Care and Handling of Your Strange Specimens

Please note: I've linked to some specific products you might find helpful. These are affiliate links which will allow me to earn a small commission while adding no extra cost for you.

My 3D printed bones are made with durable resin that makes them lightweight and highly detailed, but there are a few things you need to know to keep them in beautiful condition for the long haul!

1. Don't expose them to sunlight or other sources of UV light.

Resin 3D printers work by exposing liquid resin to UV light, which means the finished product can be UV sensitive. This is especially true for white resins, which I use for their beautiful, realistic bone color. Even very short exposure to direct UV light will cause the piece to yellow; in my own curing process I only expose them to UV for about a minute, that's how quickly they can yellow!

Keep your 3D printed skull away from sources of UV light like sunlight, plant grow lights, and blue or rave-type lighting.

If you'd like to give your skull an older, yellowed look however, you can expose it to the sun for short periods of time (start with just 10 to 20 seconds per side until you get a sense for how quickly it's going to yellow).

If you purchase any painted specimens, you won't need to worry about this as the surfaces of your piece will be protected by the paint and primer. Any specimens listed as "bright white" are made from a more UV resistant white resin, but avoiding too much light exposure with them is still recommended.

2. Keep them away from sources of heat.

While resin is durable and is not a thermoplastic (so it doesn't melt under normal conditions), getting too hot may cause it to warp, soften, or start to deteriorate. So don't keep your pieces next to or on top of heat sources; use the same kind of caution that you would with any plastic.

3. If you want to paint your piece, prime it first!

Though 3D printed surfaces will often take paint well, the finished product tends to be streaky along the thin layer lines that are produced by the 3D printing process. For the best finish, apply a primer before you paint.

Because these pieces have a lot of detail and texture, the best primer is the thin, lightweight type used in the model-making hobby. I like the Tamiya America Fine Surface Primer or The Army Painter miniature primer if you need a spray-can style product. If you're using an airbrush, products like Stynylrez, Army Painter or Vallejo work great. If you have a hobby shop in your area that caters to model makers and tabletop gamers, they'll have the type of supplies you need.

If you plan to paint your skull, I would love to see the end result! Please contact me or @ me on my social media channels!