3D printing - how transparent is "transparent PLA"?

[skotl]

I need to make a little view portal for a plastic box that's mounted outside, and I want to make it flanged so that I can (hopefully) mount it into the box lid in such a way that it will be relatively waterproof (bonus points for recommending a glue!)

I was thinking of what to google for ("flanged bit of transparent plastic" ) then realised I could print it, if the allegedly transparent PLA actually is!

Anyone have any experience? It doesn't need to be optically perfect - just enough to see whether a green, red or white LED is shining inside the box.

Random selection from the usual place: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=transparent+pla

 

[Screwdriver]

The "transparent" stuff is always a little opaque but a light would shine through it for sure. Even a plain white would show an LED lit up behind it, easily seen through 3-4mm thick though it would be smeared out a fair bit.

 

[ajlelectronics]

It depends on how you print it. Standard settings will give you a "frosted" transparency which will certainly do what you want. Other techniques apparently make it look like glass, but I have never bothered.

 

[skotl]

Cheers both - I've done some general googling and the end results seem more translucent rather than transparent, but that's probably going to be fine.

 

[Screwdriver]

Did this ages ago for an art project:

They liked the "see through" effect.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Cheers both - I've done some general googling and the end results seem more translucent rather than transparent, but that's probably going to be fine.

I sell my ibus radio converters in translucent colours (PETg) and they also allow coloured LEDs to be seen.

 

[m_c]

As has been said, I'd put them as more translucent/opaque than transparent.

I print some bits in a lovely shade of transparent pink PETG, but you can't really see that much through them.

 

[Dev]

 

[skotl]

Is FDM different to PLA?

 

[m_c]

Is FDM different to PLA?

FDM is Fused Deposition Modelling, aka the type of printer you have.

 

[PhillipM]

If you print hot and slow enough and give things a couple of coats of lacquer afterwards you can get good clarity that you can see through, albeit with a bit of distortion - like lightly frosted glass.
PMMA is better than transparent PLA though.

 

[Bladevane]

A lower infill percentage will also help as will the infill pattern.

 

[Dev]

In the video i linked above he gets the best results with 100% infill but crucially the orientation of the infill is the same as the top and bottom layers so all the lines are parallel. Slightly over-extruding to make sure there’s no gaps also helps.

 

[Onoff]

Thin PLA printed as a lithophane from a photo. Think this was white and that lets light through. Translucent would work for what you want just fine I'm sure.

https://flic.kr/p/2mmvJhk

 

[skotl]

Thanks all - have ordered a 0.5KG reel as I'm not sure I'll have many other uses for it!

Will report back...

Related query: Any thoughts on glue to bond the PLA window to a plastic box exposed to the rain? A brief google suggests gorilla, araldite and superglue will all work (all of which I have) - I'm tending toward superglue.

 

[Onoff]

Clear CT1 then wipe the excess off with a baby wipe.

 

[Screwdriver]

I would lean towards a solvent weld or even an actual plastic weld. I would expect a superglue joint to weep at best due to the imperfections of a 3d printed surface and the very thin layer that superglue forms.

<edit> or an adhesive filler as @Onoff suggests if that works with your design.

 

[PhillipM]

PLA is difficult to solvent weld without seriously iffy solvents (chloroform, etc).
I just used crystal clear epoxy last time I wanted to bond a printed window in something, albiet as I said, that was using PMMA, which is easy to bond.

 

[MattF]

Clear CT1 then wipe the excess off with a baby wipe.

Or just standard silicone.

 

[Screwdriver]

Does that even stick to PLA??