Avenger Bookends

This is a simple instructable where I 3D printed Avenger bookends and made them suitable for use in my office. I found the 3D files at myminifactory.com; specifically here.

The first thing was to 3D print the bookends. The files come complete so you just print each end. However, you are not done yet. The plastic is too light to hold books. Not to mention it still needs painting. As far as making the bookends capable of holding office books (law books specifically), I had a few options. However, I decided to go with attaching a metal plat to the bottom which extends beyond the bookend and which can hold use the books own weight.

I actually started preparing the plastic for painting and just didn't think about smoothing out the 3D printed lines. Usually I use an acetone bath to smooth out the plastic before I paint. I should have done that but just didn't. I did paint a section of the bookends with acetone but I should have done a bath.

Painting Thor's hammer was pretty easy. Just paint the individual pieces very carefully. Painting Captain America's shield is a lot harder. I determined the best way to paint it was to start from the center and paint outward. I first painted the star in the center. Then used blue painter's tape to separate the color sections. I pained outward, blue, red, silver, then red again.

I then measured and cut 1/16" metal plates to attach to the bookends. I had to score the plates a little in order for the glue to attach. I used some Gorilla Glue to attach the two.

I placed 0.20 polyurethane plates on either side to smooth out the inside sections of the bookends. I then painted the inside with gold.

Initial use of the bookends for organizing filament seemed to work very well. Next, I think I'll put in my office and see what people think.