SparrowMarie Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 A friend of mine asked me to paint a 3d printed model for her boyfriend's birthday. I got the mini a couple of days ago. There are some minor print errors that I've fixed but I'm not sure how to address the lines left by the printing process. I considered sanding but I have no idea how thick the material is and it is hollow. How should I go about prepping or painting this with all the lines? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawhat Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I haven't tried it myself, so can't vouch for it's suitability or effectiveness, but I've heard of people using a matte or gloss varnish/sealer to smooth the lines a bit. Some art-focused sites sell a brush-on product (that I expect is just rebranded/repurposed gloss coat). 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparrowMarie Posted February 25, 2022 Author Share Posted February 25, 2022 51 minutes ago, strawhat said: I haven't tried it myself, so can't vouch for it's suitability or effectiveness, but I've heard of people using a matte or gloss varnish/sealer to smooth the lines a bit. Some art-focused sites sell a brush-on product (that I expect is just rebranded/repurposed gloss coat). I lucked out and got a smaller copy of the mini along with the actual copy to be painted. I'll do some testing. Thanks# 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Shartan Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 There is also a primer/filler (I think it might be automotive in origin.....). A light coating of the primer should fill, or level, most lines on a print. Reverend Shartan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemjw Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 (edited) I've used My Hobby's Mr Surfacer on a vehicle, but it would probably obscure details on a mini. There are spray and brush on versions, so it could be worth a try. The approach was to spray, sand, spray, sand etc, with the surfacer gradually filling in the gaps without the model getting too bulked out. Be warned, however, that it's some of the stinkiest stuff I have ever used, so ventillation and a respirator are strongly recommended ☠️ edited to remove Tamiya as the manufacturer. Edited February 25, 2022 by zemjw 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SotF Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 There is also a new thing that I've seen used (not sure who makes it) for resin prints that seems to be a variant of the UV resin designed to be brushed on over a model as a filler for mold lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparrowMarie Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 Update: I have put some gloss sealer over the test mini. So far it seems promising. I may end up priming and then sealing and then priming again if it will stick. The gloss seams to have taken care of the lines or at least enough to paint it without too much issue. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnwulf Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 I use gloss varnish for resin to minimise the appeareance of them. For FDM, I use sandable filler primer (krylon makes a good one.) to diminish the print lines. I think it's ok for FDM because there's only so fine that detail will show here anyway. I've tried it on resin and it comes out looking like wizkids pre-primed..... I know badger developed an airbrush primer specifically for priming 3d prints, though I've never tried it. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparrowMarie Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 5 hours ago, Cygnwulf said: I use gloss varnish for resin to minimise the appeareance of them. For FDM, I use sandable filler primer (krylon makes a good one.) to diminish the print lines. I think it's ok for FDM because there's only so fine that detail will show here anyway. I've tried it on resin and it comes out looking like wizkids pre-primed..... I know badger developed an airbrush primer specifically for priming 3d prints, though I've never tried it. I wish I knew that before I bought primer >.< It's ABS or at least that is what I was told. So far a primer then couple layers of gloss have helped. Not totally gone but I think after the next prime it'll be okay enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rignes Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 I don't do this much, but for large flat surfaces I've used Krylon sandable filler primer. I go back and forth between a thin layer and sanding. Each step going finner and finner in the sanding grit. I used paper rated for wet sanding so I can run it under the water in the sink. To get the finest surface possible step your way up in the grit. I have 120, 220, 320, 600, 800, and 1500. I wont lie, this is time consuming but you can stop at any point along the way if you are happy with the finish. The other thing I've used is XTC-3D. It's a 2 part resin specifically designed to for 3D print and to settle into the seams and self level. I used this once on a very rough surface that wasn't practicle to sand. I had to thin it (denatured alcohol or acetone per the instructions) because it was so thick it was filling details. But once thinned and applied in a light coat it worked well. It gives a high gloss finish but can be primed and painted after. Try not to rush things. If using the sandable filler primer make sure it's fully dry in between sanding. I rushed things once and didn't get a good result. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmorse Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 On 2/28/2022 at 9:57 AM, Cygnwulf said: I know badger developed an airbrush primer specifically for priming 3d prints, though I've never tried it. I checked reviews when it was released. Pretty much all of them said it didn't really fill the lines any more that the regular badger stynylrez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.