Plastic welding 3D prints | How to properly merge 3D prints & remove seams | Finishing 3D prints

[@gehrkea]

You the man DWD!!

[@Darkwingdad]

Appreciate it my man!

[@gageneededit]

Man I should of watched this first. Im doing a space marine helmet with the welding method and I've been trying to use glazing putty to fill the gaps. MY GOD. Its probably my tenth pass now and It just doesn't cling enough. When they say hairline cracks and small imperfections they aren't joking. For my next attempt I'm definitely gonna use a stronger filler first.

[@Darkwingdad]

@@gageneededit yea putty is for light superficial defects. Bondo plastic metal is the way to go!

[@StabbyMcStabwood]

I dont know what that stuff consist of, but weld-on 4 is PLA chemical bonding/plastic welding on easy mode. I use a syringe with a blunt tip needle to apply it because its water thin and evaporates super fast. Its marketed for acrylics but it will bond/melt the PLA together in seconds. I like to appy to both surfaces and just stick/hold for 30 seconds. You can also tape your pieces together and use the syringe to run it into the seam since its so thin. There's one drawback to using the syringe, the plastic holding the needle isnt the same as the syringe and it will soften, just dont drop your needle in the can.

[@Darkwingdad]

It’s pretty much the same stuff as gloop but it’s thinner. Same chemistry & nice results.

[@mattlott1113]

Awesome work, as always!

[@Darkwingdad]

Well thank ya thank ya

[@xXGeko1Xx]

I’ve also seen super glue and baking powder to seal seems as well

[@Darkwingdad]

@@xXGeko1Xx yea but a pain to sand down and you’ll still need a putty or filler on top of it to properly smooth & seal it

[@DragonXDrei]

Use black zip ties and melt them down to use as sealing bond/glueing since it's black?

[@Darkwingdad]

Using like thermo plastics will create the best bond

[@Mchin9876543210]

How long does the plastic metal last on the 3d prints? As far as i know, plastic metal is meant for filling metal surfaces. Is that the only filler you use? I was thinking of just using normal bondo filler if the plastic filler works. Im not seeing a lot of options for filler that is meant for plastic.

[@Darkwingdad]

@@Mchin9876543210 plastic metal has metaloids to reinforce it so it’s stronger than traditional fillers. It is vinyl resin blend so it can bond to metal and other surfaces. It is perfectly fine to use on substrates other than metal.

[@DarthFlan]

DW, in one of your videos, I think it might’ve been this one you talk about the padding that you use for the inside of your helmets. I am finishing a storm trooper helmet and just wondering how are you make the padding look professional? Thx man!

[@Darkwingdad]

Hey mike, your on my discord right?

[@DarthFlan]

@@Darkwingdad yep, I am. Is. It buried on there somewhere??

[@Darkwingdad]

@@DarthFlan no I’ll send you a message with pics

[@mattyice2271]

Hey man, big fan been following you for a while. Just wondering what your favorite method/product is to smooth out prints, regardless if that means Bondo in an airbrush gun or a filler primer or resin.

[@Darkwingdad]

I appreciate the support! On the combine helmet I sprayed dolphin 1k & it’s a game changer! I also really love using the raptor 1k. Video is in the works on spraying a few of my favs including my new go to filler primer! Stay tuned!

[@mattyice2271]

@@Darkwingdad thx! And for the dolphin/rapotor 1k it’s the same process with acetone and an airbrush?

[@Darkwingdad]

@@mattyice2271 so raptor is a premixed aerosol available at autozone I did a whole helmet (video already up) using that and upol filler primer. Very simple. The 1k putty same idea as bondo, mix & spray!

[@TC-xu7pp]

So you don’t leave the staples in the PLA? From what the box the stapler came in it looks like you did?

[@Darkwingdad]

You definitely can, this is actually a welder used for repair bumpers on cars that are urethane, they have more flex & are thinner so the staple is a must. But for 3D prints the 3D gloop & welding has been bulletproof.

[@TC-xu7pp]

@@Darkwingdad thanks again! just got my 3d gloop and tested it on some parts of my Helldivers helmet i’m making!!! that stuff is amazing!!!!

[@Darkwingdad]

@@TC-xu7pp anytime! Always here to help

[@sage5483]

Do you still use the upol primer??..

[@Darkwingdad]

Yes upol is my new go to!

[@sage5483]

@Darkwingdad awesome thanks for making all these videos. It really helps to navigate all the ways to finish 3d prints..you're like my 1 stop shop haha..

[@Darkwingdad]

@@sage5483 I appreciate the support! I’ll have a video up soon on my go to method!

[@prodeous]

What about using the "3d pens", especially for filing in the void?

[@Darkwingdad]

If you have a large gap like I did those work great. But as far as welding it they’re not gonna cut it. A majority of the material is going to be above the seam & be sanded off in post processing. Not the best way to merge vs what’s shown here.

[@Arpehem]

@@Darkwingdad I use 3d pens to weld and it works great! It's all about the technique. If you dig in a bit with the head of the pen, you melt the plastic on the sides as well as steadily applying filling material in between. It's like welding with a filler rod! After you use the flat welder just like you did in your video and if you're careful enough, you barely need any sanding and don't get drops! 3D pen also saved me a print I over sanded. All I did was fill the hole, flatten it with an iron and sand a bit. It gives even better results I hope for when I first purchased it and now I'm wondering why it took me so long to get one!

[@Darkwingdad]

@@Arpehem awesome to hear. Might hafta try it, my daughter has one, might disappear lol

[@Arpehem]

@@Darkwingdad Looking forward to that video!

[@JoshuaRilliet]

Hi, this "glue" is interesting, but unfortunately I can't find it in my country and getting it from the US or Canada would be far too expensive for what it is. So apart from this product, what other viable solutions do you think exist for gluing PLA printed parts correctly?

[@Darkwingdad]

Where are you located?

[@JoshuaRilliet]

@@Darkwingdad In France.

[@bryanm1094]

When you print do u use supports or which direction do you print it?

[@Darkwingdad]

Yes always use supports if needed. As far as direction what do you mean? Like how it’s orienated?

[@bryanm1094]

@@Darkwingdad yeah the orienated. To get the best results

[@Darkwingdad]

@@bryanm1094 it depends, if you plan on sanding it, print it upside down. If you don’t want to sand or as much clean up print it at a 90* and use support blocker in the middle to cut down on time

[@TheRealMisterJ]

From my experience it's best to weld the staples long ways instead of the way you did it.. But another great video thanks!

[@TheRealMisterJ]

Also instead of just going straight down with the staples, I like to go in at kind of an angle and then give it a little twist to make it straight.. Really gives a nice bond

[@Darkwingdad]

@@TheRealMisterJ I’ve had great luck using the “T” method of stapling on the seam but definitely appreciate others feedback. I’ll be sure to try it out on my next build! Thanks for watching!

[@SuperDuperTango]

This is great. Thanks again. I was wondering for some other vids, you were recommending the upol dolphin putty. Can you use that instead of the plastic metal or glazing putty?

[@Darkwingdad]

You can, but the plastic metal definitely fills better. If that’s the only option you have the upol will suffice

[@SuperDuperTango]

Thanks. Got it! (both figuratively and literally as I just ran out to get a tube of plastic metal 😁)@@Darkwingdad

[@TheMadmichel]

Sup bro nice vid I do something similar so mainly watching this for support lol keep it up

[@Darkwingdad]

Thanks my dude! I appreciate the support!

[@shadowline1413]

Why dont you use some PLA from the roll and fill the gaps directly ? its like WIG Welding then and you dont thin out your material so much =)

[@Darkwingdad]

I’ve done that, I show that process in another video

[@sapovaughn]

I’ve seen no mention anywhere about an SM-33 nod to classic literature. SM-33 is Smee, CRT Hook’s minion from Peter Pan.

[@Darkwingdad]

I am so confused

[@randallbourque1321]

Awesome video, if you can, try and improve where your focus is. When you were welding, it was out of of focus. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to all the new content coming.

[@Darkwingdad]

Yea it was fuzzy when I was closing the gap, luckily it’s pretty self explanatory, I love/hate shooting in cinematic sometimes, grrrrr

[@goatelope7539]

Marko file!!!!!

[@Phantomshell]

dope shirt

[@Darkwingdad]

Thanks man, they need to bring back the old members and get a revival going. Miss the early/mid 2000s HIM

[@Phantomshell]

@@Darkwingdad I was lucky to see them on their farewell tour in ny a while ago, still have them in my daily rotation

[@Darkwingdad]

@@Phantomshell sadly never got to see them, spent my HS & college years blasting deep shadows & brilliant highlights,razorblade romance & love metal. Valo’s new stuff just isn’t the same….I need a Time Machine.