Smoothing and finishing a 3D printed prop

G

GatorDave113

Jr Member
Hey RPF,

I'm printing the parts of the blade runner gun to get some 3d printing, finishing, weathering, and casting practice. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for how to smooth the surface of the printed parts.

Cheers,
Gator Dave
 
+1 to the use of Epoxy. A glassy smooth part and no sanding. The only time you won't want to use it is if you have made parts that insert into an other as the epoxy does build up the size of the part. That said, don't paint that part of the part or create the two parts to be a slightly sloppy fit.
 
Lots of sanding. Lots and lots of sanding. For filling in small seams I'd HIGHLY recommend 3M Acryl-green spot putty (my personal opinion along with a few of my other friends, better than bondo). Sand some more. Use a filler primer for some base coats, this will help you see more areas that need smoothing as well. Just do that a lot and you'll get amazing surfaces.

If you're printing with abs, acetone is handy and a trick I like to do is use a sponge brush and use that with the acetone, it helps with distribution and control of what parts are smoothed. A buddy of mine did this and after 4-5 small quick coats, sanding in between, I couldn't tell it was 3D printed. I seriously thought it was injection molded. The finish was amazing.

Note: all of these are based off of my experience. [emoji16] I hope this helps!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
What MemorY and ChickenHaunt said.

I am printing a Red Ranger helmet at the moment, so I have an example on hand. Starting at 220, then going to 320, then two coats of filler primer, then one last sand with a sanding sponge, and one final coat of filler primer. I do like to spray a little clear on as well after it's all done. I did all of this in about three hours, including the drying time and have a glass smooth part.

IMG_1124.JPG

Epoxy has never been useful to me. Perhaps on larger prints it would come in handy, but it's not like you put it on and the surface is magically finished.. it still takes work. Take the initiative and jump right in with sandpaper and you'll save time in the end.
 
Smooth-On has some stuff called XTC-3D that is made for 3d printed parts. Never tried it but may be worth looking into.
 
My experience in 3d finishing has shown me that lots of sanding is required. Used a little filler and also acetone smoothing. You can brush on the acetone or place it in a container and the fumes will smooth the surface. Put a paper towel in the container then put the peice on foil, then close the lid. Check every 10 minutes.
 
Zombie Killer said:
Smooth-On has some stuff called XTC-3D that is made for 3d printed parts. Never tried it but may be worth looking into.
Click to expand...


I don't like XTC-3D for the simple fact that Smooth On is very "cavalier" about the safety requirements for using their product, and someone not familiar with using epoxies could get gassed easily. I've used it, the drying time was so long I could have done things the "old fashioned" way and been done quicker.
 
Not a fan of Xtc-3D at all. It's kind of difficult to find the perfect amount of coverage for it without being to light or too thick. Also stays tacky for quite a while in my opinion. I just stick with spot putty, sanding, filler primer. If your printing a high quality print you can usually just get away with a couple coats of filler primer and a light sand between coats.

Also acetone smoothing on ABS works pretty well as already said. At one point I made a vapor chamber for smaller prints out of a cheap rice cooker lol. Worked great!
 
I've also had bad experiences with Xtc. I might have just mixed it slightly off, but i ended up with a tacky surface for days. that one experience deterred me. Only used it afew times but I wouldn't use it on something as detailed as a prop. In my experience I Find sanding with 22o then afec coats of filler primer , sand, then spot putty do the trick.

But it all kinda depends what you want your final product to look like in the end.

- - - Updated - - -

Off topic. Those are some gorgeous looking lips! Wayy better than my modeled helmet.
 
I am also not too impressed with the Xtc stuff. I have found that a few dips in a can of filler primer, followed by sanding and some time in a vibratory tumbler produced great finishes. You can get the can of filler primer (not a spray, and actual can) from most car/auto shops. I think the stuff has acetone in it, which helps smooth abs. I only print in abs, so I am too sure about other stuff.

Oh and sanding, as everyone said. Lots of sanding.
 
If you have a look for my thread on 3D printing props and cosplay (page nine I think on my phone) you will see some amazing work from RocketNerd where he gives a really detailed break down on how he achieves his results.

Great to see another printer getting about!

Max
 
This thread is more than 7 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

B
3d printed sankara stones
Replies
17
Views
453
bluetick2020
B
T
looking for prop 3D printed sci-fi guns
Replies
5
Views
885
xeno
xeno
M
Rocketeer Helmet finishing questions.
Replies
1
Views
242
chibobber
C
paulsboutique
Lacrima 99 Shock Rifle - Aliens 4- 3d design and print
Replies
7
Views
184
ghostryder
ghostryder
clockworkp
District 9 Assault Rifle: My first prop posted here (and second prop ever)
Replies
3
Views
238
DamnYankee123
D
Back
Top