# 3D Printer applications for Halloween props?



## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Greetings! I've recently purchased a 3d printer to tinker with and naturally have started trying to come up with ways to use it for Halloween props. I'm curious if anyone here has applied 3d prints to their haunt and can provide some examples?

A few things I've considered are custom cases for micro controllers / raspberry pi, as well as lighting brackets, fog nozzle adapters, and various props such as skulls and bones. 

Cheers
Charlie


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## aidtopia (Sep 15, 2016)

On Thingaverse, I saw somebody made a model for fence finials that fit PVC pipe for your cemetery fences. (The easily purchased ones have square bases that have to be coerced to fit the typical haunter's fencing.) 3D printing is slow, though, so maybe it would be best to make a mold of the 3D print and then cast large quantities of them in resin.

I've made a few custom parts for a raven animatronic, but nothing finished enough to show.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

aidtopia said:


> On Thingaverse, I saw somebody made a model for fence finials that fit PVC pipe for your cemetery fences. (The easily purchased ones have square bases that have to be coerced to fit the typical haunter's fencing.) 3D printing is slow, though, so maybe it would be best to make a mold of the 3D print and then cast large quantities of them in resin.
> 
> I've made a few custom parts for a raven animatronic, but nothing finished enough to show.


Thanks! I just looked those up and they're pretty cool. You're right, for any type of volume it would be more practical to make a mould.

I also found a few designs for various animatronic devices such as eyes and a tail:

Eyes:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:319978
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:172505

Tail:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:13522

I could see some very cool applications for any of those as well!

Edit: The flood gates are open! Here are a few more awesome things:

Bodybag animatronic
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1114406

Creepy animated doorman face
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2753756

Demon baby pregnant belly
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1159859

Flashlight silhouette covers
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:494174


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

I made a lot of things for my Mummy's Curse theme last year.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Hauntiholik said:


> I made a lot of things for my Mummy's Curse theme last year.


Awesome! Any pics you can share?


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

charlie said:


> Awesome! Any pics you can share?


http://www.hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=1763
http://www.hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=1815


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Hauntiholik said:


> https://www.hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=1763
> https://www.hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=1815


Very cool - thanks for sharing!


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I printed an arduino controller holder, some small par cans for LEDs, a skull and crossbones plaque...I looked for a link to make an album in my user CP but couldn't find a way to make an album....Maybe I need to post so many posts before I have the option?....Not sure....ZR


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

ZombieRaider said:


> I printed an arduino controller holder, some small par cans for LEDs, a skull and crossbones plaque...I looked for a link to make an album in my user CP but couldn't find a way to make an album....Maybe I need to post so many posts before I have the option?....Not sure....ZR


You can make an album on your profile page. There should be an option for that on the right side of the page. There are restrictions for individuals with less than 10 posts, but I don't believe that affects making a photo album.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

RoxyBlue said:


> You can make an album on your profile page. There should be an option for that on the right side of the page. There are restrictions for individuals with less than 10 posts, but I don't believe that affects making a photo album.


Here's a list of everything in my control panel I copied and pasted here....I don't see anything that would suggest adding an album....There's nothing on the right side of the page....ZR

Your Profile
Edit Your Details
Customize Profile
Profile Privacy
Edit Profile Picture
Networking
Contacts & Friends
Social Groups
Settings & Options
Edit Avatar
Edit Signature
Edit Email & Password
Edit Options
Edit Ignore List
Private Messages
List Messages
Send New Message
Edit Folders
Subscribed Threads
List Subscriptions
Edit Folders
Miscellaneous
Event Reminders


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

I think you need a few more post before you can make a photo album. But I am a guy and have been wrong before.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

ZombieRaider said:


> Here's a list of everything in my control panel I copied and pasted here....I don't see anything that would suggest adding an album....There's nothing on the right side of the page....ZR
> 
> Your Profile
> Edit Your Details
> ...


I was directing you to your public profile page, not your user CP. You can access your profile page by clicking on your name where it appears near the top right of a page ("Welcome, ZombieRaider"). Again, I'm not positive there is a posting requirement prior to having the ability to create an album, but a lot of restrictions are lifted once you reach 10 posts.


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## Scottish_Otter (Mar 29, 2018)

3D printing is way too expensive to create numerous pieces. But, I can see using it for creating master copies, and then making a mold off of it. You then have the option of casting out of Hydrostone, various resins and different types of silicones. I've cast silicone body parts, resin skulls with customized features, and resin coated tombstones made out of fiber board ( woth the stone look additives, they look real).
Reynolds Materials is a good place to get supplies, materials and classes/dvd instruction.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I've printed quite a lot of items out of 1 roll of filament and never thought it was that expensive....Time consuming is a different matter....Agree casting is the way to go if you want several of the same....While I haven't made much Halloween related yet, I'm really glad I got the printer for certain things I want to do.....No regrets here so far....ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

If you factor in the time involved, it is definitely expensive, since its more of a hobby I'm not really counting that though - the material itself is pretty cheap, and when you print with low infill %s you can get rather large objects for a few bucks. 

I'm having a blast with my printer, and keep coming up with new things to model and print that are quite useful around the house. I haven't settled on any Halloween related prints yet, as I've been too busy making custom mounts for various tools and appliances as well as some other misc things.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

What software are you using to design?....I've been messing with the free version of Fusion 360 and slicing with the software provided by Prusa....I just finished printing all my parts for the Prusa MkII 2.5 upgrade with the magnetic heat bed so it prints on a steel sheet you remove and flex to remove the part...Excited to try that out...I just finished upgrading my sister's printer 2 weeks ago but I don't think she tried it yet...That's the first time I printed with PETG...It looks good after dialing in the settings....I'll probably still print with ABS mostly since it can withstand higher temps better though....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Also, when it comes to long prints...I usually watch it for the first few layers since that seems to be when the majority of failures are and then check on it again an hour later....If it's still looking good, I'll let it go for hours before checking on it again....ZR


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm just getting started with my 3D printer. I did a video that includes many of the resources I found helpful. You can check it out at


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm using Fusion 360. They have a free 30 day trial - then after that you can get an additional year, for free, if you're a hobby user or small business. From what I've seen it has the capability to do just about anything I could dream up. The downside is that it is very un-intuitive compared to most design software. Once you understand the basic functions and features, it becomes incredibly powerful. I highly suggest checking out this guy's series of learning Fusion 360 if you're just starting out - it is almost a mandatory in order to understand the basics -






For slicing, I've been using Cura (free) and Simlify 3D (not free). I am using Simplify3d more and more because it gives you manual control over support placement, the ability to adjust settings layer by layer, and more. But, Cura gave me great results with the last amount of tweaking.

So far I haven't tried ABS. Just PLA and recently PETG. I've been really happy with the PETG. It is slick (parts slide together nicely), smooth/shiny finish, has some flexibility (I made an iPhone case that attaches to a standard gopro mount and drove around a race track with it on my windshield/interior and it worked great) and it seems to hold up to sun and heat really well.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I'm on my second free year with fusion 360...Wen the year is up, you click a couple things and your good to go for another year....I'm getting the hang of of 360 much better than anything else I've tried but there are tons of videos to support it too...I really like Paul McWhorter's youtube videos you linked...He's a school teacher so he really has a knack for knowing how to present a topic so it's easier to understand....I finally understood the basics of an arduino after watching his series...All the other videos I watched jumped around too much and I got lost....Paul puts things in a certain order that makes comprehension much easier.....I saved all his 360 videos but haven't watced the whole way through yet....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Halstaff...Just finished watching....The Octipi video feed looks like a great idea...I have my printer in the basement so I have to go down there every time I want to check on it to see if it's done....Would be great to bring it up on my pc upstairs.....ZR


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Being able to check on the printer from the computer or even my phone while I'm watching TV makes print monitoring much easier.
It was a bit of a learning curve to set up as it was my first experience with a Raspberry Pi but well worth the effort.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

ZombieRaider said:


> I'm on my second free year with fusion 360...Wen the year is up, you click a couple things and your good to go for another year....I'm getting the hang of of 360 much better than anything else I've tried but there are tons of videos to support it too...I really like Paul McWhorter's youtube videos you linked...He's a school teacher so he really has a knack for knowing how to present a topic so it's easier to understand....I finally understood the basics of an arduino after watching his series...All the other videos I watched jumped around too much and I got lost....Paul puts things in a certain order that makes comprehension much easier.....I saved all his 360 videos but haven't watced the whole way through yet....ZR


Agreed! Paul does a great job of breaking it down, repeating key concepts, and walking through step by step. I went through his entire series and have already designed 4 things from scratch that are both useful, and work as intended. One of which is fairly complex with multiple pieces that fit together. If you haven't gotten to the video about parametric design yet, that one is a MUST. Understanding and using parametric design in your projects is a total game changer.

I haven't messed with arduino much (yet) but I think that it is a logical next step to combine with 3d printing to make some killer props.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Halstaff - One of the projects I'd like to print eventually is an animatronic raven but something easy to access if it needs serviced....I thought about printing the body as a silhouette plate with servo supports for the wings...Half ring supports to velcro black fabric around the body to cover the wires/servos and give it bulk...Standard head with working beak and head movement....I keep watching thingiverse but no one has uploaded one yet...LOL....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

charlie said:


> Agreed! Paul does a great job of breaking it down, repeating key concepts, and walking through step by step. I went through his entire series and have already designed 4 things from scratch that are both useful, and work as intended. One of which is fairly complex with multiple pieces that fit together. If you haven't gotten to the video about parametric design yet, that one is a MUST. Understanding and using parametric design in your projects is a total game changer.
> 
> I haven't messed with arduino much (yet) but I think that it is a logical next step to combine with 3d printing to make some killer props.


Haven't made it that far yet but I'll definitely watch it....I do a lot of that type of stuff in the winter...Getting my boat ready for 4th of July weekend now!...LOL...I bought about 3 arduinos to mess with but it's very time consuming compared to the Fright Ideas controllers I have...People say the arduinos are much cheaper but once you add sound, relays, HOURS/DAYS of tinkering....I'm thinking the Fright Idea boxes are a better solution for myself...Plug and Play....It works great and I'm not spending many weeks trying to get something to work...I may change my mind after I get better at the arduinos but that's my thoughts on controllers right now....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Here's a plaque I 3d printed, sanded and airbrushed....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I also made a rough mold of it using Super Sculpy and then made some castings out of proto putty (silicone caulk, food coloring, corn starch)....I lost detail by using Super Sculpy but I thought it still turned out alright...I like how bendable the material is and could use it to glue around a bottle, etc....ZR


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

The plaque is lovely.

Never heard of proto putty but it sounds like something easy and accessible


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Very cool - I haven't heard of protoputty either. Great idea - and I could see that as a great way to adding details to tombstones as well.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

charlie said:


> Very cool - I haven't heard of protoputty either. Great idea - and I could see that as a great way to adding details to tombstones as well.


Absolutely!...I got tons of stuff I'm going to make molds of for detailing tombstones as well as many other items.....

I don't want to go off topic too much but here is a link that inspired me to try proto putty : 




Here is a skull I put proto putty on to make a mold and then cast with fiberglass...Even with 2 layers of the fiber mesh, with some LEDs behind it, it was translucent!....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Just finished the upgrades to my printer and wanted to try a print to see how it prints...Downloaded a wooden barrel on thingiverse and printed in PLA....Forgot how nice PLA prints!....Looking at the detail of the miniature barrel makes me realize a person could print a whole Spooky Town type village if they wanted....Great detail!....My wife wants the barrel for her shadow box in the kitchen so I'm printing a second one....LOL...ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Very cool - and very nice quality print. I actually like the idea of printing a spooky town or mini haunted house for my office...


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## Dr. Maniaco (Sep 7, 2012)

My brother has a 3D printer, and he made a Harry Potter Wand for his daughter, a Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver for someone ... I don't know who ... alright it was me, and this wall switch - which is very cool. I use it on the switch down to the basement.

switch 1

switch 2


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## GOT (Apr 17, 2007)

I made a bunch of these raven skulls. They add atmosphere to anything.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:289987

I have also made a bear trap that fit over the rim of my candy bowl. I pulled a string when they reached in and it (gently) snapped closed on their hand. The biggest little girl scream I got from that one was from one of the dads. It was gravity reset. That one did break near the end of the evening when some kid jerked his hand away and took it with him.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I was messing with fusion 360 today and figured out how to make a tombstone...I smoothed the edges and added a sunken in font....Pretty happy with the result though I don't think fusion would be good for distressing the stone....Zbrushcore looks like you could distress pretty easy if you can import the file but it's $150 so didn't try....ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

ZombieRaider said:


> I was messing with fusion 360 today and figured out how to make a tombstone...I smoothed the edges and added a sunken in font....Pretty happy with the result though I don't think fusion would be good for distressing the stone....Zbrushcore looks like you could distress pretty easy if you can import the file but it's $150 so didn't try....ZR


LOL - awesome! For the distress, I think you could get the effect you're looking for in Fusion by doing the following.

Find 'distress' vector file in SVG format. Let me know if you can't find one, I have Illustrator and can convert a AI or PDF if needed. Then you can import that into Fusion onto the surface of your tombstone and extrude the dark sections down into it using cut. That may not be a perfect solution, but I bet it would be good enough.

Cheers
Charlie


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

charlie said:


> LOL - awesome! For the distress, I think you could get the effect you're looking for in Fusion by doing the following.
> 
> Find 'distress' vector file in SVG format. Let me know if you can't find one, I have Illustrator and can convert a AI or PDF if needed. Then you can import that into Fusion onto the surface of your tombstone and extrude the dark sections down into it using cut. That may not be a perfect solution, but I bet it would be good enough.
> 
> ...


That sounds interesting....I'm really lost for the most part on what's going on in these programs and just kind of haplessly wonder into something that works for the most part...LOL....I've seen the svg format on the import tab and have read about importing the files but I wasn't sure if it actually imprinted the texture on the model when you print it or if it was just a visual thing that showed you what the item would look like in the virtual world only....It took me all weekend to figure out but :
First I created the tombstone shape and epitaph in fusion....Then stopped timeline history and applied mesh to Brep...I had to be careful how detailed I could go because anything past about 9000 triangles stalled my computer and I had to shut the program down and start over....Once I got the most detail my computer could do, I saved as STL....Found a great free program called Sculpt GL...Imported the STL and quickly gave the tombstone "character"....Exported as an STL...Imported into Prusa program to create gcode....I think the tombstone looks much better in person than the pictures I took....Pretty happy with the detail though it would be nice if my computer was more powerful....I could see the triangles pretty good when sizing up.....I did 50% infill but can still see where it sunk in/lines on the top of the base stone...Probably try more infill and a more detailed setting to see how that does....All in all pretty happy....Going to paint it to see how it looks next....ZR


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

I did a quick base coat with black, let it dry and dry brushed a very light gray....I'm really happy with it...ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Very cool ZR!

Regarding your question about the SVG import. You can import an SVG onto the surface plane of one of your objects, and then extrude that SVG to 'cut' out the shape as shallow or as deep as you'd like. Not sure it would give as good of an effect as you got using your method though - that looks great!


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

Thanks!...I made an account on Thingiverse this evening so I could upload the file but it said I would have to wait 24 hours to publish since it's a new account....I'll post it tomorrow if it will let me....I've been trying to mess with fusion every evening to try to learn something new....It's getting easier to navigate....I keep eyeballing that Shapeoko XXL CNC router so maybe I'll have start learning the CAM workspace too...... ZR



charlie said:


> Very cool ZR!
> 
> Regarding your question about the SVG import. You can import an SVG onto the surface plane of one of your objects, and then extrude that SVG to 'cut' out the shape as shallow or as deep as you'd like. Not sure it would give as good of an effect as you got using your method though - that looks great!


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

ZR - you've inspired me to do a few Halloween themed prints! Let me know once you get your tombstone uploaded and I'll give it a go.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

charlie said:


> ZR - you've inspired me to do a few Halloween themed prints! Let me know once you get your tombstone uploaded and I'll give it a go.


Awesome! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3018919
24 hours is up so I just published it...Post a pic here or on the Thingiverse page so I can see how yours turns out!....ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Here ya go! Turned out great, fresh off the printer.


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

That looks great Charlie!....What type of filament did you use?....Your detail in the lettering and cracks turned out better I think...Thanks for posting a pic....ZR


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

ZombieRaider said:


> That looks great Charlie!....What type of filament did you use?....Your detail in the lettering and cracks turned out better I think...Thanks for posting a pic....ZR


Thanks. I've been obsessively tuning my machine trying to get the best possible results. I'm pretty happy with where its at.

The filament is PLA, Tianese brand. Here is a link to the exact stuff on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2LI0ElA

(full disclosure this is my personal affiliate link so I get credit for any orders that come from it, but it has no impact on the price you pay)

One thing that has also made a difference in clearing up details is my slicer. I sprung for Simplify3D, and side by side I get better results in the details vs. Cura. But, it did take some testing and adjustment to get it there, where Cura printed pretty darn good right from the beginning. I also printed that at .1mm layer height, which helps with details.

What kind of printer do you have?


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## ZombieRaider (Jan 25, 2009)

PLA definitely has a better finish than ABS (what I used to print my tombstone) in my experience....Even though PLA prints nicer, ABS holds up better to the environment and over time it doesn't break down as easily, not to mention way more heat resistant from what I've read...I should probably use it more since it does look nicer....I've also noticed nicer quality filament makes a difference...I was using a roll of Matter Hackers brand ABS filament before the roll I'm using now of Inland brand (Micro Center) ABS...The Inland ABS roll only cost about $15 for the roll but when comparing prints between it and MatterHackers, there is a definite improved smoothness to the Matter Hacker prints....I recently printed with PETG filament and at first I was getting globs of goo but once I got it dialed in, the quality set somewhere between the PLA and ABS....My layer height wasn't that fine on my print either so if you add all those things together, I can see how you got better detail...The biggest problem I saw on my print was on the epitaph....The "F" didn't bridge very nicely at the top and the dots in the "E"'s didn't layer out very good....All in all though I'm pretty happy with the detail after painting....My printer is a Prusa Mk2S I just upgraded to the 2.5....It's a pretty cool machine....I love the new magnetic steel sheet that magnetically snaps on to the heat bed...When the print is done, just pick the plate up, flex a couple times and the part comes right off the sheet...Best part of the upgrade for sure....ZR



charlie said:


> Thanks. I've been obsessively tuning my machine trying to get the best possible results. I'm pretty happy with where its at.
> 
> The filament is PLA, Tianese brand. Here is a link to the exact stuff on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2LI0ElA
> 
> ...


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Ah, yeah I've heard the same thing about ABS vs. PLA but I haven't tried ABS yet. I've been dialing things in to get good PLA prints before I venture into something more difficult.

I have printed with PETG though - and I really like it. The things I've printed have been less detailed, more functional parts, and I've been very happy with their strength and heat resistance. One particular part has been in service, in direct sunlight, every weekend this summer with zero ill effects. Another set of parts is currently installed inside of my car's cup holder, within the dashboard, again with no problems. I've found that my PLA settings work great for PETG, but with a temp bump for the hot end and bed. It is a bit more 'stringy' but hasn't been an issue, and it also tends to stick to itself really well - so supports can be a bit of a challenge.


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## poplarhouse (Aug 2, 2015)

Click on your user name at the upper right, albums are on the right side of the page that comes up: just click on "add an album."


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)




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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^I LOVE that! Totally adorable!:jol:


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Hauntiholik said:


>


Thats a great looking print. Was it all 1 piece or did you print it in sections and glue it together?


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

charlie said:


> Thats a great looking print. Was it all 1 piece or did you print it in sections and glue it together?


1 piece that took 44 hours to print.


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## Romulus43 (Oct 14, 2018)

I have printed all 3 of the Thingiverse finials, I have found the globe one to be problematical. The tines are delicate and get broken during storage. I Have printed a bunch of each type and spread them out thru the display for some change up. I also zip tie short lengths of chain between each post to present a passive barrier to wandering tykes


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## HillCemeteryCaretaker (Dec 27, 2020)

I’m going to revive this thread as I am new to the forum. I got a 3D printer back in March. There are a ton of Halloween themed items on thingiverse, and lots of items that are, but we can make use of them.

I have been printing a bunch of cases for Arduino and sensors for my props. Brackets to hold deer motors. Brackets to slide PVC spikes through to hold tombstones in place. 

I also recently found some flickering LEDs that I will use as candle flames in front of tombstones. I will print a bunch of different “candles”. Yes they may each take 5-10 hours, but it’s a long way to Halloween and I have the time. Cheaper and easier than trying to find things at thrift stores that need modified anyhow. 

I also printed a bunch of skulls and decorations for around the house.


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## Ubertenere (Mar 14, 2019)

Possibilities are endless, I’ve been using 3d printers for 5 or 6 years now, they are great! My biggest input is always learn to 3d model before buying one, that way you aren’t just printing out trinkets from thingiverse. It’s way more fulfilling when your creations come to life. Making unique parts for pennies is a wonderful thing, especially for Halloween props. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## HillCemeteryCaretaker (Dec 27, 2020)

Yep, I have been using tinker CAD to modify or make project boxes or sensor housings for my Halloween stuff. 

No real CAD experience, but slowly figuring it out.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

HillCemeteryCaretaker said:


> I'm going to revive this thread as I am new to the forum. I got a 3D printer back in March. There are a ton of Halloween themed items on thingiverse, and lots of items that are, but we can make use of them.
> 
> I have been printing a bunch of cases for Arduino and sensors for my props. Brackets to hold deer motors. Brackets to slide PVC spikes through to hold tombstones in place.
> 
> ...


Great ideas! Would love to see some pictures.


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