Noble Life-Size Groot 3D Print by Jose Antonio

The first readers of the Tales to Astonish #13 fell in love with Groot character back in 1960. And 60 years later, nowadays, the emotional tree-like creature still attracts much attention of fans of comics, movies and 3D printing. Bringing Groot 3D print to life can give you many moments of pleasure. Hobbyist Jose Antonio, for example, had much fun because he recreated Groot life-size figure which is 150 cm tall.

The enthusiast spent about 500 hours on printing this fantastic tree-like invader whose heroic deeds in the 2006’s reintroduction astonished millions of people.

Groot 3D Print

You can find many fantastic versions of the pop culture icon for 3D printing. For example, Gambody – Premium 3D printing marketplace offers Baby Groot 3D model for printing, Teenager Groot figure STL files, Adult Groot figurine and other interpretations of this creature.

You can download the STL files of your most favourite Groot model and 3D print it in the original size or scale up to create a life-size statue:

• Get Baby Groot figurine STL files;
• Order Teenager Groot figure STL files;
• Download Hello! Groot figurine STL files;
• Get Ravager Groot figure STL files;
• Order Adult Groot STL files for 3D printing.

Which version will say, “I am Groot!” on your shelf? While you are deciding which project to bring to life, let us talk to enthusiast Jose Antonio about his excellent Groot 3D print and learn details about this noble project.

1. Jose Antonio, thank you for this incredible opportunity to talk to you about printing life-size statues. Can you please introduce yourself and recollect the life path which led you to 3D printing?

Thank you! My name is Jose Antonio. I live in Spain.

About four years ago we opened a craft store in our town Blanes. And in a short time, I bought the Anet A6 3D printer. Then more and more machines came until we reached the number of 14 printers that we have now.

2. The life-size 150 cm (59 inches) Teenager Groot 3D print truly impressed Gambody community. Why did you choose to enlarge this character? Is it the first life-size figure 3D printed by you?

I was looking for a large 3D printing figure that would attract attention to the store.

We chose the Teenager Groot figure because it is thin and fits on a CR-10 bed without having to make vertical cuts.

We had life-size printed figures but of other characters like Yoda or Gremlins.

3. You mentioned that you spent approximately 500 hours on making the life-size Teenager Groot 3D print. Is it only printing time? Or is it the time from the moment you got STL files to the moment you finished the model?

Printing took 500 hours. The preparation was quick.

My wife Lina was in charge of painting the Groot life-size figure.

4. You used Creality Ender-3 and CR-10 machines while working on this project. Do you remember which Groot life-size figure parts were printed on which 3D printer?

I used the Ender-3 for the arm cuts of the life-size Groot 3D print since the cuts measure less than 25 cm.

Other parts were printed on CR-10 3D printer.

5. Did you have to cut the parts yourself in Autodesk NetFabb software manually? Or did you scale up the original STL files?

First wide the project and you will see how the figure looks like. This way, you can see which parts are cut and which need cut. Then you cut with NetFabb or other software.

6. How many parts did you print?

The Groot life-size figure consists of 11 parts. There are four arms, four legs, two trunks, and one head for 3D printing.

7. How did you make sure that each 3D printing piece of Groot figure fitted on the print bed well? Did you have to do test prints? Were there any failed attempts?

Here is what I did. I enlarged the head of Groot figure for 3D printing and made sure that the head could be printed on the bed entirety without any cut.

Then I made sure that with that same scale, the rest of the pieces would not need more than one cut. It was a scale approximated to the actual size of the Groot character.

8. Did you use 0.16mm layer height settings for every part of the Groot life-size figure? What were other 3D printing settings you used?

Everything was printed at 0.16mm 3 layers of wall and fill between 3% and 10% depending on the part of Groot 3D print.

Although if I had to repeat it, I would surely use a layer height of 0.24mm or 0.3mm with a 0.6mm nozzle. It would save a lot of time as the life-size Groot 3D print is a tree, and the layers are well hidden.

9. You also mentioned that you used 6 or 7 rolls of filament on this life-size Groot 3D print. Which filament brand did you choose? Which colour?

We sell three brands of filaments in the store. So, we printed Groot with BQ.

I always print the figures in black. This way, they paint faster and are better to give shadows.

10. How did you prepare the Groot life-size figure for painting?

Once all the parts have been glued, it is necessary to fill the small cuts with modelling paste, let it dry and sand with a fine-grit sandpaper.

11. Did you hand-paint everything? Or did you also airbrush?

The whole 3D printed Groot figure is hand-painted with a sponge and a brush.

12. Which paint brand did you use? How did you mix colours and achieved the correct wood-like shadows and lights?

We used material that we sell in the store, acrylic for multi-surface from the Turkish brand “Cadence.” They are very good acrylics with a lot of pigmentation, coverage and quick-drying, which helps a lot when creating shadows and streaks with a sponge and dry brush.

13. What was the most challenging part in making this fantastic life-size Groot 3D print?

The preparation of the Groot figure, enlarging and cutting the files was the most challenging. It was essential to make as minimum cuts as possible and try to avoid supports while 3D printing.

14. Where do you display the famous tree-like creature that plays video games?

We display the life-size Groot figure in the shop window. People take pictures with this 3D printed model.

15. Do you have plans to 3D print anything else life-size?

Yes, absolutely! I have even enlarged the bed size of the CR-10 to make bigger figures.

However, the problem is that we are running out of space in the store.

16. Are you overall happy with your Groot figure 3D printing experience? What moments are the most memorable to you?

Yes, I am delighted. The Groot 3D print draws a lot of attention to the store, and that was the objective.

The most memorable moment is when you have finished glueing it together, and you see that the Groot is almost your height.

17. Can you compare what it is like to 3D print small figurines vs life-size models?

Since life-size figures require so much work, you fall in love with the big models, and you will be sorry to sell them.

18. Is there any last advice you would like to give to Gambody enthusiasts?

Have fun 3D printing that is what it is about.

We believe that seeing a life-size Groot 3D print near a shop, on the street or in your backyard would amaze many people. The fantasy tree-like creature can be your next incredible 3D printing project. Imagine it repeating, “I am Groot,” turn on your 3D printer and do it! Please share the photos of your finished figure with other enthusiasts in Gambody 3D Printing Community on Facebook. See you there!