Adam Ant, Then and now

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So now I am in search of the original source of the sample pack of white matte filament that came with my printer. These other filaments are no where near the quality of the sample pack but it had no label. It could be any of Creality's whites and no one seems to be able to really answer that question without just guessing. Heck, if I wanted to guess why would I bother to ask. Of course, this only matters because each guess requires waiting for shipping right?
 
I am going to load up this file. Keep in mind I have about one month experience here so the fact that blender was lying to me about my efforts..... ya, well, I didn't know. So, for all of those in 3d sculpting land, blender is only doing very minor mesh changes and presenting major ones by rendering an image that has a historical actions list applied. When you smooth and add a ton of detail, the program loads that into a short, "about this image" list of temporary, on screen only, upgrades. It wouldn't even be worth having a discussion on this unless you already know this happens and have found a work around. Not believing it happens due to previous wonderful experiences..... that won't sooth the irritation any. I am very disappointed in this program for not advertising this. So, in actuality, I was using what I thought were amazing tools but underneath it was just generating a cloaking device. Blender is not a true mesh sculpting software because it was meant originally for on screen digital presentation, not printing.

The details that need work:

1) The flat section needs to be simplified and truly flat, front and back

2) The mounded areas likely need to be lower height but higher detail. They look like fat rope wrapped to form a barbers pole.

I had done the first one using the white sample filament that comes with the printer. That smoothed very well using the ironing feature. This new filament does not and shows each detail shelf and grain left by blender and the fact that it is nothing like the beautiful smooth clay image shown on the screen. As soon as you export to stl, you see what was really there.
 
(Update 3-11-25: Please use file from post 491 as the file has been updated and smoothed....confusing, yes, but the one here is showing smooth but did not export that way)

First file is my blender project file, beauty to behold, wish I knew enough to get it to show in brass.....

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(Update 3-11-25: Please use file from post 491 as the file has been updated and smoothed.)

Second is my Bambu Slicer project file:


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(Update 3-11-25: Please use file from post 491 as the file has been updated and smoothed.)

Third is my stl repaired out of Bambu slicer (no idea what was repaired, it just said repaired):

This is the one most will want to load for printing...image same as above.
 

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So play around with these. I am currently running this last stl on a super high quality, ironing on all levels, 12 hour print.

I will try to source the white filament that I used at first, still no conclusive name for it. If anyone has a creality contact, please let me know if you can confirm on which creality filament was in the sample pack AND NO it isn't red matte like the AI bot says..... obviously white so no chance I am going to believe it is just the white version of the same answer. I really want to get this confirmed but am willing to buy a few rolls to get the right one. Was sad to see all the reddit chat where the answers were just useless whiners. If you don't know the answer, don't respond but just saying "oh that stuff is junk, buy this....linked here' sales pitch is just really hitting below the belt, go troll elsewhere. If anyone currently has the white matte that comes out like a polished finished product, like mine did, please let me know brand and show a sample (before you hand sand it). Here is one closeup of my Jod buckle for comparison.... didn't sand or scrape this prior to this picture:

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And don't forget to SHOW OFF YOUR STYLE!!!!

If you print one and get a good brass on it or if you want to go wild and do a metal pour, I am super excited to finally have this in the real world, touchable, for reaalllly reals solid but I would much rather have brass so I am going to be sanding and filling until I have a buckle worthy of using as an impression in a sand mold like joberg was talking about. This one is truly flat backed so easy peasy once the setup is in the sand. I will be posting those step all the way through unless someone beats me to it. You are always more than welcome to post all here or start another thread but just promise to share links.
 
greenmachines said:
And don't forget to SHOW OFF YOUR STYLE!!!!

If you print one and get a good brass on it or if you want to go wild and do a metal pour, I am super excited to finally have this in the real world, touchable, for reaalllly reals solid but I would much rather have brass so I am going to be sanding and filling until I have a buckle worthy of using as an impression in a sand mold like joberg was talking about. This one is truly flat backed so easy peasy once the setup is in the sand. I will be posting those step all the way through unless someone beats me to it. You are always more than welcome to post all here or start another thread but just promise to share links.
Click to expand...
Good stuff all around greenmachines...eager to see if you're going to pour a metal one:cool::cool:(y)(y)
 
OK a short jump back up the conversation to an unfinished task. The skull buckles from Ivan Leathercraft are a confirmed match but the brass version available from Ivan had black enamel fill which is not in Adam's originals. I have requested that Ivan offer these without the fill but......

Turns out the enamel can be safely removed with any hard rounded, not sharp, gouging tool. I used my keys because they are brass and had little chance of gouging a brass belt. But even still use a rounded edge, not a sharp one.

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Ready to wear.
 
After a groaning month of learning 3d sculpting, I found that my game software was throttling (quotas) my gpu, so Blender was failing to remesh anything other than onscreen view (for video presentation only). After I found the issue (thanks going to skiffy ) and freed up my gpu, my remeshes worked perfectly and the buckle came out the other side smooth. Here is the file as smooth (still not completely flat on surface, I am not that good) and with an updated center post that will slip into the belt notch much better and not result in serious torque on the post (in link section at bottom of this post). This can then be used to create a top open casting.

And here is a screencap of the buckle in the slicer/print program:

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Sorry for the repeat posts on this one but the smoothing was failing and I just hadn't fathomed that clicking the render didn't render..... I mean seriously, what the heck gpu?
 

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So now I am back full circle to the belts and buckles and need some opinions. In this picture you see the spike buckle, that I am considering complete now with this newest file, but wanted to point out that I do not see a bulge under the first layer of belt that would indicate that there is a second leather layer (or even nylon) that would indicate it is looped and folded back on the center bar. This makes it seem decorative like the skull buckle and not actually being the buckle holding the belt together.

So, carrying this thought forward to the square buckle (top), I see a similar oddness here but that it seems that this buckle is also a non swinging center pin and is instead another side prong. I say this, because, looking at where the belt DOES loop around the center post and double back on itself, I see the hole in the belt strap where the swinging post should be projecting but there is nothing there, just a hole. Looking at the pointed finished end of the belt it looks to be too small for Adam and is just hanging on the last hole but not actually THROUGH the buckle.

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This is where I start singing, "Do you see what I seeeeeeee"? I am now confident enough to tackle the square buckle in 3d printing but want to avoid a rebuild later (willing to do so anyway). Do you think that square buckle is devoid of a center swinging prong and is instead a side stabber post? I know that sometimes the swinging prong can lay so flat that it looks molded into the side but is in fact a separate piece. Opinions? Possibly, in the square buckle the swinging pin IS in the center but is covered up by the elastic forming belt itself?
 
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Difficult to see on the pic (I'm losing my MoJo looking at pics all day longo_O:eek:)...saying that, it seems that there's two round-head rivets on the side of that square buckle...then it loops around the main post and it seems that the prong is reversed to be inserted into one of the belt hole:unsure:
Is that make sense or I should stop munching wax crayons? :lol::lol:
 
To the points discussed:

1) Rivets under buckle are the end of the belt folded over the center bar and fastened to itself. These can be clearly seen because the free end of the belt is NOT covering it and just barely enters the buckle on the other side and is held by a rivet that should not exist on normal belts. It has been added either for style or to fit Adam.

2) The prong that should be extending from center bar is not seen but the hole where it projects from is there. Possibly it has been covered or is colored black on purpose to hide that the belt does NOT fit.

3) The free end of the belt is hanging on something so either the center pin or a side pin. Both buckle types exist.

I am pulling the square buckle into blender tonight and will have a print by this weekend that we can nitpick to perfection. My family always tries to find the "to perfection" menu item at restaurants so I figure therpf should have a bragging thread where projects that have been hashed out, to the point of perfection, can be proudly displayed.
 
OK, I sourced the square buckle to The London Leatherman. This shop, that still exists, sold its goods at the shop called SEX on 430 Kings Road. The very same Vivienne Westwood shop that we tagged earlier in our research as a major source of all things Adam Ant. I am going to place this very polite caution here before I post this link to the very obvious square matching buckles. What is on the site is far less than PG even though it really truly is a leather merchant and purchasing website. It has an extremely deep history in the punk movement and supplied numerous blockbuster hit bands like Adam's. A lot of this history is in the section called "Talking about the kit", including many stories about Adam and other official Ants members. Not work safe.... not wife safe.... you were warned. If you stay on the "shop" page, nothing causing a loss of employment or relationships will occur unless you scroll to the very bottom which is the leather masks.... and yes, THAT LEATHER MASK, worn by Adam. You will also see a whole string of other leather items that we hadn't even begun to source and now don't have any need to other than possibly finding the how to for making your own, neck, wrist, ankle, waist, hats..... on and on and obviously direct matches to Adam's 70s/80s and most recent attire. Honestly, it is a little like finding Adam's shopping list.

I did notice, however, that some of their square buckles are also flat, like Adam's but some are not and have a very curved front face. If you order, please contact the shop and tell them you wish to have one that nearly matches the planar flat front face like Adam's and possibly provide them a picture as some even have uneven edges where Adam's were straight clean sides, top and bottom.

thelondonleatherman.com

Leather Clothing Belts & Accessories — The London Leatherman

Leather clothing, accessories and studded belts for the fashion elite and style connoisseurs. Handcrafted in London, England.
thelondonleatherman.com thelondonleatherman.com

I will continue to work on getting this into 3d for printing but spent my time today on this research.

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Notice in the above pictures how there is no obvious defined angle change at the corners. All of the other square buckles we found previously had clearly defined corner seams like a picture frame.

moviebuff5 had the only truly square buckle I had even seen and would certainly suffice if painted brass or plated. Only we, from this thread, would notice the difference and only if the London Leatherman version was sitting next to it with a picture of Adam wearing it. I am very curious if that one could be ground down on the corners to become a near match to this LL original. I have not yet received confirmation if they will sell the buckle by itself. They do not seem to have a matching belt to Adam's although they have plenty studded examples. Notice the rivets used are also a direct match.
 
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