Making 3D Printed Paper Look Like Aged Copper with Mcor

Alex Lorenzo

Alex Lorenzo is the CEO of ALLAXIS 3D Printers, and he’s bit of a guru in the field of computer aided design as over the past 25 years he’s taught many students the essentials of both 2D and 3D CAD. Lorenzo has extensive knowledge with regard to 3D modeling as well, particularly as it relates to 3D printing.

So when Lorenzo took on the task of using a model made with plain old copy paper and the Mcor IRIS 3D printer and making it appear to have an aged, copper patina, it was game on.

Many 3D printed models made with the Mcor technology don’t require additional finishes, and the fact that they can be sanded, drilled, and tapped–and create objects which include a photorealistic color palette–opens up a variety of possibilities.

The Mcor 3D paper printer essentially glues individual sheets of paper together at layer height resolutions of 100 microns or 200 microns using a process the company calls Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL). The machines glue paper together and cut out the models layer by layer using a tungsten-carbide cutter and glue is lightly applied to the paper surrounding the model and a larger amount is added to the model area.

Next comes the process of “weeding,” which involves breaking off and picking away the surrounding support paper.

So when Lorenzo began the process of recreating the look of aged copper on an object using the Mcor paper-based 3D printed models, he began by selecting an item he wanted to treat. He took the Yoga Frog and Garden Toad files he downloaded from Thingiverse, designed by “pmoews,” as his targets.

Once the prints were complete, they were “weeded” to release them from the surrounding paper and lightly hand sanded with a fine 220 grit sand paper. The models were dipped in low bloom super-glue for approximately 10-15 seconds before being hung to dry.

Following another light sanding, Lorenzo chose a product called Sophisticated Finishes-Patina Green which included a pair of solutions–Copper Metallic Paint and Patina Green Antiquing Solution--and they were brushed onto the models. While those metallic finishes were still tacky to the touch, they were sprayed with the antiquing solution. That solution interacts with the metal flakes in the initial coat to form a layer which creates the appearance of corrosion and that desired “copper” patina.

If you’d like to see more details of the project, you can check them out on the Mcor blog.

What do you think of this copper-like finish on Mcor-printed objects? Can you think of a project which would look great with this finish? Let us know in the Copper-Finished Paper 3D Prints forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out more photos of the finished models, as well as a video about Mcor technology, below.