Rebel / Alliance Rank Badge Tutorial

[Mara Jade's Father]

Because you're not seeing the infill, you're seeing the top/bottom layers, which appear to be set to rectilinear. The outer walls (which include the walls around the holes) are concentric. The nozzle is moving in a different pattern and on a part this thin, that difference is obvious.

If the top/bottom layers were set to concentric, the difference would be much less apparent. Probably not invisible, but less noticable.

Mara Jade's Father besides changing the top/bottom pattern, you might try boosting the flow rate on the ironing, or reducing the spacing. As with all experiments, only change one parameter at a time. I'd also suggest making both the backers and the layer heights some multiple of 0.04. Whilst modern printers don't care as much as those from a few years ago, the stepper motors are still happiest in zed increments that are multiples of 0.04. So 0.08 or 0.12 is likely to give slightly more consistent results.

Darthmagpie : don't forget that paint occupies volume. Since the lines here are so, so, so close - the silk looks really good, honestly - I suspect the reason they're disappearing on the painted one is because the paint is filling in the lines. Also, it sounds like MJF is sanding before painting.

I am going to give this a try. I switched to concentric on the pips a couple weeks ago to get better results, never thought of doing it on the backing.

I played with finer ironing setting in the past but sometimes it made it look streaky so I thought I might be overdoing it.

I totally forgot about the multiple of .04mm thing. I have been using some of the presets on this new printer a the current best is 0.1mm but sometimes I do .04mm. But now I will switch out 0.1 for 0.08 or 0.12 in the future.

And yes, I have been sanding prior ro painting. for the most part, it is mostly fine grit or wet sanding. It has been easier to sand than to fill in most cases because it almost like scratches.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Okay, I feel like I am going in the wrong direction.

Top. 0.4 ironing

Bottom

 

[ID10T]

Not the look you wanted but looks cool!

 

[Vagabond Elf]

I agree with ID10T, that's the sort of look you could argue was deliberate. And it does merge better with the walls, which is all I'd said would happen.

Realistically, any unpainted 3d printed object that's attempting to replicate a piece of metal (I'm assuming the original on-screen badges had aluminium backings) is going to have compromises.

Octagon Spiral produces an interesting effect as well:

It would be visible, but it would also be arguable that "you meant it to look that way."

Ultimately, the only way to get an almost perfect finish without painting will be to get rid of the holes, which runs counter to your goals. Anyone who wants to make a badge with Rebel Legion levels of screen accuracy is going to be sanding and painting anyway. (Or just cutting some tin.) So I'd worry less about making the lines disappear on the unpainted backer, and more on finding a method that looks good.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Here is the same piece spray painted aluminum. Only did about 30 seconds of fine grit sanding to prep the surface. No primer.

I am actually pretty happy with the previous silk silver plates. Like I said, I just want to show options for others that might not wish to use paint.

For example, my family and I are going to be hitting Galaxy’s edge in May. I was thinking I making various ranks for the family. I could easily spit out all ranks in the applicable color filament, polish and assemble within 2 or 3 hours without worrying about painting. Nor would I have to worry about paint chipping during wear or even an great loss in time or consumables if they get damaged or loss.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I have moved on to the next phase. Alternate rank pip options.

Using real lens measurements and the plastic insert that attaches to the switches, I am attempting to recreate the lens itself and an adapter that can be used with my peg style backing.

This is for two reasons.
1. Using a transparent colored filament and the insert peg, one might better replicate the look of a real lens.
2. If someone wanted to use a real lens, they could utilize the peg to easily attach it to the backing.

Currently I did not have a current loose lens. All I have are attached with silicone cement to my metal backings. I am not willing to remove them. So for now, I can’t confirm a proper fit of the real lens to the peg.

 

[ID10T]

That’s a great way to do it.

Where are the lenses coming from again?

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

That’s a great way to do it.

Where are the lenses coming from again?

There are a few sources but you are looking for:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/eao/31-931.6/8733882

Or..

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/eao/01-931-2/8732922

 

[ID10T]

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

So here is my first attempt using a transparent blue PETG.

The one in the center is a real lens (fyi it is filled with silicon cement. The one on the left is a lens I printed with an adapter peg inserted. And the one of the right (which didn’t clean up very well) is just the faux lens.

The biggest issue is the dot in the center that is from the concentric print. I am not sure how to get around this. I am printing face down to avoid supports but not sure if doing it face up would help.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Left to right.

Faux lens with insert, Real lens, Upright full pip with 100% fill.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Got rid of the concentric pointing on the faux lens (left) and they are much better.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Here you can see the difference.

Left to right.
PETG lens with white insert
Real lens with silicon cement fill
PLA whole pip

I think the transparent PETG looks great. To be fair, the solid PLA doesn’t look bad but would look better if it was lighter in color.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Now red.

Left to right.
PETG lens with white insert
Real lens with silicon cement fill
PLA whole pip

 

[Vagabond Elf]

Looks good! Whenever I've printed in translucent, I've had to sand the surface a little - even the print bed side. If you really want it clear, you need to go for small line widths, small layer heights, slightly high nozzle temps, and ideally a hot enclosure - the idea being to keep everything just a little molten so the lines all flow into each other. Most of the "cloudiness" we see in a translucent print is air between the layers or lines.

But these look really good even as they are, I think someone would have to be way closer to your chest than you'd really like for them to pick up on the difference.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Since I also have green transparent PETG filament, I thought I would try some intelligence pips.

Here is my idealized version of Andor’s captain rank badge if it had appeared in the OT.

Here it is compared to a R1 style I got from Etsy. It’s not fully accurate. Maybe my next project. I just wanted to have a comparison.

 

[ID10T]

My favorite color...

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Initial print. Definitely need more gap around the pip. I have no real size info. Since the Captain rank looked as big as the general rank in R1, I assumed the 2.5” backing.

I’m also not sure of the pip size and the pip size opening. To me the opening looked as big a OT pip, so I made the pip 1 mm smaller. But that does not seem to be enough, might try another 1mm.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I think this looks better, I repositioned the holes and pips and their sizes. I also added a slight bevel to the pips.

Tomorrow I will clean it up, paint, and assemble to see how it looks.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

With paint..

With weathering…