How to Make 3D Printed Fossil Replicas

Hello! I did this project for my DESN 551 class as a part of the HXDI program at CSULB. Special thanks to Behnaz Farahi for providing instruction and advice throughout the process! In this tutorial I will be teaching you how to create 3D printed fossils using Photogrammetry.

Camera and photo taking set up

Autodesk Recap (Or equivalent software)

3D Printer

Bondo Glazing/Spot Putty (Or equivalent)

Tan acrylic paint

Brown acrylic paint

Black acrylic paint mixed in water

Polyurethane gloss

Begin by setting up a photo taking environment to take photos of your fossils. For this exercise I used a Carcharodontosaurus tooth and Ammonite from my collection. Take pictures of the fossil from every angle, rotating slightly after each picture. Keep shadows/background objects to a minimum.

After you have taken at least 30 photos of each fossil you want to print, upload the pictures to ReCap (Note: if you are using the free version expect a long processing time, projects taking multiple days to process). Once the 3D model is finished clean up any imperfactions with the tools provided. Finally, save the model as an .STL file and submit it to the 3D printer.

Once the 3D print is finished you could easily call the project done. But we want to make these prints feel more realistic. Begin by covering the print in Bondo and let it harden. Sand down the fossils so they are smooth.

Apply a coat of tan paint to the fossils. Be sure to cover up any Bondo. This will be your base layer.

Apply a coat of brown paint over the tan coat once it is dry. Be sure to apply this coat lightly.

Apply a thin coat of polyurethane over each of the fossils to give them a glossy look.

Fossils often have imperfections. Lightly apply a mix of water and black piant over the fossils as a wash. Let the mix seep into the cracks and crevices of the fossils. Once dry, your 3D printed fossils are complete!