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Metal 3D printers are pricey machines that make aerospace-grade parts and cost an absolute fortune. You can make your own “metal” 3D prints at home, out of regular filament, without the massive spend.
They might not have the strength of metal, but they look great.
Basic PLA and paint
The cheapest and easiest metal-look
It might sound like a cheat, but using the cheapest PLA you can get your hands on and a lick of paint is a great way to get that metal look. What matters most here is the type of paint you use, with metallic spray paints doing a great job of getting an even finish, even in places that can be hard to reach with a regular brush.
Proper surface preparation is key to getting the paint to stay in place. Lightly sanding your prints to remove any blemishes and obvious layer lines can go a long way before hitting them with a coat of self-etching auto primer. Follow this up with the metallic paint of your choice, then finish the fine details with a brush and acrylics or enamels.
This technique is a favorite among wargaming fans, who use their 3D printer to create tabletop miniatures at cost price.
Silk PLA
For a shiny look that will never tarnish
Silk PLA is a bit more expensive than regular PLA but provides a glossy, metal-like finish that can give you that polished metal look immediately off the print bed (so you can make things like your own World Cup trophy). Options like Bambu Lab’s PLA Silk+ cost $23 for a 1KG roll with several metal-like finishes available, including gold, titan gray, silver, and rose gold.
The filament is somewhat slippery due to its glossy finish, which might make it unsuitable for objects that need to be gripped. That said, it’s arguably the best way to achieve certain looks without going to the effort of breaking out the paints. The glossy finish is achieved by adding certain elastomers which can make silk PLA a little weaker than regular PLA.
Some manufacturers, like Bambu Lab, address this (which is what the “+” in “PLA Silk+” is for), offering better layer adhesion compared with more traditional formulas.
PLA-Metal
No metal included
Despite the name, PLA-Metal doesn’t actually contain any metal. This is great news if your 3D printer lacks the hardened steel nozzle necessary to print high abrasion filaments, since PLA-Metal behaves like regular PLA. You can buy this in a number of finishes, and it’s perfect for getting that solid or anodized look right off the print bed.
Bambu Lab sells PLA-Metal in cobalt blue, oxide green, iridium gold, copper brown, and iron gray for $25 per 1KG spool. At the time of writing, all of these are out of stock (a problem that Bambu Lab has struggled with in the past). eSUN sells its own ePLA-Metal in antique brass and gold for $27 per 1KG spool.
Metal composites
Behaves like metal, rust and all
If you really want your 3D prints to look like metal, consider a composite filament. These filaments contain actual metal powder, which means that not only do they look like metal, they can also behave like it too. Ferrous composites that contain iron are magnetic, rustable, and even have a metal “thunk” when dropped.
The presence of actual metal means that you’ll need a nozzle that can handle them. Metal composite filaments can shred regular stainless and brass nozzles, so use hardened steel or tougher. Your finished prints will be heavier, more thermally conductive, and capable of forming a “patina” over time (you can also speed up the process, if you want).
Proto-Pasta has a great selection of specialized metal composite filament. Though more cost-effective than solid metal, it’s not cheap compared to regular old PLA. You can buy small 100g coils of iron-filled PLA for $9, or $65 for a full 1KG spool. Other finishes start at $12 for 100g and include steel fill, copper fill, brass fill, bronze fill, stainless steel fill, and some high-density variants.
Buy what little you need and use it sparingly, making sure to minimize your chances of failed prints by drying your filament properly and cleaning your print bed.
Bored of standard PLA? Check out some more exotic 3D printing filaments.
