I am just starting out and need some help.

[Spiked Mango]

I am just starting, and I was wondering where you would recommend getting models from for 3d printing, and how to sand/paint the 3d prints.
I am going for the Mark V spartan armor type, with a grenadier helmet.

 

[SgtSaint]

> where you would recommend getting models from for 3d printing

Have you checked the Armory right here on the 405th site? There's also thingiverse, believe it or not. One of the most prolific modelers ("MoeSizzlac") is continually putting up models there for free. And then Etsy has a number of modelers selling their files there.

The best advice I can give is to look closely at the files you get and compare them to your own build. Most people model for their own use and body type because its just natural and easiest to print and test fit before putting them on the market. So the slender person makes models for a slender build and might bulk-up the files to make them look muscley. That doesn't work well for the guy that's already a stocky build. I've been bit by that case along with a couple others I've seen. Then again, the guy that makes files for the muscular fella doesn't help you if you are of a petite build.

There's probably a dozen build thread here for people that already did the Mark V armor. At least a dozen. Take a couple hours and read through them. What files did they use... what were they complaining about in their build thread... what did they like... There's hundreds of man-years of experience already documented in detail, history, description, photos and so on here. It would be a shame to take advantage of it.

 

[SgtSaint]

> and how to sand/paint the 3d prints

There are **SO MANY** threads on this already. Both here and on the 405th Facebook page. Also keep in mind that YouTubes on making a Mandolorian or Ironman printed armor is exactly the same thing here, just a different franchise. But sanding is sanding and painting is painting whether its Ironman red/gold or Spartan steel/blue.

Again, the existing hundreds of build threads here are a great resource to read through.

 

[SgtSaint]

My regular 'new armorer' post:

If you didn't know the 405th Reddit and Facebook and Discord server/pages are just a social media front end to the much large 405th organization. Tip of the iceberg. Head over to the proper 405th website for a vast amount of material, help, articles, resources and what will probably help you the most: Other people's build threads.

The welcome book lays out what you need to know.
https://www.405th.com/.../405th-welcome-booklet.52168/

The actual 405th website has a vast armory of files.
The Armory

A curated list of tutorials:
Tutorial Index

One of many, many, many build threads:
https://www.405th.com/.../build-2-mk-vi-gen-3-with-some.../

If you want to outsource some (or all) of the printing my shop is www.starbase3d.com - The extra-large printers mean being able to have big armor pieces like legs/chest/back done in single-prints instead of several seams to be glued and blended into invisibility.

Helmet probably should be last, not first. Yeah yeah, everyone wants a helmet to drool over. But it's the thing everyone stares at so you want to do it AFTER you've developed a process, techniques and skills.
Personally I always recommend starting at the feet & hands then working up & in to the body.
• You're going to weather and distress the boots more than anything else... and they get looked at with the least critical eye.
• Then shins which have to ride on the boots.
• Then thighs since you have to avoid joint conflict so you can sit etc.
• See how this goes? Up from the boots, and inward from the hands to forearms to biceps to shoulders.
• By the time you get to the chest and helmet; the parts at eye level that everyone stares at, looks at first, is right there in your face in every photo - you can make them look stellar.
And if you start at the boots you're looking at parts that are only a day or two per part not 6 days per part. So you can hone your scaling skills.

If you are new to 3d printing or considering buying your first 3d printer just so you can make an armor:
Jumping right to armor is really not the best way to go when beginning 3d printing. You really want to work up to something this big and specialized. Work up to things so big that a 3% goof can mean added costs, joints that lock up and you can't bend your elbow etc. Little easy things first… Things with no supports to start. Move up to props like pistols. And keep moving upward over time.
• A few settings differences can be the difference between a part too weak to be used and printing your armor so heavy it's exhausting to wear. The difference between a $10 part and a $40 part adds up to a significant difference over an entire armor.

I don't know if you have previous 3d printing experience.
So please don't be offended if you have a background and this seems simplistic to you.

**General printing:**
Basically - You need to work out your settings for your needs. That's just life with 3d printing. It's not turn-key. It's not a cake recipe that you can just copy from someone else. You do actually have to learn the science and art of printing, evaluating your needs, the material science of it etc.

Did you do the eSteps calibration?
Did you do the PiD tuning?
Did you do the flow % tuning
Did you do a temp tower for that material?
Did you do a retraction test for that material?
Did you tune for dimensional accuracy? 40x40 cube is really 40x40
Did you print a fleet of Benchys one at a time, tuning various settings as needed?
How did the all-in-one test go for stringing, bridging and overhangs? Did you do a bunch of support tests before printing real things that require supports? Dialing in for good support without them being fused to the model.
So far this is one of the best and most comprehensive tune-up and profiling videos I've seen yet. Goes from doing eSteps all the way through dialing in a specific material for a specific need.

A weekend spent dialing in will pay off 1000x fold when you start printing real pieces.

**Material choice: (Not PLA)**
Personally... Machine makers give you PLA filament with the printer because it's incredibly forgiving. Even with a wide temperature range of 180°-220° and you'll still get something you're happy with. PLA will get you started, and its fine for indoor use like statues to paint and train cars on your model railroad. Use it to get some quick successes under your belt to build confidence. But understand its beginner filament. They give it away with the printer for a reason: Because it's hard to mess up, not because it's an awesome choice in materials.

98% of the time PLA+ is still just PLA. Don't fall for the buzz words. "PLA+" is not a material spec. There might be a couple brands out there where its actually a different formulation but you don't know what it is: It's their recipe not an industry standard, so you don't know if it's going to be more heat resistant or not, or just softer for easier sanding, or maybe formulated to be more shiny or more matte. The other 98% of the sellers are selling PLA with a new label to drum up more sales.
The Truth About PLA+

I don't use PLA to make your armor because the transition temp of it is too low. It can result in warped props and armor if you leave your stuff in a hot car back seat, trunk or on the tarmac of your flight to a convention in another state.
Order some PETG and learn to print with that, because that's what you really want to build your armor out of so it can stand up to real world, outdoor, Arizona or hot car temperatures.
Then dial in so you are printing at something less coarse than the default .2 layer height. .12 or .08 will increase your print time and test your "but I want it noooooooow" resistance. - but an extra day on the printer means 3 days less sanding. So let the robot do more of the work so you don't have to.

PETG is only a little more learning curve. It wants a more accurate selection of temperature and a more accurate dial in of nozzle gap and retraction. No more than 30% cooling fan. I run it with fans off. That's about it. It's worth the time to learn the technology.

Then take the time to dial in support settings. There's no point rushing to print your blahblahdoohicky the day after you get the printer if you can't separate it from the supports because they're fused to the print. Breaking the print or having a totally horrible surface where you take the supports off doesn't make anything "faster".

Learn, experiment, learn, experiment, crawl, walk... then run.


**Armor printing:**
Jumping right to armor is really not the best way to go when learning 3d printing. You really want to work up to something as big and specialized as armor. A few settings differences can be the difference between a $10 part and a $40 part.... a part too weak to be used and printing your armor so heavy it's exhausting to wear.
Work up to big things where a 3% goof can mean added costs, joints that lock up and you can't bend your elbow etc. Little easy things first… Things with no supports to start. Move up to props like pistols. And keep moving upward over time.

Helmet probably should be last, not first. Yeah yeah, everyone wants a helmet to drool over. But it's the thing everyone stares at so you want to do it AFTER you've developed a process and techniques and skills.

Personally I always recommend starting at the feet and working up.
You're going to weather and distress the boots more than anything else... and they get looked at with the least critical eye.
Then shins which have to ride on the boots.
Then thighs since you have to avoid joint conflict so you can sit etc.
See how this goes? Up from the boots.
By the time you get to the chest and helmet; the parts at eye level that everyone stares at, looks at first, is right there in your face in every photo - you can make them look stellar.

And if you start at the boots you're looking at parts that are only a day or two per part not 6 days per part. So you can hone your scaling skills.