A rarely seen product in the 3D printing hobbyist space are 3D printers that can extrude gels and viscous liquids, these printers have existed for years and are being increasingly used for biological research.
One such is the development of a printed cast made of honey and blood-clotting proteins.
But for this to work effectively, Ahron Wayne needed a cost-effective, functional common material that had similar extrusion properties.
He ended up settling on the common toothpaste, In his YouTube video,
He loads up the cartridge of a CELLINK INKREDIBLE+ Bioprinter with a minty goop; this is then extruded through a thin blunt-tip needle by compressed air.
Afterwards, various shapes are printed out using the materials.
Often directly onto the bristles of a toothbrush, he’s made a list of tips for printing similarly viscous substances.
The most important thing, according to Ahron, is to go slow.
There’s a need for the material to contract after being extruded
if it is going to have any hope of aiding the next layer of the print.
Thick layer heights are necessary, as is avoiding sharp curves in your designs.
It is also noted that overhangs should be avoided, and though it probably goes without saying, an object printed from toothpaste won’t be able to add anything more than its weight.
Any hobbyist in the hacker and maker space will maybe need this tip, and someday they might find themselves consulting this video.
