Matthew Griffin knows a couple of things about the people and the techniques needed to take a 3D printed part and make it look like the genuine, finished article. Griffin, the Director of Community Support and Evangelism at Adafruit Industries, has recently posted a comprehensive piece about methods you can use to give your prints the kind of look you want them to have. His techniques are described in full, and they range from PLA welding to using rivets to join multi-piece structures. They also include safety advice, lists of useful tools and very helpful photos to guide your efforts. Check out the full story here: http://3dprint.com/34351/3d-prints-with-pla-welding/

Below is an example of how the welding technique works, thanks to Griffin: