POP Art

One of the many things that drew me to the 3D printing process is its versatility.  Whether you need to prototype a mechanism, make a repair part, create a series of end-use parts, or make a piece of art, odds are that you can do it -- or at least get started -- with (the right) 3D printing technology.  Art isn't something that we have the chance to pursue very often at POP given our typical schedule rushing mechanical parts out the door, but we recently had some time to make a piece for the shop that we think is worth highlighting.  

A Slug!

To be clear: this is NOT our new mascot, or a representation of our lead times (which we think would be better symbolized by a speedier animal).  It's just fun, whimsical, and makes us smile.    

The fabrication process was fairly straightforward, as this sculpture fit as a single piece in our larger F770 FDM printer ("The Hulk").  CAD for the piece was sculpted at home using a variety of digital tools and some professional help, and ended with final posing in Blender to get the slug positioned exactly where I wanted it, slithering down an I-beam with its head pointed at the compost bin.

The physical process of making the sculpture is shown below, starting with 3D printing, then a thick coat of epoxy to smooth any layer lines out quickly, then some paint, and then copious amount of clear coat to get the ooze-factor dialed in.