Christmas Advent 3D Printing advice #Day 9 PolySmooth *Glitter*

December advent calendar - modular Christmas tree

3D Printing advice #Day 9

For the background and introduction - Day #1 Post click here

Yesterday - Day #8 Post (BEMO - Handheld game station) was printed in 3D4Makers Facilan C8 and a Translucent 'clear/milky' PLA from Pongostore - being used as an LED light guide.

Christmas Advent 2017 Download on Thingiverse here - designed by Tom Van den Bon @geekc0der With some help for each day by the South African Makers team.

The original advent calendar from 2012 is on Thingiverse - designed by Peter Leppik.

It's time for Day #9 already, and today the gift is designed by Candice Howe -  It's a trumpet.

Today is all about the glitter.

The first thing I realised when I spotted this trumpet for day 9, was that I had no gold filament at all :(

I considered other metal filled materials, then quickly came to the conclusion this was the perfect model to demonstrate another use for PolySmooth - *Giltter*

First I cut the model in half again. No point in making this a really tricky print, especially if it's going to be covered in glitter :)

The two printed parts are together, now we need to get it glittered.

Jam-jar (empty of jam) full of 100% IPA.

Use a different filament type (not polySmooth) to make a dipping hook. Then dip and wait about 3-4 minutes for the plastic to sticky up.

It will have 'smoothed' and also have a sticky film all over it. 

Touch it if you need... but it's sticky, trust me.

Now, go crazy with the glitter. move it around and cover everything (not the room).

Shake it off a little, I whacked it against a cardboard box. And then let it dry for 1-2 hours.

When dry, brush off any loose glitter - the rest will be really well stuck on to the PolySmooth object.

Makes for great Christmas decorations. 

We have about 5 inches (or more) of snow here in the UK. So we are going out to do some sledging.

The tree is looking splendid.

Using PolySmooth with glitter - advice.

If you need to know my settings and thoughts on using PolySmooth, take a look at the Day3 Advent, where I used it for a Christmas rubber ducky.

Can't you just use ABS and acetone + glitter? - Yes, you can, that's another way to do it. Some glitters do melt using acetone, so try it out first before dipping your part.

Why use glitter? - Why not? It's the only way to get a glitter finish. Obvious really.

Does the glitter stay on the model? - Yes, It seems to bond well, when dry you need to brush off the loose stuff, but after that it seems to stay stuck.

Why not just use glue? - You could, but it's a bit boring isn't it? - We had fun with PolySmooth and have done quite a few different models like this. It works really well.

Can I use X type of glitter? - Yes ;)  - just try it, it's fun.

Isn't glitter bad for the environment? - Yes, if it gets into the water system / ponds / sea. Don't waste it. I still have some in the house and the Kids enjoy using it, we will use responsibly.

Day #9 Is Completed. Glitter things up, you know you want too.

The story for today is simply about having fun (and making a bit of a mess).

Join me next time for Day #10 - I don't have the tree sections 10 or 11 printed yet, or a good looking green material to use... so wish me luck.

Thanks for reading.

Rich.

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