How I Made My Feebas Figure With 3D Printing [DIY]

 

In my Milotic Underwater CMV, I had a little feebas figure that I used to represent evolving into my milotic cosplay. There’s a little bit of a story if you squint, and I thought it was pretty neat. So here is how I made it.  

I downloaded the 3D print file from printables here: link

I took it to a maker space to get it printed, and used their Qidi Max 3D printer. 

 

1. First image is it in the splicer software. It messed up because there was an issue with the Z axis, but after calibrating it, I was able to get it to print. Anyone who tells you that 3D printing is easy, it’s not. It's so much more troubleshooting than you may think.
 

2. Next image, it is fresh without the supports (and after I accidentally dropped it and broke the dorsal fin).

3. Then, I sanded the hell out of it, or as much as I could. Be sure to wear a respirator, as you don't want to inhale any of the sanding dust, with good ventilation.

4. I glued some wire and some foam to become the new dorsal fin and create this vertical ridge Feebas has on its side.

5. Then, I primed most of it with mod podge with a brush.

6. I used gel polish for its eyes so that it could be extremely shiny. Gel polish is toxic (it's resin) so wear gloves and a respirator, with good ventilation. 

7. Then I painted the rest of the details with acrylic paint.

8. I sealed it with Rust-o-leum spray sealant and it's done! 

As a bonus, I also made a plastic container for it to protect it from water, because this was going to be used in an ocean shoot.