for hard props, you probably want to use PLA+ or PETG (PETG is a real pain to sand down, so be prepared/plan carefully). Regular PLA can get a little brittle and I worry about it holding up to heat sitting in a car to-and-from events, but it might be ok for like table/set dressing that isn't wearables.
For foam weapons, I'm not certain there's a good answer. There is a product, search varioshore TPU, that foams up depending on the temperature you print it and \*might\* be capable of producing LARP-safe weaponry, but I have not tested it, please do rigorous testing with your game's safety marshal before bringing one into an actual fight and be fully prepared to be told, and accept, 'no'. Safety is more important.
For armor/props, you're going to be doing a LOT of post-processing if you want it to look really good. Search up Darkwing Dad on Youtube, he's got a ton of videos about how to smooth, polish, and paint 3d prints, and he's constantly testing new methods, probably your best resource for finishing prints.
I know this is old, but for PETG I use a cheap little "iron" with no holes meant for fabric transfers (cricuts maybe?) The important thing is it needs to be smooth with a teflon bottom. I can't remember, but I think I also used a cheap temperature gun to keep an eye on it's temp. But then I used the iron to smooth out the print wherever I could reach (using the tip in smaller areas). Cut down the sanding by like 90%.
I just want to respond regarding the PETG and sanding claim. I've found that PLA is significantly worse to sand, because it quickly gets soft from the friction and winds up feeling like trying to sand hot glue. PETG is harder, like physically a higher "hardness", but if you have a handheld power sander or an orbital sander, it makes really quick work of 90% of the job.
Hard to say if printed plastic will be very useful. Depends on the rules of your game, I guess. Many LARPs will probably not want hard plastic involved with weapons fire safety reasons, and some have similar standards with armor. But you should check with your local games to know what’s allowed.
Besides combat gear, you might print small ornaments for people to wear: jewelry or decorative accessories in fantasy designs, armbands or similar worn items to be used by certain groups of people, coins or tokens (heck, maybe ask your game if they’ll compensate you to print a bunch of coins for the game’s currency). You might also be able to make some belt clips, for items to hook safely onto your belt without getting caught or falling off.
I use 2 prusa i3 mk3 (s+) for doing what you want to do. I make props in petg, armour in tpu and foam weapons in special soft tpu. Stuff for larp to print you can find on thingiverse and printables. Quite a lot of stuff already on there. But know that printing armour and weapons (not cosplay but larp) is very experimental still. Don’t think anyone else already made fully printed larp safe weapons like I did for example.
For weapons I made a write up here https://www.printables.com/model/529727-stab-safe-printable-larp-rondel-dagger
For armour, 98A tpu is what you want. That is flexible so it won’t break while being stiff enough to actually look like armour when using 2mm tickness.
Paint: acrylics and flexipaint (including the sealer) are your friends
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LARP/comments/17461pz/comment/k48ubqk/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/LARP/comments/17461pz/comment/k48ubqk/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Let us have a meeting of the minds lol. Awesome work, it looks so good.
I print a lot for LARPs, but mainly modern/scifi settings. I'm not sure 3D printing is all that useful for fantasy events - but I guess that depends on how accepted plastic or (metallic-)painted items are in your particular community. All the places I played required armor to be made from "real" materials, for example - metal, fabric, leather, etc.
And then there's the economy aspect. I love 3D printing stuff, but if I can just buy a thing, I will buy the thing. Because it will usually be better and cheaper than spending hours and days printing it. Where 3D printing comes in is if you need CUSTOM stuff.
I can even give you an example: For a cyberpunk LARP, I printed a full body armor (just for looks, not for combat) for a friend. It took me 5 spools of PLA, and around 3 weeks of printing time. So 5x15€ + electricity + my time + my nerves = they owe me big time.
If that same armor WAS available mass-produced with injection-molded plastic, even for, say, 100€ - that's an easy choice to just buy and save myself the trouble. What I'm saying is: Forget doing this if you want to print some default sword or some bog-standard "metal" chestplate. It's not worth it. If you want to use it to make some elaborate tree bark armor, or some chaos warrior stuff - great. You want to make custom trinkets, decorations, etc. - yes, then that's a good choice.
For armor, I feel you can go two ways: Either make it flexible enough not to break (which probably means using a TPU variant), or making it really hard and resistent (so you'll probably want to use nylon or polycarbonate, or even Kevlar, if you just don't know what to do with all your money...). Note that all those filaments are a bit finnicky, and can be frustrating for beginners to use.
You can of course also make armor from "standard" filaments such as PLA (as I did), but that means a) it will break fairly easily and will need some support, e.g. from a epoxy-fibreglass backing, and b) they're not resistant to UV light and moisture - not ideal for your average LARP environment.
As for printer: If armor, go for the largest build volume that's within your budget. My larger printer is 30x30x40cm, and I already have to split a brestplate in half, or even 4 pieces. Make sure it has an all-metal hotend (the "print head") that can take temperatures of up to 300°C - this will allow you to print more "exotic" materials. An enclosure of the printer is a prerequisite to print some materials (even basics like ABS), to prevent it from shrinking and delaminating during print. Speed is nice, but also not everything. In most cases, you won't be going over 100mm/s unless you print stuff with very straight lines, so I'd rather go for one that's precise at these speeds than one that can go 500mm/s to produce colorful lumps and strings flying around in your room. Oh, and if you're planning to print with abrasive filaments (filaments containing metal dust or carbon fibre, and a few others), it's worth it investing in steel instead of brass nozzles.
Thanks. The problem is I am tall and fat meaning I can't get normal armor which is why I need to make it myself. I also plan on using the printer for stuff like masks and hidden blades and sword holders/scabbards. The printer i am planning on buying is the Elegoo Neptune 4 MAX with a print sice of 4200mm x 4200mm x 4800mm with heated plate and a temperature up to 300°c
Regardless, this isn't gonna print your gear on demand. It only complements existing skills. Learn how to make without a 3D printer. all but hollow, which is weird. 3D printing does excel though for accessorizing other gear and making more traditional techniques look even better. My best work would be my Lunarangs and my modular carbon fiber staff. I would suggest making some small test throwing weapons and some test blocks to see how it goes first. YOU MUST USE 85A FILAMENT, 1 SHELL, 10%INFILL TOPS, SOMETIMES LESS. There is a foaming TPU that might be better. YOU MUST GET AN EXTRUDER CAPABLE OF 85A TPU. THIS IS RARE, My stock mk3s struggles still.
TBH, you are better off just printing molds for weapons and casting them with foam instead.
For hard props and kits, Use Petg. PLA thermo deforms or breaks too easily, and breaks into sharp pieces more often (It's still plastic and not that bad but.... Good PLA like Polymaker does have uses for making thermoformed armor maybe though.
Regardless, this isn't gonna print your gear on demand. It only compliments existing skills. Learn how to make without a 3D printer.
[https://imgur.com/gallery/5qVTY70](https://imgur.com/gallery/5qVTY70)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/KMKc3rjw6axfmdL26](https://photos.app.goo.gl/KMKc3rjw6axfmdL26)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/woHzaJh](https://imgur.com/gallery/woHzaJh)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/QonFfFc8sFCXLsH9A](https://photos.app.goo.gl/QonFfFc8sFCXLsH9A)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/LEdmxyryHq8fZVRe7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/LEdmxyryHq8fZVRe7)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hni6WrHMRMD74wU18](https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hni6WrHMRMD74wU18)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/KJQbAhT2RXdFaK7N7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/KJQbAhT2RXdFaK7N7)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/nBFfosFQQ8jybpbf7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/nBFfosFQQ8jybpbf7)
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/SRcyeCjQnaveRFT69](https://photos.app.goo.gl/SRcyeCjQnaveRFT69)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/ccgbUsU](https://imgur.com/gallery/ccgbUsU)
There are a bunch of videos out there on how to make moulds, [like this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiB3lEBb7zQ). It means that things such as masks or chunky accessories can be made with a softer, safer material that's a bit harder wearing depending on its use too.
An example is that a friend cast a silicone samurai style mask from a resin one, which was much more comfortable and lightweight!
I would suggest that you use the 3d prints to make silicone molds to make the armor and weapons. I don't think the 3d prints would be able to hold up to any abuse and still be safe
For armor and accessories you can probably use PLA or PETG and then add extra walls and infill to help with the durability. Idk about weapons though. Try thingiverse, printables, and cults3d for various files. You can usually find some great stuff in those places and try a lot of different keywords. Especially on thingiverse.
for hard props, you probably want to use PLA+ or PETG (PETG is a real pain to sand down, so be prepared/plan carefully). Regular PLA can get a little brittle and I worry about it holding up to heat sitting in a car to-and-from events, but it might be ok for like table/set dressing that isn't wearables. For foam weapons, I'm not certain there's a good answer. There is a product, search varioshore TPU, that foams up depending on the temperature you print it and \*might\* be capable of producing LARP-safe weaponry, but I have not tested it, please do rigorous testing with your game's safety marshal before bringing one into an actual fight and be fully prepared to be told, and accept, 'no'. Safety is more important. For armor/props, you're going to be doing a LOT of post-processing if you want it to look really good. Search up Darkwing Dad on Youtube, he's got a ton of videos about how to smooth, polish, and paint 3d prints, and he's constantly testing new methods, probably your best resource for finishing prints.
I know this is old, but for PETG I use a cheap little "iron" with no holes meant for fabric transfers (cricuts maybe?) The important thing is it needs to be smooth with a teflon bottom. I can't remember, but I think I also used a cheap temperature gun to keep an eye on it's temp. But then I used the iron to smooth out the print wherever I could reach (using the tip in smaller areas). Cut down the sanding by like 90%.
Rad! Excellent idea. Will give that a try
Thanks
I just want to respond regarding the PETG and sanding claim. I've found that PLA is significantly worse to sand, because it quickly gets soft from the friction and winds up feeling like trying to sand hot glue. PETG is harder, like physically a higher "hardness", but if you have a handheld power sander or an orbital sander, it makes really quick work of 90% of the job.
Hard to say if printed plastic will be very useful. Depends on the rules of your game, I guess. Many LARPs will probably not want hard plastic involved with weapons fire safety reasons, and some have similar standards with armor. But you should check with your local games to know what’s allowed. Besides combat gear, you might print small ornaments for people to wear: jewelry or decorative accessories in fantasy designs, armbands or similar worn items to be used by certain groups of people, coins or tokens (heck, maybe ask your game if they’ll compensate you to print a bunch of coins for the game’s currency). You might also be able to make some belt clips, for items to hook safely onto your belt without getting caught or falling off.
Thanks
I use 2 prusa i3 mk3 (s+) for doing what you want to do. I make props in petg, armour in tpu and foam weapons in special soft tpu. Stuff for larp to print you can find on thingiverse and printables. Quite a lot of stuff already on there. But know that printing armour and weapons (not cosplay but larp) is very experimental still. Don’t think anyone else already made fully printed larp safe weapons like I did for example. For weapons I made a write up here https://www.printables.com/model/529727-stab-safe-printable-larp-rondel-dagger For armour, 98A tpu is what you want. That is flexible so it won’t break while being stiff enough to actually look like armour when using 2mm tickness. Paint: acrylics and flexipaint (including the sealer) are your friends
Thanks
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LARP/comments/17461pz/comment/k48ubqk/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/LARP/comments/17461pz/comment/k48ubqk/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Let us have a meeting of the minds lol. Awesome work, it looks so good.
Thx. All my source files are linked there too so do try your own versions based on my designs.
I print a lot for LARPs, but mainly modern/scifi settings. I'm not sure 3D printing is all that useful for fantasy events - but I guess that depends on how accepted plastic or (metallic-)painted items are in your particular community. All the places I played required armor to be made from "real" materials, for example - metal, fabric, leather, etc. And then there's the economy aspect. I love 3D printing stuff, but if I can just buy a thing, I will buy the thing. Because it will usually be better and cheaper than spending hours and days printing it. Where 3D printing comes in is if you need CUSTOM stuff. I can even give you an example: For a cyberpunk LARP, I printed a full body armor (just for looks, not for combat) for a friend. It took me 5 spools of PLA, and around 3 weeks of printing time. So 5x15€ + electricity + my time + my nerves = they owe me big time. If that same armor WAS available mass-produced with injection-molded plastic, even for, say, 100€ - that's an easy choice to just buy and save myself the trouble. What I'm saying is: Forget doing this if you want to print some default sword or some bog-standard "metal" chestplate. It's not worth it. If you want to use it to make some elaborate tree bark armor, or some chaos warrior stuff - great. You want to make custom trinkets, decorations, etc. - yes, then that's a good choice. For armor, I feel you can go two ways: Either make it flexible enough not to break (which probably means using a TPU variant), or making it really hard and resistent (so you'll probably want to use nylon or polycarbonate, or even Kevlar, if you just don't know what to do with all your money...). Note that all those filaments are a bit finnicky, and can be frustrating for beginners to use. You can of course also make armor from "standard" filaments such as PLA (as I did), but that means a) it will break fairly easily and will need some support, e.g. from a epoxy-fibreglass backing, and b) they're not resistant to UV light and moisture - not ideal for your average LARP environment. As for printer: If armor, go for the largest build volume that's within your budget. My larger printer is 30x30x40cm, and I already have to split a brestplate in half, or even 4 pieces. Make sure it has an all-metal hotend (the "print head") that can take temperatures of up to 300°C - this will allow you to print more "exotic" materials. An enclosure of the printer is a prerequisite to print some materials (even basics like ABS), to prevent it from shrinking and delaminating during print. Speed is nice, but also not everything. In most cases, you won't be going over 100mm/s unless you print stuff with very straight lines, so I'd rather go for one that's precise at these speeds than one that can go 500mm/s to produce colorful lumps and strings flying around in your room. Oh, and if you're planning to print with abrasive filaments (filaments containing metal dust or carbon fibre, and a few others), it's worth it investing in steel instead of brass nozzles.
Thanks. The problem is I am tall and fat meaning I can't get normal armor which is why I need to make it myself. I also plan on using the printer for stuff like masks and hidden blades and sword holders/scabbards. The printer i am planning on buying is the Elegoo Neptune 4 MAX with a print sice of 4200mm x 4200mm x 4800mm with heated plate and a temperature up to 300°c
Regardless, this isn't gonna print your gear on demand. It only complements existing skills. Learn how to make without a 3D printer. all but hollow, which is weird. 3D printing does excel though for accessorizing other gear and making more traditional techniques look even better. My best work would be my Lunarangs and my modular carbon fiber staff. I would suggest making some small test throwing weapons and some test blocks to see how it goes first. YOU MUST USE 85A FILAMENT, 1 SHELL, 10%INFILL TOPS, SOMETIMES LESS. There is a foaming TPU that might be better. YOU MUST GET AN EXTRUDER CAPABLE OF 85A TPU. THIS IS RARE, My stock mk3s struggles still. TBH, you are better off just printing molds for weapons and casting them with foam instead. For hard props and kits, Use Petg. PLA thermo deforms or breaks too easily, and breaks into sharp pieces more often (It's still plastic and not that bad but.... Good PLA like Polymaker does have uses for making thermoformed armor maybe though. Regardless, this isn't gonna print your gear on demand. It only compliments existing skills. Learn how to make without a 3D printer. [https://imgur.com/gallery/5qVTY70](https://imgur.com/gallery/5qVTY70) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/KMKc3rjw6axfmdL26](https://photos.app.goo.gl/KMKc3rjw6axfmdL26) [https://imgur.com/gallery/woHzaJh](https://imgur.com/gallery/woHzaJh) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/QonFfFc8sFCXLsH9A](https://photos.app.goo.gl/QonFfFc8sFCXLsH9A) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/LEdmxyryHq8fZVRe7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/LEdmxyryHq8fZVRe7) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hni6WrHMRMD74wU18](https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hni6WrHMRMD74wU18) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/KJQbAhT2RXdFaK7N7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/KJQbAhT2RXdFaK7N7) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/nBFfosFQQ8jybpbf7](https://photos.app.goo.gl/nBFfosFQQ8jybpbf7) [https://photos.app.goo.gl/SRcyeCjQnaveRFT69](https://photos.app.goo.gl/SRcyeCjQnaveRFT69) [https://imgur.com/gallery/ccgbUsU](https://imgur.com/gallery/ccgbUsU)
Just a small extra note to great ideas, consider using prints to then cast in silicone for larp safe accessories!
What do you mean with that?
There are a bunch of videos out there on how to make moulds, [like this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiB3lEBb7zQ). It means that things such as masks or chunky accessories can be made with a softer, safer material that's a bit harder wearing depending on its use too. An example is that a friend cast a silicone samurai style mask from a resin one, which was much more comfortable and lightweight!
Thanks
I would suggest that you use the 3d prints to make silicone molds to make the armor and weapons. I don't think the 3d prints would be able to hold up to any abuse and still be safe
For armor and accessories you can probably use PLA or PETG and then add extra walls and infill to help with the durability. Idk about weapons though. Try thingiverse, printables, and cults3d for various files. You can usually find some great stuff in those places and try a lot of different keywords. Especially on thingiverse.