3D Printed Ancient One... Spider's Trophies
Introduction: 3D Printed Ancient One... Spider's Trophies
This year I wanted to add something to the giant spider I got a few years back. I decided to create a back story of an ancient spider and its trophies from past battles with fearless champions. I decided that helmets & weapons throughout history would be a great idea on how to convey the age of the spider. And why not add some heads for fun.
Supplies
3D printer and filament
Various STL files of zombified heads, helmets and weapons.
Super Glue and Gorilla Glue
PVC pipe
Filler Primer
Acrylic Paint
Airbrush and paint brushes
Spray paint
Screws
Software - Illustrator, Fusion 360, Mesh Mixer
Lots of time
Step 1: Some Found Some Created
I started this project researching Helmets and weapons from past centuries. All of the helmets I was able to find on the free .STL sites on the web. Granted most will need some sort of alteration to work for this type of project. This would include making them solid and scaling them or dividing them to best fit the printer and print with the least amount of waste. I adjust them in Mesh Mixer to print with as little support as possible, since everything will be glued together with the seams filled and the whole part primed with filler primer. If I couldn't find the part needed, I would model it myself in Fusion 360. Then I would distress it in Mesh Mixer. The Greek sword, pole axe and Japanese blunderbuss are available here. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4862042. I added horns to the Viking helmet for fun even though they really didn't have them. For the German helmet I wanted to add goggle lenses so I designed them using Illustrator, then cut and scored it to look like broken glass with my laser cutter. This could be done by hand with thinner plastic using an X-Acto to cut and score it.
Step 2: Combining Parts and Adding Others
I printed all the helmets and weapons and got the bright idea to add a hole lot of time to this project by printing zombified heads for each. I searched for files and found 5 heads to use. After scaling the heads to the correct size for each hero, I used the Boolean Difference function in Mesh Mixer to subtract the helmet shape from the head. This gives me an exact fit and area for gluing since each part is hard plastic. You can see how the Conquistadors head is cut out where the helmet would be. This step is essential to make the helmet look like it fits the head. 646
I also chopped the top of the head off to save material and have a flat surface to print from. All of the heads were printed upside down using this method.
Step 3: Priming and Painting Helmets & Weapons
Since some of these helmets are meant to be hundreds of years old, I needed to paint and weather them. Most of the helmets were painted first before the heads. I started with the base cote for each metal that would have been used. Chrome silver for the knight. Gold and bronze for the Spartan and <PERSON>, and textured steel for the <PERSON> and <PERSON>. And olive green for the German soldier. Adding the rust and patina is a multi-step process. For bronze I start with a darker bronze dappled on wherever it would not have been worn by handling and leaving the bright gold color for the highlights. I then spray it down with a very thin mixture of turquoise paint and water. The will take multiple coats to build up in all the recesses. It doesn't matter if it runs since these are meant to be static trophies that drip in the same place over the years. For the rust effect I start with a darker gun metal color dabbing it with a short bristle brush in a larger area than the rust will be. Then I do the same thing with a burnt sienna color leaving a halo of gun metal around the rust. Any texture can be added using wood filler prior to painting. When it is all dry I use a wash of thin sienna paint and let it fill the crevices and drip down the piece. I studied pictures of weathered metal to help but for the most part I just had fun and tried different things. For the German gas mask I used a crackle medium over a light base color. When dried I covered it with a coat of a brown leather color and the cracks formed. The weapons were handled the same way. I used washes of dark brown and black to give them a grungy look or dry brushed silver on the edges for a worn look.
Step 4: Zombified Corpse Skin
This is the fun part for me. I use an airbrush but it could be done with a paint brush and washes. 987