Monday, August 4, 2014

Revisiting the 3D-Printed Makie

In an MSD wig and a Bratz Boyz outfit.
When last we saw my 3D Printed Makie doll/figure, he was wearing his default outfit and wig (both of which I wasn't hugely impressed with).   Since I liked his construction considerably more than I liked the extras and since Muff suggested that it would be interesting to see his articulation with fewer clothes covering the joints, I'm going to let this guy enjoy the spotlight once more.

One of the first things I did after taking that first series of photos was to wipe the bottom half of this guy's faceup.  The original pink lip colour gave him a strangely aggressive sneer, so the blank face is quite the improvement.  Unfortunately that makes the sealant on the upper half the of the face more visible, so I'll have to fully wipe and eventually repaint him in full.

Next up was removing the original fur wig (which was cut in such a way that he appeared to be balding).  It came off fairly easily (despite being glued on), but there was quite a bit of adhesive left on the headcap, so that will still need to be cleaned off.

Luckily, the Makie heads are similar in size to an MSD, so I had some wigs on hand that would fit him.  The medium length fibre wig that he's wearing in photos here came from the Volks USA clearance sale.  The outfit that he's porting is from the Bratz Boyz line, and the top is a near-perfect fit.  The jeans are unfortunately not quite as perfect in that they're too long (although that's easily adjusted, and one could always just use the shorts) and a little too tight in the waist (they don't fully close in the back).

But enough about the clothes, let's take a look at the joints!

All of the joints (including the head) pop on and off easily. 
Each joint is a simple ball and socket.
You can see the semi-wiped face and the wig adhesive in this shot.

Arms raised, elbows bent, one foot up, one foot down.
The joints in action.
Standing up.
From behind.
The rectangular bit in the back is to allow for a battery to be inserted
(some people give their Makies glowing eyes, or a voice box).
You can also see the release point for the headcap here.

8 comments:

  1. Oh I enjoyed this post! He looks great like that (even with the sealant)!

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    1. Thanks! :)

      He's still a work in progress, so I'm still not sure how he'll look when complete, but as these things go, he's been a favourite of mine to work on.

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  2. You made this with a 3D printer?

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    1. Not personally, but that's how it was produced. The site that I ordered him from is Makie.me - they have a has a set body design and allow you to create a custom head and select the body colour that they print for you.
      I looked at other places for full-custom opportunities, but laziness won out in the end - this option was just the easiest (and reasonably priced as well).

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  3. Oh, this is so interesting. I know he isn't, but in the photos it looks like he's carved from wood! His limbs seem short and stocky but still look proportionate. He's a very curious creature -- I like him!

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    1. A curious creature indeed!

      The way the lines of the print layers look like wood grain is one of the things I really love about these (and other 3D printed items). I've heard from people who have sanded them down to make them smooth, but I can't imagine doing that - it seems like you'd lose so much of the charm along with the texture.

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  4. Great to see your thoughts and your boy. I am currently trying to determine whether to go this colour or lighter and whether a boy or a girl!

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    1. Thanks!

      Good luck selecting your Makie! And if it's too tough a decision, how about one boy in one colour and one girl in another? ;)

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