Flexible PLA!? - 3D Printing & Painting FLEXIBLE Cosplay Armor!

[@ljohnso16]

lolol i love when cosplayers think they are real 3d printers, but they cant print tpu. loolol your better off with cardboard buddy. pathetic

[@FranklyBuilt]

What even is this comment? Really? 😂 sorry I’ll go return my “I’m a REAL 3D printer” license to the nearest office ASAP, your royal highness 🤡 Go leave dumb comments on someone else’s video. And to everyone else. Be constructive not destructive. Gatekeeping and acting like this clown is the best way to sour the punch bowl for everyone. No room for it here.

[@andrewwatts1997]

No true scotsman fallacy alert over here ! So sad, So sad.

[@bagenius5970]

Ah yes, with this logic, if someone doesn't know how to do an oil change, that means they don't actually know how to drive a car. Your comment makes no sense. How can a cosplayer be a 3D printer? A 3D printer is a machine. It is physically impossible for a human to be a 3D printer. They can be 3D printer operators, which in this case, Frank is a 3D printer operator, because he... wait, I'm about to blow your mind... operates 3D printers. Oh, and again using your ignorant logic, we should also take away the title of "cosplayer" from a lot of people, because some don't make their own costumes, can't sew, don't own a 3D printer, don't know how to work with foam, can't do makeup, because playing in costume (cosplay) requires all of that, just like someone "being a 3D printer" should require the knowledge and skill of being able to print with EVERY SINGLE filament type, including the ever-famously difficult filament that is TPU. Reading your comment left me with 2 brain cells, which are competing with each other for 3rd place.

[@SocialMediaFBIAgent]

Who are you (a person with a single measly subscriber and no videos posted) of all people to say that Frankly Built, a cosplayer (who does this for fun, yet has over 778k subscribers) that he's pathetic? Though Frank already responded to you, what the heck, man. This guy decides not to print TPU because it's his choice to do what he wants, and he's decided that he doesn't want to. If he actually wanted to, and he spent time practicing, I'm sure, given his knowledge in this field, that he could get some dang near perfect TPU prints, but as it seems, he doesn't. Love you Frankly. Keep up the great work! 😁👍

[@alexm7582]

Gatekeeping ass mf, bro. Please scrub that dark dirty neck of yours with baking soda.

[@TheGothalosism]

Put "plastidip" cans in hot water for about 5 mins before spraying. It really helps. Although I've had cracking issues with the dupicolor brand.

[@fleekyfriday]

Does flexible pla crack?

[@TheGothalosism]

@fleekyfriday you mean TPU? I havent played around with that filament yet.

[@slickweng]

Tips that I learned from Kamui Cosplay and her eva foam and dealing with flexible paint: the plastidip is great but you want to put the can in some real warm water, get the coating up to around 80-90F. This lets it flot and end smoother. It can then be smoothed further with mineral spirits. Hobby Lobby also carries some eva foam paint that is designed to be very flexible for use on foam but you'll be airbrushing. Hope it helps and future iterations and always appreciate your vids!

[@techsavvyhero]

That's definitely an upgrade to the madness of fine tuning slicer settings for Ninjaflex and standard TPU. I'm definitely interested in getting some now to experiment with. Thanks for the tips and tricks, Frank!

[@UncleJessy]

Oh man Ive had some of this for a few months now and never used it. Crazy excited now to try it out

[@Xlucid67]

This will greatly improve cosplay. Now the world knows about it because of your amazing vids! ❤

[@markwilliamson4006]

Another great video. I always appreciate how along with your tips, you emphasize that everyone needs to experiment with different techniques and materials to find out what works best for them. Now I'm going to get some of this flexible PLA to try, hopefully before it is sold out on account of your recomendation!

[@Baconkiin]

In Cura you can enable a setting that lets you print rafts and supports with a different filament if you have a printer with a dual extruder, so that could be another option for printing them without them being flexible as well

[@VoyagerOfTheVeil]

i found you on TikTok last year and i just got my first 3D Printer last week! i've been binging your videos since!

[@joshuamahon260]

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this type of filament before, considering all of the other ones I've heard of. I will defiantly be trying this out in the near future and comparing it to my TPU. Thanks for sharing you're knowledge.

[@dxe2077]

Oh, this gives me plenty of ideas. I think what you could do is use some of the same techniques for coating EVA foam for the flexible PLA here. I have yet to publish my video on my various experiments with getting sandable and flexible coatings on EVA foam, but that should be coming soon. I'll try experimenting with this material myself someday for my Ultraman suit. I use a combination of various types of sealants. Flexbond, which is pretty much a more flexible PVA glue. DAP Kwik Seal. Plaid FX paint. Hexflex. Rapid Fill, along with its companion Fine Finish. I haven't tried Gap Filla. What I did for my third Ultraman helmet (video coming soon, along with the suit itself) was a combination of Flexbond, Kwik Seal, Hexflex (Poly Props), and Plaid FX paint. I just mixed them all together and applied it. It resulted in a flexible and easily sandable surface, especially when applied with a flat paint brush. I then followed that up with 3 coats of Plasti-Dip and airbrushed a mix of Plaid FX paints (with a touch of Vallejo model air paints). I'm going to use a flexible clear coat (varnish) over it, although not without proper testing. All of this may work with flexible PLA as well.

[@SampaiNoticesYou]

Thank you for always making the content so digestible and for talking about the new tech being developed in this space! I don't print myself but my partner does so I love learning from you and being able to talk about his passions with him. Stay snazzy!

[@MarkMichalowski]

Excellent stuff, Frank! One trick I've seen to make plastic surfaces more receptive to paint layers is to quickly "flame" the furface by running a blowtorch - or even just a hot-air gun - over the surface just prior to painting. No idea if this would make a difference, but it's worth a go!

[@SpectorSpider]

Super cool, thanks for the video on this man. 3D printed Clone/Stormtrooper armor would benefit so greatly from this material.

[@andrewmakestuff]

Thank you for the once again for taking the time to experiment and share your knowledge!

[@dwaynem8015]

If you use an air brush or paint gun, you could probably add an automotive paint flex additive to the base coat and the clear coat.

[@jessesese8995]

So I've been printing TPU a lot lately for my own cosplay. When you use the heatgun method, the part needs to be 100% solid, otherwise you get that deformation you mentioned. Lately I've been using something called FlexBond by ROSCO for smoothing and priming. It's basically a mix of silicone and white glue that I brush on in thick layers, then I can sand that down a lot easier than TPU can be sanded. From there, just paint using flexible acrylics

[@phenomenalfx2965]

Is FlexBond different from FlexiBond from ROSCO? I used to use that stuff years ago, but it was latex not silicone.

[@jessesese8995]

@@phenomenalfx2965 Thanks for pointing that out. It is called FlexBond, but you're right, latex, not silicone

[@ChrisJohnson-tn1mo]

Love this stuff. Really grateful for your vids sharing learning curves. Saves us all time and effort and money.

[@ImmortalReaver]

Last night I was actually testing painting a latex mask with acrylic and seeing if it would stick. Cheap walmart paint didn't work. Currently have a little test spot of Plaid FX drying to see if that will work. Same color as your shirt actually! 😅 If that doesn''t work then I'll see what else I can look into. Possibly leather paint or even mixing this acrylic with some liquid latex.

[@zagmir4727]

Just received my printer Wednesday and was looking for info on this yesterday. Incredible.

[@dropforg3d]

Awesome quality content as always Frank. What I would like to suggest and think you might consider is looking into a material called SBS. I’m not sure how many international manufacturers make filament with it, but we have some incredible stuff here in South Africa from FilX. It’s more flexible than PLA, great layer adhesion, not hygroscopic and the best part, it smooths with Limonene! Safe with no harsh smells or health risks! Keep the good stuff coming!

[@TheWolfThatRuns]

Thanks Frank!!! I’ve been waiting for this video for a while! Once again another Great Video!!!

[@MajinFox89]

Glad I saw this. I just thought about trying to do a Green Ranger Dragon Shield with some flexible PLA I have laying around. This gives me a little hope. haha

[@-AT-WALKER]

Thanks for the heads up on the new material!

[@peternieves4958]

I try to follow all your videos. I find them very educational and informative so far. No I’ve got about 14 printers, some resin and some FDM.

[@MandicReally]

I just happened to be using this stuff this week and had all kinds of problems. Fun stuff for sure.

[@Darzenis69]

Yes it looks amazing! I hope this will come out good. Can't wait future updates.

[@ernestmanhammer5631]

Great coverage on this! I'm curious, have you tried PLA welding it to other flexible PLA or even the standard PLA to see if it hold up?

[@gothamharborreplicas]

Hey bud! HEAT YOUR PAINT! Warm bath works. I like to spray with cans at 70-75 degrees. The rubber stuff (plasti dip and such) responds like a dream to a little warmth. Also... have you tried adhesion promoter? Works great when painting urethane armor with Dupli-Color vinly and upholstery paint. Instead of dip primer, might keep your top coats from flaking/peeling. Awesome vid!

[@markwilliamson4006]

Also meant to tell you I'm jealous of your new workshop. Love to have a maker space half as nice. Except for that pesky 'poltergeist' at 16:30! 😊

[@Harambe_of_Light]

I didn't even realize they made flexable pla. Definitely gonna try it when I start back up on my suit.

[@thecadman22]

I agree with some of the other comments. From working with EVA, learned to always warm plasti-drip type materials in warm water before using and occasionally warming it back up. Really stops the glob issues. You could also try flexible paints like PlaidFX or Flexi Paint at least as a primer type layer. Both also offer metallic armor colors that might work as base coats.

[@thetarangster]

Super informative video!! gonna try some flexible PLA on my Mandalorian hip armor and handplates!! Love that Rick Tee, Frank! 😆❤‍🔥

[@monkeyboy5000]

Ive been using the ataraxia art for a month now to make swords and knifes and it just works so well

[@WhatnotArt]

This stuff is a game changer for 3d print cosplay. Can’t wait to see what it’s used for!!

[@SqualidsargeStudios]

I can think of so e things, like flexible parts for in joints like elbows and such. Even helmet seals would work well, so a helmet can be closed closer around the neck. Heck probably even under-suit stuff like the halo reach flexible bits. You could even print a batman cowl with this stuff

[@lilrobi45xxx42]

I bet you could even print armor like stormtrooper armor and it be a lot more easy to move in and be able to sit down in it

[@orangeinferno]

I was just thinking about this for my cosplay! Thank you again for covering this!

[@skyrider4789]

I usually have bad luck with timing, but in this case, not having built my first set of armor and still a cosplay/con virgin, this is great news and timing! Woot! 😁Thanks for the tests & video!

[@dustydesigners8657]

I've been on the hunt lately for a good flexible material. I have some flexible resin coming in I'm going to be testing, this is next up on the list. Thanks for the vid Frank

[@groggysword33]

Imagine having a multi head setup and switching out the PLA in places that are rigid, and then using flexible with the other head. Crazy set ups are about to come out.

[@ajzride]

Look into Halo EFX for painting flexible parts. Plastidip, rustoleum flex, etc are all rubber based, but Halo is vinyl based. The big advantage is it is more compatible with standard paints so you can use metal cast, clears and such with way less spidering due to reactions. You can actually clear coat Halo with 2K automotive clear with a flex ability additive (common for bumpers).

[@MattHealey.]

That would be amazing for the side bits of the patrol trooper armour from solo

[@flamingrebel69]

YESSSS! Printing the hands/ fingers with this I think would be nice! My hands get eaten up with the hard plastic. And the shoe covers! I think ima try this! Thanks!

[@vincenzospallino9302]

Would love to see you print a helmet and a cowl in this new material!!

[@OperationSpider]

Something to consider: Have you tried priming and painting the flexible PLA with the same stuff EVA foam builders prime and paint their cosplay pieces with? We tend to use primers like Flexbond (thinned down with water) to get into the pores (and maybe this could work with layer lines) and build up a paintable layer.

[@FranklyBuilt]

I could try it but that’s just more Work and steps. The point of this was to test simple methods for similar or better results

[@isaiahmarshall2023]

Please build a flexible version of the Mark85 armor and you could possibly do a mark50 version too with the flexible PLA

[@dwaynem8015]

Nicely done 👍

[@mad_rabbits]

This is definitely a game changer! Been waiting for this video since the instagram updates. Seems to be exactly what I need for my Halo undersuit. Do you think it'll be possible to pla weld these or would that not be worth the effort? Thanks for all the info!

[@sunriseshell]

Car paint shops can mix flex additives in most paints. They can also make custom spray cans or you can use Preval sprayers.

[@Zedward84]

Oh I, too have Ataraxia Flexible PLA in orange version & I was able to print a Batgirl cowl last year. It imperfect cuz of it absorb moisture & I had terrible setting at the time.

[@emanuelcalderon]

That is some cool pla.

[@Blackacecosplay]

The true game changer

[@zachsgamegarage1411]

I've been working on Vegeta's battle armor and started by using pla and even though it was a proper fit. My shoulders got in the way. I'm also using flex pla and will see from there

[@magicgundam]

I'm no cosplayer, but I am really interested in the potential for this stuff to make soft goods for 1/12 scale action figures (capes, skirts, etc). 😊

[@Grpyphon]

This was my first thought as well!

[@rabbitgirl316]

Doll accessories too! This stuff could be a good alternative to flexible resin. :O

[@squadie1]

Oh this is going to be spectacular for a mk7 spartan suit I’m working on

[@HuzaifaM123]

Now this is a flex. Bend the rules for cosplay frank!

[@camtron1967]

I’m making a new suit so I’m definitely using this for it’s nexk

[@pb5216]

It is always fun when Casper makes a guest appearance. 👻 Great video. I will be referring back to it often.

[@m3chless180]

Hey there! I just wanted to drop by and say thank you for creating that amazing video about 3D printed flexible cosplay armor. It was so helpful and informative, and I learned a lot from it. Your attention to detail and willingness to share your knowledge really shines through in your videos, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Keep up the great work!

[@TheJeetkanaskar]

i dunno how helpful this might be , can you use silicone moulding liquid as a filler (kinda like xtc3d) using a sponge brush ? maybe use something to bond it like spray adhesive..?

[@luckasfrigo]

Have you thought about using a dual printer to mix up rigid and flexible PLA? Like, for the abs of the armor. It could provide you with great quality finishing while giving you just enough flexibility on specific parts.

[@ThatVideoGuyTom]

This is super frickin cool... thanks man!

[@stonefarmer3005]

I bought some of the Ataraxia F-PLA a couple months ago and found it easy to print. Have t tried painting it though.

[@RyoHazuki224]

This is exciting!! I am very much a novice at printing, but have been experimenting with more stuff lately. Been wanting to try TPU but without a direct drive printer I've been hesitant to try on my bowden-tube printer (I've read that some stiffer shore hardness TPU may work). But now with this stuff... hell yeah I'm going to get some right away and see what I can do with it!! Awesome stuff man! Your armors always come out looking fantastic!

[@Tomcat_Coyote]

Oooh this is a game changer for Spartan undersuits !! No more plain black sports underwear or cheap motorbike protections ❤❤

[@knoxkinsey2929]

Hey man love the vids❤❤❤❤❤ you are the reason I made a lifesized Mando helmet!!!!

[@manuelcruz2256]

Definitely want to try this for the same reasons kneck cover, I was having issues with tpu cracking. Thank you for sharing

[@lunalefae9455]

You are awesome! I have the Monoprice MP10 with a 300x300 print bed. I want to make a kamen rider cosplay and was worried about some of the pieces, and this fillament will be perfect! Thank you!

[@onbedoeldekut1515]

What you could do to make life MUCH easier for yourself would be to print a thin version in the flexible material as a skin of a baselayer, with sections of the neck glued over the 'skin' in rigid pla. That way, you'll provide structure and flexibility where and how you need whist also having the look you want as well. If only you there was a printer which could print different layers together which would fuse during curing...

[@hunterwhite4544]

Flexible pla is so sick

[@NasusKim]

people could make their own custom shoes for their cosplay with this stuff!

[@zavarykinvisuals]

In Ukraine we have local manufacturer of filaments Monofilament and its making Elastane (Spandex) D70, D100 and D160 Filaments, they print easily even without direct drive, results are amazing like PLA

[@facelessmcgee102]

I'm so happy this is a thing now, 3d printed batman cowls might actually work now

[@aaroncaballero5390]

Awesome thanks really informative as always 👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@maisaparviainen3357]

Im really gonna watch your amazing videos so I will learn to make my own suit

[@TheMovieUniverse]

That's awesome! I wish I had the ability to do this.

[@gregoryhall2967]

Ordered some flash forge as I'm scared of tpu 😂 need a neck for a 46 and a 49, the 49 is supposed to fit insanely tight

[@flyingfortress4819]

8:51 About discoloration of PLA after sanding; if you very lightly go over the affected area with a high temp heat gun/ butane lighter, it will bring the normal color back for the most part after sanding A simple butane lighter has been one of my most valuable tools for 3D printing. I also use it for getting rid of stringing. As long as you hit the area for a second or two from a good distance, it won’t hurt your print

[@A-scketchy-otter-lol]

Hey frank, how well do you think this stuff would bounce? im trying to make the super expensive wilson ball bc funny

[@spontankreasichannel01]

Flexibel material is very good for cosplay👍👍

[@argonautbuilds2235]

Thank you so much for these kinds of videos! Very informative! One more thing, did you smell anything when using these filaments? Do you think it’d be safe in a normal room?

[@Abedeuss]

Aww man, I tried looking up and while we do have Flashforge in Poland, no store sells the Ataraxia PLA. Oh well, maybe in a few weeks.

[@Lastlineshow]

Would love to see you do a video trying to print these pieces with Resin 3d printing rubber like resins. Wonder if that would be similar to the casting emily does but with no need for casting. Great Video.

[@user-dz6zd2sk5c]

Can you experiment with fussing two flexible prints together? I’d like to print a full size cowel but would need to split it into two pieces. If I can’t fuse them together and had the fuse with sanding paint etc. it won’t be worth it to me.

[@Lorienhal]

I look forward to printing out my halo armor undersuit with this stuff on the neck area and in between the stiff pieces

[@phoenix_lord3522]

Nice...your painting techniques are improving.🤔 Try using a higher sanding paper...like 320 or 400 between coats, also wet sanding will help a lot. Letting each coat dry for several hours before sanding. and with the clear coat...after it has fully cured get a high "0" rating steel wool (like 3 or 4) to polish the clear coat to a high gloss(also using water with the steel wool).😉 Can't wait to see your new and improved Ironman suit.👍

[@kaleisavoy9131]

Hey, I was wondering if you have tried connecting 2 pieces made of FPLA together? For example, you have a gauntlet and want to fuse the fingers to the palm, or maybe 2 chest pieces into one? Thanks in Advance!!

[@gigan1054]

Theres a really cool product called Alex flex thats like a flexible bondo. I used it for tpu and worked well and tried it on this and worked decently as well!

[@red-tailangelspitfire3075]

thats dope

[@ninjareaper1]

i wonder if you use a mosaic pallete and use pla as supports would be helpful

[@bagenius5970]

15:48 "I see this as an absolute win! 😃"

[@Lady_Hiccups]

I need your settings for this filament! I'm on a quickly approaching deadline that I need this to work for, but I can not get a successful print out of it. My calibration tests seem to work fine, but not the actual models I need.

[@lauraconnolly663]

I am attempting to dive into the realm of 3D printed armour builds for future cosplay's like Springtrap (fnaf.) and my clone trooper OC (Star wars.) I want to be able to move properly in my creations and I have a few bad joints that tend to get quite stiff after wearing foam armour etc. I have an Elegoo Neptune 3D Max printer and so far? I have loved how it prints PLA+. (Previously had a Creality CR-10 -V2.) A direct extruder printer has been 1000x better to program and to use. What base settings would you suggest I try with my Max in terms of this flexible PLA material? (And, which brand of such would you recommend?? I have heard that Flash Forge is quite a good brand. ) I use Prusa slicer as my slicer of choice (used to use Cura when I first started out but Prusa became easier for me to navigate and understand ^^; ) Thank you :)

[@maximilianisimo]

Frank you may have to print an armor support for transport and store it

[@raijolt7875]

a batman cowl would be sick with that fillament

[@ratcavestudio]

I wonder what would happen if you used flexible UV resin to help smooth it

[@Starganderfish]

This looks great but the visible layer lines are still a bit of an eyesore. It sounds like you can sand a bit but there's a limit to how smooth you can get with subtractive smoothing methods like sanding? To me it sounds like the next step is exploring sandable flexible fillers. You could start with flexible silicone but that's thick and viscous and really tough to smooth out, and isn't really sandable. Better is to look into acrylic or poly flexible fillers for building. There's a heap of these so definitely worth seeing how well they can be applied, smoothed and sanded to improve that surface finish and what impact it has on paint and flexibility. Just looking at this I'm imagining awesome costumes like the comic book style red and gold Iron-Spider suit, or 3D printing Batman cowls or costumes. But you gotta get that surface finish quality up.

[@thecomicjoint1311]

Hey Frank! Love the videos. I was wondering if the Egeloo Neptune 3 Pro is able to print this flexible PLA?

[@legolegendzyt]

Your videos are the best

[@legolegendzyt]

Your so insparational

[@legolegendzyt]

Please make a doctor fate cosplay

[@davisrob]

Great review of techniques using flex PLA! What about welding FPLA for those who have smaller 3D printers?

[@mrjustbecausewhynot]

You should create that white ranger concept design that you said you might do one day in your white ranger concept helmet video now that you have the flexible filament.

[@seekertosecrets]

14:35 It does. At this point, although Flexable PLA has its uses in cosplay, I think that it's limited on the type of paint that can be applied on the surface. Enamel paints are not a viable option when it comes to flexible surfaces. Once it cures, any type of bending or flexing will make the paint crack. I suggest using more "durable" paints like leather paint or acrylic paints for parts that will actually bend, flex, or squash. 14:52 I think it will because you are spraying a plastic sheen over the surface with that type of gloss.