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Showing posts from May, 2017

A Step-by-step guide to post-processing a thingiverse Darth Vader without any sanding or acetone Part 1

EQUIPMENT USED: Plastic plate Soft Paint brush Clean water Methylated spirits Soft, clean cloth Hair dryer or fan. PRODUCTS USED: Poly-clean Plastic Cleaner Proto-fill Liquid Plastic (Jet black Ultra-matte finish) 3D Printed Part - Before Post-Processing METHOD: First clean your object’s surface with Poly-clean Plastic Cleaner. Before using Proto-fill, be sure to stir the contents thoroughly before you start, as the ingredients tend to settle on the bottom. The product may be sprayed if you have the equipment. Use a disposable plastic plate to place your model on, which are made from a type of plastic, that Proto-fill won’t stick to. Some take-away containers and lids are also suitable. Brush the first coat of Proto-fill, in a horizontal direction, or in the direction of the grooves. The product goes on like a liquid plastic and is shiny when it’s wet and dries to a matte finish. Because of the rich nature of the resin-system, allow the product tim

ARTEC Eva 3D scans its first submarine

Who can tell how much heritage has been destroyed by time, man and nature? Countless monuments and artefacts have been lost forever, leaving traces only in manuscripts, books, photos and memories of the lucky ones to have seen them. But things have changed with the advent of 3D scanning as more and more institutes and museums have started to embrace the technology to save precious and fragile legacy in 3D. Artec 3D scanners have been used extensively to digitize museum collections and historical sites, from scanning Assyrian reliefs at the British Museum to 3D capturing excavation sites with fossilized bones of prehistoric animals and hominids in Kenya. The extent of heritage preservation is not confined to antiques and fossils, though. Artefacts of more recent history also need to be conserved. One of the examples of such artefacts is this Biber mini-submarine that has been 3D scanned by Artec’s Dutch partner Erwin Kanters, the head of the 3D tech company Miniyours. T

Sanding or vapour smoothing your print lines, is so... 2016.

Those in the know are switching from sanding and dangerous acetone smoothing, to a much smarter solution for smoothing 3d printed striations or "print lines" and visible part joins. 3D formulations Proto-fill easily and safely makes, print lines and joints, disappear. Let's face it. Sanding and vapour smoothing are "subtractive" methods which are in contrast to the very principle of "additive" manufacturing. Once you begin sanding, the dimensions and integrity of your print is compromised. Sand too much, and there is no going back. Sanding your plastic parts, may also alter the colour and appearance of the surface, for instance, giving a black plastic a dark grey (scratched) appearance. Apart from the obviously extremely dangerous practice of vapour smoothing with acetone, the procedure is difficult to control and results are permanent. Proto-fill is a safer, water-based, non- hazardous and non-flammable product. You no longer need a dedicat