Well, let me tell you, these newfangled things, these 3D printer things, they’re somethin’ else. My grandson, he’s always tinkerin’ with ’em. Makes all sorts of stuff. Little toys, you know, and even parts for his broken-down car. Says it saves him a bundle. But sometimes, when he paints ’em, they look kinda rough. Like he just slapped the paint on. I told him, “Boy, you gotta be more careful with that!” That’s what I am talking about today, these 3d printer painting brushstrokes.
You see these little lines on them printed things? Them’s what I’m talkin’ about. Looks like he used an old broom to paint ’em! He says it’s ’cause of how the machine makes ’em. Layer by layer, he says. Like stacking pancakes, but with plastic. Now, I ain’t no expert, but I know a messy paint job when I see one. And if you wanna get these 3d printed things smooth, you gotta put some effort in, you know? It is not easy, you need to pay attention to the 3D printing quality.
First thing, he says you gotta use the right kind of plastic. He calls it “fill-a-mint” or somethin’. Got all sorts of colors too. Red, blue, green, like a whole rainbow. And some are better than others, he says. Some make smoother things than others. I don’t know nothin about that. But if you want to make your 3d printed things look good after painting, you need to be careful about the “fill-a-mint”. The cheaper one, well, you get what you pay for, I reckon. You can use the ABS “fill-a-mint” for your 3D printing. I heard that it is good. But it is difficult to use. But it is strong.
Then there’s the machine itself. He’s got one of them fancy ones. Cost him a pretty penny, I’m sure. But he says there are cheaper ones too. And the cheaper ones, well, you get what you pay for, I reckon. They might not make things as nice and smooth. Maybe you need to pick a good 3D print resolution. My grandson told me that you need to set the number between 0.05 to 0.2 millimeters. I don’t understand these numbers. But you can ask the store when you buy the printer.
He showed me how it works once. It’s like a hot glue gun, but it moves around and makes shapes. It’s all controlled by the computer, you see. He types in some stuff, and the machine does the rest. It’s all very confusin’ to me, but he seems to know what he’s doin’. If the machine is not good, the printed things won’t be good. Then you put paint on it, it will look worse. You know what I mean?
Now, about them brush strokes. He says you can sand ’em down. Just like sandin’ wood. You gotta be careful though, or you’ll mess up the whole thing. And it takes time, lots of time. But if you are using 3D printing to do business or sell something, you need to be patient. Don’t be lazy!
- Use the right kind of plastic, the “fill-a-mint”.
- Get a good machine, not the cheapest one.
- Sand it down, real careful like.
- 3D printing takes time, you need to be patient.
- Make sure your machine is good.
He’s got all sorts of sandpaper. Rough ones, smooth ones. He starts with the rough ones and then uses the smoother ones to finish it off. Makes it all nice and shiny, like a new car. Or as close as you can get with plastic, anyway. And you need to use good sandpaper. Don’t use the cheap ones. Or you will waste your time.
Then he paints it. Uses those little cans of spray paint. Says it’s better than a brush. Less likely to leave them messy lines. And he puts on lots of thin coats, not just one thick one. Lets it dry in between each coat too. Takes a while, but it looks a whole lot better in the end. If you use a brush, you will see the brushstrokes. That’s no good. You need to be very careful.
So, if you’re gonna be paintin’ these 3D printer things, you gotta take your time. Don’t want to print them out at low quality. Don’t rush it. Use the right stuff. And be patient. It ain’t like paintin’ a fence, you know. It’s more like paintin’ a, well, I don’t know what it’s like. But it’s more delicate, that’s for sure. You need to keep these 3D printing tips in mind. If you mess up, you have to start all over again. And that’s a waste of time and plastic. And money too!
These 3D printer things, they’re somethin’ else. They can make all sorts of neat stuff. But you gotta know what you’re doin’ if you want it to look good. Especially if you’re gonna paint it. Otherwise, it’ll just look like a mess. And nobody wants that, right? You don’t want people to see your bad work, right? So be careful about the 3d printer painting brushstrokes. You don’t want them to see the ugly lines.
