The Ultimate Guide to Smoothing & Finishing Your 3D Prints

[@vigilante004]

I love your style of no BS, silliness or slapstick that so many KZbin Makers seem to think is necessary to add to their videos. I learned so much just from this one video. I’m glad that I found you!

[@MMsPropShop]

You may be subjected to a pun here and there but I do try to stick to the point lol Glad you found the video helpful!

[@graxxor]

Foot Sander: Am I a joke to you?

[@jazzyspinach9109]

Cant tell you enough how helpful this video was. The techniques and tools have been a real game changer, and I've been printing with ABS since first seeing this, the whole process has been so much better and I've been so much happier with the quality of my work lately.

[@couryrussell7653]

Well, you’ve officially convinced me to print my first helmet with Asa!

[@jasonszumlanski6514]

I have no real interest in your specific industry, but I watched this entire video because you provided such amazing information about finishing 3D printed parts in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner. You are amazing and impressively talented.

[@RichardDHooper]

The foot sander was a fantastic tip. Best tool I have purchased.

[@jessescott9704]

I just wanted to thank you for your suggestion of using the electric foot sander. I just tackled a job that I thought would take hours. 10 minutes later, I'm done! Thank you so much and happy printing. I'm now a subscriber ;)

[@radish6691]

Foot sander upgrade: foot pedal power switch. Hold down to sand, release to stop, way better than fumbling with the inline control. I bought a Wen switch from Amazon for $12 USD, definitely worth it!

[@spacekb17]

I bought one for my portaband saw that I have on a stand. Need to move it between tools so often I probably need to buy another one

[@silverdragonheart]

With regards to sanding PLA I've always had good results using wet sanding, the problem with PLA is that it has a low glass transition temperature so when dry sanding it tends to heat up which makes it very difficult to sand, if you have a bowl of cold water near by and use wet and dry sanding paper just keep dipping the part your working on in the water every now and then and the sanding paper too, then it keeps it all cool and it works much better. Using up to 1500 grit paper I've got a mirror sooth finish on PLA, it did take a lot of sand though.

[@ladyliss5516]

thanks a ton for this tip, gotta try it

[@mediamisfits3805]

thanks!

[@Willy_Tepes]

I feel that PLA is almost like sanding wood. Happy to hear that PETG and ABS are even easier. But yeah, wet sanding is best because it contributes to removing dust from the work piece during the process. The issue I have had with PETG is the increased warping which means I have to use a raft on most parts. And yeah, it gets slightly tacky if you dry sand. Since I don't use a power tool it is less of a problem.

[@thirdeyenz]

That's a great idea! I keep thinking sanding PLA is more like melting it with friction but never thought to keep it cool with wet sanding. Maybe that mixed with my foot sander will do the trick. Thanks!

[@Zodliness]

Sandblasting 3D printed parts gives a consistently smooth pre-paint finish, with less effort and in a fraction of the time spent hand-sanding. 😉

[@puppetstring55]

Just finished painting a helmet literally as this video got posted. There are so many tips in here I could have used since it was my first time doing this. Turned out great, but rest assured this video will come in handy for the remaining parts once they are off the printer. Thank you

[@Becvar80]

I swear I learned more about print finishing tools and techniques in this one video than in the last 2 years of printing.

[@srikanthsugavanam8591]

It is such a pleasure to watch a master worker. I really appreciate you taking the time to curate the videos of the different stages, and also voicing over with so much practical detail. I am just getting into 3D printing, and this video has given me several ideas on how to start, what kind of inventory to get, and also which direction I should take for my own projects. AI can't touch this :) Thanks for your time and for sharing your expertise!

[@willdobbs7876]

You can take the flat end of a soldering iron, like ones used for headsets, with a short strand of filament, and use those to ‘weld’ the plastic together, then you can sand over it for a smooth surface finish.

[@CargoBLG]

если нет регулятора температуры, то пластик может деградировать и стать очень хрупким

[@falxonPSN]

Just make sure to buy a cheap junkie soldering iron for this purpose. Using plastic would absolutely ruin the tips on that I would bet.

[@-canopus-513]

Great video. Having multiple filament types in this one video makes this insanely useful.

[@Zodliness]

Cheers for sharing this useful information. For sanding multiple parts, I invested in a small sandblaster kit, which produces consistent surface quality and ultimately takes the tedium out of manually sanding numerous intricate parts. A sandblaster gets into every nook and cranny and easily removes any traces of brim. 👍

[@ourlistingpro117]

Great info. Could you share the model of your sand blaster?

[@RocketTurtlez]

Thank you for going over each type of filament you use in your builds! It was supremely helpful to hear the differences you've noticed with regard to ease of finishing for each of them. I've primarily printed in PLA and always got frustrated with the the finishing process due to the material melting while sanding, even at low speeds! Going to try PETG for my next project!

[@jmsmoriarty]

First video from you on my timeline, toeS sanding tool, HOW COULD I NOT THINK OF THAT ??, GENIOUS !! Already ordered 1

[@stephengomes977]

Sander for your foot? Brilliant!!! In the Army we used to say if it looks/sounds stupid but it works, it works! Thanks for that golden nugget to work larger areas too large for a Dremel, and too small/delicate for a larger tool. Don’t forget UV glasses for the UV light 😉 Keep up the great work - first time viewing your content and you got a new subscriber!

[@Incorruptus1]

:) This is really fun! Thank you for having this channel up. And thank you for the hints tips and tricks. Nice to see you working on quality outcomes. Really cool!

[@zk_6312]

Looks great. I normally only use PETG as I have my printer enclosed and PLA does not like enclosures very well and you end up with clogged nozzles. You are very talented and very very very patient. I am too lazy to sand and paint like that, but I appreciate the hard work that goes into it. My prints are mostly functional and for myself so I don't need to sand and paint as it is just a hobby for me and they actually don't look too bad without all that sanding and painting.

[@channelnotfound403]

I'm SO happy KZbin brought your channel into my feed... Foot Sander ORDERED. Thank You for making sanding "less" painful; it was a real pain in my foot .... (I'll see myself out)

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

Not sure why KZbin hasn't served me your content. Love this! Subscribed!

[@MsFactnotfiction]

Awesome!! I have been using UV resin like you do but I didn't know about the foot sander. It will be a great addition to my tools. One thing that I use for metal look is metal powder for cold casting. They give a very realistic finish and make the surface very abrasion resistant. You can use iron that can rust if you want, bronze, stainless etc.

[@patrickm6000]

First time I've seen you on here. Very well done video. To the point on each tip with not a lot of stuff we didn't need.

[@astrophysicistguy]

Bondo spot putty is acetone based so if you put some Bondo into a cup and add a tiny bit of acetone you get a nice slush that you can now paint onto your part with a chip brush. Great for getting into spots your finger can't fit as well as when you need to cover large areas. Never mind, you cover this later in the video .. I also use Rustoleum 2 in 1 filler primer exclusively. At $8/can it's half the price of Dupicolor primer and way easier to find. I make a lot of big sci fi props and armor and would go broke buying dupicolor ...😬. 2-3 good coats of it and the part is ready for painting usually.

[@MMsPropShop]

Right now Duplicolor is the cheaper option around me but I’ve stocked up on the Rustoleum when it’s gone on sale from time to time. I’d love to be able to get my hands on a tub of Feather Fill G2 but any 2k stuff seems to be nonexistent in Canada.

[@astrophysicistguy]

@@MMsPropShop I love the nozzle's on the dupicolor paints but they are just too expensive an alternative around here

[@MarcdeBruijn]

Great video! Also worth mentioning, I think, is that in addition to being easier to sand, PETG and ABS/ASA have a higher glass transition temperature; which means they are less likely to warp if you leave them in a hot car. I think the only reason not to use ABS/ASA is if you don’t have an enclosed printer. Looking forward to watching more of your content.

[@martymcfly4038]

This video is AMAZING, thank you for the detail and also the reasoning for why you made those choices. I have watched countless smoothing vids from the last few years, and this is a stand out!

[@ladyliss5516]

you caught me with the foot sander as an amazing idea(-perfect size!) but when you said "i'm glad to know this is what my legacy on the internet is going to end up being" XD you got me hooked. so glad I found you today :D you just got another sub

[@WorkforceSFCC]

You are incredible! Had a project i was working on where i wanted a nice finish and was so discouraged by the results i was getting just from Reddit, going to reprint immediately!!

[@dougbas3980]

I am impressed. Top notch skills combined with great patience. The fine work you do tells the story. Thank you for your advise.

[@Gixxerfool1]

Thank you for the foot sander tip. It’s been game changing. I’m too far along to reprint my project in ASA but man it’s tempting now.

[@UncleJessy]

Okay… I think you have me convinced that I finally need to try printing with abs. Amazing

[@MMsPropShop]

Yes! Its only downside is you’ll never want to have to go back to sanding any other kind of filament, haha!

[@JTs3DPrints]

ABS rocks......the QIDI machines love ABS.........it has become my favorite filament now......Hope one day to do finish work at 50% quality she does with these props, they are amazing!

[@yaboonst]

Wow i wish i had watched this video a long time ago.. ive been wrestling with painting some prints for weeks.. thanks from Australia for the video

[@jasonbrooks623]

This is some great information--I'm mostly into PLA and TPU for my needs (and leaving them rough), but what you're doing is art. And I love the display at the end--beautiful!

[@corporate-trauma]

You did an amazing job on these props! Not sure if you intended to make them look unused, (maybe tools are made of Beskar?) If it wasn't based on lore, then giving them more wear and use to their look would take them up another level. Once again the modeling and prep portions seem very well mastered.

[@pyrune1]

This video came out just in the nick of time. You explained everything wonderfully! Thank you!

[@PeterDrage]

Found your channel a few weeks ago and it is awesome, love the videos and no BS approach, learnt so much as I start by 3DP journey. Plus the foot sander is on order from Amazon. Finally I am a Star Wars nerd so Win Win.

[@Walt1119]

Great video! I loved your processes, and that foot sander is something I'm gona check out, I print and build rc airplanes and was looking for a small sander not long ago! Gosh I really hate trying to sand and process pla!! Thanks so much for sharing these with us, your channel and builds are amazing!!

[@ogerepus]

Thanks!

[@Bob-x5k2p]

Great finishing video for printed parts! I glue a lot of ABS parts - have you tried Weld-On 2354? It only works on ABS, but its like water- apply with a syringe bottle. Chemically welds- sets up super fast and strong. If they are bigger, lightly clamp for a few minutes. Working time is 3 minutes/fixture time is 5 minutes. After 15 minutes- you almost have to break the part to get it apart.

[@thomasbrighton6159]

What a great video! Thanks for taking the time to shoot this. I’ve picked up some great tips . Thank you❤

[@noid5058]

Nice finish. My unrequested tip would be to adjust your Z offset and at least a .2 mm gap for your supports so you can save time and just flick them off. Keep those pliers in your tool box.

[@ThumpertTheFascistCottontail]

great video ☮💚kudos for applying your spot putty with a brush, i see so many folks using spray cans & it's crazy inefficient. may i recommend using a wet & dry sanding blocks when blending seams like you have on the hammer handle there. they're great for smoothing curved surfaces in general. took me way to long to catch on to foam sanding blocks.

[@MillenniumBob]

Wow! I learned a lot here. I usually print, and someone else finishes with sanding. Now I like the resin addition to minimize lines. If you have any adjustments for a Bambu Lab X1C for reducing layer lines using PLA, please let me know.

[@davidr519]

This is very helpful for me and my son. Thank you for detailing everything out so thoroughly

[@DeathTempler]

I mainly use PLA, and sand from 80-3k, then again with a whole series of Zona paper. This week I tried that with Duplicolor Anodized Metal paints for my Halo Plasma Pistol tests, and was very worth the struggle. I'm going to stop being stubborn though and go back to PETG. I stopped using it due to issues on an old printer, and never tried it on the CR6 Max. No point in tormenting myself further lol

[@ImperativeImages]

A great tip for the foot sander: get a pack of these 50mm sanding discs with a hook and loop foam pad (from amazon) and stick the foam pad with a double-sided tape to the base of the sander. Then you can use it with any grit you want! Saves a lot of time when sanding filler.

[@NemesisXT66]

Can you provide the item name or the Amazon link. Thanks

[@ImperativeImages]

@@NemesisXT66 “50mm Sanding Discs, Hook and Loop Discs with 1/4" Shank Backing Plate and Soft Foam Buffering Pad”

[@NemesisXT66]

@@ImperativeImages thank you!

[@laveryring3527]

Oh my God.....foot sander. Brilliant.....never heard of one but now I really need one. 😅

[@austin4265]

I’ve been hoping for a tutorial like this from you! I love your videos appreciate all the hard work!!

[@Bedogg25]

10/10 been looking on what people do to finish stuff but hadn’t been and this popped up, thank you for all the help

[@theFPVgeek]

Purchased the foot sander which has been great. I purchased a momentary foot power switch / cord to use with the foot sander and made it even better for me. Now I can turn the foot sander on a off without having to move my hand off the sander or part.

[@MarkoVukovic0]

Wait, what, a foot sander!? Lol, I did not even know this existed, or how much I needed this until now. I have been using a "mouse" type sander all along.

[@BooleansAndThings]

a suggestion would be to hang any parts that have holes by printed or purchased hooks, it would make the painting process much easier, and another idea would be a swivel hook so you could spin the part and eliminate the need to move around,

[@theswampthinker]

You might want to look into dental/nail salon/jeweler’s handpieces for sanding! They are high torque and very comfortable, purpose built for this kind of precision work.

[@LochneyRBLX]

Yes!!! She finally uploaded!!! Great video.

[@CarkeekW]

i have had good results using a semi flexible backing pad that i hand wrap the sand paper around, it makes the sanding flatter and more even. I also wet sand over paint which gives an even smoother result. In the past i could never get a glass like finish from hand sand and spray cans but now i can with those techniques. You generally don't need sandpaper made for wet sanding just use what you got and see how it goes, i have never had an issue.

[@brianv769]

Thanks for the tip of the compression sleeve! Now to just get the 3D printer 🙂

[@look4awhile]

I recommend adding soldering iron to your toolset. With appropriate tip its very good for closing seams, removing artifacts, smoothing, etc.

[@bunsdarius9223]

I learned a lot from this video! Thanks foot sander lady!

[@lonewolfsstuck]

I have been trying to find a small head sander for a while, i even considered maybe making something from a RC motor and prints, but the foot sander is cheap enough and a good idea.

[@thegrumpygamer3081]

Thank you for a very informative video that was well presented with no waffle. I picked up numerous tips, foot sander, heh.

[@droiddivision-rushmorestudios]

Fantastic video and advice once more Michaela :) A proper look a using the infamous Foot Sander!

[@frankhernandez5273]

Wow! I learned a lot watching this. Thank you!

[@Peter_Enis]

I often use thinned down (just use water) woodfiller as ridgefiller on my pla-prints and brush it on with a paintbrush....works great and sands great. Experiment with your own mix for prefered results...good luck!

[@leftaroundabout]

Wow, your perfectionism is astonishing! Though I have to wonder whether this is really the best process for parts like these - they kind of look _too perfect_ for what they are, more like industrial parts of aluminium or stainless than tools you'd expect in an armoury. Even weidly reminiscent of dentistry equipment or something. And I reckon all the sanding took longer than it would have taken a blacksmith to forge them out of steel...

[@colonel__klink7548]

Seeing the process of sanding, i recommend you try a flat head nail inserted into a soldering iron first. Basically the idea is you gently melt and smooth the surface of the project and that means that you need to sand less to get a smooth surface in the final product.

[@mazabi22]

acetone does wonders also for some plastics

[@AdamHansenOfficial]

Spray Patty..... its really the best method. Its a super thick spray layer and I dont even sand the plastic. Sanding Spray Patty is so easy to sand... you will save hours...

[@steveoconnell6726]

Just found you! Great video with lots of practical information and some great tools and chemicals.

[@craigusfelos]

Ive been playing with settings in my slicer and watching a million videos saying how it will print smooth but theres such a fine line to getting it right and wasting lots of filament so I'm reluctantly acquiescing to the sanding method lol I'm interested in the resin you used ill definately give that a try and ill definately pick up a foot sander, that made me chuckle lol

[@BackseatGamingJesus]

I recommend microballons for filler btw, easy to sand and light weight.

[@PeterKNoone]

Thanks to you I have the foot sander and rechargeable blower thingy. I've just ordered your the UV light and pans apron thingy.

[@Itsprobsblyghost]

I’m ordering a foot sander now omg 😩💖

[@acethrashin]

if you want a better sander, i know alot of people in the 3d printer community uses the M12 Detail Sander by Milwaukee, personally i recommend it as well. not only is it faster for removing plastic layer lines it does it quietly and not really vibrative. i also reccomend their newest 3" sander.

[@Gig540]

This came out great! Nice smooth finish. I think you could push it further and use shaped sanding blocks. It keeps edges and seam lines consistent and from dipping lower than the rest of the print. I mean it looks fine the way it is but just a tad extra can make a difference. Whenever we sand random shapes we always shape our sanding blocks to the surface it's sanding. Then 77 the sand paper on.

[@Home_YouTube_Channel]

Foot sander is genius, will be adding it to my equipment. Not too loud too right? Thanks!

[@MMsPropShop]

Not very loud at all. I’d say it’s around (or even less) than the noise that something like an electric razor would make.

[@TOYBOX2008]

It's like a wasp in your ear.

[@heitorasf]

Beautiful work 😢 ❤ work of art, how many hours of work did it take to make the hammer?

[@medyk3D]

Hooray for sanding!

[@One_Stale_Donut]

This is super useful, thanks for documenting the process!

[@btekkenyo]

You have some cool methods. Super helpful video. Thank you very much.

[@NessieKnows]

this is great as i am planning on using my Qidi Plus 4 to start doing Mando Armor...this is the way!

[@PeterOhlmus]

Beautiful work - you're a master crafter!

[@billyvray]

Acetone to thin the putty , great tip!

[@DennisRyu]

There is a smooth print plate for that printer that would save you sanding the bottom part since the print comes out super flat at the bottom. Also I find it sometimes easier to apply one coat of filler primer before the fist sanding cause it fills the layer lines and imperfections to some extend so you don't need to sand down to the lowest level. In many cases I could completely skip the first sanding and go to finer grit right away like that. Also keeps the printed parts closer to their design dimensions which is important for parts that are put together and have some mechanical/moving purpose like triggers or levers.

[@MMsPropShop]

I am well aware, however textured build plates have become the norm for the majority of the latest printers, some of which don’t have the options out there for different built plate textures. I wanted to show that it was possible to make that texture disappear on your prints. Any pieces that have moving parts I won’t touch with a sander unless something needs it to fit better. If it’s something like a trigger, I’d smooth out the visible trigger piece, but leave any of the internal mechanism section untouched.

[@baljazz]

Did not know that about sanding different filaments. Wish i knew this before i print my hige project. Been stairing at for days with no motivation to sand it cause its such a pain. It was printed all in PLA.

[@g.s.3389]

wow, great job and very long work to get such a beautiful final product. Brava !!! :)

[@deadpool_mwtm]

A tip for perfect surface finish: in the end use either 1k or 2k clear coat and do a few layers. 2k clear coat is extremely good with filling some surface imperfections and also makes your paint job extremely durable. You can then also use some other spray clear coat (matte for example) if you don’t want it to be glass shiny, or just lightly wet sand it a bit with 1200/1500 grit sandpaper for that neat semigloss finish

[@PaulojnPereira]

I think you have converted me to the foot sander, so far i have used a Dremel with various sanding tools. By the way, you should invest on a vacum table when sanding plastic, otherwise you will end up with plastic dust all over the place.

[@TheMikeWash]

Great video, Sincerely, New Subscriber 😎 P.S. - I couldn't figure out what you were getting at regarding PLA being a material that doesn't like to be sanded.

[@AxGryndr]

You should look into small orbital sanders that have foam backing pads because they contour to the shapes much better than the hard flat foot sander would.

[@3D-TSS]

that's a lot of work! I wonder what the price is for a finished product like this. I usually sell mechanical parts without too much postprocessing, but the time it takes to smooth your parts is insane! Awesome video!

[@ogerepus]

Excellent - thank you for the thorough detail!

[@Nobrev]

I wonder if I could use one of those callus removal sanders to sand down the cast resin dice i make. If it's got a flat enough surface I could stick some zona paper on there and get a good sanding surface instead of buying a big pottery wheel

[@elobiretv]

Acetone can also be used to glue ABS together. Just brush some on the parts and then rub them together slightly until it melts together and let it dry

[@JimPudar]

Are you already using the variable layer height setting in Bambu Studio? If not, that could help avoid those super rough spots on the top of the cylindrical part. Great video, thanks for all the great tips.

[@Plazman]

A staggering amount of effort, but the results ... 😚

[@Eins.1]

Thanks for sharing! Ive been trying to find a small rotary sander and didn't know about this foot sander 😭

[@Yokitisan]

Спасибо, некоторые вещи для себя почерпнул! Особенно красную пасту, буду искать аналоги у нас, а то пользуюсь шпаклевкой по дереву, она очень грубая!!!! Ну и для гладкости можно использовать Дихлорметан!! Он и слои ещё дополнительно спекает!!😊

[@natecampbell42]

Regarding your thickener choice for the uv resin and your comment about how hard it is. Silica is an effective thickener but it is also extremely hard. Baby powder while stinky is primarily made of talc which is also and effective thickener but relatively soft. There are commercially available versions of talc for filling various resins such as West Systems Low Density F. The filler often has a larger effect on the sanding difficulty the the resin itself.

[@RomanN123]

You are the best! Huge respect!

[@jimmy2times]

Amazing work!

[@VoxelWorks3D]

So impossibly smooooooth!