Pushing the Makerbot whilst awaiting Form2

[southerngfx]

I'm a long time digital sculptor in the UK and I've been getting my models printed for years. My First personal machine was the Makerbot Rep2 and I've recently decided that it was time to move on up and settled on the Form2 due in November. While I've been waiting (not so patiently!) I decided to really push the Makerbot with some creature sculpts. These are some of the results. I still get horrific banding with my MB but I decided to ignore that and put some time in on the post process with sanding, my Dremel and actually getting round to painting some of these latest models.


-A selection of raw prints with various settings and print positions. I get best success with the MB If I lay the busts down on their backs (face up) and pretty much always use rafts and supports.

IMG_3317.jpg

-130mm Demon Bust raw off the printer. I gave up shelling out my models as the PLA is so cheap and I like having them full of the honeycomb. I've started drilling out the bases and embedding little steel bars for weight and stability.

IMG_3340.jpg

-This image is a series of angles from the Demon head. At this stage he had a quick rub down with paper and wire wool and a couple of coats of primer. I often dip the busts in acetone for 2 or 3 seconds to melt the top layer. I've killed a few prints by allowing acetone to seep into the honeycomb and they dissolve internally over a few days

Waom_Demon.jpg


-Getting a nice powdery finishing on the Demon by this stage. First touches of paint added then a bit more clean up. I generally have three or four on the go at once.


Waom_Demon002.jpg

image limit reached so tbc...

[southerngfx]

Waom_Demon006.jpg


red-demon001.jpg


IMG_3369.jpg


bust_set.jpg


IMG_3439.jpg

[curious aardvark]

great models.

The form 2 - while printing at a higher resolution - will probably be significantly slower than the rep 2 and the resin isn't as tough as pla.

Given the results you're getting with pla, dunno if it'll make any real difference in the long run. It will cost you a LOT more in raw materials though.

Definitely interested in hearing your thoughts and comparisons on the two different processes :-)

[southerngfx]

I'm pretty sure the costs will go up but I'm planning to keep both machines and that gives me a cheap way to test prints before sending them for an expensive finish. The Form 2 is faster than the Form 1 it seems but I'll have to see how much faster when I can do a side by side comparison. I tend to use one of the Demon heads show here as a bench mark print. I'm hoping I can get a print of him done on a Form1 and on a B9 creator this month. I'll post here with any feedback.

I'm at the stage now where I want to take some of my sculpts to a production finish and I have decided to test that with a company in North Wales that prints in China and can deliver locally. All I really want from my Printers is to be able to do proof of concepts and to be honest I'm really please with how far I'm getting with the Makerbot now.

Tree+fawn_001.jpg

[curious aardvark]

I should think so, those are amazing !

So where do you sell them ?