Honestly, unless you want a perfect finish or you’re matching a specific color, swapping them out every year or so is the least headache.
Totally agree on just reprinting—sometimes simpler is better. I’ve tried those spray coatings too, and they never hold up where you grab the latch all the time. ASA’s been my go-to lately, but yeah, that smell is brutal if you don’t have good ventilation. Haven’t bothered with epoxy since it made my last batch stickier than a melted popsicle... Fine for a test, but not worth the cleanup.
I get the appeal of just reprinting and tossing the old ones, but honestly, I’ve had some luck making them last a bit longer with a cheapo clear lacquer spray. It’s not magic, but for me it held up better than the “fancy” coatings, especially on PLA. The trick is to let it cure for a couple days—otherwise, yeah, you’re just getting sticky latches and a headache from the fumes. ASA’s great if you can stand the smell, but I’m in a tiny apartment and my partner nearly staged an intervention after my last print marathon.
Epoxy was a disaster for me too. Stuff got everywhere, and I swear my cat still has a glossy patch on her tail from that experiment. At this point, I just accept that nothing’s gonna last forever, but I still try to stretch it past a year if I can. Maybe I’m just stubborn, but I hate reprinting the same part over and over.