The True Cost of Resin 3D Printing

Owning a resin 3d printer is expensive because, unlike in FDM, you need more than a printer, you need a wash, cure station, resin and more. If you value your health, the costs go up. I recommend you take care of your health, so you will need to buy masks and gloves to stay safe. The price you pay is not just money, it is also the risks that you are taking. In my opinion, I will break down the true cost of resin 3D printing.

I don't currently own a resin 3D printer — there are a few reasons for that:

• The cost adds up quickly.
• Resin is toxic, and I value my health.
• It's messy, and cleanup isn't fun.
• Most of my 3d printing is done on my desk, so a resin printer is not the best for desk set-ups.

Uses of Resin 3D Printing

The main reason resin 3d printing is used is to make miniatures and to prototype things fast and precisely. This happens because UV light enters it in the shape you want and then taking the model out allows for extremely detailed prints.

Even though I don't own a 3D resin printer, there are many ways to find the risks of resin alone. There are lots of videos on resin printing and how messy it is. I will do my fair share of research, so I don't give any misinformation. All sources will be linked at the end.

Your Health

Health should be your number one priority, so let's see the risks of inhaled resin fumes.

Short-term exposure to resin can irritate your eyes, nose and throat and can cause dizziness and a headache.

Long term: Because I am not a scientist here, the article that explains it best is linked in the sources — it shows the hazards of bisphenol A, which is in resin.

Resin 3D printing also requires isopropyl alcohol (IPA), typically 90% or higher, for cleaning prints. IPA can be hazardous if you repeatedly inhale its vapors, so proper ventilation and safety precautions are important.

Resin itself can also be hazardous. Never eat resin or alcohol, I think that goes without saying, and avoid skin and eye contact. Improper exposure can cause serious health effects. Please use common sense and follow the safety instructions for your specific resin and equipment.

Your Effort

When resin gets spilled, which, trust me, it will, you spill. It may melt materials. It is also very hard to clean. The method recommended is IPA and tissue wipe off.

Now what if you need to throw it out? It is VERY, and I mean, VERY, harmful to the environment and in some places it is illegal to throw it out like normal — you can't pour it down the sink or trashcan if it is liquid or solid, because it goes into the water, and if something is harmful to you, it is probably harmful to the water and the fish. So that's extra effort for you to throw it out correctly.

Money

Now the big thing is the cost of resin 3D printing using real $ bills.

The Printer

This one goes without saying, but you need a 3d printer to 3d print, so this might not be a good pick. I am going for it anyway, because I am researching the price, not the printer.

So let's go for a cheap one. Currently, the Mars 4 Ultra is at $209, and without the current sale it would be at $299.

Wash and Cure Station

You will also need a wash and cure station because liquid and uncured resin are harmful for skin. If you want to hold the print, you need to wash and cure it. We're staying with Elegoo for this — the Mercury X Bundle is $119 on sale, or $214 without the sale (don't worry, $214 is closer to Elegoo's usual price, not a scare tactic). This includes both a wash station and a cure station.

Resin

If you're resin 3D printing, you will need resin, of course, and this is what I like to call a consumable — meaning it runs out, unlike your printer, which can technically break but doesn't get "used up" the same way.

Because everything we're using is Elegoo, let's check the current Elegoo price for 1 liter of resin. There are probably cheaper options out there, but I'll use this as an easy example. Standard resin costs about $21 per liter, and you're probably buying it every time you run out, so that can add up. Let's be generous and say $21 a month.

Safety Gear

Because resin is toxic, I think these are essentials.

Nitrile gloves must be nitrile — other materials may melt — and a pack of 50 can cost $11. These are for protecting your hands.

Chemical glasses for your eyes, so they don't get irritated, are $12 on Amazon. These are some cheap ones that I think are just fine.

I also recommend buying a respirator for about $40. It's well worth it to keep you from breathing in all the fumes.

IPA Alcohol

As unhealthy as it is, you need it to cure things, and if you don't, it's more dangerous — so you need to get this to put in the wash and cure station, and it needs to be at least 90% IPA. You can buy a generic Amazon basic 500ml bottle for $7, or buy 12 of them in bulk for $27 at 500ml each, and you need 4 liters for 50 prints. So I think the choice is obvious — you buy in bulk. Let's say this is on a per-3-month basis.

Ventilation Setup

We have all the masks, and you may be asking what the point of this is — the reason is so the air doesn't stay in the room too long. You want the fumes outside the home, so that's why it's recommended to print near a window. Now you can ventilate using the whole house, but that's kind of complex, so let's do the basics: an air purifier.

The Levoit Air Purifier is going to be my example — I'm not sure if it's any good, but if you're resin 3D printing, you need to do your own research. It costs about $84 right now, or $99 without the sale, so let's add that to the total.

Estimated Total Cost

Conclusion

So the printer is priced at about $209, but the real cost of $523 is way higher than you would think looking at just the printer, which is wild to think about how much it can rack up. That also does not include how much effort and how bad it can be for your health.

Resin 3d printing is great fun, but knowing the risks attached is necessary — look at our sources to learn more, but until next time see you later.