Weird Critters

[kmanstudios 1,107]

These are some weird critters I have been making. One of the changes I made in my design is to not make such spindly things because I ran out of PVA materials. I had two spools of White Breakaway. I also tried to print without supports as well as experimented with PLA supports as well and eventually wound up with a mix of PLA and white breakaway supports. But first I designed a couple of things that did not require supports. 

 

This just some odd thing I made while trying to work in a basically 'primitive' style. I printed this on my UM3E with the wobbly head. So, layers are bit more visible than I would have liked.

 

Then I printed this thing.

 

This was when I figured an odd way of making semi-organic things that have a bit of a 'constructed' element to them and then I started making really weird things.

 

This was my first print with the Breakaway material. You can see one of the fingers got messed up.

This is it cleaned and the finger replaced with a reprinted hand part.

And this print was the first I did with the mix of PLA and Breakaway supports. Sometimes the breakaway really sticks to the PLA. But it easier to remove as a whole than straightforward PLA supports. Also the breakaway forms a proper contour bed for the undersides to rest on without getting support marred surfaces.

 

Each of these prints has pellets I have inserted during the printing process. Really makes a difference in how the pieces feel when you pick them up.

The pellets are a mix of Copper BBs and lead shot that is used by scuba divers for weights. Then I pour a glue over it to cement them into place.

Then it prints on up like this:

This one has not been cleaned and painted yet.

 

I figured a way to paint these using a wet on wet technique with rattle can paints. It allows for a rich wash of colour that also creates a semi-metal flake affect and a multi coloured speckle effect.

 

 

[Smithy 831]

Great!

I am just asking me how long it takes for such a print, must be days.....?

[kmanstudios 1,107]

On average, the print times are around 7 days. Here are a few more that I got pics of:

[Smithy 831]

Fantastic!

And it needs approximately another 7 days to dissolve the PVA 😀

[kmanstudios 1,107]

Oh, no PVA 🙂 All printed with PLA and White Breakaway. Manually pulled off with needle nose pliers and an x-acto knife to get at the breakaway and pry it off.

[Smithy 831]

Wow, never thought that Breakaway could do the job with such models as well. 

[kmanstudios 1,107]

Ran out of PVA and desperation did the rest 😆 I did learn to alter the design structures to hold up with the extra strain of pulling that stuff off (no spindly areas). It can be tough getting it off the model cleanly and also printing with it with the type of things I posted here can cause it to clog a bit. I learned that if you do a 'fake material change' to back it out and feed it again will get it to unclog and get right back to printing with it. Yay S5 sensor 🙂

 

[Smithy 831]

Yeah when it is possible I think it is the better support material. It is cheaper and even if you need some time for cleanup, it is faster than dissolving PVA for ages. And when you can take care during the design you have all possibilites.

[kmanstudios 1,107]

Yeah, but PVA can be used for things with spindly parts like fingers or hair and it comes off very cleanly. But for this, I learned a lot about using the breakaway which was fun 🙂 I have two to paint and one to finish printing and then paint and I think I have one more design waiting to crawl out of me wee pointy little head.

[fbrc8-erin 245]

Nice work!

[Enigma_M4 59]

Awesome!

[kmanstudios 1,107]

Once I can afford some PVA I have a print I want to do that needs it because of the delicate nature of the design. It was one of the last designs I did before surgery and could still sculpt reliably....

 

I was thinking about @fbrc8-erin when I painted the snail creature. I know she likes red and, well, I promised a red print a long while ago. The funnly thing is that some of the BBs and lead shot bounced into the infill areas, so they rattle a bit if you shake it 😛

 

[cloakfiend 973]

Love these critters! amazing work as always!!

[Evavoo 5]

hey @kmanstudios - these look great!

 

what is the name of the filament you are using? I havent managed to find any rainbow filaments at 2.85mm in the UK.

[kmanstudios 1,107]

The filament was just TPLA. It is the paint that makes the difference. I am documenting how I paint things here:

 

I have not gotten around to documenting how I did the weird critters. But I will be once I get some extra paint. But in short, it was Spaz Stix holographic paint. They make several varieties.

[Evavoo 5]

amazing, thanks for sharing all your reach! sent me on quite the rabbithole of looking into different materials and paints!

[kmanstudios 1,107]

My next installment will have links to the types of metallic. chrome and chameleon powders to create different affects. I have almost finished the 'Fairy wings' project and will get back to regular posts about different prints.

 

I did see your post of the sculpt you did. I can see a lot of potential with painting. 🙂 It is a very nice sculpt.