The printer is printing

James Rogers

James Rogers

I've had a 3D printer for 2 years. For Micro-budget film makers, I would consider it an indispensable tool.

Just for practice and fun I've made over 200 models including a 4 foot long H.G. Giger Alien.

Here's what I'm printing now. Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a clue; From the Holy Trilogy.
torsotop.jpg

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There are 4 pieces to this model. I'll post more pictures as the pieces are printed then assembled.


Bonus picture!
propgunprogress.jpg
Here's an 'in progress' print of a space gun I'm designing. I know, it's very basic looking now but when complete, it should be a lot more detailed and also have moving parts.
 
OK. Nobody even bothered to guess, but that's alright. I won't keep you in suspense any longer.

Here are some pictures of the model so far.

r2.jpg


r1.jpg


r3.jpg

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The Rancor Monster from Return of the Jedi!
rancorroars.jpg


Now I'll spend some time cleaning off pieces of the supports that tend to cling to the model. Then it will be time to assemble the thing and get it ready for painting.
 
I guess nobody here has a 3D printer or builds models or thinks Star Wars monsters are cool..

Well, if anyone cares, you can get into 3D printing for less than 200 dollars and there are thousands of models on the internet you can download for free.. It's a fun and inexpensive hobby that can also be used to make props and models for any kind of movie you might be making. I've used my printer to make pencil holders, wall decorations and all sorts of little things that I give to people as gifts; praying hands, squirrels, little alien models. It's an inexpensive way to surprise people with something interesting and unique.
 
3D printing is something that interests me greatly - though not specifically for model building - but I've held back on taking active steps for several reasons. The two principal obstacles, for me, are
(a) having somewhere clean enough to put the printer. As it is, I struggle to keep my camera and IT equipment dust-free even when they're packed away in their cases; and
(b) having enough time to dedicate to the software/design learning curve. For me, the main interest in having a 3D printer would be to create unique models and one-off spare parts that are not available for download. When I discussed on another forum the question of accurately designing spare parts, the overwhelming response was "it's not a problem - you can print as many iterations as you need until you get it right." Okay ... but in that case, I might as well pay the 15€ and get Amazon/AliExpress to deliver their version.

Having gone down that model-making rabbit hole, though, I ended up in the "hot wire sculpting of polystyrene" zone of YouTube, and that's something that looks like it'd be more in line with my current (and past!) ambitions. Thanks to an ongoing renovation project, I have a collection of extruded polystrene offcuts building up, and need little encouragement to save them for the day that they might come in useful! :wait:
 
The slicing software has a very mild learning curve. Learning how to troubleshoot problems isn't too bad if you have an analytical mind. The modeling software is another story. For accurate models you'll want a CAD program like Autocad or Solid Works. For my interests, I use Zbrush. My models are more organic, rather than mechanical. With Zbrush you can make robots and spaceships and cars and that sort of thing but the program doesn't give you the tools to dial in the exact dimensions. It's all visual. For making replacement parts, many people start with a 3D scan of the part they want to replicate, but that means you have to buy a 3D scanner. A decent one starts at around 5 or 7 hundred US dollars.

My printer is sitting on a shelf in the closet. Nothing special. Normal dust isn't a problem at all. The filament I use, PLA, doesn't put off any toxic fumes so it's safe to print in the house with no ventilation, and the printer is quiet enough to run without causing a disturbance. Mine is running when I'm watching tv and I don't even notice it.

I've don't some hotwire and hot knife sculpting in the past. The fumes were too much for me.
 
The modelling is what would interest me the most. Having done a little - way back when computers were simpler and software was very basic - I know that I couldn't give it enough time to become proficient. As it is, I struggle to find enough hours in the week to devote to basic drawing and image processing, so it's a conscious decision not to add yet another currently unachievable ambition to the waiting list.

As for the installation - see, you have a shelf in a closet! I have neither. It'd be sitting, naked, in a corner of a room (or a shed) serving as the starting point for several metres of spiderwebs, or the end point for several kilos of miscellaneous particulate matter. To put things in context, my present "sculpting" involves 60cm trunks of oak, a 6m sawmill and three chainsaws. :lol:

On the other hand, I have appreciated the series of photos showing the evolution of your model from individual, raw components into a complete creature. :thumbsup:
 
Would be cool to print somme Sisters of Batle or some Mezgike models. Or I could make models based on the work from Olivier Ledroit's Requiem. But for now I don't have the focus to work on my modelling hobby to buy a elegoo mars printer.
 
I don't know. When you mentioned the Elegoo Mars printer, I looked it up. Googles showed that there were a few on Ebay. One of them was for $19.95. I'll bet it is broke. I mean, how could it not be for that price..
 
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I've got the base coat of paint on the model and, I have to say, it looks cool.. I don't think I want to show any behind the scenes pictures until I finish the paint job though. I'm still deciding if I want to stay true to the color scheme in the movie or if I want to go freestyle..... Probably freestyle. The model in the movie is good but this is a static model so I'll probably want to accent the wrinkles and folds more.. Stay tuned!
 
James Rogers said:
I don't think I want to show any behind the scenes pictures until I finish the paint job though.
Click to expand...
But ... but ... but ... BTS is the best bit!

Reminds me of my (then) five-year-old son telling everyone that his bedroom had been re-painted all-white, prompting several "concerned citizens" to lecture his parents on the importance of filling a child's space with primary colours and stimulating detail. Five-year-old son never bothered clarifying that the all-white stage was floor-to-ceiling undercoat, subsequently completely covered up with (non-primary) colours and decorative motifs ... :rolleyes:
 
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