Filler primer fills the gaps and it stands way better than pla. The goal is to leave the pla underneath and only sand the primer (I mean you can sand the pla too it just sucks)
Yeah I’ve tried sanding the pla and it hasn’t turned out well, I’ve found a thick acrylic paint that I’m using with a thin coat and then I’m gunna sand that off
Try this:
- Buy some UV Resin used for SLA 3d printers. Any kind works
- Buy some baby powder
- Mix (with Proper PPE)
- Paint that mixture on the helmet and either cure it immediately with a UV light, or let it cure out in the sunlight.
This will make a smooth surface much quicker. Alternatively, you can buy other resins such as Fiberglass resin that uses a hardener and cures naturally rather than using UV.
Johnson and Johnson didn't care though...
Not until 2018 when they had to pay out $4.7 billion in a lawsuit.
They still didn't pull the talcum powder out until 2020 even though they knew for years that it contained asbestos.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/johnsonandjohnson-cancer/
And recently Appeals Court Clears The Way For 38,000 Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Lawsuits
https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2023/02/07/appeals-court-clears-the-way-for-38000-johnson--johnson-baby-powder-lawsuits/
I saw Marjorie Taylor Green is having a meeting on baby organ black market coming up soon. Might be able to find out where she gets her baby parts from.
This is the way. I've used this technique a couple of times recently and it works surprisingly well. FWIW I used corn starch in a near 1:1 ratio with resin.
I've started using this technique in the past few months and can absolutely confirm that this is the way. One question though since you seem to have a lot more experience, I have been using baby powder but was unsure of the proper ratio to use. Do you see a better result or ease of use with corn starch over talcum powder, and has a 1:1 ratio worked out better for you from personal experience or is that just something that worked and you stuck with?
I tried a 1:1 ratio and it was too thick and caused the wrong effect. Instead of smoothing it out it just made it more rough. 2:1 or 4:1 ratios have worked better for me. (20g resin to 10g of powder)
Thanks! I had been closer to 4:1 in my tests, I just wasn't sure if using corn starch had a different effect or somehow changed the necessary ratio. Good to know that I've been on the right track.
I've resin-coated some parts, but never tried adding powder to it. That would reduce the runniness. I have a 45-piece build to assemble that needs to be smooth, so I'll try this. Thanks for the tip!
Just use a respirator in an open space, wear gloves (and possibly eye protection), and try not to get it on your skin
Those are the general rules for any type of resin or epoxy, including when 3d printing with resin (which has been around longer than plastic printing!)
Wet sand PLA. If you dry sand it melts a bit when you’re rubbing and you get a bad finish. Work up the grades too from like 600 to 800 to 1200.
Unfortunately it is a process that can’t be avoided but dosent take too long.
I use car primer. It’s cheap and easy to work with, also not sure how much truth there is to this, but it feels comforting it’s made to sustain weather, makes me think it’s maybe more versatile than other primers.
Nah, for that print in light wood colour (i use apricot petg) , sand sand sand, then apply 1-3 layers of dark wood varnish for outside use. Always brush in one direction. It will look like real stuff. If you use multiple parts use plastic filler (aka car bumper repair stuff) to make it look like one piece.
https://preview.redd.it/vy2v9gcb9ioc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28eaed74013caeeeeaa5a43ac1b6b0780a7a42b9
Playing with fuzzy skin in the printer settings is fun too, good for small grips etc. Those I don’t sand, minimal fuzzy skin settings and straight in the varnish and letting it drip off.
I haven’t tried this before. But want to now!
Question though. Say I mix a bunch and then store it in a container out of light, will it still slowly cure or harden or become unusable?
If you just put it back in the same type of container that the resin comes in it should be fine. I've been using it for a month and a half and it's been fine so far. It just needs to be a UV blocking container
Serious question: What do you mean by "card scraper"? When I search that on Amazon I get tons of seemingly different kinds of products. Honestly not sure what others in the 3d printing hobby are using.
Sanding works best in conjunction with a filler primer. If it were me, I'd sand it, hit it with filler.primer, and repeat until I got it as smooth as I want it.
It's tedious and messy, and takes a lot of time to do correctly (plus, you *will* end up painting afterwards) but if you take the time to get a good result you can get perfectly smooth.
I did it on my Halo 1 Magnum replica print and it came out incredibly. Now... I did probably 3 repetitions of "sand, prime, sand" to get there, and gradually worked up from ~250 grit to 2500 grit wet standing to get exactly the finish I wanted... But it meant the paint went down super smooth.
I should mention that they’ll remove plastic pretty freakin’ fast, so go easy. Upside is you don’t have to worry about overheating the work like you might with a power sander, plus better control.
I usually use a thin layer of bondo glazing putty to fill in the layer lines, then sand that down, use primer filler then sand again, repeating the primer filler as needed
Believe it or not but using fuzzy walls on a fairly low setting makes for a fucking awesome primer surface, that plus a filling primer or even wall filler sometimes and sanding makes for a really consistent finish, it just takes a little longer to sand up but the risk of things flaking off is almost entirely mitigated
A more aggressive fuzzy skin plus a composite layer (carbon fibre, fibreglass or kevlar) makes for an awesomely strong bond for mostly aesthetic automotive parts that may take a slight beating
I really like [XTC-3D](https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/xtc-3d/), two part compound from smoothon, tricky to use at first but it's been saving my ass with a huge ass cosplay. I tried bondo, it was meh. I do use filler spray primer too but that's near the end of the process.
Plastic wood filler and thinned down bondo body filler. Respirator or outdoors only for the bondo. You can actually thin it down with acetone until it’s like a tooth paste consistency and spread it on. Then wet sanding when dried. Filler primer and progressively finer sandpaper.
Sander, filler primer, sand the primer. Then fill in any imperfections with a 2:1 ratio of plastic wood filler and water. Let it dry then sand and then prime again. Normally smooth after that lol
This is a bit out there, but "Dipping Latex" is pretty cool. Liquid Latex, brush-on-latex. You know the stuff some people use to coat their tool handles, for pliers and stuff.
They come in lots of colors, there are "body safe" variants for Masks and stuff and you can do multiple layers. It sticks REALLY well to bad prints, left over supports and bad top layers.
It can be dipped (in a shallow pan) or brushed on. It can be painted afterwards or you can mix in epoxy pigments.
Larp people have foamy latex too. Might be usefull for the kind of stuff you seem to be making.
I use this as an alternative to finishing with 3D-Printing resin, which is hard, sometimes cracks and has a slew of hazards when handling. Also, if the latex is "body safe" it only means that there are more strict rules on chemistry. So you can touch it, etc. Don't eat or drink that stuff or put it into somebodies body any other way.
Edit: [Video of the process where somebody coats something.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fuIjaXSCxk)
A shit ton of acrlilic paint. Spray paint and stuff like fillers and why not are expensive as hell where I live. So I just sand the crap out of my prints and then paint them with also a crap ton of acrilic paint.
I use paper to take it down a bit then it depends on the piece. I use plastic wood filler (or a bit of bondo for bigger seams or gaps) to fill any gaps. Then sandpaper and emery boards for getting fine details before hitting it with sealer and a few coats filler primer. It's all fit and finish from there.
Super thin layer of bondo to fill the line gaps and some light sanding to smooth. I've tried the filler-primer spray paint and it just takes way too many applications to fill in the line layers imo. I use something similar to this to smooth the bondo into a super thin layer so I don't have to do a lot of sanding. https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Spreader-Caulking-Finishing-Bathroom/dp/B09ZRXQ7DP
Bondo, but don’t worry about that if you can’t find it as It's just regular car body filler. Go to any auto store (that has parts etc) and ask for car body filler. It's all the same.
Then sand
Assuming you want the material raw/unpainted: Ethyl Acetate does wonders on layer lines. (it works on PLA, albeit not as well as acetone works on ABS) This stuff can undo the visual damage caused by sandpaper or a file, and it also melts layer lines into each other.
Heh I was on a science trip on the coast where we where studying some plant life and we had to break up seaweed into acetone to expose the pigment and I kinda dropped a whole ass ruler into the tub of acetone
On some surfaces a wood scraper works well, not against the grain but with it or along it.
Depending on the use of the object a filler type domestic acrylic paint will work as an under coat. If you chosen paint doesn't fill the print lines adding a little bit of corn starch to thicken it a little at a time until you get your perfect mix will be the go. Try to make it work with one coat if you can and then lightly sand back to clear paint marks. Then use colour over the top to your creative satisfaction.
Maybe with a bit of practice a small blow torch style lighter can be used while moving it over the object to melt the surface layer while not melting the lower ones for a strong glossy finish. This can be tricky and might require a bucket of cold water nearby.
So, usually people use primer filler as mentioned already. But the issues is that curing time is very long. So I use UV resin instead. Brush it on, pop into UV chamber for 10 mins and you're ready to post-process.
Filler primer, let it dry for about 30-60 minutes, then put some iso on a paper towel and buff it off. You can get it glass smooth with way less effort and added bulk in only 2-3 coats.
Thinned out wood filler, skip the bondo. Use orbital sander, a few sanding sticks and some files. Buy different grit sandpapers in 3 levels 60-80 / 100-250 / 350-600. Most cases you don't need to go beyond 600 grit. Avoiding straight sanding back and forth, sand in a circular motion when possible.
Sandable primer and bondo spot putty is what I've been using on my cosplay props.
Some people say you can use wood filler, but I didn't think it worked as well.
I've seen someone on youtube mix wood filler with a little acetone and brush it on in the direction of the layer lines. His results were amazing. Been meaning to try it myself.
I do a couple of coats of polyacrylic with a light sanding and then a couple coats of 2in1 filler/primer with more sanding. For seams, bad layer stepping (like your axe) or bad gaps I use Bondo spot putty.
The pictures on [this make](https://www.thingiverse.com/make:321364) show the process. They're out of order but you'll get the gist.
Printing it in ASA or ABS. PLA is horrible to sand as it just melts instead, not sure about the CosPLA as that is supposed to be better. But ABS is easy to sand to get a nice finish
Sand to get decent level, then primer-filler then 800 grit light sand to get smooth layer.
Small tight spots,dents or holes fill with UV resin and cure then repeat above process.
The finish always relies on the effort put in
Card scrapers.
And woodfiller to fill the layer lines if the part is going to be painted later. It is non-toxic and waterbased, easy to work with and fairly quick to dry, you can also thin it to desired consistency.
I usually don't care about the defects or looks because I know it's a 3d printed part and usually looks fine from far away.
If I had to make it smooth, wet sanding.
If you're going to want it finished, then you'll need to fill it and paint it.
A wipe down with Butanone can melt the layer lines a bit and make the whole thing look less 3d printy, although it stinks so it might be better to use primer and filler
Lots of great suggestions so let me add this. It has worked amazingly well for me:
[UV Resin and talcom powder](https://youtu.be/KVf0mbBCygQ?si=sVzP1b_AMEVC2BIB)
I'm using pla and I can't afford the stench of UV resin in my apartment. I have an orbital sander and a big tub of Elmer's wood fill. You add just a bit of water to a container (I use an old sour cream container) then glop in some of the wood fill. Thin and runny is good for prints with little defects, thicker is good for parts with warping, pocks, or printing errors. Paint it on with a paintbrush and let it dry, just do it over a newspaper or something because it will drip. Optimally you'd be able to hang it up. A coat or two, the hit it with some like 120ish grit to get the bulk and 220 ish to smooth. A sander makes it much easier but it's possible with a block and some muscle. You can really scrape all the stuff on the sides of the container with a putty knife and use 100 percent of it, and any leftovers you can just seal the container and it keeps just fine for months. I'd say for a flawless surface you do 2 coats, sand, 1 light coat and smooth then three layers of primer for an amazing finish. 2 coats and sand with finish leaves a worn looking surface.
Car filler primer and then use a car paint. It will still need some sanding though. I heard a simpler way is to use epoxy resin, but I haven’t tested it yet
Try a corner/detail sander. That’ll get 90% of the stuff knocked down for you, then the rest can be by hand. Following the process of “sand, fill, sand” that’s been suggested here multiple times.
Plastic Wood filler. Water it down a bit (people say acetone but water works fine). Apply it with a sponge (I had grouting sponges lying around when I experimented with dampening) sand lightly to perfection then apply primer and paint
Nah the stl had an option for runes or none and I would have liked to use them but I couldn’t be arsed deciphering them and also I wanted a more realistic look
For medium parts, I use an automotive body filler on PLA. I think it's a Bondo branded glazing and spot putty. It's one-part, so you can use as much/little as you like Vs having to mix up a batch. I do a *very* quick sand across any obvious layer lines with something like 180 grit, then smooth over the putty with various tools. The key is to get it into all the gaps/hollows etc. Once fully cured it sands really nicely.
For smaller parts, I have various fillers from model making companies like Tamiya, nice quality, but the Bondo stuff is 90% as good for 10% the price.
After that, I'll blow it over with a coat of automotive filler primer. Then it's just the usual dance of sand/prime/sand until you get the finish you're after.
A coat of one, or better, two-part body filler on PLA will significantly enhance the temperature stability.
Combine bondo putty and acetone and paint on a few layers. It does an amazing job of concealing lines and can be sanded/painted as needed. Also, watering down wood filler to a paintable paste consistency brushes on and creates a damn fine wood texture.
Examples below (you can see where the skull fell off the wall and chipped to expose my ridiculously rough line height).
https://imgur.com/a/yRqhpSu
Dremmel "polish" it.
It sorta melts it from the friction instead of polishing. If you're not careful you can Def ruin a price cuz dremil, but if you do it you get very smooth parts. I Specially like the melting on tpu,
Water down some wood filler and paint it on with a brush, once dry it sands pretty easily and fills in majority of the gaps/bumps. Seems to do the trick!
To answer your question, I'm a fan of wood working scraper blades or smaller versions used in clay sculpting. But what others are saying about filler/primer is the best solution for what you are doing.
If you are going to paint it, sand it, then use a spray can filler-primer, then paint. If you are not going to paint it, I use XTC-3D to smooth and seal.
My preferred method is 3 years of struggling and playing catch between my slicer and CAD software until it just comes out smooth and everyone I've ever loved has left me
you could try using bondo or some other type of material filler. there’s some for plastics and should be easy to apply and even easier to sand off. but i don’t have a printer, i’m just a fabricator
Thinned glazing putty is my new go to. Brushed on. What I’m tending to do is. Layer of glazing putty (red) followed straight by white primer filler. Then using a slow moving rotary face sander going over the whole thing. The combination of the different colours really shows me where I’ve got to do more work.
I mix UV resin and baby powder, put it on the print, then use an UV light. It's great for filling bigger gaps as well, as long as you apply smaller layers, and it's way easier to sand than PLA.
Some filler-primer spray paint, then sand and repeat
Ooh okay I can do that thanks
Filler primer fills the gaps and it stands way better than pla. The goal is to leave the pla underneath and only sand the primer (I mean you can sand the pla too it just sucks)
Yeah I’ve tried sanding the pla and it hasn’t turned out well, I’ve found a thick acrylic paint that I’m using with a thin coat and then I’m gunna sand that off
Try this: - Buy some UV Resin used for SLA 3d printers. Any kind works - Buy some baby powder - Mix (with Proper PPE) - Paint that mixture on the helmet and either cure it immediately with a UV light, or let it cure out in the sunlight. This will make a smooth surface much quicker. Alternatively, you can buy other resins such as Fiberglass resin that uses a hardener and cures naturally rather than using UV.
Well I have crap tones of uv resin I just need to find a baby to powderise
Follow me to lunch. Always a screaming one near me.
I’m very concerned about what you’ve been eating, boo.
Cornstarch works too! Check your kitchen!
Most baby powder is just cornstarch. It used to be talcum powder, but that causes cancer, so...
Johnson and Johnson didn't care though... Not until 2018 when they had to pay out $4.7 billion in a lawsuit. They still didn't pull the talcum powder out until 2020 even though they knew for years that it contained asbestos. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/johnsonandjohnson-cancer/ And recently Appeals Court Clears The Way For 38,000 Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Lawsuits https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2023/02/07/appeals-court-clears-the-way-for-38000-johnson--johnson-baby-powder-lawsuits/
I think you misspelled corpse starch!
I saw Marjorie Taylor Green is having a meeting on baby organ black market coming up soon. Might be able to find out where she gets her baby parts from.
Oh crap noice I’ll send her a message and ask about it I wonder why she didn’t send my a dm she usually notify me when she has more stock
I've heard of a woman near my location (1 or 2 hr drive) who stored hers on her freezer if you want.
This is the way. I've used this technique a couple of times recently and it works surprisingly well. FWIW I used corn starch in a near 1:1 ratio with resin.
I've started using this technique in the past few months and can absolutely confirm that this is the way. One question though since you seem to have a lot more experience, I have been using baby powder but was unsure of the proper ratio to use. Do you see a better result or ease of use with corn starch over talcum powder, and has a 1:1 ratio worked out better for you from personal experience or is that just something that worked and you stuck with?
I tried a 1:1 ratio and it was too thick and caused the wrong effect. Instead of smoothing it out it just made it more rough. 2:1 or 4:1 ratios have worked better for me. (20g resin to 10g of powder)
Thanks! I had been closer to 4:1 in my tests, I just wasn't sure if using corn starch had a different effect or somehow changed the necessary ratio. Good to know that I've been on the right track.
I've resin-coated some parts, but never tried adding powder to it. That would reduce the runniness. I have a 45-piece build to assemble that needs to be smooth, so I'll try this. Thanks for the tip!
Sounds scary ngl
Just use a respirator in an open space, wear gloves (and possibly eye protection), and try not to get it on your skin Those are the general rules for any type of resin or epoxy, including when 3d printing with resin (which has been around longer than plastic printing!)
I got downvoted to hell for suggesting this a while back.
Here, have another downvote for old times sake. (Kidding, I just gave you an upvote.)
Wet sand PLA. If you dry sand it melts a bit when you’re rubbing and you get a bad finish. Work up the grades too from like 600 to 800 to 1200. Unfortunately it is a process that can’t be avoided but dosent take too long.
Also look into thinning out bondo with acetone. You can just brush it on, let it dry for a few minutes then it’ll sand smooth and rock hard.
I use car primer. It’s cheap and easy to work with, also not sure how much truth there is to this, but it feels comforting it’s made to sustain weather, makes me think it’s maybe more versatile than other primers.
I've had great results with wood filler too
Came here to post that. There are some great products available for automotive that can get you to a glass smooth finish if you put the work in.
Steel brush on dremel, gives it a more worn, handmade, less perfect lines, look at the same time
Oooh thanks a ton that sounds perfect
Do you think that would make a good wood texture
Nah, for that print in light wood colour (i use apricot petg) , sand sand sand, then apply 1-3 layers of dark wood varnish for outside use. Always brush in one direction. It will look like real stuff. If you use multiple parts use plastic filler (aka car bumper repair stuff) to make it look like one piece. https://preview.redd.it/vy2v9gcb9ioc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28eaed74013caeeeeaa5a43ac1b6b0780a7a42b9
Yeah that’s pretty much my strategy now
Playing with fuzzy skin in the printer settings is fun too, good for small grips etc. Those I don’t sand, minimal fuzzy skin settings and straight in the varnish and letting it drip off.
Didn’t see the picture before. That’s better than the results I get
One or 2 layers of “dark oak” garden shed varnish with a big brush. (Note this is a large piece, full size foam dart blaster stock)
You can get the same kind of brush but made out of nylon instead. Much harder to accidentally melt through your print that way.
Uv resin and cornstarch or baby powder is dope. There's a bunch of YouTube videos for it
Seconding this! I use 20g of resin and 5-10g of baby powder and thoroughly mix.
I haven’t tried this before. But want to now! Question though. Say I mix a bunch and then store it in a container out of light, will it still slowly cure or harden or become unusable?
If you just put it back in the same type of container that the resin comes in it should be fine. I've been using it for a month and a half and it's been fine so far. It just needs to be a UV blocking container
Nobody mentioned card scrapers, are the best for fast work
Serious question: What do you mean by "card scraper"? When I search that on Amazon I get tons of seemingly different kinds of products. Honestly not sure what others in the 3d printing hobby are using.
It's a metal plate that you usually use to scrape wood. Also deburring tool is related.
I believe they may also be called cabinet scrapers. I think Lee valley sells them for a decent price I think, and a burnisher for sharpening them.
Block planes also make short work of layer lines!
Yes! I just started using these for the first time and it is incredible how much faster they are for carving things out and smoothing them!
Yep, and just a good old fashioned razor blade/scraper held perpendicular to the surface works great too.
Bondo or primer filler.
Sanding works best in conjunction with a filler primer. If it were me, I'd sand it, hit it with filler.primer, and repeat until I got it as smooth as I want it. It's tedious and messy, and takes a lot of time to do correctly (plus, you *will* end up painting afterwards) but if you take the time to get a good result you can get perfectly smooth. I did it on my Halo 1 Magnum replica print and it came out incredibly. Now... I did probably 3 repetitions of "sand, prime, sand" to get there, and gradually worked up from ~250 grit to 2500 grit wet standing to get exactly the finish I wanted... But it meant the paint went down super smooth.
Orbital sander has been my goto for years. Does a good job.
An axe grinder... I'll see myself out
I haven't attempted it myself but some amazing things have been done painting UV resin on to fdm parts
I’ve also heard some great results with bondo mixed with nail polish? I believe.
The cosplayers, particularly the ones making mando helmets know what's up
Hell yeah! Learned a lot from them
File
Files. Get a decent set at harbor freight. You’re filing plastic, not metal, so they’ll last a while.
Huh I might pick up some rn I have a file that I’m pretty sure might be double my age
I should mention that they’ll remove plastic pretty freakin’ fast, so go easy. Upside is you don’t have to worry about overheating the work like you might with a power sander, plus better control.
Alright thanks a ton
I usually use a thin layer of bondo glazing putty to fill in the layer lines, then sand that down, use primer filler then sand again, repeating the primer filler as needed
Believe it or not but using fuzzy walls on a fairly low setting makes for a fucking awesome primer surface, that plus a filling primer or even wall filler sometimes and sanding makes for a really consistent finish, it just takes a little longer to sand up but the risk of things flaking off is almost entirely mitigated A more aggressive fuzzy skin plus a composite layer (carbon fibre, fibreglass or kevlar) makes for an awesomely strong bond for mostly aesthetic automotive parts that may take a slight beating
For this? Elektroplating.
I really like [XTC-3D](https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/xtc-3d/), two part compound from smoothon, tricky to use at first but it's been saving my ass with a huge ass cosplay. I tried bondo, it was meh. I do use filler spray primer too but that's near the end of the process.
Plastic wood filler and thinned down bondo body filler. Respirator or outdoors only for the bondo. You can actually thin it down with acetone until it’s like a tooth paste consistency and spread it on. Then wet sanding when dried. Filler primer and progressively finer sandpaper.
I use either filler spray or Bondi and sand.
I use gel nail polish top coat and cure it under a UV light. Makes it smooth and shiny. Better than normal UV craft resin in IMO
Sander, filler primer, sand the primer. Then fill in any imperfections with a 2:1 ratio of plastic wood filler and water. Let it dry then sand and then prime again. Normally smooth after that lol
This is a bit out there, but "Dipping Latex" is pretty cool. Liquid Latex, brush-on-latex. You know the stuff some people use to coat their tool handles, for pliers and stuff. They come in lots of colors, there are "body safe" variants for Masks and stuff and you can do multiple layers. It sticks REALLY well to bad prints, left over supports and bad top layers. It can be dipped (in a shallow pan) or brushed on. It can be painted afterwards or you can mix in epoxy pigments. Larp people have foamy latex too. Might be usefull for the kind of stuff you seem to be making. I use this as an alternative to finishing with 3D-Printing resin, which is hard, sometimes cracks and has a slew of hazards when handling. Also, if the latex is "body safe" it only means that there are more strict rules on chemistry. So you can touch it, etc. Don't eat or drink that stuff or put it into somebodies body any other way. Edit: [Video of the process where somebody coats something.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fuIjaXSCxk)
There's a product called xtc3d I believe that supposedly does this, never tried it out though there are some YouTube reviews of it.
A shit ton of acrlilic paint. Spray paint and stuff like fillers and why not are expensive as hell where I live. So I just sand the crap out of my prints and then paint them with also a crap ton of acrilic paint.
Print orientation ig. Don't know how strong the thing has to be, but printing vertically should at least look a bit better.
I use paper to take it down a bit then it depends on the piece. I use plastic wood filler (or a bit of bondo for bigger seams or gaps) to fill any gaps. Then sandpaper and emery boards for getting fine details before hitting it with sealer and a few coats filler primer. It's all fit and finish from there.
Super thin layer of bondo to fill the line gaps and some light sanding to smooth. I've tried the filler-primer spray paint and it just takes way too many applications to fill in the line layers imo. I use something similar to this to smooth the bondo into a super thin layer so I don't have to do a lot of sanding. https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Spreader-Caulking-Finishing-Bathroom/dp/B09ZRXQ7DP
Bondo, but don’t worry about that if you can’t find it as It's just regular car body filler. Go to any auto store (that has parts etc) and ask for car body filler. It's all the same. Then sand
Bondo putty. Sand. Filler primer. Sand. Rinse and repeat as often as needed.
https://preview.redd.it/y3bg9opdqloc1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1cbc1af2ba732288155b62d757385321ab13c0c3
PETG sands and cuts/trims better than pla, might be worth trying that out
You could always paint it
Assuming you want the material raw/unpainted: Ethyl Acetate does wonders on layer lines. (it works on PLA, albeit not as well as acetone works on ABS) This stuff can undo the visual damage caused by sandpaper or a file, and it also melts layer lines into each other.
Heh I was on a science trip on the coast where we where studying some plant life and we had to break up seaweed into acetone to expose the pigment and I kinda dropped a whole ass ruler into the tub of acetone
On some surfaces a wood scraper works well, not against the grain but with it or along it. Depending on the use of the object a filler type domestic acrylic paint will work as an under coat. If you chosen paint doesn't fill the print lines adding a little bit of corn starch to thicken it a little at a time until you get your perfect mix will be the go. Try to make it work with one coat if you can and then lightly sand back to clear paint marks. Then use colour over the top to your creative satisfaction. Maybe with a bit of practice a small blow torch style lighter can be used while moving it over the object to melt the surface layer while not melting the lower ones for a strong glossy finish. This can be tricky and might require a bucket of cold water nearby.
So, usually people use primer filler as mentioned already. But the issues is that curing time is very long. So I use UV resin instead. Brush it on, pop into UV chamber for 10 mins and you're ready to post-process.
Printer tuning to clean up layer lines, PLA-CF to hide what it left of the lines.
Grinder
Rays of the morning sun for proper sharpening /s
Filler primer, let it dry for about 30-60 minutes, then put some iso on a paper towel and buff it off. You can get it glass smooth with way less effort and added bulk in only 2-3 coats.
High build filler primer
Corn starch and UV resin
Hot acetone vapor bath on ABS AND PLA
X-acto knife and blood in that order
Thinned out wood filler, skip the bondo. Use orbital sander, a few sanding sticks and some files. Buy different grit sandpapers in 3 levels 60-80 / 100-250 / 350-600. Most cases you don't need to go beyond 600 grit. Avoiding straight sanding back and forth, sand in a circular motion when possible.
I've heard a ratio of baby powder and epoxy works wonders. But that was a YouTube video
Laitly I've used uv resin and a flashlight. Smooths out flat areas like glass
From the thumbnail I thought you were using an axe to smooth prints somehow....
Why else would I be making an axe?
Sandable primer and bondo spot putty is what I've been using on my cosplay props. Some people say you can use wood filler, but I didn't think it worked as well.
Bondo is great and once you get used to it you can use it for a bunch of projects outside of 3d printing. My vote is get comfortable with bondo!
Well I don't use a bearded axe, that's for sure. Try wire wool or something.
For something this big and mostly flat Bondo.
my teeth
Mate I’m asking from the bottom of my heart, may I have your teeth.
I use a Magic Eraser on fine sand levels. Also, why did my brain think you were trying to combine the hammer and sickle into one tool?
Your mind has its priority’s straight that’s why
Window glazing putty by Bondo, then sand
Iron
I've seen someone on youtube mix wood filler with a little acetone and brush it on in the direction of the layer lines. His results were amazing. Been meaning to try it myself.
Fire
Tears and dreams
Ive ran out of the dreams can I use WD40 as a substitute?
I don't. I just use fuzzy skin and call it good
Bondo glazing putty mixed with acetone to a paint-like fluidity. Brushed onto prints in small layers and sanded between applications.
Thin coat of UV resin. That being said, I'm smoothing my pla prints for ease of glide over the rocks and not to paint them.
Acetone and wood filler mixed together, paint on with a brush and sand smooth
I do a couple of coats of polyacrylic with a light sanding and then a couple coats of 2in1 filler/primer with more sanding. For seams, bad layer stepping (like your axe) or bad gaps I use Bondo spot putty. The pictures on [this make](https://www.thingiverse.com/make:321364) show the process. They're out of order but you'll get the gist.
With blood of my enemies
Your prey won't know the difference.
Aluminum oxide paper and wood filler. On a serious note UV resin the same color works great when brushed on.
uv resin thinned with isopropyl, brushed on in a very thin coat and left to dry then cured. it's also nice for strengthening thin parts.
Anvil
Printing it in ASA or ABS. PLA is horrible to sand as it just melts instead, not sure about the CosPLA as that is supposed to be better. But ABS is easy to sand to get a nice finish
***Acetone***
Sand to get decent level, then primer-filler then 800 grit light sand to get smooth layer. Small tight spots,dents or holes fill with UV resin and cure then repeat above process. The finish always relies on the effort put in
For that sort of print I liked to use the blood of my enemies mixed with the bones of fallen champions. Rub that in with a shammy and your good.
Do you use the blood to stain the handle as well or could that lead to mold?
I find that tends to happen organically.
DREAM ON
Blowtorch, it leaves a shiny finish. If you require more precision, use a jet lighter. I prefer the latter.
Card scrapers. And woodfiller to fill the layer lines if the part is going to be painted later. It is non-toxic and waterbased, easy to work with and fairly quick to dry, you can also thin it to desired consistency.
Acetylene torch
Cheap razors not easy tho
Lighters
Well, crest original or aim original toothpaste, of if you want high tech, a laser blender or ultrasonic smoother.
Angle grinder
I usually don't care about the defects or looks because I know it's a 3d printed part and usually looks fine from far away. If I had to make it smooth, wet sanding. If you're going to want it finished, then you'll need to fill it and paint it.
Usually I wouldn’t but I’m mainly wanting to make a really nice looking axe just for the fun of it and a way to test my painting skills
A wipe down with Butanone can melt the layer lines a bit and make the whole thing look less 3d printy, although it stinks so it might be better to use primer and filler
I would have printed the part in a different orientation
I just tried scraping using a utility knife blade. The finish was perfect and it was much faster than sanding too.
Resin / uv light
primer
primer
The necks of my enemies!
thinned ABS water washable resin and curing it. takes no time at all but is just messy asf
Vibratory tumbler with ceramic balls and v34
Lots of great suggestions so let me add this. It has worked amazingly well for me: [UV Resin and talcom powder](https://youtu.be/KVf0mbBCygQ?si=sVzP1b_AMEVC2BIB)
Blowtorch. Borderline counterproductive but too fun.
I'm using pla and I can't afford the stench of UV resin in my apartment. I have an orbital sander and a big tub of Elmer's wood fill. You add just a bit of water to a container (I use an old sour cream container) then glop in some of the wood fill. Thin and runny is good for prints with little defects, thicker is good for parts with warping, pocks, or printing errors. Paint it on with a paintbrush and let it dry, just do it over a newspaper or something because it will drip. Optimally you'd be able to hang it up. A coat or two, the hit it with some like 120ish grit to get the bulk and 220 ish to smooth. A sander makes it much easier but it's possible with a block and some muscle. You can really scrape all the stuff on the sides of the container with a putty knife and use 100 percent of it, and any leftovers you can just seal the container and it keeps just fine for months. I'd say for a flawless surface you do 2 coats, sand, 1 light coat and smooth then three layers of primer for an amazing finish. 2 coats and sand with finish leaves a worn looking surface.
Bondo filler primer.
heat! use a heat gun slowly warm it up smooth it with a cloth you dotn care about
Consider changing the print orientation to avoid getting layer lines like this in the first place.
A file works pretty good
Car filler primer and then use a car paint. It will still need some sanding though. I heard a simpler way is to use epoxy resin, but I haven’t tested it yet
Print in ASA and then use vapor smoothing
Try a corner/detail sander. That’ll get 90% of the stuff knocked down for you, then the rest can be by hand. Following the process of “sand, fill, sand” that’s been suggested here multiple times.
Plastic Wood filler. Water it down a bit (people say acetone but water works fine). Apply it with a sponge (I had grouting sponges lying around when I experimented with dampening) sand lightly to perfection then apply primer and paint
Shark skin
Card scraper
I use [these.](https://a.co/d/aQpPwKk)
Woodfiller and sandpaper baby. Makes your prints smooth as hell.
Bondo and sanding.
Did that have runes on it at one point?
Nah the stl had an option for runes or none and I would have liked to use them but I couldn’t be arsed deciphering them and also I wanted a more realistic look
For medium parts, I use an automotive body filler on PLA. I think it's a Bondo branded glazing and spot putty. It's one-part, so you can use as much/little as you like Vs having to mix up a batch. I do a *very* quick sand across any obvious layer lines with something like 180 grit, then smooth over the putty with various tools. The key is to get it into all the gaps/hollows etc. Once fully cured it sands really nicely. For smaller parts, I have various fillers from model making companies like Tamiya, nice quality, but the Bondo stuff is 90% as good for 10% the price. After that, I'll blow it over with a coat of automotive filler primer. Then it's just the usual dance of sand/prime/sand until you get the finish you're after. A coat of one, or better, two-part body filler on PLA will significantly enhance the temperature stability.
XTC-3D
Combine bondo putty and acetone and paint on a few layers. It does an amazing job of concealing lines and can be sanded/painted as needed. Also, watering down wood filler to a paintable paste consistency brushes on and creates a damn fine wood texture. Examples below (you can see where the skull fell off the wall and chipped to expose my ridiculously rough line height). https://imgur.com/a/yRqhpSu
My personality
Dremmel "polish" it. It sorta melts it from the friction instead of polishing. If you're not careful you can Def ruin a price cuz dremil, but if you do it you get very smooth parts. I Specially like the melting on tpu,
Bondo type body filler. Sand. Reapply. Sand. Spray filler primer. Wet sand. Paint
Water down some wood filler and paint it on with a brush, once dry it sands pretty easily and fills in majority of the gaps/bumps. Seems to do the trick!
To answer your question, I'm a fan of wood working scraper blades or smaller versions used in clay sculpting. But what others are saying about filler/primer is the best solution for what you are doing.
If you are going to paint it, sand it, then use a spray can filler-primer, then paint. If you are not going to paint it, I use XTC-3D to smooth and seal.
Cement
Acetone. Obliterates layer lines. Smooth as silk.
I like to lick it until my tongue eventually smooths it out
Defiently not a cat
I am actually a firm believer in scraping with a razor, this typically is for smaller bumps tho usually after sanding
Knife.
My preferred method is 3 years of struggling and playing catch between my slicer and CAD software until it just comes out smooth and everyone I've ever loved has left me
ABS and ASA will glass over in an acetone vapor bath.
Acetone vapor, works only on ABS tho
Powertool
Filling in the dips in the surface. Then more sanding of course.
you could try using bondo or some other type of material filler. there’s some for plastics and should be easy to apply and even easier to sand off. but i don’t have a printer, i’m just a fabricator
Thinned glazing putty is my new go to. Brushed on. What I’m tending to do is. Layer of glazing putty (red) followed straight by white primer filler. Then using a slow moving rotary face sander going over the whole thing. The combination of the different colours really shows me where I’ve got to do more work.
A blowtorch and a cold hard material of the desired texture (like glass)
I mix UV resin and baby powder, put it on the print, then use an UV light. It's great for filling bigger gaps as well, as long as you apply smaller layers, and it's way easier to sand than PLA.
I have been loving UV resin and a UV flashlight. https://youtu.be/KVf0mbBCygQ?si=u9kWvn_e_L7IxFBC
Nail polish
Acetone, babeeyyyy
Been experimentingvwith bedliner coating on some less intricate prints. Works well tbh, also gives a cool surface but can also be sanded smooth.
The tears of my enemies!
I use Bondo usually, sands easier than the plastic .
Acetone if it’s ABS.
Sand, then polyurethane.
Adaptive layers