Pushing my 3D printer to its limits, in April 2024 I created this figurine to give as a gift for my great-grandson.

The STL file for the model kit came from Thingiverse.

I printed it using PLA filament using “fine” settings on the printer, after scaling the kit down to 80% of original (only because I wanted to print the components on rafts, and the original wouldn’t fit on my print platform with rafts added. Reducing the scale and using PLA would normally be asking for serious trouble with this type of print – but I didn’t care because it was (for me) only ever going to be a static figurine, as opposed to an articulated, posable model.

Unsurprisingly, assembly was tricky and some of the finer parts broke during the process. But superglue soon fixed the various problems – a testament to the excellent kits designed by Fab365. Even at 80%, the tracks flexed with a little pressure and connected fairly easily.

I undercoated and then painted the individual parts and the completed model using traditional acrylic paint and ink wash techniques. The small front panel was a 2D print attached later.

I acquired a 100 mm resin cast base from DAS Gaming, which I then modified by adding all manner of spare “bits” to represent the trash heap in which Wall-E is seen to be living at the start of the movie.

Finally, I separately sourced a (non-functional) 3D model of a Rubik cube, to which I added tiny squares of coloured paper before sealing and ink-washing.