How to Clean a 3D Printer With Cured Resin on the Screen

Resin smudges and spills on your LCD screen can negatively affect the quality of your prints. So, it’s important to clean your screen as soon as you notice them. Trying to clean resin 3D prints can be frustrating, but there are sure ways to go about it and solve the problem.

To clean a 3D printer with cured resin on the screen, you should use either a combination of isopropyl alcohol with paper towels and a scraper, or use hot water with a sponge and a scraper. You use the liquid to weaken the bond of the cured resin, then you scrape the cured resin with a scraper.

This is the basic answer on how to clean resin from your LCD screen, but keep on reading more to learn the details of how to do this properly.

How to Clean 3D Printer Resin on your LCD Screen

There are two ways you can get resin off your 3D printer’s LCD screen. They include

• Clean with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and paper towels
• Clean with Hot Water and Sponge

Let’s take a look at both methods:

Clean Using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)

IPA is a solvent that many people use in washing their resin models after printing. It can also come in handy for cleaning LCDs.

The following are the steps you will take when cleaning 3D printer resin on a screen using IPA:

Step 1: Get Some IPA and a Paper Towel

The first step is to buy some IPA and some paper towels. Most people recommend using a highly concentrated brand of IPA like the Vaxxen Labs 99% IPA.

IPA is used to soak the resin and make it easy to come off. The alcohol helps soften the resin making it easier to wipe or scrape off.

The high concentration softens the resin faster and makes it easier to remove. Alternatively, you should be fine if you have any IPA with a concentration above 90%.

Next, you should get a highly absorbent paper towel like the Bounty QuickSize Rolls. They are more absorbent than regular paper towels, which means they can soak up spills better.

Use paper towels to wipe the resin that hasn’t cured on the surface. The paper towels will also help clear dust and other residues from the screen in preparation for the cured resin removal and cleaning process.

One user suggested using microfiber cloths instead of paper towels. They are less abrasive and will not cause micro-scratches on the LCD like paper towels.

You can get the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths for your resin printer’s screen. A single pack contains 24 ultra-soft cleaning cloths that will effectively clean your LCD without scratching it.

The user further suggested soaking the IPA in a sponge and then placing the sponge on the area with cured resin. This will prevent excess IPA from seeping into delicate parts of the 3D printer.

You should note that the IPA will still work even if the resin is water-washable.

Step 2: Soak the Resin

Once you have the IPA, apply it to the resin on the screen and let it rest for a few minutes. You can let the alcohol sit for about five minutes.

An important thing to note is that you should be careful not to let the alcohol seep inside the machine. Use a kitchen towel to keep it from the edges.

You can also apply it in small sections at a time.

Once you have soaked the resin in alcohol, start wiping any resin on the screen. You can use a piece of cloth, a kitchen towel, a rag, or a sponge soaked in the IPA to perform this process.

Step 3: Use a Plastic Razor Blade to Scrape Off the Resin On the Screen

For the next part, you will need a plastic razor blade to remove the cured resin from your LCD screen.

You can use the Foshio Plastic Razor Blade Scraper, which costs around $10 and comes with a hundred blades. You can always replace the blade and re-use the scraper if you experience another printing mishap that spills resin onto your screen.

Alternatively, if you don’t have these razor blades, I advise you to use a credit card or any other plastic item with a sharp edge, for instance, one of those cards used to play poker.

Never ever use a metal scraper or a metallic razor blade. They are hard and are likely to scratch and damage the screen, no matter how careful you are, as explained by this Redditor.

Ensure you are gentle when scraping the resin from the screen. It will take some time, but you need to be patient.

Step 4: Add More IPA As Needed Until the Resin Is Cleared

If you find some parts of the resin are still hard, add IPA as you scrape to keep softening it. Sometimes, you may need to wait a few more minutes for the resin to soften after adding the alcohol.

Avoid scraping the resin from your screen when it’s dry, as it can damage the screen. When doing this, you should be patient and work slowly to remove the resin to avoid causing any damage.

Keep adding the alcohol as you scrape, and you should be able to get the resin off in no time.

Step 5: Check the FEP sheet for Holes

Once you are done cleaning your screen, you should check the FEP sheet for any holes that may be causing the resin to leak. To do this, place the vat on a paper towel and then fill it with water.

If there are any holes or punctures in the FEP sheet, the water will seep through it and soak the paper towel. If the paper towel is wet when you lift the vat, you must replace the FEP sheet.

You can get the 6pcs Creality FEP Film from Amazon to replace your old film. It has non-stick properties, so your layers should easily peel off.

It also has a high transmittance, which is a huge factor in how well the UV light passes through the screen. Depending on your LCD’s size, you can choose between the small, medium, and large sizes.

To replace the FEP, unfasten all the bolts around the vat securing the FEP sheet. Remove it and then replace it with a new FEP sheet. Make sure to fasten the nuts securely.

You can watch this YouTube video to see how this guy followed the above steps to remove cured resin from his 3D printer screen.

Clean with Hot Water and Sponge

Another method you can try to clean resin off your LCD screen is using hot water. This method was recommended by a Reddit user who used it to remove cured resin from his screen successfully.

Here are the steps to follow when using this method:

Step 1: Soak A Sponge in Water That Has Been Heated To 70°C

The first step of this method is to heat water until it’s fairly hot. Avoid using boiling water, as it can damage your screen film.

Take a sponge and dip it in the water. For this, you can get the Microfiber Bone Sponge from Amazon.

It is highly absorbent and won’t to scratch your printer’s LCD.

Next, wring it to remove the excess water and leave it damp. Ensure the sponge isn’t dripping or leaking since the excess water could find its way into the internals of your 3D printer.

One user recommends placing the sponge in a plastic bag to ensure it doesn’t spill water inside your 3D printer.

Step 2: Place It on the Area of the Screen with the Resin

The next step is to place the sponge with the heated water onto the screen’s surface with the resin.

Leave it for about 10-15 minutes. The high water temperature will soften the resin, making it easier to remove.

Step 3: Use a Plastic Scraper to Scrape Off the Resin

Once the sponge has sat on the resin for 10-15 minutes, take a plastic razor blade and start plying the resin from the surface. Do it gently and patiently, as the process may take some time.

If there is still a hard smidge of resin left on the screen, apply the reheated sponge again and repeat the steps above until all the resin completely comes off.

Check out the video below that explains how to use a heated sponge to remove cured resin from your 3D printer LCD screen.

How to Protect Your Screen Using a Screen Protector

You can avoid all these problems altogether if you get a screen protector for your printer’s LCD. Most screen protectors are quite easy to install and use.

A great example you can check out on Amazon is the Mach5ive Screen Saver. It is made from highly durable PET material, which makes it extra resistant to resin spills and scratches.

Additionally, it comes with an installation kit and an easy-to-follow guide for a perfect installation. There are many sizes available on the Amazon page.

All you need to do is to browse for your printer’s name.

Note: You should re-calibrate your exposure times after applying the screen guard. Most only allow at least 93% of the UV light through.

After purchasing your screen protector, you can follow these steps to place it on your screen effectively:

• Clean the screen
• Identify the top part of the screen protector
• Place it on the screen and check for air bubbles
• Re-level your bed

Step 1: Clean the Screen

The first step is cleaning the screen. This is important to clear off any residue or dust on the screen before you apply the screen protector.

The Mach5ive screen protector comes with a microfiber cloth that you can use for cleaning the screen. When cleaning, don’t just clean the screen’s surface. Also, clean the surrounding area where the screen protector will touch.

Step 2: Identify the Top Part of the Screen Protector

Some screen protectors come with two adhesive sides that you will have to peel away. The red side, on most occasions, goes face-down onto the screen.

Once you have that down, you can remove the one on top. The process will get much easier and more enjoyable if you get a screen protector cut to the design of your printer’s frame, as it will fit perfectly.

Step 3: Place it on the Screen and Check for Air Bubbles

Now comes the main part. You can use a card to plaster it well on the screen and ensure it fits perfectly.

You can also use your finger to check for and remove air pockets or bubbles that may be present on the screen. Try and remove most of the bubbles present if there are any.

Step 4: Re-Level Your Bed

Once you are confident that there are no air pockets on the screen, you can finally re-level your bed before printing.

Check out this video to learn more about how to place a screen protector onto your 3D printer LCD.

A clean, residue-free LCD is very important if you want to get quality resin prints consistently. I hope this guide helps you in achieving that!