Introduction: 3D Printing Dinosaur Skull

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My friend Alex and I made this super cool skull with 3D printing and basic coloring skills, let’s check it out step by step and I hope this instructable will help you create your own fossil-looking skull ;D

Step 1: Download the File

Thingiverse is an ideal site where you can find or share loads of models for 3D printing. Search [T-rex] and you’ll got different designs.You can choose a whole skull to print or [T-Rex Mask](already divided into several parts) according to the maximum size of the 3D printing machine.

Step 2: Cura

Before printing, you need to use Cura to slice the model. The parameters are for references only.

Step 3: Printing

Patiently print the models piece by piece ,then carefully remove the support and file the surface a little bit.

(If you print it as a whole skull, you can go directly to Step 6.)

Step 4: Assembly

Now we’ve come to the most exciting part! When all the parts are printed, you start assemble them together, just like the way the archaeologist deal with their newly-found fossil debris! It’s a good idea to use both sticks and strong adhesive to ensure a stable connection.

Step 5: Cracks！

When two parts are put together, there’s always a crack. And they're so annoying! So I fill them with putty and use the fingers to smooth the surface as possible. It turned out pretty nice!

[Tip] Substitutes for putty: hot-melt adhesive, glass cement.

Step 6: Time to Color

Now it’s time to turn our T-rex model to a real skull, paint it in yellowish brown as the base color of fossil, then add some white to simulate the texture of bones. I also added a little dark brown stain to its teeth.

Step 7: Tada!

When all the coloring works are finished, it looks just like a real fossil of a dinosaur. COOOOOOL, isn't it？