Fantastic YouTube 3D Printing Basics by James Rooke and Michael Webb

When you are a 3D printing enthusiast and fall in love with your hobby, you can devote many hours a week to learning, practising and sharing your knowledge with others. Two Gambody hobbyists, James Rooke and Michael Webb, started an impressive YouTube 3D printing channel with useful information. Here, they explain some 3D printing basics, review affordable 3D printers and showcase their fantastic models.

Gambody is very impressed with all the 3D printing figurines turned into masterpieces by James Rooke and Michael Webb. So, we asked for an interview, and the two friends from the UK gladly agreed to share their experience, tips and plans with our readers.

YouTube 3D Printing

Learning the basics of 3D printing is a lot more fun when you have a visual guide. The YouTube 3D printing channel started by the two Gambody hobbyists is called “Honey badger 3D print and paint.”

As the creators describe themselves, Mike is an excellent painter with many successful tips on how to start 3D printing, make the prints look impressive, paint the figurines, etc. And James loves to be sarcastic about everything, but he also knows how to fix things and is willing to share his experience with you.

Enjoy the beautiful 3D printing figurines made by talented makers, and learn how to get the best from your affordable 3D printer without spending a fortune on your equipment.

1. James and Mike, it is a pleasure to talk to you. Are you both from the UK? How long have you known each other?

Yes, we are both from the UK. We met about 5 years ago through a mutual friend who has since joined a cult.

Their friendship has resulted in many fantastic 3D printing figurines. Just look at this impressive Thanos figure made of PLA. It took the maker about 320 hours to print it on his Artillery Sidewinder X1, Eryone Thinker and Geetech A10 3D printers.

2. You have a fantastic YouTube 3D printing channel, “Honey badger 3D print and paint.” Whose idea was it to share this channel between the two hobbyists? Do you record videos of each other? Or does each 3D printing video come individually from the comfort of two homes?

We started the channel to share videos with each other and a couple of friends. It grew from there. We also started doing reviews of 3D printers.

We normally film things together, but COVID has meant we film separately, which means double the content and half the fun. But we both have our own workshops where we are doing our 3D printing and painting.

3. You both have made many stunning 3D prints. How do you decide which next 3D printing model or figurine from Gambody or other marketplaces to turn into a masterpiece? Do you make a decision together?

Both really, we pay attention to new 3D printing figurines and models that come out and when models are on sale. But normally, it just comes down to things that look really cool, or something comes up from a franchise we love.

WALL-E is a little robot, one of the cutest 3D printing figurines to make this year. If you are learning how to start 3D printing, WALL-E STL files might be a bit complicated for you. But recreating this lovely character can be so much fun.

4. James, you seem to be a fan of Star Wars spaceships and other spacecraft models. Where do you display the AT-ST Walker, TIE Interceptor, T-70 X-Wing 3D printed models? They seem to be way bigger than various 3D printing figurines and busts you have made.

Oddly enough, I’m actually not a huge fan of Star Wars. I just went through a Star Wars phase.

The signature combat craft of the Resistance’s Starfighter Corps, T-70 X-Wing, decorates James’ home. The maker 3D printed the X-Wing model in 200% scale on his Artillery Sidewinder X1, Longer LK4 Pro, Prusa MK3s 3D printers. He spent about 280 hours on printing and another hour on painting the starfighter.

I tend to scale my models to 200% or whatever fits on my 3D printers. It just so happens the Star Wars spaceships and other models scale up really large.

The iconic fighter TIE Interceptor used by the Galactic Empire becomes a fantastic PLA 3D print. Look at this beautiful TIE Interceptor 3D printing model James brought to life with the Artillery Sidewinder X1, Longer LK4 Pro, Prusa MK3s 3D printers. The scale is 200%, and printing time is approximately 280 hours.

5. James, which 3D printing model took you the longest time to finish? Which was the most fun project to do and why?

The Battlecruiser was huge but also really detailed to paint. It took me about a month to figure out how to light and power it and nearly 2 months of printing as I had fewer machines.

Fans of Starcraft 2 might love this fantastic 3D printing Terran Battlecruiser model. James spent over 4,000 hours working on this project. The ship was made of PLA and PETG on the Geeetech A30, LulzBot TAZ 6 and Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printers.

6. Michael, you seem to love life-size 3D prints. Your beautiful giant Treebeard figurine, Captain Jack Sparrow figure, huge War Rig truck truly impress. Why do you choose to scale up the 3D printing figurines and models?

The same as James. Really, bigger models are easier to paint and look more impressive when they are done. I also enjoy coming up with new and inventive reasons why my wife should leave me.

Watch an interesting YouTube 3D printing video depicting the Jack Sparrow figure printed by Mike Webb in 220% scale. The maker chose the 0.2mm layer height on his Artillery Sidewinder and Longer LK4 Pro 3D printers.

Also, discover how to paint the famous pirate of the Caribbean from the interview with Sunggon Park.

7. Michael, which of the 3D printing figurines did you enjoy making the most and why?

The Treebeard 3D printing figure from the Lord of the Rings universe really is one of my favourites.

It was many new painting techniques to me for getting the right wood effects using model scenery for the woodland and beard. It all really made this LOTR model come to life.

Watch a YouTube 3D printing video devoted to the creation of the Treebeard figurine. Even without paints, this giant model upscaled to 175% impresses with its might.

The paints and cute hobbit figurines breathe life into the Treebeard model. Watch another stunning YouTube 3D printing video by Mike Webb and explore the 20 best Lord of the Rings models to 3D print.

8. Was there a 3D printing model which you made together? Maybe James 3D printed it, and Michael finished painting it? Or is every 3D print shared on YouTube 3D printing channel, Instagram @honeybadgerprintandpaint, and Gambody 3D Printing Community on Facebook made individually from start to finish?

Not really; we tend to have different paint styles and different subjects that we both like to cover. We tend to do our own models and just come together for the YouTube 3D printing videos.

9. You add detailed YouTube 3D printing videos on various painting techniques and colour choices. Where did you learn how to paint 3D printing figurines and models so well?

Well, I learnt to paint from Mike, and Mike learned to paint from doing Warhammer when he was younger. But as age has caught up with him, the models are now too small for him to see, so we scale things up.

We also watch many YouTube videos, normally from Green Stuff World and Games Workshop, as we buy many new paints they make and like learning their techniques.

10. How big is your collection of 3D printed models and figurines? Are they all displayed in your homes and workshops?

Well, if you are our wives, it is too big. But if you are a cool person, then probably still too big. But every 3D printed model is really awesome!

I think in total we have about 180 models between us. We have filled our workspaces, and now we display some prints down our local 3D printing shop, 3DFilaprint.

Viserion dragon 3D printed by James Rooke looks mighty. It is made in 200% scale on the Artillery Sidewinder X1 and Anycubic i3 Mega. It took over 250 hours to print and paint the Viserion 3D printing figurine.

11. How long do you think it will take you to fill ALL the space in your workshops with 3D printed models and figurines?

This already happened at least 6 months ago. We have started an incredibly complex campaign in both our homes to sneak models into every room we can without our partners noticing.

Like the great escape, we fill our trousers with models and then walk them around the house to hide them.

Whose wife wouldn’t mind having the 3D printed Jurassic Park diorama as a centrepiece in her living room?

12. Michael, and when your dining room has no more free space for the 3D prints, where would you extend your home exhibition?

It’s actually Jame’s dining room, and it’s already full. His wife carefully curates and judges all potential models that could go in there and cruelly discards any that are not up to scratch.

13. Also, you make great reviews of various 3D printers on your YouTube 3D printing channel. Is 3D printing turning from a hobby into a profession? How many 3D printers have you tested?

We have about 20 3D printer reviews, and we still have around 15 machines that we have kept and use.

It’s not a profession, and I don’t think we would want it to be. But we would happily turn the YouTube 3D printing channel into a profession if it got large enough.

Watch an incredible YouTube 3D printing video about the War Rig truck and tanker models printed in 170% scale.

14. James, your 3D printers’ list includes Geeetech A30, LulzBot TAZ 6, Artillery Sidewinder X1. What are other machines you use daily? What 3D printer would you recommend to beginners in 3D printing?

So, my favourite machines are my Artillery Sidewinders. They are real workhorses for me. But for a new starter, it all depends on the budget.

If you want to get in the hobby cheap and learn fast, the Creality Ender-3 is the way to go. If you don’t mind splashing some cash and don’t want the headaches, then the Prusa MK3s is a solid choice.

15. Michael, do you use the Artillery Sidewinder, Creality Ender-3, Longer LK4 Pro and three more 3D printers? Or do you have even more machines that could fit in your workshop? Which brand would you recommend to others?

I’m a firm believer you can always fit more machines in like cake after a big meal. But the Artillery Sidewinder is my go-to machine as well.

Still, for price and quality, I don’t think you can beat the Longer LK4 Pro.

16. Do you remember your very first 3D printed model or figurine? What was it for you, Michael, and you, James?

The first decent thing I printed was a Deadpool bust.

Mike’s first print was a Hulk model from special STL, which was really quite large for the first 3D print.

17. Do you like to experiment with different 3D printing materials?

We do. We print most of our wheels in TPU, but for the most part, we use PLA.

This fantastic Sauron figurine was printed all in PLA on the two Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printers.

I have used ASA for functional parts, ABS to see if I could and PETG for anything that needs lights behind it.

18. How much time do you devote to 3D printing and painting the models?

That’s hard to say. Our printers are pretty much going 24/7, and we both normally have at least 1 model on the go. But the actual time we spend on it, I would say about 30 hours a week which sounds way worse when you write it down.

19. What makes you decide whether to add wires and lights into the 3D printed model or not? How many lighting-up projects did you do?

For the most part, we do light models if it was designed that way, i.e., it already has channels cut, and it’s relatively easy to run the wiring. It’s also important that the lenses for any part that could be lit print separately so we can print them in resin or PETG.

As for how many we have lit, I think about 20 models have LEDs in them to some extent.

For example, this Terran Battlecruiser 3D printed model uses 10 meters (33 feet) of LED strip lights and 20 individual LEDs.

20. What are your 3D printing plans for the nearby future?

We want to continue to improve our painting as some of our detailed work still needs refining. But we are currently working on a project with the Global 3D Print Project on Facebook, where we will be printing a statue to commemorate the work done by the NHS and care workers during COVID. It’s a huge project but a real honour to be involved.

Did you enjoy the YouTube 3D printing videos for beginners and advanced users made by James Rooke and Michael Webb? You can also join Gambody 3D Printing Community on Facebook to learn the basics of 3D printing, follow guides and painting techniques shared by other hobbyists, and discover 3D printing trends 2021. Surrounding yourself with like-minded enthusiasts can help you learn 3D printing basics faster, grow and improve your skills.