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As some of you may know, I've been working on these tank badges for a while. So here they are! But I wanted to do a brief walkthrough of these. First, they are quite pricey. At almost $200/pair and it doesn't come perfect. 3D printing still have its faults. I want to show its faults and my way of going around it. It may or may not be worth it but hey, I'm not making any money out of this so take it or leave it 
Ok diving in. I got these printed in the stainless steel option. As you can see, it came back quite rough. This is mainly because of the printer's resolution loss when an object has huge surface that is slightly curved. I think their "polished" metals takes those ridges away but I am not 100% certain. I never printed polished before and it's too much money for me to try it in various materials.
![P1070261.JPG]()
To fix this, I used my orbital sander going through 80, 120, and stopped at 220 grit. I quite like the brushed metal look at 220 grit. I'm not interested in polished mirror. So that made it look like this.
![IMG_20151107_162651701.jpg]()
I found a used bottle of Testor's Enamel paint in one of my drawers. Painting is easy since I am just filling in the grooves. Just need a little patience. Although if you're using a thicker type of paint, it should cover up those 3D print ridges completely. Then followed up with a few layers of gloss clear coat from a spray can.
![P1070308.JPG]()
Some 3M automotive molding tape.
![P1070309.JPG]()
And then finally on the bike.
![P1070314.JPG]()
After knowing all that, if you still want it, here is the link for purchase from Shapeways.
Again, I do not know how the other materials effect the print. This is offered as is. I am not making any money from this. Prices are Shapeways' material and labor cost.
Ok diving in. I got these printed in the stainless steel option. As you can see, it came back quite rough. This is mainly because of the printer's resolution loss when an object has huge surface that is slightly curved. I think their "polished" metals takes those ridges away but I am not 100% certain. I never printed polished before and it's too much money for me to try it in various materials.
To fix this, I used my orbital sander going through 80, 120, and stopped at 220 grit. I quite like the brushed metal look at 220 grit. I'm not interested in polished mirror. So that made it look like this.
I found a used bottle of Testor's Enamel paint in one of my drawers. Painting is easy since I am just filling in the grooves. Just need a little patience. Although if you're using a thicker type of paint, it should cover up those 3D print ridges completely. Then followed up with a few layers of gloss clear coat from a spray can.
Some 3M automotive molding tape.
And then finally on the bike.
After knowing all that, if you still want it, here is the link for purchase from Shapeways.
Again, I do not know how the other materials effect the print. This is offered as is. I am not making any money from this. Prices are Shapeways' material and labor cost.
