With all elements in place the final step is to assemble the figure.

Each painted piece was finished off with  a clear gloss coat and a car wax polish buff before being snapped and slotted together. The final coats of paint took about 3 weeks to fully cure but has held up well and not bubbled with the added clear coats.

While tested in the past, the transfers also worked well with an added clear coat and wax. The added clear coat over the transfers helps hide the seam and means the surface is consistent, as transfer paper has a matt finish

While the final figure has worked well I wish I had spent more time when figuring out the moulds for the parts, they require allot of clean up and I've put seam lines in bizarre places. Also through this process I realised I didn't need to be so careful about getting the parts in and out of the silicone, meaning I could have done many of the parts in one piece without needing to glue the castings. Using the same moulds my next project is the 3D printed heads.The next figures are more stylised using custom heads and will be finished in a gloss white.

With a glossy finish on each of the parts the next stage in the process was to apply the fine detail of the faces. Having painted miniatures in the past I know that getting crisp edges and flat colours isn't easy for an amateur like myself so I decided on trying out printable transfers.

When ordering things off the internet there can be a big difference between the product's advertised results and the actual ones. My biggest concern when looking at clear transfer paper was that, A; it would end up having a translucent finish on the film washing out all colour, or B; it wouldn't be transparent and I'd need to cut out each printed piece precisely.
As luck would have it both those problems were non-existent provided you have access to a colour tonner laser copier (the typical colour photocopiers you see in office buildings). I copied my design several times on each sheet as the copier I used had a tendency to skip lines and produce uneven results. I also had to 'catch' the paper as it left the machine as touching the plastic holster would scratch off the toner. Once the sheets were left to dry they worked out fantastically much like a commercial transfer sheet, the colour was full and flat, lighter colours may have provided troublesome (as it doesn't print while) but for my project it worked a treat.

To add the white dots to the eyes I had to paint the blank yellow head with white paint in the location the transfer would fit before applying over the top. I used and extra print of the image held over the head then using a pin I 'traced' the location by making small holes through print into the head model as a guide.
The transfers were applied like any model kit using a dish of warm water, tweezers, and a paintbrush. Once off the backing and in place I was able to move it around then 'push' out the water with another paintbrush once it was in position.

The final step in painting was to lightly sand back the topcoat to remove any uneven bumps followed by another thin top coat layer to re-apply the glossy finish. Once touch dry this was finished with a few coats of clear gloss spray to make the surface more shiny.

I knew the results would work as I'd previously tested the combination of paint types on my master mock up. When trying this at home be sure to test everything, the wrong mix of paint can lead to a horrible reaction and even melt your model

While the final models don't have a mirror gloss finish they have the same finish as an actual lego model which is what I was after.

The first set of parts is ready for painting. The cast parts have been sanded smooth and then wiped clean with spirits to remove dust and oils. To make the job easier each part has been mounted on wire and placed on a plinth. This makes it easier to turn the part and to make sure the spray paint reaches all the nooks and crannies.

I'm using an airbrush and have mixed up colours for each part as I found out the hard way 'White Knight squirts' paint is a mix between oil and water based paint which don't mix together at all. This makes it difficult when trying to make a custom blend of color.
I ended up using Games Workshop model paints mixed with the WK gloss white as a base to get a custom gloss top coat color.

Choosing a paint to prime the casts can also be troublesome as some brand spray paint primer has a matt or varnish finish to it causing a reaction when applying a top coat. Brands like Dulux, and again White Knight primer need to have the primer sanded before applying a top coat, defeating the idea of a primer.
While expensive I used Games Workshop skull while undercoat, this may sound like a plug, but the result is a smooth chalky surface that dries fast and easily takes paint and without showing streaks. I figure that their whole business is model making and painting they'd have to be good at it by now.

Once primed I applied several coats of glossy color top coat that had been thinned for easy use with the airbrush. Some coats were applied thick to cover up small holes and help smooth uneven surfaces. Each coat was only given a half hour to dry before the next coat was applied. Once the final coat was added the entire set was left for a week to properly dry and adhere.

It has taken a while but most of the cast parts are now trimmed, sanded, and glued. It has become a bit of a production line as I work through the process of trimming the flashing and sanding down the uneven mould lines.
Glue hasn't been as easy as I wanted it to be. I was hoping the polyurethane would melt when mixed with either acetone, mentholated spirits, mineral turps, or even paint stripper but nothing had any effect. I even bought some harsh chemical cleaner specific for polyurethane but it only crumbled rather than melted. The reason for this was so I could 'bond' to halves together better.

As it turns out polyurethane was developed so that it wouldn't melt when exposed to the above chemicals and is very durable. oddly enough I did find a polyurethane glue and while it take over a day to cure, and expands while curing, it does bond very well . The parts need to be put under pressure so the glue expansion doesn't pry them apart, and it requires lots of sanding to get the seam flush again.

While I'm still away I don't have any images of the XL Minifig piece that was given as a Christmas gift. In my spare time I have been modelling another version this time for myself.

With this project I always knew I was going to make multiple versions/types so I moulded the common body parts with the idea to 3D print the unique pieces for each character. The first completed model was of a friend of mine who is an avid skier. The next one is more my taste and is simply a lego Ironman figure. For which the helmet will be printed as a unique one off.
The completed figures are about 20cm tall and fit regular Lego parts that are scaled up 11 times (The figures are the same size as the digital clock Minifigs). While I did start out with a low poly mesh from thingyverse and LeoCAD the details and proportions didn't match the actual Lego Minifigs. the biggest error was that the hands were completely different from an official Minifig with the thickness curves and angle completely off. I also spent some time adding bevels and adjusting proportions to each part of the figure as well as cutting the model up to be able to cast it more easily.

Like the Minifig body the Ironman helmet was taken originally from an exsisting file but again needed details added and adjusting to make it suitable for a high-resolution print. While the initial mesh was close to the store product the parts misaligned and tolerances were too tight for a physical fit on a scaled Minifig head.

The master model is now used for testing any step to be used on the cast pieces. Most importantly is the types of paint as each manufacturer uses different chemicals and pigments not all of which like to be mixed. Some may cause the model to melt or it'll distort the surface, others may not stick and simply rub/flake off once dry. For these reasons it is Important to test on something that isn't the final piece.

The paints I chose needed to be thinned out for the airbrush and combined to make unique colours. After some experimenting I discovered that within the same brand of glossy acrylic paint darker colours were oil based and lighter colours were water based. As a result I couldn't mix the two which ment I couldn't mix black and white together to make grey.
Fortunately I had extra smaller pots of water based paints that I could use for mixing with the others to get the colours I needed.

The master was painted with two different brands of glossy paint (head and body) and it dried well without curdling. I had printed water transfers and applied them to the dried paint which also worked without fault. The final step was to paint the entire model in a glossy clear coat and finish it with a car polish for a even higher glossy shine. Without any reactions to the layers underneath I was ready to apply the technique to the proper model parts.

With a little more practice and time, casting has been getting better. One trick I learned was to use paper funnels in the smaller holes which also minimises the air escape holes from blocking if your bumped while pouring.

So far I've managed to pull a few copies of some parts before the weather got hot. This makes it difficult to pour resin as it hardens even quicker than the already limited 5 minutes. I did manage to get one complete set which I needed for the Lego Minifig project.

All the moulds have been used and they all work well, Which means the master is no longer required to be scratch free. For the project the main figure has been cast as it will be replicated several times however the props (hair, stocks, skis) are all one-off prints with a few coats of spray putty to smooth them out before thay are painted.

all parts of both the master and the one-off's fit together and move well. With the casts complete the next step will be painting them and applying the transfer decals. The master will be used to test each step making sure there isn't any bubbling or bad effects from the paint on the plastic before I repeat the steps on the final model.

With everything ready, cleaned, and trimmed I set up for casting. Unsure of how the finished plastic would work with small parts and also the consistency of its pot/liquid state there were many unknowns that could stuff up and set me back. The resin allowed me only a 5 min window to mix, de-gas, and pour before it solidified. Which was much less than the 10 mins I got with the silicone and a little worrying.
Having dealt with polyurethane a long time ago I knew that even though the packet says 5 mins it really means about half that before it turns to treacle. So I set my timer and laid out everything for two small moulds to trial first.

What I failed to remember was that the more resin you mix the hotter it gets and the faster it hardens, my first attempt was going well as I 'burped' out the air bubbles and poured mostly into the tiny holes. However the cup soon got hot and the resin hardened before I got the chance to fill the entire mould.
Another error was the tiny holes I'd made, although I had exit air vents and could pour a thin stream, one small bump spilled the stream over the top of the mould blocking the air vents and causing bubbles to force out resin. As it thickened the trouble exacerbated until the resin no longer entered the moulds and only spilled out.

So a few lessons learned. One, do a single mould at a time and limit the amount of resin needed. Two, use water displacement to measure the amount of resin needed for each mould so it isn't being wasted.
With such intricate pieces measuring volume can be difficult, one trick is to tak a measuring cup and fill with water to a level that is high enough to submerge your master part. Taking note of the level before and while the part is submerged will give you the amount of liquid needed to fill the mould.

The rest of the moulds were poured without hassle, some had small pockets of air but were easily fixed with an ABS putty. The finished plastic does hold up well to the stress is easy to pour, but isn't easy to glue.

After many late nights claying up each part and pouring silicone I've finally completed the last of them. Each mould is two parts and fits together using 'keys' that look more like bumps. The moulds have holes to pour in the resin and channels to push out the air.
Before the end of the week I should have my first casts, fingers crossed the moulds work as planned.

In the past I've made two part molds but never at such a small size. The most difficult part about working at such small scale is measuring the catalyst amount of the silicone which for the last pour needed to be 0.002 kg. For the moment I'm doing a sample run to get the feel for pot life and pouring methods. With a little more experimenting I found that mixing in a little turps to the silicone before adding the catalyst makes it flow much easier while also increasing the pot life. Add to this a little de-gassing and I haven't had any air bubbles appear on the outside surfaces.

project X is a large Lego Minifig, initially printed in 3D it'll be moulded and cast for multiple copies. The project is coming along, with all pieces printed out and primed to a smooth finish it's almost time to get these parts molded and cast.

the project involves lots of moving parts and pieces that snap together. After the failure of the last attempt to create clips for joints for the Caffeinator these parts are coming out perfectly snug and strong.

My next project is on its way, however I won't be posting any major updates on it as it'll become a Christmas gift for someone.

With only a few weeks to go and a huge list of printing, priming, moulding, casting, and painting I'm hoping not to run out of time. Post Christmas I'll have plenty more to share until then I don't want to give anything away.