If you previously read my review on the Longer3D LK4 3D Printer, I now have my hands on the long-awaited Longer3D Orange 10 Resin 3D Printer! Read on to find out more on the Longer3D Orange 10 Review.
Longer3D Orange 10 Specifications
Orange 10 Packaging
The Longer3D Orange 10 comes nicely packaged with a firm foam padding. It also has reinforced cardboard for the inside corners of the box. Everything has its place, and there was no damage.
- Instruction book
- Spare FEP film
- Resin filters
- Acrylic sheets for housing
- Power supply
- Gloves
- Scraper
- Elastic bands (To secure housing)
- Playing cards (To scrape off excess resin)
- Cleaning cloth
- 8GB Micro SD card with USB reader
- Main unit
- Build plate
- 250ml Longer 3D Orange 10 printer resin
The construction & quality
My first port of call was to build the orange cover that is placed over the top. The acrylic sheets are covered in a protective layer of paper, which can be a bit fiddly to remove but therefore will protect from any scratches!
Building the Longer3D Orange 10 box was pretty simple, but also a balancing act as nothing secures itself into place. Once you have it balanced, stretch over one of the elastic bands to hold it in place, then you can place the other 2 for a more secure fit. In conclusion, I only used 2, one at the top and the other at the bottom. I didn’t want to obscure the middle view. The quality of the Longer3D Orange 10 resin 3D printer is excellent! The base unit is heavy and sturdy and feels of premium quality. The acrylic cover feels sturdy, although it is only held together with elastic bands. I’m sure that someone will design a kind of brace for this cover. The power supply doesn’t feel or look cheap, so should last!
Orange 10 Power-up & levelling
With the Longer3D Orange 10 now built, it was time to turn it on. The power switch is located at the back next to the power socket. The first thing that hits you is the noise of the fan. It’s pretty loud. Therefore, I measured the decibels using the Sound Meter app from Google Play, and it weighed an average of 67.3. As a result, I will be looking into replacing the fan for a much quieter one in the future that runs on 12v.
Levelling the Longer3D Orange 10 is pretty simple. Firstly, remove the resin vat and then loosen the four bolts that hold the build plate in place so it can freely move up and down. Secondly, lay a piece of paper down over the LCD screen then home the printer. When it comes to a stop, hold the build plate down and tighten the bolts in place. You should feel some drag on the paper, similar to that on an FDM printer. That’s all there is to it! Move your Z-axis back up so you can then install the resin vat back in place.
Longer3D have a video on this instruction of which you can view below.
Safety first!
As part of this Longer3D Orange 10 Review, I must stress the importance of safety. At this point, I have not touched any resin or even opened it! Please, please, please ensure you wear the gloves supplied before handling the resin. 3D printer resin is toxic, and if not handled correctly, it can cause health issues. As a result, I would also advise buying more gloves as you will need them. Also, ensure you are in a well-ventilated area. There is a slight smell from the resin, but not too overpowering.
Let’s get printing with resin!
We are now at the point we can pour the resin into the vat. I haven’t yet worked out a way to know how much to use, so as a result I just guesstimate! I filled the vat about halfway. Once poured input your acrylic cover over the top. The resin is cured via UV light, and this cover is designed to avoid the resin curing from outside light while in the vat.
On the right-hand side of the printer is the SD card slot. On the SD card supplied, there are already some files on it, which can print straight away. Eager to get going with this, that’s precisely what I did!
Firstly, I printed the Zombie Hunter head. Upon selecting the file and choosing to print, the build plate moves down into the vat of resin, and then you just wait. The build plate will move up slightly, then down again with each layer it prints. Besides, the touchscreen displays the time it will take, the current progress, the layer it is on, temperature and also a picture of the model you are printing. It is clear and concise. However, the touchscreen could be a bit more responsive. However, I couldn’t find any settings to change the responsiveness.
The results
After 3 hours and 15 minutes later, the Longer3D Orange 10 has completed its first print. With my gloves on, I remove the cover and then loosen the build plate screw and slide this out, tilting it, so the excess resin drips back into the vat. Using the supplied playing cards, I scrape around the model to remove the uncured resin.
After that, once I have got off what I can, I place the build plate in a container of Isopropyl Alcohol and then proceed to put the cover back over the printer. The model was firmly stuck to the build plate and took some going to get it off with the scraper. However, I was stoked at how good it looked, and that my first print was a success! I may have had the levelling too close.
Firstly, I placed the model into my ultrasonic cleaner with some Isopropyl Alcohol and let this run for a couple of minutes. Secondly, once this had finished, I then submerged the model into another container of fresh Isopropyl Alcohol. I took this out, wiped off the excess with a paper towel and then I placed into a UV nail lamp for a couple of minutes. This ensures the resin gets fully cured. You can, of course, use the power of the sun; however, this would take longer for the model to cure. The model is now fully finished!
The quality of this print is fantastic! There are no defects on it whatsoever I can see. Just wow!
More prints with resin
Below are some more models printed that came supplied on the SD card.
Three Wise Skulls – Thingiverse
Skyrim Vampire Lord – Thingiverse
Bracket – Source unknown
I also printed the Star Wars Death Trooper from MyMiniFactory too of which you can see below.
Here are all the prints I have done using the supplied 250ml of resin, and I even have about 1/4 of a bottle leftover.
What about the Orange 10 software?
The Longer3D Orange 10 comes with its slicer software on the SD card, however, when I tried to install, it failed. Therefore, I went onto the Longer3D site, and I was able to download an updated version from there. As I am very new to resin 3D printing, I have not yet used it to slice any files as this will be a steep learning curve for me, and as a result, this article will be updated once I am up to speed with it. In the meantime, you can view their video below.
Also, Longer3D has collaborated with Chitubox of which the Orange 10 is compatible; however, you will need to convert the zip file to a .lgs format. See the video below for instruction on how to do this.
Additional prints
Here are some additional prints I have done since owning the Longer3D Orange 10 resin printer.
Price and where can I buy?
You can purchase the Longer3D Orange 10 over at Amazon (£269) or AliExpress at a perfect price of £225.24! Also, maybe even cheaper with any coupons, they show. (Prices are correct as of September 2019.)
Conclusion of the Longer3D Orange 10 review
In conclusion, this printer blows me away! Not only is it cheap, but the quality it produces is outstanding! Although the build volume is only small, that’s what these are designed for. Resin isn’t the cheapest printing material at the moment, but as resin printing becomes more mainstream, hopefully, the prices will lower.
I am looking forward to printing with this more, mainly to print small, detailed models of which an FDM printer may struggle with. Also, these small detailed models would be used as part of a bigger build alongside FDM printed parts, so it will be useful to see the contrast between them.
I hope you have enjoyed this Longer3D Orange 10 Review. Please feel free to leave me any comments or suggestions as to how I could improve my content.
Why not check out 3D printing with Moondust – Return to the moon? Or the Dragon Resin Review – Is It Different? We Shall See
An excellent budget resin 3D printer which is most suitable for those starting out. At a cheap price point, it is money well spent!
