TL;DR: Last week we caught up with Gus aka Studley Avocado, the engineering intern at E3D. We spoke about his journey with additive manufacturing, how he got into cosplay and some of his upcoming projects. Read on to find out all the juicy details he shared exclusively with E3D! 

Hello Gus! Introduce yourself to the community - Tell us a bit about yourself (day job, hobbies, etc)

Hello! My name is Gus and I have been 3D printing for a few years now. 3D printing has enabled me to pursue some of my greatest passions which would have otherwise been inaccessible.

I currently work at E3D as an engineering intern, I build props and animatronics on the side. I focus mainly on making cosplays and props from the video game Halo. I’ve been making Halo armour since the age of 15, I was working for a paper crafting program called Pepakura at the time which inspired me to do something of my own.

After building a couple of suits, I started making other props for film classes at university. Once I graduated, I got sucked into the world of 3D printing, and that’s when my passion for cosplay was reignited and I began to create armour suits again.

How long have you been working with 3D printers & what got you into 3D printing?  

I have been working with 3D printers since 2018 and I always had a vague interest in 3D printing before that. The idea of being able to engineer and manufacture solutions quickly and in your home has always appealed to me.

Being able to fabricate parts that are hard to find or entirely unique to your project inspired me to pursue additive manufacturing and once I did my first print, and got my first Ender 3 going, I was hooked.

How did you get into cosplay? 

I have always been interested in making costumes and building character designs. From a young age, I would stitch clothes, make foam superhero masks for me and my brother, and looked forward to Halloween every year. From being disappointed in the half-mask stormtrooper costume my friend had as a kid to making my own costumes, it seems to be the natural conclusion that I would love to build and interact with the cosplay community. I’ve found some of the greatest people through cosplay and have had opportunities that I previously could only dream of. I’m thankful every day to be a part of this thriving community. 

What’s the best 3D printer you’ve ever used?  

This is a tricky question. I have used some printers that are beyond repair, but I don’t believe that most printers can’t produce a good print. It’s entirely dependent on how much time you are willing to invest in tuning the machine and how open the design is. My favourite printer is my Prusa MK3s, however, I’ve gotten my Ender 3 to print beautifully as well. One just took longer to calibrate than the other. The main things I look for in a printer are a direct drive extruder, a flexible build plate, and a reliable belt tensioning system. 

What would your dream 3D printer setup be?     

A dream printer of mine would be a fully modular printer with built-in Klipper support, easy tool/material changing, and a large build area. Being able to access the firmware readily through a web interface is a huge asset to me. I want to be able to trust my printer to do multi-day prints at a reasonable speed while maintaining consistent demanded extrusion. This would aid tolerances achievable by the printer as well as make post-processing prints less of a pain. The next printer I’m looking at building and modifying will be a Voron 2.4. They’re impressive machines and I think I would learn even more about motion systems by building one. I’d love to hear other opinions about printers on the market now, as I am interested in learning about the great variety of 3D printers out in the world!   

What would your dream printer setup be? 

A dream printer of mine would be a fully modular printer with built-in Klipper support, easy tool/material changing, and a large build area. Being able to access the firmware readily through a web interface is a huge asset to me. I want to be able to trust my printer to do multi-day prints at a reasonable speed while maintaining consistent demanded extrusion. This would aid tolerances achievable by the printer as well as make post-processing prints less of a pain.

The next printer I’m looking at building and modifying will be a Voron 2.4. They’re impressive machines and I think I would learn even more about motion systems by building one. I’d love to hear other opinions about printers on the market now, as I am interested in learning about the great variety of 3D printers out in the world!

What advances would you like to see in 3D printing for cosplay in the coming years? 

My favourite thing about 3D printing is how accessible it can make cosplay. I’d like to see more education and intent about 3D printing to go into the cosplay community. I see a lot of ways that 3D printing can be optimized to make something more intricate, comfortable and efficient for every type of cosplayer.

A lot of material waste can be cut down if models are designed to be friendlier to additive manufacturing and if people use their slicer’s custom support option to intentionally place supports. I believe there are other areas where 3D printing is used that can benefit from this as well. Mindful design could not only make 3D printing more accessible but also less wasteful. Seeing people be able to make the stuff of their dreams is an inspiration for me and I would love to see more design philosophies emerge that make it even more accessible.

Attending any industry events this year?

In the next twelve months, I intend on attending MRRF!

What’s your next big project?

My next big project requires me to learn blender and design a suit of armour entirely optimized for 3D printing and alternative manufacturing methods. I intend to combine each manufacturing method needed to make something comfortable to wear, easy to move in and compatible with electronics. I also very much would like to build a battle bot at some point! 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the community?

If you’re ever doubting that you can make something awesome, just give it a try and do what will make you happy. The amount of passion and love that goes into personal projects always warms my heart! Stay safe whilst doing so and you never know what will come from it. Also, use fewer supports!

Yours truly,
Studley Avocado.  

Get involved in the E3D community!      

We'd like to thank Gus for sharing his work and so much more with us. If you want to stay up to date with Gus and his projects make sure to follow him here! 

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