Head with gas mask

• For every part except the ears: LWPLA (ColorFabb) from 3Djake
• For the ears: Foamy TPU (FilaFlex) from 3Djake

• For all things black: Vallejo Model Air Black RLM22 (V71057)
• Primer: Vallejo Surface Primer USN Light Ghost (70615)
• Varnish: Vallejo Model Color Gloss Varnish (V70510) I did have a bit of a “problem” with this varnish though, it stayed somewhat “tacky” even weeks after being applied. It has been suggested to me to wipe it with IPA but I haven't tried that yet, so be aware that this might not be the ideal varnish.

• Front shell (gas mask)
• Back shell
• Backplate
• Adapters for the “filters (x2)
• Filter “stem” (x2)
• Filter body (x2)
• Filter cap (x2)
• Filter hose connection (x2)
• Filter to hose adapter (x2)
• Gas mask tip
• Gas mask top cap (x2)
• Eyeplate
• Eye (x2)
• Ear (x2)

Additional, non printed, non electronic parts:

• Hinge hardware (two slotted bolts, and two slotted barrel nuts)
• Visor: Cut out of tinted PVC sheet
• Magnets to keep the head closed
• Magnets to keep the visor secure
• Padding made out of memory foam
• Thin black EVA foam for the bottom of the padding to hide the bright yellow padding foam
• Velcro strips to hold the padding in, so the padding can be swapped out/cleaned
• The same kind of mesh typically used for fursuit eyes, used for the ear holes (the ones on the side for my actual ears and the ones in the suit ears), painted black (you can use a sharpy for this or airbrushit, whatever works)

To reduce weight the headshell and all other components (except for the ears) were printed using LW-PLA (lightweight PLA). This pla foams up above a certain temperature, which reduces its density greatly. There is a tradeoff of course, because as the density reduces so does the strength. Although in my experience even at 50-60 % weight (compared to “solid” PLA) it's still pretty tough and flexible.

My typical post processing sequence for PLA prints is as follows. Keep in mind this is just what I do CURRENTLY, and this is an ever evolving process and I do not claim this to be the “best” or “correct” way to do it!

1. Remove brims, burrs, and strings
2. Coarse initial sanding using 240 grit paper (dry)
3. Glue what you need to glue together, if there are multiple parts to combine
4. Second coarse sanding using 240 grit paper (dry)
5. Spray with filler and let it dry (spraycan)
6. Sand with 400 grit paper (wet)
7. Spray with filler and let it dry
8. Sand with 600 grit paper (wet)
9. Spray with filler and let it dry
10. Sand with 800 grit paper (wet)
11. Optional: Spray with filler and let it dry
12. Optional: sand with 1200 grit paper (wet)
13. Spray primer pass 1(airbrush) and let it dry
14. Spray primer pass 2 (airbrush) and let it dry
15. Spray colour pass 1 and let it dry
16. Spray colour pass 2 and let it dry
17. Optional: Spray colour pass 3 and let it dry
18. Spray varnish pass 1 and let it dry
19. Spray varnish pass 2 and let it dry
20. Optional: Spray varnish pass 3 and let it dry

You may need to repeat one or more of these steps (especially during sanding) depending on the print, and how fine of a finish you'd like.

Print settings for LW-PLA I used (on modified CR-10S with a microswiss direct drive extruder):

• Extrusion multiplier: 0.52
• Print temperature: 225 C
• Print speed: 50 mmm/s
• Retract distance: 0.5 mm
• Retract as few times and as little as possible, otherwise the hotend may clog!
• Wall loops: 3
• Infill: 10 % rectilinear
• 4 top and 4 bottom shells
• Layer height: 0.2 mm

Initially the ears were printed out of regular TPU with a very sparce infill. This resulted in very heavy (250 grams each) ears, which made wearing the head pretty much impossible (very uncomfortable, too much inertia, and stress on neck).

For the final version, they have been printed using LW-TPU, without any infill, with 2-3 outlines (need to check). They then recieved a grey primer (Vallejo, 2 layers) and then were painted black(using Vallejo air black, again 2-3 layers). Finally they recieved 2-3 layers of glossy varnish. I used an airbrush for all of the paint layers. This resulted in ears that are under 100 grams each, which made a huge difference in comfort.

Printing LW-TPU can be a bit tricky as I learned. It has to be printed very slowly, and it sticks to the build plate extremely strongly, so it has to be removed carefully.

Print settings (on direct drive CR-10S):

• Extrusion multiplier: 0.6
• Retract distance: 3 mm
• Retract speed: 35 mm/s
• Coast to end enabled, distance: 5 mm
• Layer height: 0.2 mm
• Wall loops: 2 (depends on the parts, the bottom part, up to the hole, has 3 perimeters with 0.4 mm nozzle, 2 with 0.6 mm nozzle, but above that only 2 (this stays 2 for the 0.6 mm nozzle as well unfortunately)
• Print temperature: 250 C
• Bed temperature: 45 C
• Part cooling fan : 50 %
• Printing speed: 40 mm/s (with the 0.6 mm nozzle this is too fast, especially for vase mode, had to halve it to 20 mm/s)
• Reduction of print speed for short layer times was enabled (otherwised the ear tips would go melty), was set to 5 sec, with a minimum speed of 5 %