If you've just purchased your first Dangerous Ladies TPU Printed Cosplay Kit and don't know where to start, this tutorial will help you get familiarized and comfortable working with it.
2/28/2025: We will be working on expanding this article very soon with the step-by-step finishing process, but please use this as a basic guideline. If you're in doubt, please write to us and we'll be more than happy to assist!
Please refer to our basic supplies for bodyshopping blog if you need to refresh your memory on appropriate PPE and safety when working with 3D Prints, paints, etc. What you use is your choice, but safe is better than sorry.
Why do we print some kits with TPU?
![Gavis Bettel's Whip Sword [3D Printed Kit] 3D Printed Kit cosplay DangerousLadies](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0675/8078/9053/products/gavis-bettels-whip-sword-3d-printed-kit-768289.jpg?v=1735881355)
TPU is flexible and allows us to print props that can be manipulated, like Gavis Bettel's Whip Sword!
Without getting into the science of it, TPU combines the durability of plastic with the elasticity of rubber, making TPU an awesome alternative to rigid PLA for kits such as Clive Rosfield's Armour, and Vincent Valentine's Armour. Since one-size-fits-all doesn't really apply to armour, the flexibility of TPU in addition to scaling prints to your measurements gives a lot of room to customize and optimize the fit of your cosplay!
If you are interested in knowing more about how TPU is made, or want to learn more about printing with TPU, visit the Formlabs Complete Guide to TPU.
Can I sand TPU? How do I prep TPU for painting?
The short answer is no, you cannot sand TPU outright.
That's right. Rule #1 for bodyshopping TPU: you technically can’t. It bounces, so sandpaper doesn’t really do anything to it unless you apply extreme force, which tends to just make it fuzzy. Which leads to:
Rule #2: you can only add to fill lines in. There are options here: Plastidip, Urecoat (a flexible XTC3D), and Smoothcast 57D.
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Plastidip is technically sandable but peels with too much abrasion. However, you can coat Plastidip with flexible primer and paint quite easily. Make sure you're using flexible paints on your plastidip pieces, (see our recommendations here).
- SmoothOn Urecoat is not sandable so any application is impossible to get smooth, you gotta live with it.
- Flexbond has more control in application but also isn’t sandable.
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Smoothcast 57D is highly sandable and very easy to apply, plus even a pint will last a TON of projects, but you do have to apply many layers so it’s still a ton of sanding. Plus you can pigment it! Smoothcast delaminates between layers, so you will need to sand between each layer. The delamination time varies between 15 minutes in warmer climates, to an hour in colder places.
How do I glue TPU pieces together?
All glue needs to be flexible! We use Bob Smith industries CA glue on our TPU projects. We specifically use the Insta-flex plus, (it's flexible). The ic-2000 is also an option. It's toughened with rubber and ensures an extreme hold!
Always look at the label for safety info and curing times before applying any glue. It's also good to do a dry assembly of your pieces before you adhere anything together, just to be sure you have everything in the right spot.
Still have questions?
We will be working on expanding this article very soon with the step-by-step finishing process, but please use this as a basic guideline. If you're in doubt, please write to us and we'll be more than happy to assist!
