How-To Make Metal: Electroplating a 3D Printed Star Wars Helmet
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- Опубликовано: 13 апр 2017
- That's right: 3d printing, star wars, and electroplating all in one video... Goodness thats geeky! Check the description for more awesomeness 🔻🔻🔻
General warning: This video is for demonstration purposes. Any attempts will be done at your own risk. Heed any and all instructions.
Product Links (Amazon):
Super Shield Nickel Conductive Coating: amzn.to/2PNhIF8
Nickel Print Conductive Paint (Small Jar): amzn.to/2xzHcyk
Caswell Plating - Plug N Plate Copper & Nickel Kit: amzn.to/2QEk4HX
Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish: amzn.to/2Dc4uAn
Funko Pop Figure - The Count from Sesame Street: amzn.to/2QHQi50
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Sony A6300 (a great camera with fantastic price-to-performance)
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Sony FE 28mm F2 Lens (My most used lens. Good quality and great price)
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Sony 21mm converter for the 28mm lens. (Good enough occasional wide shots, so-so for astrophotography)
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Sony 18-105 F4 APS-C Lens (incredibly versatile, even on full frame, best value Sony lens)
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Zhiyun Crane 2 Gimbal (top performer, features out the wazoo, great price point - the best gimbal out there)
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Zhiyun Smooth 4 Smartphone Gimbal (crapload of features and options, works like a charm, price is amazing)
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Benro Go Plus Carbon Fiber Tripod (Nothing like a good pair of sturdy sticks)
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⭐️Edelkrone SliderONE PRO (Backpackable, macro precise, built like a tank, lifetime warranty)
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Edelkrone FlextTilt Head 2 (the most interesting piece of gear I own and superrrr useful)
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Edelkrone StandONE (incredible weight capacity, excellent on rough ground, great for time-lapse)
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Edelkrone QuickRelease ONE (the MOST practical piece of gear I own)
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Aputure M9 (Super small, super cheap, super bright, super light)
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Zoom H1 Recorder (Very good audio quality for price, great as a wireless lav)
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Music Credits:
"Clockwork" by Sixth Gate Productions licensed via LumaFusion
"RSPN" by Blank & Kytt:
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Наука
Copper is much softer than nickel, so it polishes easier. Nice video! and great application. Glad to see my stuff used like this, especially on 3D printed plastic.
+Michael Caswell Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Caswell himself!
Thank you very much for taking the time to watch the video! I'm glad you liked it and I'm glad to have used your products. Seriously, you carry some awesome stuff and you've created a lot of great products. The plug n plate kits are rather genius.
Cheers, sir!
Michael Caswell - with a Dremel it doesn't matter.
+starrychloe you do run the risk of stripping off the plating and paint with a dremel, especially if your plating job isn't very thick.
So I got a newb question, why not go directly to nickel?
I just bought this kit for this purpose. What grade nickel is the tiny wand just in case I want to make a larger one for a bigger project?
I love all these polite, appreciative comments, and the useful and insightful answers. They are very much needed these times.
+alienorbiter yeah it's kinda cool and refreshing to see such positivity around this. Thanks for checking out the vid, btw.
I knew I couldn't afford to try this project the second I saw the apple air pods...
I love that you put all the product links and links to related tutorials in the description.
That effort is subscribe-worthy by itself already lol Subscribed!
EdNorty Hey well I am glad you are a fan of that. Yeah it takes effort, but it’s totally worth it. What good is a video if it doesn’t give you the resources to find things and figure stuff out for yourself?!
In any event, thanks for checking out the vid and subscribing.
Cheers!
All around great video.
I liked the editing, the soundtrack, and the structure of the video.
As far as the process goes, that was really informative and really neat to watch the helmet go from plastic to metal.
Keep it up.
Jesse Cresswell thank you Jesse I really appreciate it. Generally speaking, I am going to be putting the same level of production (or better) into all of my videos.
Thanks watching and the kind words. Stay tuned, there's more coming!
That was seriously impressive!
+Uncle Jessy I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching the vid.
I couldn’t believe it wasn’t a job to do if you didn’t have a degree in it, I was going to pay to have it done. Thanks
Great video, I mean from top to bottom!! Especially the cut scenes! You definitely deserve a bigger following. I’m rootin for you, keep up the good work!!!
Very helpful!!!
Thank you!!!
I’m just getting into plating and I had no idea that plating nonconductive objects was possible.
This video gave me a TON of ideas!!!
Thanks again!!!
Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
Great video! Techniques like this are great to have in the toolbelt. Perfect mix of detail, knowledge and humour ☺️
+Martin Dolan I’m glad you liked it. Thanks watching the vid. Cheers!
I love diy crafting and such, my dad and I do blacksmithing and other metalworking stuff. Recently I've been looking into making plate armor and wanted to potentially plate the plate lolz and found this vid! Great job it was informative, entertaining, and concise. None of that I repeated myself 5 times crap.
You have just destroyed my business plan in precisely in 11 minutes & 14 seconds... I had my doubts but the proof of the pudding etc, I am impressed. Kudos to you bro.
You are a talented video creator. This typically isn't my type of video but you earned the sub. Keep up the good work and I'll keep supporting you. Great Job
+Stephen Bollin Thanks for taking the time to watch it and for the kind words. I am working my a$$ off to make videos that are of a high quality, entertaining, and informative.
You can expect this level of effort and quality for every video I make on this channel.
Thanks for subscribing. Cheers!
Wow, is this your first video? That's amazing man!
+Stefffan Thanks a lot! Yeah first video and more to come! I'm glad you liked it.
Infosmercial considering printing time and everything else, how long did it take to complete it and how what is the complete cost of materials? Some of these products you linked to are pretty expensive!
+Stefffan I'll admit that this is an ambitious project that will definitely require a good amount of hours and some elbow grease.
The printing time was pretty long (over 30 hours of printing), but that was the easy part imo. Sanding and assembly was probably 4-6 hours time. Each plating step probably took 3-4 hours time. Polishing took 2-3 hours as well. Add in 4-5 hours for complications, figuring things out, unforeseen crap etc...
Cost wise, something like this could cost $120 - 150 to start. That's the bad news. The good news is that most of the supplies can be reused to last a few projects. If your working with smaller projects, things will last even longer.
Of course, there may be some DIY hacks to cut corners in both time and money, but this is all a method I found that works most reliably.
Cheers!
Infosmercial thanks for the great info! Maybe one day... ok, probably just printing that helmet would be a huge success for me xD
good job man, keep it up! Looking forward to your next videos! :)
That is VERY impressive. A great 3D print and finished in a great metallic covering. Love it!
Hey Nomadd, I'm glad you liked the video. Thank you for the kind words.
Cheers!
@@Infosmercial i just bought the kit! I bought the conductive paint as well and im electroplating the back of my samsung s23 ultra! Ive always hated glass backed phones, too fragile, it'll be nice to have a "metal" backed phone again
Very well done for a third video. Digging your style, keep them coming! Cheers!
+JM Tosses Thanks for taking the time to watch the vid. Cheers!
Kick ass!! I now know how I will obtain/build my ZX-3 parts!!
Looks great!
Bro! I'm subscribing. Very cool and great commentary
The bronze and black look reminds me of when bobo fet was trapped and clearly in dismay in that bronze material.
+butte hurter oh yeahhhhhh! Yeah the bronze look was pretty awesome I can’t even deny it.
This was epic!
Brooks Halladay Glad you like it ;) thanks for tuning in!
That was sick. Great job.
+TheRealSuperman217 glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!
YEAHHH, man. You did this! Double cool! New way for me how to cover material by electroplating. I'll try to do the same.
Great video. Love the presentation style. Very cool seeing this application to a 3D printed part. The only coating process I have much experience with is putting a plastic over metal. Essentially the opposite of what you are doing. This has me intrigued.
+ManCraftingTM haha that's kinda of funny. Well thanks for checking it out. I'm glad you like it.
FANTASTIC.
I have a 3D printed horse (family heirloom). following your instructions, its now painted with the nickel paint, sanded, polished with fine steel wool and (I hope) ready for brush plating with the plug/plate copper kit. We’ll see how it turns out. Thanks for the great tips!
How did it turn out?
I always thought electroplating 3D prints would look like total garbage. But you just proved me wrong. I'll have to give it a try!
+Lucus Landers Yeah the results can be pretty darn amazing. If you really work at it with this stuff, you can create a 3d part thats indistinguishable from something that’s been professionally manufactured in all metal.
This is so awesome. Geeking out super hard on this
honestly didn't think electroplating was possible with plastic, awesome tutorial!
Great video. I am ordering my kit today. Steampunk artist here, so I have a lot of projects I could use this on. Also a 3D printer geek. Thanks and keep up the good work.
+C G really glad you like the video! Hopefully it can help you with some of your projects. Feel free to post some of the results here later.
Cheers!
This video was absolutely sensational, it's great to see someone making awesome content on ACTUALLY making things using 3D printers and various additional techniques, rather than Review after review. Liked, subscribed, commented and eagerly awaiting what you do next man. Thank you.
Aidan Caelli Thank you so much for the kind words. Yeah I am fascinated with 3d printing as a technology. While I definitely can geek out on specs and different printers, ultimately none of that stuff matters. What matters is what you can do with 3d printing and that is what makes it such a powerful tool.
My hopes in making this video was that by focusing on what can be achieved with small consumer 3d printers, rather than the printer itself, people can see the potential of it all.
Thanks for noticing that. Stay tuned! There is more coming in the future.
Aidan Caelli Yeah. It's like they only care about Benchy Boats, mechanical boxes, and vases! I was particularly annoyed when I searched for practical uses and even the 3D printing gurus had some very underwhelming top-10 videos. Half the "practical" uses were for upgrading their 3D printer! Ugh. I know that these things are more useful than that!
Emmett Turner yes I think I'll be doing videos when I get my 3d printer in a month or 2
+iWinRar would love to check them out when you get going. Check back and post links!
Wow, that's very cool!!! I can think of a dozen things I could use that plating on. Thanks for sharing.
+sam yeates of course! I'm glad you get it. The helmet is no doubt, pretty awesome, but the process can be applied to so much more.
Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Dude this video is amazing it's criminal how you only have 5k subs
Haha thanks. I’m just having fun making videos for the time being.
Funny and smart enough to get me to subscribe. Keep up the great work. Thanks
+Daniel Dare thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you liked it.
Cheers!
Dude!!! That was badass.
+OG LewisOne glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.
Fantastic concept. Great job.
Jeff Beck Thank you for checking it out! Stay tuned, there is more coming.
great video. The conductive spray is a game changer for me.
LOVED THIS!!!
Phoenix 3D Solutions Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and stay tuned!
Ive always wanted to know how to electro plate plastic. Really great video! Cant wait to try this!
+CorrosiveMind1O3 Yeah it’s really cool stuff and the results can be downright amazing. Thanks for watching!
Nice video! You got much patience to do this project.
couldn't you also polish the nickle layer for more shine? Also, can you do multiple layers of copper/nickle to get a thicker coating? (would allow more polishing)
NOW THAT IS COOOOOOOOOOOLLLL!!!!!! thank you ,
Great job. Subscribed!
+Jailcee Thanks for tuning in!
This could greatly increase the number and lifespan of tools made through 3d printing. I especially like the idea of replicating artifacts that were 3d printed discovered through archaeology.
Quality Stuff, Keep up!
That was awesome!!!
Very good video! I subscribed, I'm surprised you are not a huge channel already.
Thanks for watching the vid!
Very high quality video fellers. If I see you on the street I won't kick your ass. Your welcome.
Phew. I’ve been looking over my shoulder since I started posting these videos...
Thanks for checking it out!
Pretty cool helmet
Great stuff man!
+Master of the universe Thank you and thanks for watching!
Pretty Cool.😀👍
Robert Swift Thanks for checking it out!
Well done video! Subscribed!
+It's your Grandma Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Wow only wow, that was freaking good
good stuff! :)
+Dali DIY Glad you like it! Thanks for watching.
this is amazing!
+Jobo Da Hobo well thank you! Glad you liked it.
Love the nod to nurd rage :D
Thanks for this, being yourself and being rad...kindest wishes to you and yours b
Hey, @infosmercial questions have you try electroplating chrome? And what type of 3d printer filament do you use? Don't have Twitter.
Hey Ernie, sorry for the delay, yes I have tried electroplating chrome, but never quite got it right. It is a similar process, but the chrome needs a very different voltage and amp setting than nickel or copper. Also, it seems pretty sensitive to any contaminants on the surface too. Good luck if you try it.
This vid was too good. Thanks for the info! Subbed!
Thanks for checking it out dude. Loving your 360 vids btw.
Really cool vid! Pretty keen to try this out, need to work out print worthy 🤔👍🏻
Chris Dub thanks for checking the video out. Good luck with your 3d prints.
Thanks that's awesome.
+zylascope glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!
this is your first video? holy no my man great work! can't wait to try this!
Stuart Wilson hey thanks for checking it out! Good luck with your project!
fantastic quality. You'll go far on youtube
+Business Mastery Thank you very much and thanks for watching. I certainly am working my a$$ off on these videos to deliver something of quality.
You can expect this level of effort and quality in all the videos I post here.
Cheers!
Nice video ;)
Does the caswell plug n'plate acid copper set work the same as the one you got ( nickel/copper ) ?
I just want to plate copper
DOPE!
+Peter DiCapua yeah, right?! Thanks for checking it out.
do have to plate it in copper before i do brass and/or can i use the nickel coat and then plate it in brass
Is it recommended/good to clear coat the helmet after nickel layer to prevent oxidation and protect the finish?
great video, at 5:00 min you mention a larger setup that you purchased, what is that setup?
Very Cool! I understand it is a very thin metal coat, but does it reinforce the plastic? Does it give it more structure and rigidity?
Awesome!.
+Parker Glad you like it. Cheers!
Late to the game but great technique. I was expecting you to dunk the whole helmet in a bath, but this must be much cheaper and easier to do at home. Perfect for a project I have in mind 👍🏻
*gunpla buying spree begins*
joking aside, great video, great tutorial, great humor, links to product..... the way youtube diy was suppose to be
huh i think im the one thousandth subscriber. cool. keep up the good work
+Dremples Plays Minecraft BOOM!!!! Thanks for subscribing!
very nice pesentation!
+nikolaos stavrou I’m glad you like it. Thanks for watching!
super cool
+Dave Holden glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!
Nice video!
+agepbiz thanks for checking it out.
Love this video a lot it’s cool
Glad you like it. Thanks for watching.
Electroplating keyword is ranked #4!!! Excellent video. Subscribed/Liked. I got my tickets to NYMaker Faire.
Loved the video!! What did you use for the large wand? Thanks!
Pretty impressive! I didn't know kits like this existed.
+Mighty Jabba's Collection Yeah it's pretty neat stuff. Took a bit of discovery and tinkering. Thanks for tuning in!
the kit's are $$. just buy the bulk chemicals and make the brushes like he did.
+Davey Hi yeah the kits do cost a few bucks. They are great as a small package solution if this is simply something you want to experiment with. If you want to take on multiple projects with this, the getting bulk chemicals is a good idea.
Actually, the 1.5 gallon kits from caswell are a pretty decent deal and you get most everything you need.
Thank you for the video. Does this process give the part a hard, metal like finish? I have some small knobs that I'd like to have them have that really hard feel to them, not plastic feel.
Yes, electroplating is actually depositing the metal onto whatever object you're plating. Through the process, you're actually encasing whatever you're plating in a thin (or thicker depending on how thick you plate) layer of actual metal. Hope this helps!
@@ashleyelizabeth9095 excellent to hear, thank you very much for the reply!
Great video , you can get ta similar metal finish by getting the right spray paint aerosol products cheaper I would think ,and an airbrush
Awesome! where did you get the larger wands?
Wow, most impressive!
Thanks for the shoutout, glad you enjoyed the model!
Oh wow! Absolutely thanks for making it! And thanks for watching the vid I’m glad you liked it.
Oh I did, I have wanted to get into electroplating for such a long time so, so I came here to learn that when I saw it was my phasma you were actually electroplating I was stoked lol
Oh wow. It all comes full circle then doesn’t it?! Haha.
Oh wow. It all comes full circle then doesn’t it?! Haha.
This gives me so many ideas! My current issue with metallic looking paints is that when you spray them with protective coating, it removes some of the shine if not all of it!
I may use this to make things look more metal!
+Meme Johnson yeah the spray paints that I have found all have issues with either clear coats or being touched by the hand. That's just one of the advantages of this method.
Oh yeah definitely, it's unfortunate how badly clear coats work with metallic paints
Very helpful video, your channel has a lot of potential so keep at it. Great production quality!
+Meme Johnson thanks for the kind words. Stay tuned! There's more coming....
thanks for an great tutorial. One qustion, i have also tryed to electro plate on a 3D print, with conductive paint on, and with a brush, - but i couldtnt get the copper to attach. It seems like the surface on top become grey metalic, but not copper metalic. I used a more expensive pen, and with a good quality transformer attached, and the rod on the brush was copper wired, - so everything should be about right. Do you have any idea of what the reson could be to not be working ? regards Frank Fneriz DK
Really nice! For a more steampunk effect, I think I will only partially do the last Nikel plating.
+ZenoxDemin ooo that would be a really cool finish.
I may have to make another one of these plated in only copper.
Amazing video! should I switch from pla to abs to do this? Also, if I casted a 3d print and made resin copies will this work on resin?
Yeah this should work in resin perfectly fine. Truth be told, this should work in just about any surface that you can spray paint.
As for PLA vs ABS, it is easier to get great results with ABS because you can sand it down. There are options with PLA though so it is definitely doable.
Three things I would recommend using PLA and before applying the nickel spray: the product XTC Smooth On which helps to fill in the small striations from printing. Using bondo body filler to fill in any gaps and fix more major problems. Then a high fill primer spray paint. These three items will help you get some good results without having to sand the print itself.
I would recommend sanding down after applying each one of those products to achieve a smooth surface.
Thank you for the very informative reply!
Okay, I need this. Why, I dont know, but I really do!
Hey infosmercial, thanks for sharing this awesome tutorial! I just bought the supplies and plan to try it (despite the bad Amazon reviews). My only question is, could you leave the copper coat or double coat it in copper instead? I think the copper look was a little brighter and better looking than the nickel. Or will the copper shine fade out too quickly? Thanks!
+Brandon Rose yeah you can leave the copper. I would recommend either polishing it or promptly wiping the helmet down after plating (you can try a little baking soda and water to get rid of any residue). Afterwards, you can leave it although it may rust, but you can use a clear coat spray paint if you wish. Polished copper should keep pretty well though without any of that stuff.
Thanks for checking out the vid btw. Good luck with your projects. Check back with links to pics, I'd love to see it.
Infosmercial I bought the stuff and have been trying to electroplate with little luck. Then I tried to copper plate a dime and it worked perfectly. I realized that the initial Super Shield nickel stuff may be my main problem.
www.mgchemicals.com/products/emi-and-rfi-shielding/water-based-conductive-coatings-wb-series/841wb-super-shield-water-based-nickel-conductive-coating
I bought this 150ml bottle hoping to get more out of it than an aerosol can by painting, but I guess it's not working so well. Isn't it the same as the spray or have you had any experience with anything else that would last longer, quantity-wise?
Also, a couple more questions, is the sanding absolutely necessary after the initial Super Shield coat? I ask because there are places so small I'm sure i can't sand.
Lastly, how do you know when your bath of copper or nickel has depleted? Does it lose color or just stop working as well? Would you recycle left over copper or nickel bath back into the bottle?
Thanks again!
Great video! I have to try this.
I actually like the copper look, kinda steam punk looking. If you stopped at the copper layer, would you have to clear coat it to prevent oxidation?
Have you tried the brass plug n' plate kit?
+mseriesm3 yeah you might have to do something like that. You could try making a baking soda and water mixture and "polish" with it immediately after plating. That will help neutralize any acids to help with longevity.
I have not tried the brass plating kits. I have been wanting to experiment with more of their metals and looks for sure.
Are you able to actually use a buffer on this or will that be too abrasive? Also, why start with copper then go to nickel? Does nickel require a more conductive surface?
bro, this is your first video ever made, a little cheesy at moments but i loved it. please make more science ones like this
dont get rid of the cheesiness tho it fits. just like chedder. (confirmed)
+Evan S thanks for checking it out! I'm glad you like it. The science aspect is a big draw to technology for me so it is going nowhere. In fact it's sort of the purpose of the channel: to take a look at the cool science and engineering behind tech!
Cheers!
+Evan S confirmed....lol
Like Limburger in the grocery store, the cheese is going nowhere!
That's greased lightning! New subscriber here cheers for sharing
+JBFromOZ haha thanks for subscribing and checking it the vid!
Excellent video! The question I had was -- why did you plate with copper first and then nickel? Why not just two coats of nickel? Thanks and good luck with future videos.
Hey Justin! Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to watch. While you could certainly plate with two layers of nickel, plating with a copper under layer is a common electroplating practice.
Copper is a soft metal and polishes very easy. Not only that, but it can build up layers pretty fast and pretty thick. This helps to fill in any imperfections on the surface of the object you are plating. Polishing it then gets to the surface to be as flat as possible.
If you wanted, you could certainly plate nickel first, but it may be tougher to achieve a high shine finish than with copper.
I hope this helps some. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Cheers!
Justin Heinen The other reason is that copper is one of the best surface treatments at "sticking" to things when electroplating. By "sticking" I don't mean in the normal glue sense of the word, but in a electro/chemical way.
To generalise just remember that in most cases, copper sticks to everything and everything sticks to copper because it reacts so well. That makes it the best surface treatment to have in the middle.
As the mentioned however, the copper needs to be really REALLY Clean for the best result. This is where the blessing of copper reacting so well becomes a curse. It reacts really well with the oils in your skin, so wear gloves if you don't want a nice fingerprint motif. Also the oxygen in the air will oxidise copper very quickly. So it's best to plate it immediately after cleaning it. Especially don't clean it and then think "my arm is tired, I'll plate it tomorrow..."
Have fun, do a few practice runs on some scrap first to get the hang of it. It really is awesome. And addictive. Once you get good at it you'll be walking around just looking for things to electroplate!
Then you can learn how to anodise aluminium! Also awesome fun!
From what I hear, it has to do with the ability of various metals to release ions - or rather with the difference in this ability between two metals. Basically, you can't bond a very highly reactive metal to a very low reactivity one. You need to use a "gradient", by interposing intermediate metals. As Martin Dolan said, copper is the most reactive metal in that respect and because of that, for instance, you can't deposit chrome directly to copper - the difference between the reactivity of the two metals is way too high. That's why, for instance, when chrome-plating, you use an intermediary layer of nickel between the base and the finish.
+Martin Dolan oooooo anodizing aluminum. That sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for chiming in Martin!
Infosmercial Very cool. You made a fantastic video there bro. I've used a lot of metal polish solutions & Happich Simichrome Polish is my fav. I'm not sure if the time you spent at 8:00 in the video is typical paste application time or not. It took way too long applying paste. The polish I stated goes on as fast as you can spread it. Let it go on very sparingly. Then set a few seconds & wipe it off & buff. All the best to you.
What are the advantages of this process over spray paint?
Using the nickel print then plating select parts like high lights would be awesome
Two questions....Are there any advantages to using a DC bench power supply vs just grabbing an adapter and putting clips on it....Also, if you go the adapter route what specs are we looking for?
Secondly, when making your own brushes do you need a barrier between your hand in the anode? Or do yoy basically just wrap the anode with a sponge/cloth and throw the clip on?
Yes there are definitely advantages. Different materials plate at different electrical outputs. Luckily, copper and nickel plate around the same, which is why adapters work fine. If however you may want to use other metals like gold, you may not plate optimally using the fixed output of an adapter. Again tho, if your just doing copper and nickel, adapters work fine. Copper and nickel plate at around 5v with I believe .7 amps per square inch. If your using smaller anodes (thickness of a pencil), you’ll want an adapter that outputs at 5v around 200-400 mA.
Making brushes I would highly recommend where rubberized, electric safe work gloves. The risk is minimal if you make your connections properly, but of course sometimes things don’t work that way. More importantly, your also working with highly caustic materials.
Making the brushes really is as simple as buying a copper sheet for copper and stainless steel sheet for nickel and slapping a bandage on it. Hook it up and your good to go.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Infosmercial Thank you so much for the detailed answers...awesome video and I can't wait to try it out!
You got it man!
what did you use to glue the parts together? Did you use Bondo or something to smooth the seams/striations?
Robert Gorman I mostly used super glue to bond the parts together, but I used a big and very helpful trick to increase the super glues strength and curing time. For the seams. I printed in ABS, sanded down the print a reasonable amount, then used a product called XTC Smooth on as a coat to get the helmet as smooth as possible.
It’s great that you ask because it looks like my next video is going to be on exactly this topic: assembling large 3d prints and tips for smoothing them out.
Amazing find! I want to do this type of electroplating on small objects. Does the small jar of Nickel Print act exactly the same as the larger spray product, or would it be too thick for small, intricate sculpted objects, like jewelry, if I want to retain detail?
+spit53 yeah the nickel print will behave the same. I would recommend the same steps as with the spray. Apply it and then sand it down to smooth it out.
You can thin out the nickel print too to help it paint on smoother, which is great for detail work. I used small amounts of acetone to thin it out. Works great!
Thanks for watching the vid!
Thanks so much!
Hi, really good video on methods of doing electroplating. Have you tried this on non sanded prints with visible layers. I'm looking for methods of smoothing prints without sanding.
+Rossosaurus hey there rosso, glad you enjoyed the vid! I haven't tried this exact method on non sanded parts. It would probably be kinda tough to build up thick enough layers to make the appearance smooth.
Two things you should look into: one is a product for xtc smooth-on. The stuff is relatively cheap and does a fantastic job at eliminating the need for sanding. Note though that this is a 2 part epoxy so it requires careful handling and safety precautions. The other thing to try is high fill or high build primer. This stuff can easily be found at automotive stores, Amazon, Walmart... all you really do is spray thin, bet wet coats a few times and it starts to build up. In my experience, it still requires a small bit of sanding whereas the xtc smooth on can be good to go after one or two coats.
Cheers!
+Infosmercial Oh awesome, I'll definitely try xtc. Keep up the good work