WIP not WAP

For some reason, my autocorrect kept trying to turn WIP into WAP - while the two aren’t mutually exclusive, they’re certainly not interchangeable!

Today I thought I’d share a few 3D printed WIP (Works In Progress) with you folks. Yes, the 3D printer that was sucked into the void of the postal system: 2020, survived the journey.

I thought 3D printing was going to be relatively straightforward; turns out, it’s not as easy as plug ‘n’ play.

First, you need to figure out curing times with different resin types to get the level of detail you’re after. You need to find your models (or make your own in programs like Z-brush, which I’m attempting to learn), and then you need to properly support them.

I have a single pretzel, two fancy-ish looking bread rolls, two pastries, and a square-ish salad or soup bowl that’s a little too thin (it bends under light pressure). I was hoping to show you a lovely latticework pie, but after the first two failed prints, and several hours trying to get the supports “just so”, I decided to take a break before, you know, losing what’s left of my sanity, post-2020.

The successful prints are objects that only needed to be supported lightly and on the underside, where the scarring and marks from the supports being removed would be less noticable…which is why I’m taking a picture of them, up close, with harsh lighting:

These obviously need to be sanded a bit more, primed for painting, painted, and given a little sealant love. I’ll keep you posted on my progress (or lack of same).

By the by, for anyone thinking of getting a 3D printer:  resin stinks, prints fail, and it’s quite a bit of cleanup involved – just be aware of the downsides before taking the leap.  I, for one, am pretty pleased – though I hope I’m able to print more complicated pieces as the printer and I get used to teach other.

Have a lovely Sunday.