Studio49's Dark Saber - Assembled by Halliwax

so i was able to get home before sunset, well i guess it was sunset. i sprayed 1 coat of filler primer on the saber. not very good results... i did see a few small areas that need more fill. BUT in some areas the filler cracked when it dried.

any advice? did i do something wrong? too thick of a coat? i painted it like i have always painted, so i dont think its too thick. i dont know if you need to apply this super thin?

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can still see the dang seam...
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more freak'n filler...
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heres the cracking, i dont get it
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you can also see the cracks on the ribs on the emitter, left side of pic
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different angle
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its 58 degrees right now, it was probably 59-60* when i sprayed it, it was in the sun.. well it was in the light still. i dont think it got too cold? any thoughts?
 
It's just the nature of the beast. 3d filling is tricky I'm finding. The primer base coat will tell on you. I would do a nice sanding and shoot it again. The cracks usually are from not getting all the debris off. I like to wipe it with mineral spirits before I shoot. Give her a good bath, let dry and wipe with the spirits. It will dry on its own and then I shoot. I also like to use a soft tooth brush while washing. Especially in corners and grooves. I did find using the xtc 3d print coating worked well for the obiwan but not so well on the kylo because of all the detail. I have to use my picks and needle files to clean it up. Your saber is a flat smooth area so this coating would take more than half the work away. Too bad you didn't live near by, I would just give you some.

As far as the seems go, I like to file them BEFORE I fill them in. Once you glue joints togetger, if you file them smooth, you will be surprised how little filler you need. Alot of what you may see are the imperfections from the joined pieces. It's nothing you caused, but simply the alignment issues. The file will level them off and once you fill and sand they start to disappear

Still it's coming along nicely so just smile and give it a couple more passes. You will have it perfect in no time.
 
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thanks kevin, you know i wonder because i did wash it and let it sit on the workbench the past 3 or 4 days if dust and debris collected then. I'm going to sand it and fix a few spots. i thought for sure i was going to be golden this round but it doesnt look that way. to be honest, prop making with 3D printed parts is a lot of work...

hopefully i get out of work at normal time tomorrow this way i can give it a sanding and try again. thanks for the advice
 
That is most likely the culprit. I wipe just before I shoot. Do you have any mineral spirits?

Agreed about the 3d! Lots of work, lots! I guess what you save in money, you spend on work. Still, a fun way to go for far less money.
 
i do have mineral spirits but i didnt know how that would effect the ABS. i may wipe that down with it tomorrow after a light sanding
 
It should be fine, it worked on mine. Besides, use it like a wet wipe. Just dampen a paper towel and give it a wipe. It will dry quickly.
 
Nice, good luck getting that to be smooth. Good to see more Australian builds, what are your plans for the blade (if you're doing one)?

sorry buddy i just saw this post now. i dont think I'm going to do a blade on this one. i think this will just be a static display. if there ever is a metal dark saber run i will FX that one. I'm struggling now with the paint job whether to do it like the clone wars or incorporate the gold lines like we see in rebels. i dont know if i like the gold lines because its fresh and new, or if i should stick with black with a wash of steel blue
 
we had a hot day here today, really odd for this time of year. our peak was 72*. tomorrow they are saying 81* which will be amazing if it does happen. but with 72* i thought it was a great time to try and spray it again. i didnt take any pictures but i was up late the other night sanding. not wanting to wake my parents, rather then turning the vacuum on i sanded it in my bath tub. then in the morning hosed it down. worked out pretty good!!

with this second attempt of using filler primer i did a lighter coat. i am hoping its just because its a light coat but you can clearly see where the putty was applied on the emitter side now. i didnt have this problem the first time around so i am hoping its only because of the thin coat

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i am very happy with the hilt and pommel, all that sanding and filling finally paid of. this is smooth as glass now
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here you can see the light coat on the emitter and the ghostly spotting

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I'm going to hit it with 4000 grit while wet sanding tomorrow then hit the emitter one more time with filler primer see if that ghost spot will go away
 
sigh...... i forgot which round this is... maybe 4th for 5th round now of sanding, filling, and REPEAT... seems like this never ends

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getting closer... i can't see anything else besides this little spots now...
 
I know why i don´t buy any printed stuff. :lol

But my hat off to your willingness to put so much time in it to get it done. :)

thanks buddy, to be honest these things could have been over looked when painting it all black. i personally want it show room because i dont know if there will ever be another dark saber run again. the dark saber is one of my favorites, so though i do complain about the sanding, filling and repeat. i have really enjoyed this thing take shape. i dont know what I'm complaining about because even if it was finished tonight and ready for paint it will probably take me another 6 weeks to determine what color lol.
 
I bought a FO blaster rifle kit and I had the same problems. Trying to sand the details are just so tedious. I still have not gone back to finish. Glad you are getting it done!
 
Looking absolutely awesome there mate!
Do you mind id Share some pics from the build on my Studio 49 Facebook page? It really is great work!

be my guest i would be honored!

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I bought a FO blaster rifle kit and I had the same problems. Trying to sand the details are just so tedious. I still have not gone back to finish. Glad you are getting it done!

its a lot of sanding but in the end its worth it. dont lose faith man, when ya frustrated sit back get a drink. i usually prefer chocolate milk with a cupcake and cool down. then go back cracking at it. :thumbsup

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It's turning out great. Make a color chart and throw a dart to pick your color. Lol

eeny meeny miny moe......
 
broke my finger this morning.... not going to be able to build anything for the next couple of weeks.

hurts like hell and typing is now easier on my phone then computer...

it's only the very tip so only one splint was required

here's hoping it's over in 2 weeks
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