Staining your Ultimaker...

[wickedandy 0]

from my post on the google groups... if anyone is interested in Staining their Ultimaker.

Just got my ultimaker a few weeks ago. Due to work schedules have taken my time to assemble and work all the kinks out...

Figure this is a good of any place for my first post, since OP was looking for advice about painting/staining, I personally took the staining route I wanted to have a

sort of rustic weathered looking ultimaker, with distressed deep red outside, and black stain on the inside.

Turned out quite nice I think, here's some pictures

https://picasaweb.google.com/1150101065 ... 7133415058

https://picasaweb.google.com/1150101065 ... 5721190130

https://picasaweb.google.com/1150101065 ... 1505312098

https://picasaweb.google.com/1150101065 ... 3170867794

I plan on updating the wiki next few days with a step by step how to for those interested in Staining as well... but here's a quick rundown...

warning: this is at least a 2 to 3 day affair, if your ultimaker arrives and your instinct is to build like mad, this is probably not the best route (luckily for me I had work to interfere! so it made it more a bit easier )

basic staining procedure..

1. sand all pieces in kit to remove laser burn marks (I used a 220 grit, with a orbital sander) (sand both sides, use tape to hold pieces together during this process)

2. if your going to stain the inside different from outside, make sure you first identify which are the inside and outside pieces (follow the wiki) then using

painters blue tape completely cover the side you won't be working on to protect it while you stain the first side...

3. apply pre-stain conditioner (I only did the main ultimaker pieces for the body since I didn't want to mess anything up on the axis/extuder parts)

4. wait 10-15min

5. apply first layer of stain

6. wait 10-15min

7. wipe of residual stain from wood

8. wait about 2-3hours

9. apply 2nd coat of stain... (repeat steps 7-8 until the desired darkness of stain is reached)

10. wait 8 hours

11. apply first layer of poly-acrylic coat (gloss coat, or satin etc....whichever you perfer)

12. wait 2 hours

13. sand surface lightly with 220 grit until nice and smooth

14. apply 2nd layer of poly-acrylic

15. sand surface again lightly

16. apply final coat of poly-acrylic...

17. wait 6 hours

18. DONE!

19. apply blue painters tape to outside awesome looking surface to protect them...

18. repeat steps 3 - 17 for the other side!

there are more pictures in album from the links above that show more of the steps browse around to get a broader idea of the process...

final note: from experience don't skip on the drying time between coats etc.... if you look at the 3rd photo I posted... I was in a hurry

to get the final clear coat on so I didn't wait the full 2 hours between 2-3rd coats so the blue tape ended up peeling away a few chunks with it...

also I didn't know which pieces would be on the outside so I didn't stain the parts that held my axis in, something to do for the weekend, if I can

only stop myself from printing!!! love the ultimaker!

-Andy

[ddurant 0]

That came out great!

You need some brass bolts on it now - steampunk 3d printer!

[micha 0]

Definitly +1 for the SteamPunk mod!

The big question about this is:

How did you manage to wait that long, with all the parts on the table until assembly?

My patience wouldn't last a minute longer, when my package arrives :mrgreen: