George and I got a shared Christmas gift this year. It is a 3D printer from Bambu Lab. I have been in the 3D printer game since the beginning, as it was a big part of makerspaces back in the mid-2000s. The hobby was way more about 3D printer maintenance than it was about successful prints. I decided after a decade to jump back in. My friends John, Pete, and Roy assured me the water is warm, things are different, “You will be saving money with all of the things you are going to make and don’t have to buy.” Enablers.
They were right: the Bambu Lab P1S was plug-and-play. The 3D printer was calibrated. It then asked me to try a print with one of the built-in 3D models. George and I decided to go with the model scrapper. That’s meta. Making something with a 3D printer for the 3D printer. Then, we turned to Maker World and found a cool F1 fidget toy. It turned out well. My confidence grew. It was time to go big.
I have a Godzilla 70th edition pinball machine by Stern Pinball. It is my favorite theme. The pinball game is spectacular, one of the top-rated pinball machines of all time. The 70th edition has black and white… and red artwork. One thing that I always noticed is how punny Godzilla is in the machine. Godzilla is ticked in the corner. I searched around for mods and found some options. They all have a Pinside waitlist, and I didn’t get my name called after six months, so it is time to make my own.
My goal was to have a Godzilla model inthe game that was slightly larger than Mechagodzilla. Even Mechagodzilla got more prominence than Godzilla. I found someone on Printables who shared my challenge and goal. This is also a big part of what has changed in the 3D printing hobby. You are standing on the shoulders of giants. There are so many places to find 3D models, inspiration, tutorials, and videos. No excuses at this point.
First Step: Print the Godzilla 3D Model
I downloaded the STL files and imported them into BambuStudio. It was a straightforward process. I had to add supports. I recommend trees. Move from the prepare to the preview tab to start the slicing. I picked Bambu Lab Jade White PLA Basic filament. I checked out the 3D preview for a bit and hit Build. It said it would take 6 hours, and it did.
Second Step: Prepare the model for painting
I removed all of the support trees and lightly sanded Godzilla with 400-grit sandpaper. After that, I sprayed a black primer on the model. This will help acrylic paint adhere to PLA. This is a fantastic thing. I tried painting the raw PLA, but it didn’t work at all. Let it dry.
Third Step: Paint the Godzilla Model
This was a fun part for me. I had a lot of apprehension about painting it. I was going to run it. Then I realized that, at worst, I was six hours away from another model. At best, I prime it again. I chose Gray, Metallic Silver, and Metallic Black paints. The last model I painted was my Yoda model from the 80s, my toy Yoda. Classic joke.
After I finished it, I sprayed a UV-resistant top coat. It dried quickly. I am not sure if this step was needed, but I wanted to make sure everything was protected. I loved how it turned out.
Fourth Step: Install Godzilla…
The tiny Godzilla sits in the back corner, held in place with a couple of screws. The 3D model came with a base plate. I put that in first, checked clearances, and used two-sided Gorilla tape to hold Godzilla down to the baseplate. The Gorilla two-sided tape is also magical. It has held all of my mods in place over the years.
A spotlight shines on Godzilla, illuminating him during specific game modes. I adjusted it since this model is so huge. Looks awesome.
Fifth Step: PROFIT!
This 3D printer is just printing money. Okay, okay. I am getting ahead of myself. This was my third print. I went big, and I felt confident that this would work. It was fun to go the whole way. I overcame some fears of painting a model. I did it with the help of literally millions of people sharing on forums, YouTube, and 3D modeling sites.
What an amazing community. Hobby.