First "real" print Mockingjay from the hunger games

Discussion in 'My Work In Progress' started by Shef_, Apr 3, 2012.

  1. Shef_
    Shef_ Member
    Hi,
    I made the mockingjay pin from the hungergames in 3d, and I would like to know if it's printable. here it is:
    mockingjay.png

    I wonder what kind of material would be able to print it. The wings and the arrow are connected to the ring. The whole thing is about 4cm diameter. I'm pretty sure that stainless steel with gold finish won't work because the arrow is too small. It is completely full on the inside, but seeing the size I don't think it will matter.

    I want to use it for a charms bracelet, maybe a necklace. So it doesn't have to be super strong but I'm guessing it will have to resist some falls.

    Also, I would want a material that's easy to paint, unless stainless steel works. And what kind of paint would be best? would golden spray-paint be alright? will it hold?
     
  2. 18614_deleted
    18614_deleted Member
    For really tiny things- I'm concerned mainly about the arrow, here- you want Frosted Ultra Detail. Your arrow shaft needs to be at least 0.3mm thick (in practice, it might need to be a little thicker due to the arrow head it needs to support). That said, even if that works, I would be very careful with it, as the model would be very easy to break in that area. While it would take to paint very well after washing, I would not trust something that fragile for something worn.

    If you're willing to compromise on the design and thicken up that arrow (0.7mm in diameter), I'd actually recommend using White Strong and Flexible for this. You can use an Acrylic paint with WSF, so you could use a premade "glossy" paint, or add a gloss separately. It would still feel kind of plastic-y, though. The best part about WSF is that it'll bend more than break, so it'd be better for casual wear.
     
  3. Shef_
    Shef_ Member
    I don't mind making the arrow larger, but redoing booleans is gonna be a pain. :p

    I've never printed in color before. If I just want a golden solid color for it, what should I do?
     
  4. Shef_
    Shef_ Member
    Actually, forget the booleans. If I just have the arrow intersect at the bird's mouth, will it still print? Both of them are air tight
     
  5. Psychobob
    Psychobob Member
    If both of the meshes are airtight, it will print fine. I've done it quite a few times where I've had 2 meshes that are air tight intersecting with one another. Shapeways system, will interpret this as one mesh item.

    If you want it in gold, there are a few options. I believe shapeways offers a gold plated material, you can also paint it with a metallic paint (just make sure you smooth it and prep the surface properly before putting it on or you'll get some poor results) and finally you can get it plated at a 3rd party company if you really want (though I'm unsure of the restrictions on this. Your object may be too complicated in shape for instance).

    Hope that helps.

     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2012
  6. Print in silver, then post-process with gold leaf or electroplating. Ta da, gold!

    Printing in silver may actually be best for something this fine - it allows a lot of detail, and it is very strong without being brittle. You should still review the design rules:

    https://www.shapeways.com/design-rules/silver

    For example, the minimum for a "wire" is 0.8mm (the arrow shaft).
     
  7. Shef_
    Shef_ Member
    Yeah, i thought about that, but I don't really want to spend 40 dollars on that right now. while we're talking about money, do you think this would sell? also, am I allowed to sell it?
     
  8. stonysmith
    stonysmith Well-Known Member Moderator
    If you want to be careful, you should contact Tower Books (Schoolastic) or Lions Gate and ask their permission. Most such publishers do not allow even derivative works that proport to be "from the movie". But, you never know.. it's worth asking.
     
  9. Shef_
    Shef_ Member
    would this count as "from the movie"? it was based on the book cover. So I would only need to contact scholastic. A friend of mine has the one "from the movie" and it looks pretty different.

    Do any of you know of a way to measure distances in Blender? I cannot figure out how to.