As avid gamers all of us need a cool-looking gaming area we are able to name our personal, however what does that seem like? A pleasant gaming chair? An adjustable gaming desk like one from Flexispot? Copious quantities of LEDs and lighting options like those from Nanoleaf? However how can we stand out from the gang – particularly if you wish to change into a streamer or simply need your pals to see you’ve one thing they will’t?
3D print issues your self that’s how. There are an absolute ton of 3D printable fashions on the market, some free, some paid for and if in case you have a 3D printer, or are considering of getting one, you possibly can set to work creating your personal bespoke gaming paintings to your room.
Which 3D printer?
For this mission, we’re going to use the brand new Bambu Lab A1 which not too long ago got here out on the finish of final 12 months. With its multi-material AMS Lite add it will possibly print in a number of colours on the identical print simply, which, whereas you are able to do on different printers, the AMS makes it a lot simpler.
Having mentioned that, in the principle, we’re going to print our fashions in a single shade and try to color them to a normal that appears half-decent. Due to this, we are able to print them in any outdated filament we have now mendacity round that we perhaps don’t use that a lot.
Another excuse we’re utilizing the A1 right here is as a result of, proper now, we don’t wish to tinker and mess around with settings. For essentially the most half, the A1 simply works out of the field. Many different 3D printers want fine-tuning and tweaking to get the perfect out of them, even holding a watchful eye to verify nothing goes incorrect. Except you’re unfortunate the A1 ought to allow you to print and return later when it’s achieved (though it’s good observe to repeatedly test on what’s occurring, simply in case.)
Our mannequin right here is that this glorious chibi model of basic gaming hero Duke Nukem from 3DXM. As a result of we’re going to paint him, we’re simply going to make use of some inexperienced filament we don’t thoughts utilizing up.
Popping the mannequin into Bambu Studio – the slicer software program that comes with all Bambu Labs printers, sizing it to the scale you need to your desk or shelf, including helps, and slicing it able to print ought to take solely a minute or so.
From there you possibly can ship it over wi-fi to the A1, select the colour you wish to print in if in case you have the AMS Lite, hit print, and sit again. This Duke Nukem took round 5 hours to print at 100% however had we pushed the printer into Sport and even Ludicrous mode it will have been a lot sooner.
If you’re new to 3D printing it is best to know that any a part of the mannequin that hangs suspended in mid-air will want helps whereas it prints. Your A1’s nozzle can’t simply make issues seem in mid-air. Which means this assist materials is a) a waste of filament and b) must be eliminated when the print is full. It must be a case of simply pulling it off, however it may be sharp and you’ll reduce your self so perhaps pop on a pair of gardening gloves and even washing up gloves for slightly safety. Having mentioned that you simply haven’t lived till you’ve got your blood throughout that good mannequin printed in white filament that you simply simply spent 9 hours printing.
As you possibly can see from the image the helps pulled away properly, leaving a great-looking mannequin., even when at this stage he seems a bit just like the Hulk due to the colour.
At this stage, you possibly can select to evenly sand him right down to clean out the strains between the layers and take away any anomalies from the printing course of. For this characteristic, we didn’t hassle however you possibly can spend as lengthy on this part as you want till you’re blissful.
With the print of the mannequin full and the A1 having carried out admirably we set it occurring our subsequent mannequin for our room, a free Jigglypuff Pokemon from Makerworld. Whereas that is printing in simply over two and a half hours we are able to hit our Duke Nukem with a few coats of white primer to prepared it for portray. We used Military Painter Matt White however any mild primer will do. We particularly use white as a result of we’re going to paint him with Military Painter Speedpaints 2.0 which works greatest on a white primer.
Due to the inexperienced filament used, we ended up needing three mild coats of primer to cowl out the inexperienced fully
After letting Duke dry we took him over to the workbench and used a base coating brush for essentially the most half to use speedpaints for a (very, apologies) down-and-dirty paint job so you possibly can see what is feasible in round half an hour. Clearly, you possibly can spend rather more time in your portray in case you like.
By now you possibly can see the Pokemon Jigglypuff was full and the Bambu Lab A1 did a implausible job and got here up with a very clean ball form. There was a small quantity of stringing for no apparent cause however you possibly can take away that by hitting it with a lighter for a second or two to burn it away. Now, you possibly can simply paint it and have a print of one thing else going when you do.
By the top of a day of printing, you would have a shelf stuffed with actually nice fashions from about half a roll of filament (which can price about $22.
Is the Bambu Lab A1 the perfect 3D printer for newbies?
On this mission, we simply wished great-looking fashions as a part of our Video games Room redesign. We didn’t simply wish to exit and purchase the identical Funko Pops all people has so we wanted a frustration-free methodology of getting our sport characters out. As a result of the A1 not often appears to have points – no less than in our expertise – you possibly can set a mannequin going and head off out if you could.
When you’ve got extra expertise with a extra hobbyist fairly than newbie printer you may have the ability to do the identical, however if you’re new to the 3D printing maker area then the power to simply get out of the printer what you anticipated is a boon.
The A1 isn’t a big format printer and the scale of fashions and busts you possibly can print is likely to be a hindrance. We will likely be wanting on the spectacular Elegoo Neptune 4 Max quickly, which is a helmet-class printer that wants slightly extra consideration to get nice outcomes, however if you wish to print a lifesize model of the man from Fortnite for the nook of your room, you have to to up the scale of your printer.
Bambu Lab A1 settings for Bambu Studio
If you need increased high quality prints it is best to change your layer top from 0.2 right down to one thing like 0.12 and even 0.08. This offers you finer element however will take considerably longer to print.
You might additionally spend money on a 0.2mm nozzle to swap out the bottom 0.4mm that comes with the A1. They solely price about $15 from Bambu Labs, might be swapped in seconds not like different printers, and it’s at all times good to have in your printing arsenal.
Hopefully, you’ve been impressed to make a few of your personal sport room decorations and even to choose up a 3D printer for the primary time. We will likely be bringing you extra options that will help you degree up your gaming area sooner or later.
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