An icosa made with pasta! That's fun!!! You'll find this serious, but fun shape peppered throughout the Protopasta website. With flat, easily-accessible sides, Icosas are particularly perfect for polishing prints made from Protopasta Metals.

Prusa

I3 MK3S

Doesn't Matter

No

0.15

0%

Here are some parameters that balance of quality, speed, and reliability to get you started:

Machine(s): Prusa MK2/3, Creality Ender 3
Nozzle: 0.4 mm standard brass w/ sock
Nozzle Temp: 205+ C Bed Temp: 60 C Bed Type: Glass, PEI, BuildTak, or other
Bed Prep: Clean w/ water or alcohol; Magigoo for additional adhesion + easy release when cool

Outlines: 3 Top/Bot layers: 6 Infill type: Lines Infill: 25%
Overlaps: 0 Min layer time: 0 Min Speed: 0 Fill gaps: no Expansion: 0

Layer height Ext width Speed Fan
1st Layer 0.32mm 0.44mm 15mm/s 0%
Rest of print 0.16mm 0.44mm 30mm/s 40-60%

Feel free to email support@protoplant.com for printing help

Here are my polishing and oxidizing recommendations for Protopasta Metals:

I prefer polishing with 3M polishing paper. You can first sand away layer lines with locally available 1XX-2XX sand paper before moving on to the kit's 400-grit. I recommend stopping shy of 8000-grit. I find that 6000-grit gives peak polish. Each time I switch grits, I sand/polish perpendicular to the previous grit to make sure the previous sanding/polishing marks are removed before moving on to the next grit.

I oxidize with a mixture of 3 T water, 1 T white vinegar, and 1 tsp salt. I first expose the metal with sandpaper or a wire brush. You can also oxidize a part at any point in the polishing process. Building patina, much like polishing, takes patience. To oxidize, wet the surface, let dry, and repeat. Using a spray bottle to mist water helps avoid drips to build oxidation without also washing it away.