instructables Banana Candles Made with Plaster And 3d Printing Instructions

: June 10, 2024
: instructables

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Instructables Banana Candles Made with Plaster And 3d Printing
Product Information: Banana Candles Made with Plaster and 3D Printing
Product Usage Instructions
BANANA CANDLES MADE WITH PLASTER AND 3D PRINTING
Documents / Resources

Instructables Banana Candles Made with Plaster And 3d Printing

Banana-Candles-Made-with-Plaster-And-3d-Printing-
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Product Information: Banana Candles Made with Plaster and 3D Printing

The Banana Candles Made with Plaster and 3D Printing is a DIY project that allows users to create their banana-shaped candle holders using 3D printing technology and plaster. The candle holder consists of two parts, with the top part being the candle and the bottom part is made of plaster. The 3D-printed mold can be saved for future use, allowing users to make more candles in the future. The project requires supplies such as a 3D printer, plaster of Paris/gypsum/cement, candle wax, wicks, sanding paper, scalpel, filler/putty, disposable gloves, brushes, acrylic paints, and tough exterior varnish.

Product Usage Instructions

Download the banana candle model from Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3664845).
Use a 3D printer to print both the upper and lower parts of the banana candle holder.
Remove the support material from the lower part of the banana candle holder and clean it as much as possible.
If there are any holes, cover them with filler or putty.
Prepare the plaster mixture according to the instructions on the packaging.
Pour the plaster mixture into the 3D-printed mold and allow it to dry completely.
Remove the plaster cast from the mold and sand it down to smoothen any rough edges.
Paint the lower part of the banana candle holder using acrylic or spray paints as desired.
Insert a wick into the candle wax and melt it down in a double boiler.
Pour the melted candle wax into the upper part of the banana candle holder and allow it to cool and harden.
Insert the candle into the lower plaster part of the banana candle holder and light it up.

Note: Always wear disposable gloves when working with plaster and other materials to protect your hands. Also, make sure that your 3D printer is well- calibrated for the best results.

BANANA CANDLES MADE WITH PLASTER AND 3D PRINTING

by kura_kura

I saw this weird banana candleholder somewhere on the internet and I failed to save it, so I was forced to make my own version. This candle/candle holder consists of two parts- the top part is a candle and the bottom part is plaster. If you plan on actually lighting the candle, you can save the 3D- printed mold and make more candles in the future. I’m also showing an example of how to use the MOLD setting in CURA and how to cast plaster in 3D-printed molds. Supplies:

3D PRINTER
PLASTER OF PARIS/GYPSUM/CEMENT (OPTIONAL)
CANDLE WAX, WICKS
SANDING PAPER, SCALPEL, FILLER/PUTTY, DISPOSABLE GLOVES
BRUSHES, ACRYLIC PAINTS, TOUGH EXTERIOR VARNISH

BANANA CANDLE MODEL

I used https://www.thingiverse.com/ thing: 3664845 as a base for my banana, tweaked it roughly to thicken the peeled sides and added an exposed banana part. Both pieces are overlocking, candle part will t seamlessly within the plaster part.

https://www.tinkercad.com/embed/erCIm94JSrJ?editbtn=1

LOWER BANANA MODEL

https://www.tinkercad.com/embed/9PWvJGL8plq?editbtn=1

LOWER BANANA PART – PLA COVERED IN PLASTER

This part can be printed as you’d normally do and then processed. So, sanding, filler, paint, varnish, as usual. I was dead set on using plaster to try and recreate some rough plaster texture and I decided to experiment with covering PLA print with a layer of plaster. Once I printed it in PLA (not a good quality print, 0.3mm layer height, 15% intall, 3 walls…mainly to save time, I had other projects waiting to be printed), I covered it in a thin layer of plaster. I wasn’t too optimistic, plaster usually doesn’t stick to plastic, but somehow it turned out alright. First, I used sanding paper (40 grit) to rough the print up. Then, I mixed a small amount of plaster of Paris (reinforced plaster) to the consistency of heavy cream and used a disposable brush to apply it all over the print. I let it dry, sanded it, and added a second layer before sanding again.

LOWER BANANA PART- PLASTER CAST Part1

There is a magical feature in CURA, that allows you to make molds (or molds). I have no idea what the intended purpose of this setting is, but I’ve been using it to print molds of busts and statues, lower pots, and really, anything that could be cast in plaster. All you have to do is go to settings in Cura and type MOLD to see your options. Click all available options and you are ready to experiment with molds.
Here are some tips:

It takes about 2x longer to print a part in the mold setting than in a normal setting.
Print with thin walls- 1-2 walls, but preferably just a single wall
You have to print with an intall, depending on the size and shape of your part, you will have to use between 5 and 15%. You can’t print without it, it will be too easy and plaster will cause the plastic mold to bulge.
Pay attention to retraction settings, you don’t to end up with stringy parts, especially on the inside, where plaster will go.
Certain shapes will require support. This again will have to be closely monitored. Wrong settings like wrong overhang angle or support placement can mess up your print. You don’t want supports being printed inside the mold in places where you won’t be able to remove them.

LOWER BANANA PART- PLASTER CAST Part2

Once it’s printed, take a look inside and make sure there are no holes or stringy bits. If necessary, clean it as much as possible, remove supports and if you have any holes, cover them with filler or putty. There shouldn’t be any holes if the print is good quality and your printer is well-calibrated.

Mix plaster (or cement) with water and pour it into the mold.
This part had some small, tight places, so I poured plaster into a piping bag, taped a short length of plastic straw to the tip, and used this contraption to pour plaster into all those tiny holes.
Leave it to set. I can’t stress it enough- leave it for days. You want it to be fully cured, not just set, otherwise, the plaster will crack once you start removing it.
Once it’s cured, use a combination of (mostly makeshift) tools to remove the plastic mold.
I used Dremel to cut through the first wall of plastic and then used a small tool to peel the inner wall –> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-59137-Wax-Carver-S…\
Sand the plaster.

PAINTING

Use acrylic paints and/or spray paints to decorate the lower part of the banana. I went with strong colors inspired by pop art.

CANDLE PART

Ready to print mold for the candle part. Mould has keys for easy and fast interlocking and elongated edges, so paper clamps can be sued to hold the mold together.

https://www.tinkercad.com/embed/l3iteG7Th2a?editbtn=1

CANDLE MOULD

The inside of the mold had a bit of a rough texture and I wasn’t sure if it will be a problem later on, so I applied a layer of tough, outdoor varnish to the inside of the mold.
I assembled the mold with paper clamps and used a hot glue gun to temporarily attach the wick to the top of the mold. I also used more glue around the top edges to make sure the wax doesn’t seep out.
To keep the wick straight, I secured it with got glue and toothpicks (pic.3)

CANDLE WAX

Melt the yellow wax candle and cool it to 65-70 C, pour it into the molds, and let it cool down.
Unmould and use a scalpel to trim the edges (if necessary).
Place the candle into the plaster base.

FINISHED

Documents / Resources

| instructables Banana Candles Made with Plaster And 3d Printing [pdf] Instructions
Banana Candles Made with Plaster And 3d Printing, Banana Candles, Made with Plaster And 3d Printing, 3d Printing
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