EDM Vat | Electrical Discharge Machining | Gridfinity

A Vat for EDM

Want to convert your Ender 3 into an EDM machine? We did. This 3D printed vat design mounts to the bed-leveling bolts of an Ender 3. It can be filled with distilled water without leaking.

Gridinity

This design is gridfinity compatible. That means you can create functional modules to fit inside this vat, like custom work holding.

Print Settings

ASA / CF-ASA / ABS 

0.2 mm 

20% Infill

Brim 

No supports required

The colored inserts are optional. They can be printed with multicolor printing, or printed one at a time and glued in place. If you notice leaking, try printing thicker layers (0.3 mm), using more walls, and acetone vapor smoothing.

Assembly 

It is recommended to print the vat in either ASA or ABS. This is because ASA & ABS can be smoothed with acetone. Acetone smoothing can prevent any leaking in the vat. Acetone can be purchased from any grocery store as nail polish remove. Make sure to practice whatever safety recommendations are listed on the bottle by the manufacturer. 

 To smooth the vat with acetone, pour in a small quantity and rinse it around the inside. Try to get the entire interior surface “wet” with acetone. The walls will then become smooth and shiny. When everything has been smoothed, pour out the extra acetone. 

Glue magnets (6x2 mm) in-place with cyanoacrylate super glue. Ensure that magnets are in the correct orientation to mate with a gridfinity vat.

Modifications

The Fusion360 file attached is parametric, so modifications are easy to make. The STEP files are also attached for non-Fusion users. 

For more information about desktop EDM check out rackrobo.io