CustomJoe_MD

Hi folks, so for a while now I've been thinking of ways to make small custom runs of parts (200 or so) without expensive material or machines and I've found some videos and tutorials that give you a couple of different ways you can make something like a minifig gun as small as a PPK or a helmet or hairpiece, an aquaman harpoon hand, you know the usual normal stuff everyone likes. :) WARNING: it's a bit long winded. This is to make abs parts not Cast in resin type stuff (same principle different end process - there are tutorials on wargames miniature casting its the same process more or less) I've selected a few processes some with 3dprinting at the core other with more arts and crafts available materials (silicone molds clays ets). I won't go in depth about mold making since the information is in the links and you can watch videos of that kind of thing all over YT. 1- Reinforced Plaster mold + 3d printed 2part mold ---video with process except plaster mold was printed not cast.This requires a 3d printer for more than one reason. you'll need it to print the prototype of the part or the mold of the part (this would be a negative shape that would surround the part you want to create) and you will, once you have the final die aka "2part mold" use the printer head to fill said mold with plastic directly (since its only small parts and prototypes you don't need much pressure at this scale - a Makerbot works great but its like a 2000usd machine - but if you have access to one your set) Okay thats the basic setup lets go to the steps: 1a- Print the prototype parts directly (this requieres cad software if you are using a 3d model) see if its at the scale you want make any modifications and finalize the design, once thats done print a negative 2 part mold shape (for how to do this search thingiverse for casting metal molds) (see video and )make sure to clean any imperfections, smooth or sand the mold pieces until you have it as good as you want it acetone polishing is a good idea too. **If cloning a part or making a mold from a sculpted or custom piece skip to the silicone step or 3d scan it and process in a cad software. 1b- Now you have a part that you are either casting or you have the plastic negative 2part mold, this is where I'm adding my two cents, in the metal casting video you cast metal with the plastic forms, what I suggest is make a silicone mold (using whatever process works for you - silicone for duplication, caulk method or sugru) OF EACH of your negatives. Once you have a mold in silicone for each of the parts you can cast it in plaster of paris, you end up with duplicates of your plastic negatives. NOW the tricky thing RESIN, using 2part epoxy resin brush a thin coat on the inside and after it dries on the outside two. The plaster will suck it up so make it thin layers and make sure you use a resin that can withstand some Temperature. You want the inside to be as non pourous as you can make it without losing final part size (you'll have to trial an error this step). On the outside you can make it a bit thicker 4 coats maybe, or use a frame (wood aluminum etc around the plaster mold halfs) Clamp the mold together using blue tape and... 1c- Using the method here http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-Extremely-Small-Objects-With-Your-3D-Printe/?ALLSTEPS inject plastic into the cavity using the extruder end on the 3d Printer (using the free flow or fill option - the hot end head is still in parked position for this of course) That instructable uses the silicone mold instead of plaster I recommend the plaster option with the epoxy resin because it will last longer and you can keep the mold for injection on a machine like this also (for making multiple parts and if the plaster breaks use the silicone mold of the mold to make a new one, easy peasy and feel free to recycle plastic from bottle caps, etc for prototypes) http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:26500 Original tutorial for the first video You can use the same ideas to cast the final mastermold in aluminum instead of plaster/resin --you would need foundry equipment and tools or a melting pot and low melting metals, check the following for this: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20186 As you can see there are several combinations you can use for each step (I'll improve on this later just wanted to put it out there fast so people know) If someone wants to build a injection machine here is a little instructional you can DL (based on gingery - the one on the video above is better and simpler - gives better injection pressure control): http://rick.sparber.org/Articles/gpi.pdf For turning 3dfiles into negative mold parts see here http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31581 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:42827 ---using Rhino CAD ------------------------------------- This one is just a simple mold you can print and try to cast from it. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:109160 Have fun, happy customs ho ho ho!

Nimoy is dead, long may he live in our hearts and memory. He lived we prospered.

Thats the set (GL set) most responsible for wallet bankrupcy in AFOLS in 2015. Got the brainiac set and have to say it a great little set

To Robert8 I was having the same problem in flickr, you need to get the deep link for that image, go to the image file properties and copy the actual exact link and add to the image button from the toolbox here in the answer box. Hope it helps.

That sentinel deserves a topic or at least more pics, looks really good, but like all sentinels could always be a bit bigger :D

This will be the official topic for a long running project. Project Beyond Welcome to Phase 1 Our first crowdfunding effort to get minifigs PAD printed. We believe these will never be made by Lego oficially. Its a 2pack of villains + a super dupper secret girl minifig. It will be similar to kickstarter but privately held (you need to email to get the link to the funding page). See here how to donate and help us out. https://www.flickr.c...05/14034537019/ READ it a couple times before asking questions. ------------------------------------------------------- You can see what characters inspired minis we will be making in this first phase (link above). If you are a fan and want them to be made plastic, HELP US make it so. We only need 250 people to step up with less than 50 euros each. NACM will do the printing as they have done before. Parts will be original lego parts and plastic, so you know it will be top shelf product. We however are using a different way to fund our efforts, by basically having all 250 figs (each model) pre-sold before printing in order to cover the costs. You will be left with a voucher to checkout the minifig you supported at out BL seller's store (In FRANCE). More info in the link and please email us if you wish to be one of the 250, or MORE. More details will be added as we get things organized. a FAQ is on the way. Right now we need 250 people at least to say yes. YES I will help, Yes I want this to happen. We can't do it without you. Phase 2 Will include a slimy villainess and an ear shatering villain ;) ------------------------------------------------------- a sneak peak at something that we are working on NOW Lets call it a super T-shirt https://www.flickr.c...N05/14191606803 ---------------------------------------- Our previous product: Black spidey head PAD Print - Legomazing project http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=95120

Small update: Playing with new cowl prototype dimensions https://www.flickr.c...425103/sizes/o/ --- This is the 1st proto printed in PLA, the more recent ones below are much better. I'll have the final version soon in ABS. I'm trying a new way of molding plastic pieces. Wish me luck. I'm focused on finishing killstrike right now but i hope to have the cowl done soon. More on that here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/118244175@N05/16416488849/

I had seen this on flickr and had to say, FANTASTIC work. Love what you did with the piece very resourceful. Its amazing how a little heat and plastic trimming can have such an impact on the overall look of that mask. I wonder what else could be done from the same hawkman mask. _J

https://www.flickr.c...02/16627810401/ Our latest project is finally ready to reveal, an updated and improved version of the initial rendering posted last summer that we have been making as accurate as we could. Introducing Killstrike It will be available in a month and half. For now enjoy the render, i'll post pics of the prototype as soon as we have it. (a week or so) Killstrike features 360° PAD PRINTING This is a colab between Legomazing toys and the former powerbrick team (Now cyclopsbricks) for previous projects see flickr links and hope you like what we are doing. More deluxe projects coming. Enjoy. And let us know what you think as more pics are released. Lmazing team

Hi guys, just to let you know that the supershirt v1 is now available in Europe, you can see here for details: A new thread will be created for this and other releases.

We ended up changing things a bit since last i updated, and dropped the funding thing. Presenting the supershirt project (pants included :D ) https://www.flickr.c...02/15115815010" So here is a rendering of the first joint project between Legomazing and PowerBrick. And the result, https://www.flickr.c...191890/sizes/n/ Check the stream for more pics, its available in the USA, but it will be available in Europe in a week or so. I'll probably create a topic for general releases, and other info once we get the whole production process to run smoother and faster but for now enjoy. For those waiting on Beyond project to finish, its going to take a while still, however we may be able to have a full figure out in the next 30days of something else that i'm sure many will go crazy for. Stay tuned...

Not my favorite batmobile but, you did excelent, and lights and all, SHOW OFF!!! :b Very clever use of parts, really intricate, and the opening cockpit is perfect. Pity there aren't wheel rims trans blue with black bats, the yellow looks off on this maybe put some normal round trans blue pieces with decals on it?? Either way my hats off to you.

https://www.google.p...iw=1360&bih=599 I'm ressurecting this conversation to ask you if any of these are the scouring cream you used? We want to try all you methods see which one is better to go over with pad ink. If you have the brand you used let me know so i can tell the printers. Thanks Emil _Joe

https://www.flickr.com/photos/118244175@N05/14399999790/ Quick update: This is the cape prototype we will be using, we are on schedule, some other goodies in the flickr too if you guys want to check it out. We are designing a variant of the torso. We call it the "bruce rebirth" torso. Cowl design looks great. ------------------ PS to Rob, I'll be holding you to that :)

https://www.flickr.c...05/14517335496/ There has been a small change in the Project, since the crowdfunding didn't pickup enough interest, Legomazing and a new group of people will be releasing a part of this project together and we hope to make many more. We will revisit the crowdfunding to speed up releases in the future but for now you can read about this one. We understand the feedback we got about not wanting to commit without us having released a few more products on our own, so hope this shows our commitment.

So after a long absence here I am back on the horse, and its a black horse.:D https://www.flickr.c...05/14077040061/ Final Result: It was designed, so you can get an extra head and remove the print for the mouth design and have a classic spidey. So it's 2 for 1 design. Just add an official Venom torso and your good to go. This was a personal and very dear project to me, and took some serious work, the right people and time to pull off. Hope you like it. This is also my little revenge on the Comic Con figure (Arghh!). And before you ask , Yes it comes in black. Really happy with how it turned out. When you really want something done, isn't that right? More projects on the way, and I'll be resurrecting my original crowdfunding idea (originally for the arm patch project) for new designs (stuff that has a slim chance of ever being done oficially and variations on official stuff, that didn't quite get done right). PS: Sneak peek on how it looks with a torso https://www.flickr.c...in/photostream/

Hi guys this will probably be the final update on this one I added the "Final Result Pic" on the first post:

What all of them said, cut the top of a witches hat and sand a bit. Then bring the cut edge back to shiny plastic by polishing with mild acetone solution on a rag. I've done it myself and looks very good as a placeholder of the real deal.

Hi Reg hope the masking is going well, this is a topic on paints. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=95291&hl=

Have you tried the peroxide thing and then let them in the sun in a plastic container. I'm not 100% thats how its done but I recall some talk about this before. OR http://midibox.org/forums/topic/12218-retr0bright-get-rid-of-the-yellowing-on-your-old-abs-plastic/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retr0bright Not sure it won't remove the black though. I never id this so do a test beforehand, you can make your own solution of this stuff at home.

You will need to mask the area you don't want to paint (blue tape and an x-acto) you can try painting liquid latex over the areas to mask too, but at that scale it's going to be a pain to save the black. If you have the talent just paint over the entire thing and then repaint the black. Plastiline is a good alternative to use if you don't have latex available. Or abs paint, sand the part a little where it's yellow and then make some from acetone and shavings of new white parts, just make sure its thin enough to refill the sanded parts. You are going to a lot of trouble for such a small detail, I RESPECT that. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=96498 this will help with some of that restauration project

THAT right there IS INSANE. Best Bat thing I've ever seen EVER. Congrats Tim you sure deserve all the kudos after the work you put in. So when does this set go on the shelves? :D - Seriously I WANT THAT, put it on cuusoo/ideas, something or a LDD with instructions. Do you accept souls, first borns, blood oaths or Mastercard (only card accepted in Hell). That deserves a set if anything ever did. And those train tracks just gave me a really good idea to solve a 3d scanner problem, thanks.

Thanks for the answers BMW, you did a really clean job, I'd never have guessed it was all stickers and ink removal. Nice trick on the hat. A good show of blending official with custom for a superior effect. Very professional. I'd love to see a pad printed version of that, maybe after I make Toht, we can talk about it.

I'm having the strangest craving for radiactive mint and chocolate-chip right now. Wonder where that it came from. Really nice, and great acessories. Can you talk a bit more about how you made the figure (decals stickers??) and where you got the hat. Also those shoes look really good, how did you make those? Any pics of the back? or is it just plain?

http://nothingbutcomics.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/maestro.jpg http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/4/49974/1962059-hulk_nul.jpg It's not like they (MARVEL) haven't made him bald before or anything. It's not easy being GREEN people, stress is a hair killer. Believe me on that.