We can thank designer Matt Olczyk, co-founder of LabDigiFab in Wroclaw, Poland, for this stunning DIY project. Recently, he was kind enough to share his 18th century-inspired door handle plates with Polish multi-tool 3D printer manufacturer Zmorph, including a walk-through of the entire process. Although, the files haven’t yet been made available, I would imagine that proficient modelers will have no trouble creating their own versions. For example, I could see 3D artist Francesco Orrù doing a far-out, Giger-esque one (subtle hint).
Matt converted his drawing of a basic single leaf sketch into a 3D model, which he then multiplied and transformed a few times using Rhino 3D. He used Zmorph’s Voxelizer to perform a boolean operation to add even more of the tiny details. The final .stl was finished off with a Phantom Omni haptic device and Freeform Plus software.
Each part took about 10 hours to print, with Matt using ABS plastic, which doesn’t require primer like PLA. But he did dissolve it in acetone for a bit, before finally painting it with gold acrylic. For makers who want an even more antique look, I’m wondering if dry-brushing with a gold highlight color would be effective? If anyone tries it let me know!
After having to dust tiny 3D printed busts and knick-knacks on my bookshelf for the last two years, I’m seriously stoked with any project that can be put to use or can be organically incorporated into home décor (sorryboutit, yoda head). This is the bee’s knees and I look forward to seeing what other people come up with. Monograms, silhouette portraits, perverse outlines of genitals… the possibilities are endless!
