Finished Badge in CerakoteI've always been a big fan of MK1 minis and I particularly liked the early Morris mini bonnet badge shape. My custom badge started out as a Morris badge I purchased over 10 years ago from eBay. I was originally going to fit it as is but the condition wasn't perfect and the addition of a 3D printer to my tools has opened up lots of opportunities to customise. Old BadgeThe old badge pictured before the surgery began. To prepare the badge to receive the new 3D printed face, I needed to remove the uneven surface so that a new face could be attached. The material was carefully ground away using a bench grinder and a number of different hand files. New FaceUsing Fusion360 I was able to create a new badge CAD model in the style of the old one ready for 3D printing. Once I was happy with the design I printed it in PETG filament on 100% infill. Making the New BadgeThe next job was to attach the new 3D printed face and to fill and smooth out any imperfections. I affixed the new badge using an Alradite 2-part slow setting epoxy adhesive. It was secured in place uses liberal amounts of insulation tape to ensure a tight fit and no gaps. Once the 3D printed face was firmly glued in place it was time to fill and sand everything. Jools, The Cerakote guy recommended using a filler with Aluminium content so I purchased a can of this. It applied well and was very easy to sand afterwards. Once sanded using various grades of wet & dry sandpaper I was left with a smooth surface ready for Cerakote. Why Cerakote?Whilst 3D printed parts are relatively durable if you use the correct filament. In my case PETG. It is still a plastic that will be prone to warping and distortion in direct sunlight. Obviously not ideal for a bonnet badge. Cerakote is the stuff that is used to protect firearms from scratching and tarnishing. It adds a very thin ceramic coating to the surface that is temperature resistance. My part was sprayed in C-Series air cure and is resistant to UV light and up to 800 Fahrenheit. Final REsultI also made up some 3D printed boot badges using a font very similar to the 1960's scroll font.
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