DIY A Fabulous Resin Cosmic Table

Resin Table

(printed by Anycubic Photon M3 & Photon M3 Max)

Still looking for a unique table for your home in store? You're sure to find it, but it will come at a high price. We are happy to share with you a Cosmic Resin Art using 3D printing here.

In this article, you will see how we printed and post-processed this art. In short, we used Anycubic Photon M3 and Anycubic Photon M3 Max 3D printers to print out the decoration. With fine details, beautiful colors, and epoxy resin, we got a beautiful cosmic resin table. So, let’s take a look at this special Resin Cosmic Table Project!

Download 3D Files

3D Printing

Anycubic Photon M3 Max

(Anycubic Photon M3 Max was printing models)

In order to print the decor of the solar system which contains 14 detailed models, we used Anycubic Photon M3 Max, the first large resin printer with a massive build volume of 298 x 164 x 300 mm, equipped with 13" 7K monochrome screen. If you want to print some large-size and high-precision resin art, check out this machine!

Anycubic Auto Resin Filler

(Anycubic auto resin filler is working)

Thanks to Anycubic's self-developed smart resin filler, makes the printing process more convenient. This smart function requires Anycubic UV Resin with a bottle volume of 1KG, instead of 500G. Here we used Anycubic Plant-based UV Resin which is biodegradable and made from soybean oil, truly eco-friendly. Importantly, the model of the sun needed to be printed in a clear color for a better glow in later assembly.

Post-processing

The models of the solar system

(The models of the solar system without processing)

Anycubic Photon M3 Max performed well in model details and intelligent control as well as the large print size, but in order to beautify this resin handicraft, the prints still needed to be post-processed. The following are mainly talking about two methods of post-processing resin: supports removal and painting.

Supports Removal

Supports Removal

(Used tools to remove supports)

Tools You Need
  • Needle-nose Pliers
  • Cutter

This step required a lot of patience and care, otherwise, it would be easy to mess up. After cleaning and curing, applied needle-nose pliers to remove most of the supports. Then, you would see some remaining supports still left on the surface of the models. So a sharp cutter was needed to gently trim until the surface was smooth. Also using sandpaper to sand off the surface is another good way. (Check for more knowledge about Supports Tutorial)

Tips: If you print the model with dense supports, it is recommended to remove the external supports first before cleaning and curing. This step is to prevent damage to the model due to inner supports not being cleaned and cured.

Coloring & Painting

3D Models After Processing

(The models of the solar system after processing)

Tools You Need
  • Spray
  • Paint Brush
  • Watercolor Paint

Moving the model to the next level, painting is an essential step to being full of creativity. Using spray to paint the surface quickly first, then holding an art paint brush to deal with the details and to outline the texture of the planets of the solar system, delicate rockets, satellites, etc. It should be noted that you must keep the area ventilated when painting to avoid harmful chemicals getting into your body.

Assembly

Turn off the light

(Turn off the light to the table)

Accessories You Need

  • Large Wood Tray
  • LED Strip Lights
  • Epoxy Resin
  • Dyes & Pigments

Light up the table to help set the atmosphere. Glued the LED strip lights to the side of the wood tray, and don’t forget the sun, as the only luminous body in the solar system, with an LED beam placed on its bottom.

It’s turned to another important role in this project - Epoxy Resin. When poured out, it flows like liquid. Once dry, it’s as hard as rocks. That's its feature, but it should be used with its friend, Hardener. As long as mixing the epoxy resin and hardener in a 1:1 ratio, you could create a protective layer for your artwork. Then, to remove bubbles, try a heat gun to slowly release them.

But that isn't all. Still need more details. Made some beautiful nebulae to intersperse the cosmic by blending some dyes and pigments in the epoxy to achieve a multicoloured and sparkling effect. An air blow gun could make the nebula ripple gently and vividly. The fabulous resin art was almost done, the last step was pouring the mixed epoxy in crystal clear for sealing the top, and turning on the light to have a nice coffee in your exclusive cosmic.

Turn on the light

(Turn on the light to the table)