MakerBot Industries

Jlglover!'s Little Robot Head

We’ve already seen the quality of a MakerBot printed thing once it’s been finished using an acetone/ABS bath and dipped in liquid plastic.  Jlglover!’s little printed robot head is another example of the kind of finishing work that can be applied to a printed piece.  Jlglover! applied six coats of an enamel based paint to his printed piece.  Doing so appears to have removed almost all traces of it’s printed origins.

Metamorphosis in six coats (and a sharpie)

One of the things I like about this approach is that it doesn’t use acetone.  Acetone and it’s vapors can be pretty nasty stuff.  If you’re going to end up painting your printed piece anyhow, there’s no reason not to use this method for finishing.  With a little preliminary sanding, it could be indistinguishable from a smooth molded plastic piece.  Another thing I like about this particular object is that it shows how good a piece can look without any fancy schmancy upgrades.  Based upon the angle of that overhang and a slight warpage to the top right edge, I would guess this part was printed upside down on a non-heated build plate.  However, with this finishing technique, it would be difficult to discern how it was printed.

To anyone who hasn’t handled a printed piece, ABS sands beautifully.  It holds up well to course sandpaper and finishes well with a fine grit sandpaper.  Jlglover! and Ian Johnson have really proven that the final quality of a finished printed piece is entirely dependent upon how much time you’re willing to put into the final product.