How To Finish Your Prop
Wolverine Raw 3D Print
Step-by-Step Tutorial on Finishing Your 3D Print
This tutorial can be viewed over on our youtube channel : Renegade Props
Hi! So you’ve officially received your Renegade Props Raw 3D Print in the mail, and you’re excited! Super excited! But we both know your prop has a ways to go before it’s all done! Let’s break it down:
Initial Sanding
When you receive your Renegade Props Raw 3D Print, you’ll notice theres standard print lines. Don’t worry! That’s okay, and relatively simple to take care of. First and foremost, for this entire process, you want to make sure you’re in a well ventilated area, with the use of appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes protective eyewear, respirators, gloves when handling chemicals, and wearing clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Here’s a link to the respirator we use: Respirator
Now that your lungs are nice and protected, you’re going to sand down the print lines all over with a 220 grit sandpaper. Here’s a link to the one we use: Sandpaper
Once you’ve sanded down a fair amount of the roughness, you’re ready to move onto the next step. It’s more than likely that your prop will require Bondo Filling, but in the event it doesn’t, and you’re happy with initial sanding of the print lines, you can skip to Step 3.
2. Filling & Sanding
Bondo Filled 3D Print
Now, you’re ready to fill your print! Again, we cannot stress this enough, especially for this portion of the finishing process, make sure you’re in a well ventilated area with a proper respirator. To fill your print, you’re going to need a couple of products:
Wooden Popsicle Stick for mixing
Now that you have what you need, here’s what you have to do: Make sure you have gloves on for this! You’re going to mix the Bondo Putty and Acetone at a 2:1 ratio until it forms a thick yet runny consistency; think of a milkshake. It should run off of your wooden mixing stick. **In the event your print lines are deeper, or require heftier filling, use a touch less Acetone for a thicker consistency. Once you’ve mixed the Bondo up, you need to move relatively quickly, because this putty does dry down fast!
**If you notice your mixture drying out, don’t worry. You can always add a couple of drops of acetone to re-hydrate the mixture, and continue filling your prop. Just remember that acetone works as a thinner for Bondo, so you’ll want to use it sparingly when looking to rehydrate the mixture.You’ll begin by brushing the mixture onto your prop, across the entirety of its surface, inside every nook and cranny. Once you’ve covered the entire surface, let it dry for about 10-15 minutes, and then apply another coat. Once the solvent begins to evaporate, Sandable Bondo Putty can actually begin to shrink. You may need 2-3 coats depending on how well you were able to initially sand the Raw 3D Print.
Once you’ve filled the Raw 3D Print by applying your final coat, let your print dry in ambient temperatures of 70-80 degrees for at least an hour but preferably overnight. This drying time allows all of the solvents to fully evaporate, a necessary step before you begin priming and painting.
After you’ve waited for the print to fully dry, you’re ready to sand your prop again. At this point, you may want to sand everything BY HAND. The reason you may need to use good ole’ fashioned elbow grease opposed to your hand sander is because the hand sander can very easily remove necessary detail and Bondo. This is especially the case for rounded props, much like helmets and pauldrons. I know - this part is tedious, but SO worth it. This time, you’ll want to sand with a 220-320 grit sandpaper and higher. The higher the grit number, the smoother your prop will be, but the lengthier the process. The lower the grit number, the faster the process, but your prop may not be as smooth, so take your time here!***REMOVE ALL OF THE DUST OFF OF YOUR PROP BEFORE THE NEXT STEP.
If you fail to do this step, you can ruin your paint job before you even start it!
3. Priming & Painting
Yes! You finally made it to the fun part! Brava!
If WE were finishing it, 9.9/10 times, we would use these products:
Rust-oleum Filler Primer (use this in the event you can’t get Duplicolor)
Airbrush Spray Booth (not necessary, but definitely a great protective measure if you plan to finish more than a couple of props per year)
We recommend Duplicolor & Rust-Oleum for most paint jobs.
We use spray cans of Filler Primer post Bondo and Sanding to ensure we get into ALL of those leftover nooks and crannies. This is a step that can really elevate your prop to the next level and is a necessary step when looking for ultimate paint adhesion. You’ll work in thin layers both when priming and painting.
First, you’ll spray your initial layer of Filler Primer, wait 30 minutes, and then sand it.
Next, you’ll spray another layer of Filler Primer, wait another 30 minutes, and sand it again THIS TIME, WHEN SANDING, MOVE FROM A 220 GRIT, TO A 400 GRIT. It might be ready to go here, you’ll have to decide based off of your judgement, or you can always email us as renegadecosplayprops@gmail.com with photos and questions, and we’d be happy to consult with you!
After your final sanding, you’re ready to paint.
Again, paint in thin layers.
Cannot express enough: FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS ON CAN REGARDING DRY AND CURING TIMES! You can ruin your prop by painting all willy-nilly and not following the recommended curing and drying times along with the paint application methods. Take your time and read the instructions.
We also recommend doing test sprays of the paint on cardboard or scrap paper to make sure your spray cans aren’t spitting or faulty.
In the event your paint job does get messed up, don’t panic. You can always buff everything back out after it dries, re-prime, and try again. But we don’t want you to HAVE to do that. So go slow.
After you’re done painting, let dry completely, and use a sealant. Our absolute favorite is Duplicolor 1K Clear for a high gloss finish. These brands also make matte finishes as well.
A word of caution, test your paint before applying it to your prop. Not all paints mix well together, and we’d hate for you to sand as much as you have only to have to strip the paint away and have to sand again!
If you want to learn how to create metal finishes go here! We have blog posts that guide you on how to finish props accordingly, cosplay tips and tricks, and outlining products we love!
