BlueTronWarrior Wrote:3) Dates- true that the website has been around since '99, but I don't think we should put a cap on the date with 2015, makes it kind of look like it ended than. I personally would like to see the site continue on for many years to come. How about "Est. 1999" or "Online Since 1999"... something like that. Or if it can't be decided, just leave the date off.

Agreed on the dates.  If the coin was in honor of an anniversary-- 15, 20, etc.-- then I'd say the dates would make sense.  But to put them on for something not celebrating anything to do with dates... Something about that idea was bugging me, but I couldn't put my finger on it until you said so.

BigE73 Wrote: Been grinding away on alternate designs! And here is a simple alternate for the flipside:

This looks *awesome*. 

Oooh, really digging both of those heads ones, but I think I'm liking H2 a bit better.

My vote is H2 T1.

So where are we at guys?

Looks like T1 for the back for sure. I really dig H1 for the front, pops out more than H2.

If you do another run, I'd definitely be in for a T1-T2 combo (no H1 or H2) [That'd actually be a coin with two tails right? hee hee].  But all four designed sides look decent, and the blue as one of the colors will definitely be cool... 

It's just too bad for me I'm not a big fan of the words "Tron Sector" on the coin.  I love the blog, though, and I am more than happy to be in the minority here...

Glow-in-the -dark filament is an option, I looked into it. there are downsides to it that deter me from using it, however:

*in natural light, when not glowing, it appears white in color

*glow filament is BRUTAL on extruder nozzles, and wears them down over time (in other words, the filament tends to be abrasive) I would not attempt to use it unless I had a larger, stainless steel nozzle on my extruder.

I will be printing some proofs tonight. I also may have a method to improve the finish on the flipside of the coin that I will be trying out. Pics will be posted once they're completed.

Sorry about the hold up; It's been a busy weekend.

Yes there has been some progress. I've been tweaking the print settings and trying out some ideas to get the tails face to print more cleanly. I think I have it nailed. I'll be running the final proofs and will have them posted up by sometime tomorrow. Quality is a concern, so I'm pulling out all the stops to make these things something you'll all want to display, not sit in a drawer or on a shelf collecting dust.

Since the feedback has been split, I will make two versions of the finished coin available. either H1 or H2 on the heads side, and T1 on the reverse. H1 is a little more time-consuming to print, but the end results look great.

I've also been experimenting with both XTC3D coating and MEK vapor baths for a smooth finish. I'll be going with XTC3D for the final coins, as MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is some nasty stuff! and I'd rather not expose fellow programs to harmful chemicals.

I didn't mean to keep you guys hanging; I'm still working hard on this project, but the "honey-do" list was also
starting to back up; Can't have the wife pissed at me I do have other responsibilities outside the grid.

Just the same, I'll have some results to show you all shortly. So you might want to start figuring out what variant(s) you all want so I have a rough idea of how many I will need to print.

Thanks all!

Alright, first proof is here, straight off the printer! I've yet to coat it, but it looks great! This is the raw print:


As you can see, the color is on the money now

Here is the reverse side of the coin


I will be running the proof of H2 in a little bit; Will post pics when it's done.

It's pretty much going to look identical, only the finish will be smoother once they're coated.

I printed the proof for H2, but I'm going to be coating both coins before I post more pics; I want you guys to see the finished product. Hopefully the coating works out the way I'm expecting.

Very awesome! I love it!

Okay, first thing's first:

I realize the coins don't look "perfect" in the photos.
The coins look rough because, yes, you are seeing close-ups of the coin; and as they haven't been coated yet, you're going to be seeing the layer ridges. Finished coins will be coated to smooth them out.

Trust me, the squares are exactly the same size: 12.60mm I double checked all of them with calipers.
*EDIT: spacing "between" the squares is off by a couple 10ths of a millimeter in beween the center squares and the rightmost square.. I'll be correcting it. you pointed that out, and I thank you. Of course, I generated the SVG for the pats from the artwork that was submitted. Garbage In/Garbage Out.
I will now need to remodel the tails face to correct that gap, and re-center it before I can mint the final ones now. looks like a weekend project I wasn't planning on... sigh.

Finished coins will be 58mm diameter.

lastly, nobody is forcing you to buy them. Blue will be receiving final proofs for approval prior to me making coins for the users here. I've been addressing issues with the prints, to make sure the colors come out correctly, and the quality is consistent.

Furthermore, if Blue doesn't like them, I will rework them to his standards, or he can cancel the project.

BTW, if you think you can do better, by all means, spend thousands of dollars on the equipment and have at it.

Mind you, I have been working pro bono: I haven't accepted a single penny for all the work I've done to date, bought materials at my own personal expense and will probably be making these at a loss. So if you don't want any, that's fine; less for me to make. I have a lot of other things I can do with my spare time.

Now, for an update:

The H2 variant, as well as T1 face, has been giving me some issues with consistency of color, mostly due to the filament being semi translucent. when printed on a dark base, the color looks muted.
I've adapted the printing technique for H2, adding a single white layer when starting the linework before laying down blue. I've adjusted the model for T1 to make the blue layer thicker, and therefore color consistent.

Pics follow:



I will be coating some proofs this weekend. I still need to sort how I'm going to coat both sides and avoid runs; I've got something in mind for this. As soon as I have something that works out; I'll be sending the proofs off to BlueTron.