Professor Farnsworth - need help with print direction

[Davision]

First of all I'm a total 3D printing newbie. I like to print my interpretation of Professor Farnsworth of Futurama:



Now, I don't know what the best direction is to print him?
A or B:

Or maybe a C?
Note that I still want to make his neck end flat which can also be in a different angle and the neck can also be stretched for it. I don't want to actually rotate his neck different though. The glasses I want to print separate with a slight a transparent material, maybe even make it possible to put little lights in them. Not sure if should also print the temples of the eyeglasses separate.

I'm using a cheap UP! Mini printer, I want to print in the maximum size which 12x12x12cm, min layer height is: 0.02mm. I would then use Meshmixer to make a default 0.2 mm shell and let it generate supports. I did some other heads with a 0.2mm shell successfully but those had a clear upwards stand. Also, hopefully it doesn't get already smoothed out a lot in Meshmixer. All those heavy wrinkles/folds are a big problem I guess. The Up Mini can also do a grid filling with a density that can be defined.

[3dkarma]

If you print A your supports will be at the back of the head and any cleanup less visible (that's if you print with support). B would be a real pain to clean up.

[Davision]

If you print A your supports will be at the back of the head and any cleanup less visible (that's if you print with support). B would be a real pain to clean up.

It makes sense but unfortunately A did not work out at all. It already fell apart at the beginning of the neck early on.

I then tried to slice it in 2 parts down along the nose but that then heavily distorted. Mainly the upper head got squashed quite a lot, which then bend the whole seam somehow, too much to ever glue a 2nd part on it.

I'm now trying it with his forehead on the plate, will be also a pain to clean up but at this point I would be already happy with something that comes out at least somewhat decent.

Here is how that looks with meshmixer generated supports:

I also added several more chunky vertical pillars inside which hopefully help to keep it from distorting

[3dkarma]

Instead of making a hollow model and adding vertical pillars, have you considered making it solid and generating infill only where necessary?

[Davision]

Instead of making a hollow model and adding vertical pillars, have you considered making it solid and generating infill only where necessary?

Turns out the printer software made that automatically, it added quite a lot of layers of grid fill halfway through the print.

Successfully printed him in the 4th attempt, that attempt with it laying on the face I aborted, too much break off stuff in his face.

Here some notes:
* The first attempt had a longer neck and the start of it broke off. Printed on the back.
* 2nd attempt was a cut in half along the nose but it got warped too much to ever glue it together.
* 3rd attempt was a print on his forehead but while printing I realized it will not come out good with all the break off stuff on his face.
* For the 4th I cut a bit of his neck off so it can sit on the back of his head/neck. It got also warped a bit on the back and close to the end I run out of material and had to switch to a slight darker white so it is not perfect.

Here is the setup: http://i.imgur.com/xX1UZIU.jpg

It is a shell but the the printer software also added some additional support and made it partially filed automatically, unfortunately that can not be previewed. The glasses are separately with a transparent material which is not much transparent when printed. (not glued yet) I might still give it a paintjob once I have figured out how to paint prints properly.

[Bassna]

Hey I talked to you on Thingiverse :P

A idea could be to slice the model in half, directly down the head. Then print each side flat, and glue/put them together however afterwords.

[King_Alistair]

+1 to Bassna's technique. I'm doing lifesize helmets that way. I use a butane hot knife and some epoxy putty to fill any seams, then lightly sand and clearcoat the whole piece. An acetone vapor bath(cheaper and easier than it sounds) should work, too.