Jewellery making with 3D pen

In May 2020, I attended the two AJF live talks, one with artists Liana Pattihis and Sofia Björkman and other with Doug Bucci. Both revolved around the use of 3D printing in jewellery. I had once before gone on this path several years ago and was a part of the then Shapeways community. My lack of software knowledge, 3D design skills and lack of vendors in India who beyond printing plastics eventually led me to give up. But then on May 21st, I fell in love with Sofia’s lace like PLA flower necklaces made with a 3D pen. They nudged me to think once again about Jewellery making with 3D pen.

Therefore, when I turned 35 in June, and my parents wanted to buy me a gift that would be useful and get delivered, I asked for a 3D pen. To my luck, I found one vendor selling a starter 3D kit on amazon (India).  It was around Rs.1500 ($20) including shipping. much cheaper than other models. There are several sellers, but only one who was shipping a “non-essential commodity” then. As Amazon India still does only restricted delivery, you might want to find a vendor who will deliver to your pincode, if not this one.

I am sharing the link of the pen which looks similar to the one Sofia used in her demo here from the AmazonUS website. But if you are scratching your head wondering what is a 3D pen, let me explain.

What is a 3D pen?

It is a doodling pen which uses heat to melt a thermoplastic filament with which you can create mesh like or 3D artwork. Simply put, it is like a glue gun but with temperature control and a finer tip. You can use PLA or ABS filaments with it. What you make with it depends on your skill level and patience. I tried making 3D objects at first and failed big time. As with every tool, there is a learning curve here. I did better when I made mesh like 2D forms which I will show you in this post. I ran out of the filament after that and have been waiting for lowering of postal restrictions so I could buy some more.

PLA Vs ABS filament

There are 2 types of filaments that you use with pen – PLA and ABS. PLA or Polyactic acid is plant based, has reduced toxicity compared to ABS and is bio-degradable. ABS or Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is oil based, recyclable, stronger, but gives of a chemical odour.  In terms at temperature you set ABS at 210°C and PLA at 175°C. However, I had to increase my temperature to 190+ when working with PLA just to clear the nozzle. You can use PLA filament for Jewellery making with a 3D pen.  Mint3d has a great post that helped me understand the difference between the two.

Jewellery making with 3D pen – How to

Though I knew that 3D pens existed (one of my students made a model using one) this was the first time I ever tried using one. I tried making a cubical frame, a 3D flower, some foliage shapes, a rose, several flowers and leaves. The interesting thing about a 3D pen is that you can use the filament as glue to put together smaller pieces. I was able to put together flowers and leaves into two bib necklaces. However, the cube fell flat after a while and I spoiled the 3D flower and foliage shapes in my colouring experiment. My pen is okay for its price. However, I would need a sturdier one with better control if I  want to make jewellery with a 3D pen on a larger scale.

Colouring

There were orange, violet and gray filaments in my kit. Orange was hard to use but violet and gray melted and flowed better. As I joined multiple pieces, the colours were all over the place. Hence the decision to colour them. Sofia had remarked that she coloured her pieces and I thought “how hard could it be?”

I experimented with acrylic paint, spray paint, metallic paint and patina ink. I got the best result with patina inks when converting gray to black. Every other trial gave undesirable results of which I do not have pictures. Spray was the worst, followed by metallic paints. The best method to to get coloured pieces would be to use the filament of that particular colour. I like black and I want to try out gold. The next time I buy filaments, I am going to buy these two.

Grungy Rose necklace

My best outcome was this Grungy rose necklace. Contrary to how dense it looks, It is so fragile and delicate, almost a like a mehendi painting. But I wish it was as easy as a henna doddle. It has five joints on it. Can you make out? I wore it for my Instagram live on styling jewellery. If haven’t hear it, check it out here. It is full of tips on how match jewellery to clothing and how to mix and match jewellery.

Tips for working with a 3D pen

Read instructions carefully and treat your 3D pen like you would any hot tool. Work in a ventilated space, on a hard surface covered by a craft mat. Buy a pen that comes with a stand and a long-ish wire so that you can work comfortably. Start with simple shapes and 2D forms before “building” anything. Be patient and take your time with it.

3D pen jewellery is a great alternative for those who like wire jewellery but cannot wear a lot of metals. Now, I have said my piece and its time for you to tell me your thoughts in the comments. Will you make or wear jewellery made of industrial plastics? What possibilities would you explore with a 3D pen in terms of jewellery?

I hope you found it interesting
Cheers