Han Solo Blaster
painted replica of Han Solo's blaster from Star Wars
Being one of my first 3D printing projects, I learned a lot about the manufacturing process and painting as I completed the gift for my dad. For instance, don’t be lazy and put away your filament when not in use because PLA loves water 🙄. Eventually I repurposed a food dehydrator to dry out my ruined spools. Anyway, this was a fun project and if you want to do it too, files can be found here thanks to PortedtoReality on Thingiverse!
Regarding painting process:
- Wet sand as much as you can with varying grits
- Fill in big gaps, like the handles which produce tree ring artifacts, with some filler. I used ProBond Stainable Wood Filler from Elmer’s, while others use resin, many choices out there.
- Sand and fill as many times until achieved desired finish
- Spray paint in multiple light layers. Some people sand in between
- Distress to taste. I used water based paints with a combination of paper towels, scrubbing sponges, and my fingers
- Apply a clearcoat for longer protection, especially if being handled often
