He's a Monster maker ~ Jack Pierce

[Captain_Mego]

Outstanding job...he looks fantastic.

[Vinny0026]

you guys are getting better with that printer!!

Is it me? or is it much smoother than some of the early heads/ items you have made? less ridges?
you will have this down to a science soon!!

I can't wait for you to be able to take orders for a head - I would pay for a Brad Pitt head made to look like Achilles -from the movie Troy

[noelani72]

thanks!
Vinny, yes - we have the printer pretty dialed in and running like a champ.
For being an extrution printer at 100 microns…I am running the best it can do.
My particular printer is capable of doing 50 micron prints, but I've not quite figured that out yet. My engineer pal at Makerbot was to send me some settings, but never got around to it because it is still a picky process.

Once printed, I have figured out a method that smooths things out even better - took me months though.

I've been looking into building a store in the Mall for my 3D printed parts.
Problem I run in to is - time.
The Jack Pierce head probably took 50mins to print, then I gave it another…meh, 20mins of conditioning to make him even better. Ideally, if I were to sell Jack (or any other head, body part) I'd cast it and make resin copies.
Stuff like the Ark - meh, not so much because casting it is way too difficult.

Also, I think I have disappointed some folks, or maybe mislead - sure, I am showing off what we can "do" and what we've "built". I think the only parts that I've really ever sold would be the Hellboy, 12" Thor and the Snyderbelt we donated to the MM2013 figure.
Prices for 3D printed stuff sort of turns people off - some.

The printing really is a money and time saver for me.
The Jack Pierce head for example - to go from concept, design, production, to finalize product cost me very little. Not only in time, but of money.
Pre-3D Printer, for Hellboy as a good example….I cast a Black Adam Head. I cast a Darkseid head. THose two things took about 6 hours each.
next, I had to get my work area in order and pour some resin. Resin sets up in minutes…then I have a head.
I don't use pressure vessels, so I might get an air bubble under the chin or whatnot..if so, either pack the spot with bake able clay and heat - or pour another one.
When I pour, I waste. I've never been one to not have resin waste….it is inevitable. I don't have enough tiny molds that I can just pour the extra into and not waste it…so, there's that.
Now I have two good heads of each character…then I go to work cutting them in half and shaping with clay…bake a little, refine, bake some more…recast the head…
After another round of hours..I have my Hellboy head.

The 3D modeling and printing has cut that time by 2/3rds and a $50 spool of material will get me hella heads. Once we print body parts, Ark, or even bigger stuff like Sharks….that $50 spool don't stretch very far at all.
My asking price, "shipped", for the Ark and Idol was $45 ….so in actuality I was selling the Ark and Idol for about $36 once I bought a box and paid shipping - and I got a couple complaints that I was charging too much. Seriously. I very well can't give this stuff away, so as I take charge of what I can offer and try to come up with a fair value to sell it at….well, it takes time. For stuff people like - lizard legs, cloven legs, heads, etc…whatever it may be, I'd almost just prefer to sell a master to someone who molds. That person pay me a flat fee, we have a no-compete agreement, and once I am paid, he/she can sell as many resin copies as they can in their lifetime…

Jack was born out of my own demand - no EMCE figs are showing up anymore and I missed out. We took our tools, and in a relatively painless process, created something tangible.

Yes, Vinny - I am super glad the phrase - 'I can see the lines' has stopped being echoed in our 3D print threads…that was getting pretty disheartening :-)

Five years from now, we'll all have 3D printers and with myself, Sean, and just a couple other forum members dealing in 3D printing…I hope the day comes where we have a vast library of body parts, heads, accessories…you name it…come here, print it out, put it together and build a custom.
We have GIGS worth of files thus far - they're just "ours" right now because we are still learning - files might be a little rough around the edges and not truly worthy of sharing, but we are getting there. I'd like to invite some of the other 3D folks to start collaborating - sending each other files..embark on the future.

I still like to make figures old school - Invisible Man recently was a lot of fun to watch come together. Old school technique is still being used - I hand sculpted the lizard legs and I gotta post new pics of what Sean did in the software to change them - so now I have two styles to chose from and only sculpted the leg once…very cool.

I was like a kid on Christmas when I held that final Jack Pierce figure in my hand…I still couldn't believe how well, how fast it came together.

[noelani72]

Thought this would compliment Jack in a clamshell:
Just a quick workup,

jackcard.jpg

[Captain_Mego]

Outstanding job guys, He looks fantastic.

[noelani72]

Changed my backer around a bit to fit in a CAT clamshell to see how he'd look

image.jpg

[TrekStar]

Really cool custom, kind of reminds me of Floyd the Barber from the Andy Griffith show
only change would be the eye brow look.

[Remco Monster]

This rules!

[MIB41]

Fantastic work! As always, your custom work never ceases to amaze me. Outstanding.