Printing Process
We use the ELEGOO Mars Pro.
It's a 3D resin printer that allows us to print efficiently while still retaining an incredible amount of detail. We tell it what to print with .stl files that are sliced down to tiny layers (that's what gets us that incredible detail).
Every model we get has to have supports added to it so that our printer knows how to make it. We can't print out of thin air! Well, we can, that's the point of a 3D printer, but we have to make sure each print has a starting point. That's where struts and supports come into play. This process can take a number of hours, depending on how complicated the print is.
We have to strut our stuff.
Now we can print!
All it takes is several hours of patience. Easy, right? Well, not exactly. Yes, you do need several hours of patience. But we also have to make sure we're checking on the prints periodically for any defects, or to see if it even got off on the right foot. If not, you might end up with a sad glob of cured resin at the bottom of your reservoir. And that makes us sad.
After a print is finished we spend a lot of time making sure it's nicely cleaned, cured, sanded, and primed. This includes cutting off all of the supports, checking for any defects in the print, curing it under some UV lights, and then taking a hand sander to that bad boy. Or girl. Or whatever it is we may have printed. We finish all of our prints with mineral oil to give it a nice shine once it's complete.
The print is done! Now on to painting.
Slap some COLOR on it!
Once we're satisfied with the quality of a print, we'll prime it and get some color on it! Painting is really the most creative part of this process, but there is still a science to what the process looks like for painting. That's a part of our special secret.