As avid gamers all of us need a cool-looking gaming area we will name our personal, however what does that appear like? A pleasant gaming chair? An adjustable gaming desk like one from Flexispot? Copious quantities of LEDs and lighting options like those from Nanoleaf? But how will we stand out from the group – particularly if you would like to grow to be a streamer or simply need your associates to see you will have one thing they will’t?
3D print issues your self that’s how. There are an absolute ton of 3D printable models on the market, some free, some paid for and if in case you have a 3D printer, or are pondering of getting one, you may set to work creating your personal bespoke gaming art work for 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 yr. With its multi-material AMS Lite add it might 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 primary, we’re going to print our models in a single coloration and try to paint them to a normal that appears half-decent. Because of this, we will print them in any outdated filament we have now mendacity round that we perhaps don’t use that a lot.
Another motive we’re utilizing the A1 right here is as a result of, proper now, we don’t need to tinker and mess around with settings. For probably the most half, the A1 simply works out of the field. Many different 3D printers want fine-tuning and tweaking to get the most effective out of them, even retaining a watchful eye to be sure nothing goes mistaken. Unless you might be unfortunate the A1 ought to allow you to print and return later when it’s achieved (though it’s good apply to often test on what’s taking place, simply in case.)
Our mannequin right here is that this wonderful chibi model of basic gaming hero Duke Nukem from 3DXM. Because we’re going to paint him, we’re simply going to use 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 for your desk or shelf, including helps, and slicing it prepared to print ought to take solely a minute or so.
From there you may ship it over wi-fi to the A1, select the colour you need 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 might be new to 3D printing you must 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. This implies that this help materials is a) a waste of filament and b) wants to be eliminated when the print is full. It ought to 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 a little safety. Having mentioned that you just haven’t lived till you’ve got your blood throughout that good mannequin printed in white filament that you just simply spent 9 hours printing.
As you may see from the image the helps pulled away properly, leaving a great-looking mannequin., even when at this stage he seems to be a bit just like the Hulk due to the colour.
At this stage, you may select to flippantly sand him down to clean out the strains between the layers and take away any anomalies from the printing course of. For this function, we didn’t trouble however you may spend as lengthy on this part as you want till you might be joyful.
With the print of the mannequin full and the A1 having carried out admirably we set it going on our subsequent mannequin for our room, a free Jigglypuff Pokemon from Makerworld. While that is printing in simply over two and a half hours we will hit our Duke Nukem with a couple of coats of white primer to prepared it for portray. We used Army Painter Matt White however any gentle primer will do. We particularly use white as a result of we’re going to paint him with Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0 which works greatest on a white primer.
Because of the inexperienced filament used, we ended up needing three gentle 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 probably the most half to apply speedpaints for a (very, apologies) down-and-dirty paint job so you may see what is feasible in round half an hour. Obviously, you may spend way more time on your portray should you like.
By now you may see the Pokemon Jigglypuff was full and the Bambu Lab A1 did a implausible job and got here up with a actually clean ball form. There was a small quantity of stringing for no apparent motive however you may take away that by hitting it with a lighter for a second or two to burn it away. Now, you may simply paint it and have a print of one thing else going whilst you do.
By the top of a day of printing, you could possibly have a shelf stuffed with actually nice models from about half a roll of filament (which is able to value about $22.
Is the Bambu Lab A1 the most effective 3D printer for inexperienced persons?
On this mission, we simply needed great-looking models as a part of our Games Room redesign. We didn’t simply need to exit and purchase the identical Funko Pops everyone has so we wanted a frustration-free methodology of getting our sport characters out. Because the A1 hardly ever appears to have points – at the very least in our expertise – you may set a mannequin going and head off out should you want to.
If you will have extra expertise with a extra hobbyist relatively than newbie printer you may give you the option 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 massive format printer and the scale of models and busts you may print may be a hindrance. We might be wanting on the spectacular Elegoo Neptune 4 Max quickly, which is a helmet-class printer that wants a little extra consideration to get nice outcomes, however if you would like to print a lifesize model of the man from Fortnite for the nook of your room, you will want to up the scale of your printer.
Bambu Lab A1 settings for Bambu Studio
If you need greater high quality prints you must change your layer peak from 0.2 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 put money into a 0.2mm nozzle to swap out the bottom 0.4mm that comes with the A1. They solely value about $15 from Bambu Labs, may be swapped in seconds not like different printers, and it’s at all times good to have in your printing arsenal.
Hopefully, you will have 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 might be bringing you extra options to make it easier to degree up your gaming area sooner or later.
