I’ve added wood texture to 3D prints for different purposes and it can look pretty cool. But I’m working on a gift print where I wanted real wood and the quality kind of look that brings. So far it’s looking good. Plastic and wood can make a nice combo. Plus, with all the specialty filaments available as well as a wide variety of woods available in thin veneers, this could be a fun side to 3D printing.
The woods are available in very thin, about 0.5mm thicknesses. It’s easy to not only print recesses, but also print templates to give perfectly-shaped inlays. The project I’m working on now has wood bits on 4 sides to accentuate the design.
I made a fixture to hold the sheets while varnishing. I’m finishing first then will cut to shape and stick down using special double-stick adhesive sheet. Here’s a shot while applying varnish and another testing how the gold silk+ looks next to it to see if they work together. The first shot has the veneer with the left side just a single coat of varnish. It’s clear gloss with no stain for this one and it does help the grain pop. The shot with the plastic is just one coat of varnish.
Anyway, possibly something that might fit with other prints. I got a pretty big assortment of veneers in different woods for about $25. The hardest part was picking the right wood and I narrowed it down to five different woods before settling on this one for trim on a music box.
I think absolutely that 3D printing projects can and should use more than just plastic in their designs! Why limit yourself when you have so many possible options out there? Personally, I suck at woodwork but I imagine that I might be able to cut a piece of veneer to fit into a slot or something on my print.
I decided to try and score and break a piece of acrylic sheet the other day to make a “stop the cat from accidentally going through the screen door shield” the other day and it amazed me at how easy it was to score and break the plastic. Not only that, but the break was so clean! It has opened some doors as far as I am concerned to trying some projects with the plastic!
(Our cat likes it when we push chair up to the door during the summer when she can look through the screen and see and smell the front yard. had a cheap Ikea shelf and bracket set that was just the right size to fit in our front door so I decided to print some holders that I could drop the shelf into so that instead of the chair she had the shelf to sit on. We decided that she might launch herself right through the screen getting up to the shelf and made a shield as well. Sneeze guard for cat, I guess.)
As I started looking into veneers, there’s other materials available too. Abalone veneer surprised me but that stuff is beautiful! It’s a little brittle though so I didn’t get any to try yet. Might in the future if this project turns out like it at least looks it will.
And the woodwork I’m doing is pretty simple so far. I printed jigs to use for cutting but so far it’s just painting on varnish with light sanding between coats. The cuts for this project are all straight line instead of delicate scrollwork style stuff to make it easier. But it’s all easier for sure than building furniture.
Here’s after light sanding and a second coat and the jig I’ll use for trimming to size. I’ll be varnishing both sides to keep the wood from wanting to curl and to give better grip to the double stick. Another coat or two on this side then flip to do the other. Then ready to trim to fit and install.
It’s not hard, though. I think it might be accessible to most pretty easily. Not much skill involved I think. Time will tell though.
When are you going to try gold leaf?