It’s not enough to 3D print a part – there’s a whole host of things you can do from there! [FuzzyLogic] He shows us his approach of adding embedded labels, icons, and text to a 3D print, extruding them into the print, and filling the resulting cavity with nail polish. This makes for colorful and useful prints, as opposed to the boring single color parts we usually end up with.
The devil is in the details, and [FuzzyLogic] it has the details down to a technique. Nail polish needs to be diluted with acetone to flow well, and a particular syringe and needle combination will be your friend here. Of course, don’t forget to take surface tension into account: even with well-diluted nail polish, you can’t make the grooves too thin. A little more acetone on a cotton swab helps in case of happy little accidents, and a coat of clear acrylic spray paint seals the letters firmly in place. The five-minute video tells you all about these things and a few more, like the basics of extruding text and icons in a typical CAD package, and has a bit of bonus material for those who watch to the end.
Adding branding to our prints is a lovely finishing touch! If you’re looking for more of that, here’s a tool-changing custom printer with a pencil attachment that makes beautiful custom cabinets for the pocket operator.
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