[3D Printing Application] FDM and SLA Resin 3D Hybrid Printing: Creating the Iron Man Gauntlet of Your Dreams!

Why has 3D printing become the preferred method for creating cosplay costumes? Many cosplay enthusiasts are exploring the use of 3D printing technology to create cosplay models and costumes that were previously made with plastic and fiberglass. Besides using the same materials, it has become popular for many reasons, including affordability, time-saving, and convenience!

3D printing unlocks the possibilities of rapid prototyping and almost limitless modifications. While traditional handmade projects require hours or even days of hands-on work, 3D printing allows you to continue creating even when you're working or busy with other things, saving more than half the time!

As a huge Iron Man fan, Kersey Fabrications' mission is to build his own complete Iron Man suit based on his favorite classic red and gold Mark 3. This time, he'll be making a replica Iron Man gauntlet with working repulsors (we were all blown away when we saw it!)

His creation process involves four key steps:

 • Selecting the right model
 • Sizing your cosplay costume
 • Prototyping with an FDM printer
 • Building the final model with resin prints

Selecting the Right Model

There's a lot to consider when choosing the perfect model for your 3D printed costume project. It could be the shape and style you like, the functionality you want to achieve, or simply the models available to you. For Kersey's Iron Man gauntlet project, choosing the right model involved finding the correct palm segmentation, considering the repulsor's mounting, how it would be worn, and how it would fit him.

He mentioned that early armor models were usually made of a single hand and required self-cutting or splitting in half. Later, models from Walsh3D emerged, offering multiple assembly options that can be combined almost arbitrarily, and you can easily adjust them according to your needs. Kersey chose the hinged Iron Man hand because it's easy to wear – you can secure it with magnets or pins, and it also provides some space for electronics.

Measuring and Adjusting

Of course, a gauntlet that fits perfectly, wraps around your hand, and is ideal for different movements is every costume printer's dream! But considering that everyone's hand size is slightly different, some sizing adjustments and modifications to the model are needed.

First, Kersey suggests going into Meshmixer and measuring the model. He found the model too small for his liking, especially since he would be installing electronics inside. Most importantly, the way the model was designed made it harder for him to move his wrist, lacking flexibility in the joints. To solve this problem, he made some modifications to the palm and fingers.

Measuring Palm Size

While Kersey liked the shape and wearable system of the palm, he still needed to do some work, adding some thickness to allow enough space for electronics. This also made his finger holes larger, giving him room to move his fingers and even clench his fist.

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Installing Finger Parts

While the palm uses a simple two-piece model, the fingers are made of three small joints for each finger, with each joint connected by a hinge to allow finger movement.

After printing all the finger parts, Kersey began to try them on one by one, feeling how each finger moved and felt on his hand. Since he wanted to add some rubber parts inside the gauntlet, he decided to upgrade the fingers by increasing their thickness and height. He also suggested creating a master model in Meshmixer with all the correct dimensions for future use. This way, you won't need to re-size all the parts every time you print something new. Instead, you can directly use the master model to start printing.

Prototyping with an FDM Printer

As mentioned, FDM 3D printing is a great way to do rapid prototyping, as it offers a quick, convenient, and more affordable way to iterate! For Kersey, this allowed him to fully test all the gauntlet parts before using his resin 3D printer and ensure they fit and moved well.

And FDM 3D printing also allowed him to test if his electronics (including new pixels, batteries, and motherboards) fit the challenge.

Once he was satisfied with the FDM results, he was ready to fire up his new Sonic Mega 8K (now available as the new Sonic Mega 8K S!!

✨【Related Product】:Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K S LCD Resin 3D Printer ✨


3D Printing Resin Cosplay Models

While FDM printing is more cost-effective, the print results may not be the goal for your final cosplay piece.

Although a smooth surface can be achieved with extensive polishing and priming, resin 3D printed parts can achieve the same appearance directly from the printer, saving you time and effort.

Kersey loves the smooth and clean surface of the printed parts, believing that the quality can easily rival injection-molded results due to the Sonic Mega 8K's 8K resolution quality. Furthermore, the size of the printer allowed him to print all parts of the gauntlet on a single build plate, so he only needed to print twice to complete his gauntlet.

If you're considering using a resin 3D printer for your cosplay costume parts, the Sonic Mega 8K or Sonic Mega 8K S are also excellent choices. With a large print volume and 8K resolution screen, rest assured that all your models will print perfectly with smooth surfaces!

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