harm you.
Check out this video that explains how to recycle resin 3D-printed supports using molding and casting with silicone.
2. Use Them to Remove Failed Prints or Lift Sheets of Cured Resin From Your Vat
Another way to reuse resin supports is to use them to remove failed prints carefully. Start by examining the failed print and identifying the areas where supports are still attached to the partially printed object.
Use pliers or tweezers to place the supports strategically between the partially printed object and the build platform or vat. These supports will enable you to lift the failed print from the platform without damaging it.
One user said that you can place the supports in the corners of your tank. After that, use the “Tank Cleaning” feature; the supports should act as handles to make taking off the failed prints much more effortless.
Here is a video that explains how to use the Tank Cleaning feature to clean your FEP.
Another user said that you could use supports to lift sheets of cured resin from your vat after performing a “vat cleaning”/ tank cleaning procedure. The supports act as handles of some sort, thus reducing the chances of you damaging your cured resin sheet.
3. Make Them Filler Material for Hollow Prints
A great way to reuse resin supports is to use them as filler material for hollow prints. In this method, grind your used supports into small pieces and then insert them into the hollow sections of your 3D prints.
This technique helps to provide extra strength to hollow prints, reducing the need for excessive support. Additionally, it makes printing more efficient by saving resin and reducing the amount of time you would use to post-process your prints.
One user said that the best way to reuse leftover resin support pieces was to use them as filler material if you’re trying to fill hollow prints. Just throw them in a blender, mix them into some epoxy resin, and fill up your hollow prints to solidify them.
Another user said that what worked for him was crushing the supports and then throwing them into some glue or epoxy resin. He then used the mixture to fill things.
A user said an interesting way to recycle cured resin supports and failed prints is by grinding them into a fine powder and using them as a filler on hollow prints. For example, you could increase the weight of character bases without needing additional materials and minimizing waste.
4. Use Them to Support Uncured Prints in the Curing Station
You can also use your 3D printed resin supports to prop up uncured prints during curing. By placing them strategically around and under the uncured print, you help to make them more stable while they cure uniformly.
Additionally, supported prints are less likely to come into contact with any excess or uncured resin that may have gathered on the curing surface. This reduces the risk of the print developing unwanted surface imperfections during curing.
One user wanted to know if it was possible to reuse resin support pieces so that he could minimize his resin usage. A user said he used them to support uncured prints in the curing station.
5. Turn Them into Bases for Miniatures or Terrain Features
If you love 3D printing miniatures, then used resin supports will be useful. You can turn them into bases for your prints or as terrain features instead of throwing them away.
One user said the best way to recycle the excess cured resin like the one from supports is to upcycle it. If you’re into wargaming, supports can make decent terrain features since there’s no way to turn it back into printable resin.
He added that for the best results, you needed to spray your supports with a dull metallic color, add a dusting of rusty red, and embed it in some model clay. That would make a great rebar and scaffolding in concrete.
Another user said he always liked getting the leftover supports when ordering printed minis online. Even after buying his own printer, he still found resin supports very useful for crafting terrain.
He used them to craft areas of high grass and tall weeds that were thin and vertical or for beds of wooden stakes to put at the base of walls, if thicker and spiky.
A user asked if there was any use for supports after the prints were done other than just throwing it in the trash. Someone responded that they had a coral garden made out of Form 2 supports on his desk for a few months.
Someone said that one thing you could do with resin supports after curing them is to use them in bases or on models to make things such as trash piles and whatnot.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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