I have recently obtained a friend’s old Formlabs Form 2 SLA printer. I I am an absolute beginner to printing, but I am pretty excited to get into it.

However, the only place that I would realistically be able to put it is on my desk in my bedroom. From everything I’ve read, I need a better ventilated space with more tolerance for a mess than I could possibly provide.

I think that the right call is to just sell it and save up for some FDM printer, but at the end of the day, I have the SLA printer in hand.

I am asking whether these concerns about resin printers are really that bad and if I am actually fine to start learning printing with what I have in my bedroom.

  • @Prunebutt@slrpnk.netEnglish
    35•7 months ago

    I tried this once and decided thhat it’s too risky. Do not do this.

    Rsein printers are not for bedrooms. You’ll constantly smell that stuff and think that you’re poisoning yourself. Also: spills will happen and you don’t want that stuff spilled on your regular desk or on some object of daily use which then needs to be put out in the sun, just to be safe.

    • @kakes@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      11•7 months ago

      Gonna second this. Unless you also install a 24/7 fume hood in your bedroom, the smell alone would be nauseating - not to mention toxic/carcinogenic.

      Also, I don’t have an FDM printer, but I’ve heard even those aren’t good for bedroom use due to the fumes from the plastic.

    • littleblue✨English
      6•7 months ago

      This. I started with FDM at my computer desk in my bedroom. The noise is one thing, but I moved to resin and took the whole lab downstairs. Even in that space, without proper ventilation? I tried it once, and immediately put up the vent system I had on hand.

      Simply put? It’s a non-zero risk that isn’t worth it. Hell, there might even be someone here that’s close enough to print stuff for you until you can set something up yourself. 🙌🏽