When a visited the Bristol Mini Maker Faire in 2015 one of the 3D printed objects I came across was a Giant Lego Batman figure. It was very impressive and led to my descision to order a RepRapPro Fisher Beta printer. I liked the Fisher because it’s footprint was small and I would be able to find space for it.
I printed a few other items as I learnt to use it but my main project was the Lego Batman figure that had captured my imagination.
The files are available for download from Thingiverse user Matthew Kirby who based it on his Darth Vader version. It is also listed on Pinshape.
Here are some technical details :
- Printer : RepRapPro Fisher
- Filament : RigidInk 1.75mm PLA, black
- Layer height : 0.2mm
- Slicing application : Slic3r
- Support : Head only
I printed most of the main parts separately but the arms, arm pins and legs were done in pairs. The total print time was somewhere in the region of ten hours but if I created another one I could reduce this buy printing more items at the same time.
The Cloak
Matthew provides a template for the cloak which I printed out onto paper. I then made a cardboard template which was used to cut thin foam sheeting from a hobby supplies shop (Hobbycraft in the UK). This was about £1 for an A3 sheet and was enough to make four cloaks. You can use black paper or card but the foam is perfect, keeps its shape and has a slight neoprene finish.
Support Material
All the parts printed OK without support except for the head. I got Slic3r to add support to mouth and nose area. With this PLA it is always a pain to remove but just takes a bit of patience and a sharp knife.
Head Detailing
Just printing the model gives you an impressive ornament but I wanted to enhance the overall look with a few additional details. I created a template for the eyes and face areas which I printed on white card and stuck in place with craft glue.
The face insert was pre-painted with flesh coloured acrylic paint which I found in my wife’s art supplies. The mouth was cut out and stuck onto the face insert. Once the shapes were correct it was quite easy to do and makes the figure look a lot more impressive.
Overall Result
The arms and legs snapped onto the body and hips without too much hassle. They become loose quite quickly so for my display model I may glue the legs to lock them into position. I’m pleased with the overall result and I guess I will now give the Vader version a try as it is so similar.
The Lego experts out there will notice that the chest design on this model is from the grey Batman figure with a black bat symbol. The black figure should have a slightly different symbol surrounded by a yellow oval. Accuracy wasn’t my goal so I just aimed for a cool looking figure to add to my collection.