How a photographer saved money with 3D printing

3D Printing Paint ABS

Our customers always amaze us with the innovative, beautiful creations that they make with their Airwolf 3D printers.

3D Printing Flagpole Decorations
Opting for a 3D-printed flagpole topper is a great way to get a perfectly customized look at a wallet-friendly price.

Professional photographer Roger Salls was commissioned to take a portrait of a local town official with an American flag in the background. Even more specifically, the flag was to be displayed on a flag pole with a gold eagle perched on top of it.

As Roger shopped for the specific flag pole he needed, he was a little surprised at how expensive those types of flagpoles were. Luckily, Roger sits on the board of Access Independence, a non-profit that provides services for the disabled. Access Independence, however, is no ordinary nonprofit. It also operates Access3D Services, which offers professional 3D printing and design services — ALL proceeds of which go towards helping the disabled community.

Using Access3D was an ideal solution for Roger. Rather than paying top dollar for an expensive flagpole ornament, Roger found that he could save money by paying Access3D to 3D print the eagle decoration for him.

Always up for the challenge, Access3D put one of their AXIOMs to work. Rather than devote the time and resources required to design a flagpole topper from scratch, Access3D cleverly found an existing 3D model that could be modified for their purposes. Access3D found an Eagle Statue on Thingiverse that was free to download.

3D Printing Model Eagle
“Eagle Statue” by MakePrintable on Thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1656475

After modifying the base of the statue to fit a 1 1/4-inch pipe, Access3D printed the part in ABS. The part came out beautifully, but it was the post-processing that really brought it to life. By simply painting the part with gold metallic acrylic paint, Access3D created a gorgeous eagle decoration at a fraction of what it would have cost if Roger had purchased a metal flagtopper for his photo shoot.

3D Printing Eagle
A newly printed eagle statue ready for post-processing.
“Before” and “after”: An eagle statue in white ABS plastic is transformed into a gold flagpole topper.

Thanks to some help from an AXIOM 3D printer, everyone got to celebrate a win: Roger saved money, his client had a beautiful backdrop for his photo, and Access3D generated some extra money to support its mission to provide Independent Living Services for people with disabilities.

If you are in need of 3D printing services and would like to contribute to a great cause, be sure to check out Access3D Services.

3D printed eagle flagpole decoration
The completed eagle statue placed on its flagpole and ready for a photo shoot.