Electroplating 3D Prints | Helmets Tutorial 1

[@UncleJessy]

This was such a wild video! You absolutely killed it!

[@Cyberdactyl]

Indeed. A wild ride.

[@TheHoody999]

Agreed Uncle Jessy. Would love to know the cost !

[@limebulls]

@@TheHoody999 i too

[@blootooth00]

​@TheHoody999 Well, the best I can find Copper Electrolite online is about $120/gallon, and I think that tote he used is about 12 gallons.... so ouch. In addition, the powersupply is probably about $90, the helmet is about $5 in materials, the paints are around $25 (definitely more in the long run), the palladium is about $30, an airbrush is about $40, the clamps/brushes are about $40, and the rotary setup probably cost about $25 for wire servos and switches, and the copper sheets about $20. I'm thinking for the base setup, with a gallon of copper sulfate, it's about $300 to get everything you need (not including the 3D printer). But for this video, we are probably looking at about $1,500 investment, unless he has a better chemical supplier, which I certainly hope so. Source: I'm thinking about investing in a small electroplating setup.

[@DimensionMachine]

Looks like a crazy amount of work. The end result looks equally amazing. Nice work, you clearly have a ton of skill, and patience as well!

[@glennedward2201]

He would easily get $1200 for a helmet like that. Had he wanted he could have kicked out 20 in the same time with a little assembly process. Considering he made a one of kind theres far more value.

[@TechArtAlex]

I would love to see a video covering the different metals options, example finishes they offer and other characteristics like durability to help choose materials for projects. You have the best results I've seen from those attempting this.

[@hen3drik]

Good idea

[@jbischof71]

My god. What a beautiful process to watch. Props to anyone out there that actually attempts this

[@hen3drik]

Thanks!

[@skwerleyz]

The most casual description of "30 amps" for a hobby project I've ever seen lmao. Great video!

[@extendoduck]

If you brush a thin layer of resin on the workpiece before applying the fiberglass cloth, it's easier to avoid bubbles and fully saturate the cloth for the best adhesion. Excellent work.

[@hcpookie]

One thing I have done in the past to reduce the volume inside the bigger tank is to use empty glass jars which takes up space in the tank so you don't need as much solution. I used pickle jars, and the tank was low enough that the mouths of the jars were above the surface of the liquid.

[@glennedward2201]

You could just fill them with concrete

[@filgiupo4853]

@@glennedward2201 concrete is brittle, could ruin the liquid and it may not be usable again.

[@SimoWill75]

He means fill the jars with concrete.....

[@owuzuwo]

I never thought that you could electroplating a 3d printed object,thanks for the ideas bro... It's a long process but worth trying 😄

[@HawkWorley]

Most epoxy resins are way safer than polyester resins, and they work just as well. Whenever I fibermat or reinforce a print, I use a 2 part epoxy (normally SmoothOn 300) and have great results. Great outcome! They helmet looks great!

[@hen3drik]

Thanks for the info! I‘ll try this next time.

[@Hellsong89]

@@hen3drik Try you local shipmaker/shipwright/guy who works on smaller wood and composite boats. They usually buy it in 200liter drums as non UV protected variant, so its dirt cheap comparing to say Total Boat products. I got mine from local guy for 30€/liter of ready product, where total boat seems to be 90€/liter plus taxes and imports over here. Since you will be putting paint on top anyways its irrelevant how well it handles UV. Been doing this on my own crafts and it seems just layer or urethane lacquer is giving good protection. Hell just CA glue layer does the work based on objects that have been in sunlight in north for a year so far. Next to no off gassing compared to polyester resin so way pleasant to work with.

[@sos.gamers]

why not just use a iron solder and melt the plastic or just drop melted plastic to solder both parts? i always do that cuz is easy, fast and provides a strong bond

[@TheSupertecnology]

I would protect the finish with either some lacquer, or even better, ceramic coat the 💩 out of such a nicely done metal finish.

[@butterfinger4393]

I'm not even sure how lacquer would adhere to the smooth surface

[@TheSupertecnology]

@@butterfinger4393 Did some testing over stainless steel with automotive ceramic coating. It works wonders. Nevermind the lacquer, it would most likely peel off.

[@nazaxprime]

Actually, depending on what you're doing, I'd suggest waxes. There is a ton of color control that goes into in producing a patina on sculptures.

[@jamesg2382]

Wow this is a really great result. I tried electroplating my sculptures and never got close to the quality shown here. The palladium pen coating is a great alternative to Nickel. Well done. Very well explained/documented and really impressive outcome.

[@hen3drik]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@PCPointerDE]

Yes because the surface on sculpts can be difficult to rework with sandpaper. So it will be not so glossy

[@thorjohnson5237]

Much more expensive... but I suppose much less bio-reactive? Nickel plating bath is easy to make and not very toxic... I used it on my water-cooled rig because a liquid-metal heatsink compound will just eat copper over time...

[@thorjohnson5237]

@@PCPointerDE I'd be tempted to try ABS with an acetone vapor polish. Sanding my car took wayy too long...

[@WestBerlinCustoms]

Großen Respekt für die im gesamten Prozess steckende Arbeit - speziell das Schleifen und Polieren! 👍 Das Ergebnis spricht aber für sich! 🤘

[@hen3drik]

Vielen Dank!

[@billdberger7407]

Try those fingernail file boards for sanding, the foam blocks can be useful as well. They're cheap and gentle enough that it's not so easy to make a big mistake.

[@griptopia]

Electro forming is fun, if you are based in the uk i found these guys who do kits, Gateros Plating , they are a father and son, i've purchased a few things from them, always very helpful and knowledgeable.. great project and great video

[@MB-THX1138]

Bro, the sanding problem has been solved. An enterprising youtuber mixed bondo & acetone, then sprayed in on. It reduces sanding time immensely. Great content 👍

[@hen3drik]

Oh, that sounds interesting (and hazardous). I‘ll dig into it. Thanks!

[@emildimofte6538]

BRAVOOOO MAESTRO!!!!!!!👏🎓👏🎓👏🎓👏🎓👏🎧🧢💫👏🙏💎🙏🛸🛸💡🎓📢📢💯🌐🥏🏆💯🏆💯🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@nicbahn]

Ich suche seit Jahren noch genau so einem Video. Die Videos die ich bis jetzt über das Thema gesehen habe hatten immer keine schönen Ergebnisse oder Ergebnisse wo man sagen würde, da sollte man sich eher einfach doch metallerne Sprühfarbe holen, aber das hier wirklich fantastische Arbeit, vielen Dank!

[@coregeek]

This is so awesome. Loving this series of electroplating props!

[@Thunderbyrd.]

Wow! Committed to perfection. There are people who would pay a lot of money for that piece of art you created.

[@FunbobbyJ]

Looks better than the one in the show.

[@Drumaier]

This was amazing to witness!!! the end result couldn't be any better. Now for people that doesn't have all the space, skills, and tools needed to do this, please consider making a tutorial showing how to achieve a metallic look the easiest and cheapest way...i don't know, just something better than the PLA plastiquy look! Anyhow, thanks for this video!

[@Demonslate]

So something me and a pal had some success with was fine sanding then using a very small amount of acetone to smooth over the sanded areas BEFORE you blow away any plastic dust. It's like the sanding removes the peaks to dust, fills the troughs with the dust and then the acetone lightly wiped sort of welds the powder into the troughs. Better than using a filler and 'disposing' of the dust which is both a very usable and very unwanted micro plastic waste.

[@kurtlindner]

Great job! It looks amazing! You're one of my favorite channels to see a new upload from. Great way to end the year!

[@hen3drik]

Thank you, happy new year!

[@ewen832]

Colour me impressed. The final product was amazing.

[@thetotalfunction7736]

the most interesting description of sanding process I've ever heard)

[@druNkwriter]

Buddy, you're a frigging mad genius. That was some hardcore makery but the finished piece: holy smokes! You can't cheat perfection. WOW. The final finish was jaw dropping. Thanks so much!

[@LBCAndrew]

You can save a ton of time by using bondo, applied with a flexible plastic/rubber scraper in small sections since it hardens fast. If you put it on too thick, use a very sharp tool like a good chisel to shave the bondo once it hardens enough where it's not sticky. You gotta movce quick to remove excess before it fully hardens, otherwise you'll be doing a lot of sanding.

[@petriepretorius4085]

AWESOME!!! you make plastic look like baskar steel...i want to build my nephew one like it!

[@CMDRBlueeagle66]

Not for mere mortals, but that is some amazing work 👌

[@CaptnChardonnay]

What a brilliant result. I love this. Well done!

[@hf117j]

Was just looking into this for my Halo Reach armour build. I'll need it strong so I figured having it plated would be stronger

[@mehmeh533]

Ok this is awesome. Waiting for my 2 head Prusa XL - definitely going to be printing full helmet - and man I may have to try this!!!

[@Captain_Maeve]

Looks fantastic. I'm making my own helmet of samus from metroid prime. It won't look as nice and shiny as this but I've found for comfort creating a crown like tpu headband like inside builders helmets helps to stop it spinning about and place my eyes in the right place.

[@hen3drik]

Good idea, I had worn the leftovers from the face shield on top of my head 😅

[@BrodieFairhall]

Plating something so large is extremely challenging and you absolutely nailed it! Incredible surface finish! If only I knew you could buy galvanic pens a few years ago 😅

[@hen3drik]

Still mean, you have to have four hands to work as fast as lightning. Electrolyte is acidic and copper oxidizes and so on and so.. thanks Brodie

[@BrodieFairhall]

@@hen3drik yeah there is definitely a reason I don't pen plate or brush plate often at all (and I stick to cheap(ish) electrolytes that I can fill a 20L tub with).

[@speckbar1660]

Krasser Effekt, hätte nicht gedacht, dass es so toll wird. Tolles Video, einen Like und mein Abo haste.

[@nickthedane1]

Insane work!!! How you are not more popular is crazy!

[@NightVisionOfficial]

Finally, another video about Electroplating 3D Prints, i need this for my Bathroom sink, cuz i have to 3D print couple aesthetic things, and plate them to match the sink :)

[@charlesblithfield6182]

The sanding process is time consuming and laborious but I find it rewarding and kind of zen while doing it. I recently did a project involving sanding with 220/400/600 grits 1200/1500 wet sanding, then polishing with a sequence of different grades of diamond pastes. In between I had to apply layers of a materials akin to the car finish spray to been out tiny imperfections (a slurry of a porcelain like plastic mixed with a phosphorescent compound) Overkill? Yes but the final result was unique. .

[@theosprey1950]

So much work but the result is really something special

[@bzqp2]

Just the thought of someone recreating it at home blows my mind. Was considering doing that for my cosplays as well but the process is so damn extreme I gave up after the preliminary studies into the matter.

[@hen3drik]

I can feel you. I started with very small objects and this one was quieter challenging. At least I know the effort for the future..

[@skywardsoul1178]

Just a heads up that there's something called "spray putty" that's even thicker than high build auto primer. It requires a normal primer afterwards, but I've found it to be quite excellent. I only needed 2 coats when printing at 0.1layer heights to get a nice smooth finish. When printing a helmet with 0.3 layer height, I found smearing flexible auto body filler thinly across the layer lines was better, as the auto filler primer just didn't have the mass to fill even after many, many coats and tens of hours of hand sanding. Amazing helmet, looks fabulous.

[@hen3drik]

Alright, i‘ll try that stuff next! Thanks!

[@skywardsoul1178]

@@hen3drik Forgot to mention, the brand I've used is called Motip. I think it's a European company, so should be available.

[@hen3drik]

@@skywardsoul1178 i just looked it up. It says spritzspachtel and that’s exactly what my stuff say as well. I have to say that it also builds up a big layer.

[@SchwartzMonster]

Looks fantastic. I recently did a boba fett helmet and found pre tinted visor and air soft helmet pads worked great

[@hen3drik]

Where‘d you found that pre tinted visor?

[@elijahhudgins7579]

I’ve used Hobart face shields before for my Mandalorian helmets, they have a nice tint to them, and don’t have a dark green tint like a lot of other tinted face shields

[@DenisWilsonSouzaRosa]

That was pretty good! I'm struggling right now with the conductive paint getting stuck on the airbrush. Looks like mine thinner isn't reacting with the paint. I will try this one that you are using.

[@olafbreuer8129]

Well, seems the risk, the money and the time was absolutely worth it! Congratiulations from a maker.

[@chemicalvamp]

very well done brother!

[@felipecarl1415]

That’s absolutely 10/10!!

[@JonathanMcBrien]

WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?! Beautiful result. Unending respect for your skills and knowledge.

[@dc37009]

That looks like a $3-4000 prop to me ! Insane skillsets !!!

[@hen3drik]

😅

[@Gre4tOne]

what a project!!! Perhaps you´ll make a detailed video series on how to electroplating.

[@Chris-bg8mk]

Rhodium is also nice to plate with. Very shiny.

[@hen3drik]

And very expensive 😉

[@smellslikeupdog80]

man that looked great.

[@Jonathan-ex3sl]

Wow amazing work!!!

[@miklay1527]

That's incredible ! You definitly deserve more suscribers

[@Seagull425]

I plan on doing this to sell high quality cosplay props, thanks for the indepth tutorial.

[@saintsithx]

congratulations man! such a great way to start this year! cheers!

[@artmellowsculpts]

Wow ! Did we have to learn electroplating after just managing to learn resin printing ? 😢

[@Damjanhd]

great man. I love to see people creative

[@diy_wizard]

unglaublich, dass du dich an so ein großes Projekt geagt hast! Respekt!

[@kryptonson]

Wow. That is beautiful. Amazing work.

[@oofey08]

flawless, this is the way

[@nodrug2]

Really nice job and finish. Congratulations!

[@jplorge]

You are an artist and an orpheus. thank you

[@jaimemartinez8533]

Bro, you're a master! Congrats!!

[@joeyhillers9460]

You know, this is a perfect representation of why FDM printing is the future of general manufacturing. You highlight the necessary steps to reinforce the parts, to make the parts, everything. Just waiting for my 3d printed bicycle

[@83hd15]

Pleased to have this video recommended by youtube! very cool

[@bschwand]

Use a scraper instead of sanding. It gives a very slick, fine finish and removes material much quicker than sandpaper. It also does not heat the surface like sandpaper.

[@hen3drik]

I‘ll try. Do you have a link, I’m not sure if I got what you meant exactly.

[@Erchitu82]

What a beautiful work! Tx for the video

[@hen3drik]

Thx, Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tobias-lars.hoeher]

wow, it is so amazing and very cool what you do.

[@jehuty3285]

Wow ein überragendes Ergebnis und Hut ab!

[@diklongley01]

wow!! Thank you for going through the process. Very clear and well produced.

[@AwesomeProjects20]

Wow, thank you. I’ve been looking for clear instructions on how to do this.

[@madrush35]

this is amazing and 100% will try recreating I have 2 helms I will be trying this on

[@craigsunderland3849]

Wow, absolutely fantastic results! I want to make things!

[@mrme3207]

Absolutely amazing work

[@CaseyRoseAlwaysPositive]

TOTALLY EPIC !! ❤😃👍

[@jasonmarr9578]

I was just think of this when I was watching your videos! it looks amazing

[@JLikesStarWars]

Not sure where you got this helmet file, but the finish is something I have never seen on a 3d print. Well done!

[@dwwolf4636]

Stellar work

[@Me109R]

Moin Herr Nachbar Das Ding ist der Hammer geworden, als nächstes ist dann ja ein T-800 Kopf fällig!

[@justrandom4924]

@10:00 You could always use empty waterbottles of something to displace some liquid and reduce the need of more to fill the container?

[@dreamfunction4491]

Awesome work , mein herr.

[@Wayne_Nero]

Amazing work! Looks great, i would like to try this…

[@divyajnana]

What a process, but the results speak for themselves, beautiful job. Thank you.

[@bustersbashers2280]

Awesome 👏, just absolutely awesome 🤩. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@mohammedkhesroh6999]

With this type electro plating, does the printing become resistant to heat and to some degree water? I wonder if this allows protection for the interior that one can make a daily wearable object like a necklace for example? Truly wonderful work

[@hen3drik]

Yes, it basically a metal coating with all its physical properties. A delicate coat of 200um to be precise.

[@TheVisidor]

Nice to learn that this can be done. Worth it if you want this but I print mainly functional stuff…

[@hen3drik]

Me too, honestly. I‘m trying out these methods on cool props and often give them away.

[@Flashbang_Photo]

I've been gearing up to try and clone OEM LED headlights such as the one in the Seat Leon, so this is pretty much a godsend. I might as well try and design my own, whatever works as long as it's ECE compliant, but at any rate, this was something that had worried me for a while now. Glad to see it's easier than i expected.

[@Nerdico_at]

sehr schön geworden, das muss ich auch mal probieren :)

[@Ataraxia_Atom]

You would need less electrolyte solution if you used something inert to take up volume inside the tank. I don't know enough about electroplating to say what could be used but we do the same thing in our sinker edms, maybe filled water bottles? Anything that takes up volume will not need to be filled with the solution.

[@edwarde1898]

You are right, although a bit difficult to insert bottles in this setup. Following the Archimedes principle, the volume of the fluid displaced is equal to the volume of the object immersed. In my case, I want to plate sculptures that are closed, so although the surface area may be large, and comparable to Hendrik’s helmet, the volume of my sculptures would require considerably less electrolyte.

[@Ast3rixMusic]

Wow that was cool!! Alot of work but amazing!!!

[@spanishfish6994]

Great video! Not sure how I ended up here, but I am glad I did

[@theenchiladakid1866]

That's how i did my MK2 clome armour but i had intelocking tabs and notches on the inside for the fibre glass to hold onto

[@pepepimpon]

I loose it at the palladium part, cant you point where to know more about it? Amazing work btw

[@onyxcutts8060]

Wow, what a cool project! Very very impressive

[@Zotemann]

Erstklassige Arbeit 👏👏👏

[@dzienisz]

Dude! Awesome!

[@devilmay]

can i just say though, the copper helmet was sexy!

[@HobbyBench]

This is great, Amazing job! Although I wonder if it would be cheaper with a similar effect to use something like Born Chrome finish or AlClad with similar results. Either way, Amazing job

[@eranabramovich]

Nice Work

[@dbaider9467]

Beautiful work. This could have been a longer video!

[@BOTmaster15]

when connecting 3d printed parts, just use 3D pen. It's like welding but with plastic. Most of the time you will get much stronger connection than the part itself.