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Today, we’re going to review Elegoo‘s Mercury XS Bundle. This is a washing and curing station. This type of product is essentially there to help you better wash your resin 3D prints and also harden them after cleaning.
If you’re like me, you’ll be wondering about the name Mercury XS… yes, it’s a bit confusing, as we’re not talking about an Extra Small cleaning and hardening station here. You only have to look at the 7 liters needed to fill the cleaning tank to understand that the name doesn’t fit. And if you’re wondering about the sizes between the X version at 165 euros and the XS version at 175 euros… well, they’re exactly the same, except for the UV pen accessory that comes extra with the XS version.
In short, the naming is a bit confusing and could have been better thought out.
Before receiving the product, I had seen some similar products with a 2-in-1 solution like the one from Anycubic. And so I thought I would receive a machine that does both. This is not the solution Elegoo has chosen. Even though the package is rather small, it’s still 2 separate machines. A big plus for us, especially if you use resin printing a lot.
As you can see, the reason the package is so small is that all the parts are neatly fitted together to take up as little space as possible. In terms of materials, there’s nothing transcendent: everything is plastic, and the quality is basic. The side-mounted UV lamps don’t inspire confidence. But having said that, everything fits together perfectly, nothing moves. Assembly is ultra-simple.
With the XS version, you get a UV pen that lets you reach more complicated areas, or harden the inside of a hollowed-out part. Or use a bit of resin to glue two parts together, or repair one… Elegoo also supplies goggles for protection.
If you don’t need the UV pen, get the Mercury X Bundle.
Finally, there’s just one adapter for both machines. Which means you’ll only need one plug for both machines. But it also means that both machines need to be in close proximity to each other.
The cleaning station is rather massive – you may not realize it, but the tank is over 9 liters. An advantage for cleaning large prints. But beware: if you fill it up, you also contaminate more IPA alcohol.
Tip: a simple way of preserving your alcohol for as long as possible is to do a pre-wash by soaking your prints in another tank with less clear IPA.
It comes with a basket and stand that will mean Elegoo printer owners won’t even need to remove prints from the base. However, this will mean that you’ll need to fill your station with at least 5 liters of IPA. For my part, I always prefer to detach the parts and use the basket. It allows me to restart a print faster.
To start it up, simply press the button for a few seconds, then turn it to set the rotation time and alarm. Easier than your microwave.
Tip: if your prints are no longer sharp when they come out of the IPA bath, it’s because you’ve left them too long. I’m often asked how long it should ideally take, and although it depends on the maximum thickness of the prints, I recommend 2 minutes 30 to 3 minutes for figurines. Yes, many people like to leave their prints for 5 to 10 minutes… it’s a mistake.
Well, I don’t know if it was intentional, but it’s possible to let the basket rest diagonally across the top of the tub to let the IPA drip off without getting it all over the place. This is also how I take the figurines one by one.
For the hardening station, the start-up and alarm functions work in exactly the same way. But this time, the unit won’t start if the cover isn’t in place. A small safety feature. The side LEDs do their job well, and there are also 4 LEDs on the underside, under the transparent turntable. The tray rotates slowly, allowing you to balance your figures, for example.
Tip: I prefer to detach the prints from their supports before curing, as this generally gives much better finishing results. And the supports are much easier to remove when the resin is not yet completely solid.
This is a nice product to have, but it’s by no means essential. You can get the same results with a really good manual cleaning, and many people swear by it. But personally, I’m in the camp where I think there are better things to do with your time than stirring IPA alcohol for 3 to 5 minutes and then standing in front of a UV lamp for the same amount of time to harden the resin.
The Mercury XS bundle is a simple solution that takes the headache out of this tedious part. Clearly, it’s a comfort solution. If you’ve got one, you know you won’t go back. And for 175 euros it’s a great addition to your resin 3D printer.
The post Review: Elegoo Mercury XS Bundle appeared first on Overclocking.com.
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If you’re like me, you’ll be wondering about the name Mercury XS… yes, it’s a bit confusing, as we’re not talking about an Extra Small cleaning and hardening station here. You only have to look at the 7 liters needed to fill the cleaning tank to understand that the name doesn’t fit. And if you’re wondering about the sizes between the X version at 165 euros and the XS version at 175 euros… well, they’re exactly the same, except for the UV pen accessory that comes extra with the XS version.
In short, the naming is a bit confusing and could have been better thought out.
Unboxing
Before receiving the product, I had seen some similar products with a 2-in-1 solution like the one from Anycubic. And so I thought I would receive a machine that does both. This is not the solution Elegoo has chosen. Even though the package is rather small, it’s still 2 separate machines. A big plus for us, especially if you use resin printing a lot.
As you can see, the reason the package is so small is that all the parts are neatly fitted together to take up as little space as possible. In terms of materials, there’s nothing transcendent: everything is plastic, and the quality is basic. The side-mounted UV lamps don’t inspire confidence. But having said that, everything fits together perfectly, nothing moves. Assembly is ultra-simple.
With the XS version, you get a UV pen that lets you reach more complicated areas, or harden the inside of a hollowed-out part. Or use a bit of resin to glue two parts together, or repair one… Elegoo also supplies goggles for protection.
If you don’t need the UV pen, get the Mercury X Bundle.
Finally, there’s just one adapter for both machines. Which means you’ll only need one plug for both machines. But it also means that both machines need to be in close proximity to each other.
Cleaning station
The cleaning station is rather massive – you may not realize it, but the tank is over 9 liters. An advantage for cleaning large prints. But beware: if you fill it up, you also contaminate more IPA alcohol.
Tip: a simple way of preserving your alcohol for as long as possible is to do a pre-wash by soaking your prints in another tank with less clear IPA.
It comes with a basket and stand that will mean Elegoo printer owners won’t even need to remove prints from the base. However, this will mean that you’ll need to fill your station with at least 5 liters of IPA. For my part, I always prefer to detach the parts and use the basket. It allows me to restart a print faster.
To start it up, simply press the button for a few seconds, then turn it to set the rotation time and alarm. Easier than your microwave.
Tip: if your prints are no longer sharp when they come out of the IPA bath, it’s because you’ve left them too long. I’m often asked how long it should ideally take, and although it depends on the maximum thickness of the prints, I recommend 2 minutes 30 to 3 minutes for figurines. Yes, many people like to leave their prints for 5 to 10 minutes… it’s a mistake.
Well, I don’t know if it was intentional, but it’s possible to let the basket rest diagonally across the top of the tub to let the IPA drip off without getting it all over the place. This is also how I take the figurines one by one.
Hardening station
For the hardening station, the start-up and alarm functions work in exactly the same way. But this time, the unit won’t start if the cover isn’t in place. A small safety feature. The side LEDs do their job well, and there are also 4 LEDs on the underside, under the transparent turntable. The tray rotates slowly, allowing you to balance your figures, for example.
Tip: I prefer to detach the prints from their supports before curing, as this generally gives much better finishing results. And the supports are much easier to remove when the resin is not yet completely solid.
Conclusion
This is a nice product to have, but it’s by no means essential. You can get the same results with a really good manual cleaning, and many people swear by it. But personally, I’m in the camp where I think there are better things to do with your time than stirring IPA alcohol for 3 to 5 minutes and then standing in front of a UV lamp for the same amount of time to harden the resin.
The Mercury XS bundle is a simple solution that takes the headache out of this tedious part. Clearly, it’s a comfort solution. If you’ve got one, you know you won’t go back. And for 175 euros it’s a great addition to your resin 3D printer.
Elegoo Mercury XS Bundle:
We liked:
- The giant tray
- Separate cleaning and curing
- No need to move or turn parts under UV lamps
- Its simplicity
We would have liked :
- Better-quality plastics
- A longer adapter cable
The post Review: Elegoo Mercury XS Bundle appeared first on Overclocking.com.
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