Okay, here’s my blog post about making a WWE bobblehead, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I’ve been a huge WWE fan since I was a kid. I’ve got the t-shirts, the posters, watched every WrestleMania… you name it. Recently, I got into 3D printing, and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to make my own WWE bobblehead?” I had to give it a shot!
First, I scoured the internet for a good 3D model. It took a bit of searching, and I found a few decent base models that I could modify. I decided it should be Roman Reigns.
Next, I loaded the model into my slicing software. This is where you set up all the print settings, like layer height, infill, and supports. I’m still pretty new to this, so I mostly stuck with the default settings, just tweaking the infill a bit to make it a little sturdier. I think I went with 20% infill. And I definitely added supports, especially for the head, since it’s, you know, a bobblehead and needs to be able to bobble!
Then, it was time to hit “print”! My printer’s not the fastest, so this took a while. Several hours, actually. I kept checking on it every so often, making sure nothing went wrong. There’s always that fear of a print failing halfway through, and it’s happened to me before!
The First Print..uh…
- Well, the first attempt was a disaster.
- The base didn’t print because it didn’t stick to the platform.
- I had a big ball of plastic strings, so I had to throw it away.
- I went to google to find a solution.
- I added glue stick to the heating platform.
When it was finally done, I carefully removed it from the print bed and started taking off the supports. This part can be a little tricky, you gotta be careful not to break anything. I used some pliers and a little knife thingy to get into all the nooks and crannies.
Once the supports were off, I had the basic body and head. I put on base this time. Now for the bobble part! I found a small spring online, the kind you might find in a pen, and carefully inserted it into a hole I’d modeled in the neck and head. It took a little fiddling to get it to sit right.
Finally, I added the fun part: painting! I’m no artist, but I picked up some acrylic paints and got to work. I tried to match the colors of Roman Reign’s outfit, and it was a little messy, but I think it turned out okay! The face was the hardest part, obviously. I kept messing up the eyes, but eventually, I got something that looked vaguely human.
And there you have it! My very own, slightly janky, but definitely unique, WWE bobblehead. It’s not perfect, but I made it myself, and that’s what counts. It’s now proudly sitting on my desk, bobbling away whenever I bump it.
