Hey gang, Tim here at Core Electronics and today I'm showing you how I get metallic finishes on my 3D prints.

3D printing has literally revolutionized the costume design, props and movie industry. 3D printers like that Ultimaker 3 behind me enables creators and makers to quickly manifest their wildest imaginations into the physical world. With them, it is now possible to make props that are more affordable, more repeatable, more durable and much more intricate and best of all, much much faster.

A handmade prop can require the use of several different materials, whereas the same prop can be 3D printed with just one material and result in very little waste. The metal finishes I have here are perfect to use for costume design and cosplay, particularly as the final weight of your object is going to be much less than if it were made from metal. And thus, much easier to carry.

The models printed here were created from Ultimaker Tough PLA and Ultimaker PLA filament, but the methods described here will work with any rigid 3D printing material.

Now, most importantly is the before and after shots. So here they are. The mask I gave a polished chrome finish and the hand sculpture I gave a raw metallic iron finish.

For both of the finishes, you will require similar tools and supplies for the post processing. Thus, for both finishes, you're going to need 280 and 400 grit sandpaper. Make sure to have heaps of this as there's nothing worse than running out superglue. If you need to connect a part, prime and putty all in one repair spray and most importantly, mask and gloves for safety. Wood putty filler is also neat to have if you have large gaps that you need to fix.

For both of these models, it was crucial to sand down and addLayers of primer to the surfaces. This is to smooth out the layer lines so the model looks beautifully smooth when painted.

For the mask, I printed it overnight in two separate parts. So after printing, the mask needed to be assembled, which I did so with the superglue to adhere the two pieces. For the mask, I also used that wood repair putty to fill in some of the larger holes from the marks left over by the support structure, which I then sanded back even. This was a new technique which I had not used on 3D prints before and it worked out beautifully. You can see under the eye socket of the mask where I initially applied the wood putty and then sanded off in the other eye.

Now, an initial sand over all surfaces really helped the first layer of primer to stick. When doing that first sand, 280 grit sandpaper is a really great starting point for PLA components.

For both models, I used three layers of primer and putty spray paint. And for each layer, I gave two hours of drying time. Each of the layers I then sanded back aggressively except for the last. You can see here the mask at two layers of primer deep. At this stage, the surface is already much smoother than it was at the beginning.

Now, good spray paint technique is the same for all spray cans. It involves wearing gloves and masks, shaking the can for five minutes and spraying in a smooth arc from 45 centimetres away from the object.

For the iron finish, I used the following tools and supplies. PearlEx pigment silver, a small paintbrush, transparent spray paint, paint and prime black spray paint and silver leaf rub and buff. It is the rub and buff and that PearlEx powder sparkle dust in combination, which makes this finish look magical. I start by applying twoCoats of that matte black as a base coat layer using the black spray paint. Once dry, I use a small paintbrush to apply the PearlEx powder. Definitely make sure you're wearing a mask. At this stage, it's all about rubbing and smearing that powder all over the surface.

This powder has the capability to go everywhere. So plan how to minimize mess before you start. Now, you will really want to get this powder residue into all of the nooks and crannies. The tool I use here is a small painting brush as the static electricity picks up the dust really easy. By dusting it all over the surface, you're going to get those glints of light that emulate the metallic sparkle you get from raw iron ore.

As it currently stands, it's going to be very easy to rub the powder off the surface of the object. So the next stage is to head to a very well ventilated area and apply two coats of high gloss clear spray paint. This is going to seal that PearlEx powder onto the object.

Finally, once everything is dried overnight, you can apply some of that Rub & Buff. A little bit goes a long way with Rub & Buff, so use sparingly and make sure to use gloves when using it as it does like to stick to skin. Just take a little pea-sized amount onto your fingertip and then rub across the surface of your object.

Rub & Buff is that special secret to better cosplay and was completely new to me before this project. The more you rub it off, the better the final result and it makes a huge impact. Acrylic paint can also be used instead, but for this stage, I find Rub & Buff much easier and much more fun to apply.

If I was to do this again for the hand sculpture, I would use slightly less Rub & Buff and have taken more time in the post-processing to hide that.Point of connection near the wrist. Nevertheless, very happy with the result.

The model comes from Scan the World and is a scan of the Mighty Hand by Rodin. Link down below in the description for the model.

To achieve this finish, I tried two different spray paints. One bought from the local hardware store and the other from my local spray paint and general graffiti culture store.

The spray paint I bought from the hardware store ended up a much grayer and duller looking result as compared to the fancier spray paint. The result of the fancier one you can see on the mask and it just gave much brighter mirror-like finish.

This is one of those situations where better and more expensive paint just yields better results. In my experience, chrome spray paint is the toughest paint to get a good convincing finish on.

This is particularly true for 3D printed objects as the printed layers creates ripples on the perimeter of the object when you look up close. 3D printing smaller layers and printing slower minimizes this ripple problem, but if you're going to get anywhere with chrome finishes, you just have to do that post-processing to get the surfaces perfectly smooth.

Other tips, pay close attention to sections that have just not been painted and creating a smooth chrome finish will require multiple painted layers. Never over paint a layer and on the final layer, make sure you do a really smooth and really very even coat. It's all about creating flat and smooth surfaces that will reflect the light off like a mirror.

Altogether, I used four layers of spray paint on this mask with multiple days in between for drying. Once the final layer was painted, I left the mask to dry in a ventilated, dry and dust-free area for three days.Before I even thought about touching the painted surface. This paint will stay tacky for a long time and it's very easy to mar during those couple of days and any fingerprints will completely ruin that chrome finish.

If I was to do this process again, I would very much like to use an airbrush as I've seen some excellent results with chrome paints when using an airbrush. Also, I've gone straight to using that better chrome spray paint. Hopefully you'll learn from me and save some time there.

So that is all for today. A guide worth checking out if you dig this kind of content is my other guide on creating fantastic finishes on 3D printed components. Check down below and remember, all caps when you spell this name.

We're full-time makers and we're here to help. If you want any extra information, pop me a message in the comments section or on our Core Electronics forum. And with that, until next time, stay cozy.