3D Printing Luke's Macrobinoculars

or "Why's that Tuskan getting bigger?" 

In the past I've chosen which props to build based on what my current obsession is, but for the last couple of years I've been choosing what to make with a view to composing paintings. I've been tiptoeing round the idea for a Star Wars painting for a while now, and with that in mind I decided I really *needed* a pair of macro binoculars...

Like many Star Wars props the original piece was constructed from vintage camera parts, however my budget doesn’t stretch quite that far. Many original camera parts are now quite rare and therefore pricey. As an alternative I decied to 3D print myself a set. Usually I build my own models however in this instance I found an excellent file for sale by FolkyPatrol on Etsy. 

The model is nicely done, not 100% accurate but pretty close. I set my printer going and after a couple of days I had a Macrobinocular kit ready to go. 

As usual, the parts were filler-primered and sanded repeatedly until everything was reasonably smooth. Some of the larger holes I had to fill with spot putty. Like many cameras, the body has a slight texture. I replicated this with a textured spray paint. I masked off any areas to remain smooth and applied a couple of lighgt coats of Pastikote Alabaster. 

I then used my airbrush to paint the parts as required. I used Tamiya paints and mixed colours to try to match the original parts. 

Here are the pieces balanced precariously in a test fit. 

I lightly weathered the pieces with black oil paint, a silver Sharpy and some fuller’s earth.  

As a final touch I made a clear casting of the bubble strip to go on the top. 

And here we have some beauty shots of the completed Macrobinoculars. Really pleased with how these worked out, can't wait to put them in a painting!