One of the best applications of 3D printing is prop making and cosplay. It’s great for creating complex and detailed pieces when other materials like foam or machined plastic aren’t viable.
Here, we’ll be looking at people who have used 3D printing to create armor based on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Due to the type and complexity of projects, files or instructions on how they were made won’t always be available. Treat these as inspiration and a demonstration of what’s possible with 3D printing. That said, there are several impressive options with free and purchasable files and parts!
If you see something you’d like to recreate but you don’t want to print it yourself, try Craftcloud. With a large range of materials and finishes, your special piece can be on its way in just a few clicks.
And now, onto the amazing armor projects!
Full Armor with Beskar Spear
Reddit user roguesgalleryfitness is known for their high-quality cosplay, especially their Iron Man rescue suit. The projects are so incredibly well done, they look just like their movie and series counterparts!
All the 3D printed parts of this particular Mandalorian armor were designed by Do3D and are available to purchase on their website for ~$200. This is the Dyn Jarren (Din Djarin) Beskar set, which also includes some added extras like Grogu and a jetpack.
All these pieces were printed in PETG and the whole project took over 12 weeks. One of the reasons these pieces look so good is the amount of post-processing that went into each piece.
They recommend machine sanding large areas to speed up the process. It’s also a good idea to put a guide coat (a very light contrast color) over the primer to show you any imperfections when sanding. Lastly, using Alumaluster helps the Beskar pieces look just right, as it’s the actual paint they used in The Mandalorian.
- Who designed it? Do3D
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? roguesgallerycosplay via Reddit
Mix & Match
A few helpful makers out there have compiled lists of models that can be assembled to make a pretty complete Mandalorian outfit. Models are primary sources from various designers on Thingiverse.
Rise 3D Printing has posted several videos on YouTube documenting the making of a full costume. In addition to the video on the parts for the upper body armor, there’s one on post-processing the armor, one for Mando’s helmet, and more for his jetpack, his rifle, and his blaster. In the video description, you’ll be able to see the links to the models and materials used.
Another maker on Reddit shared his outfit pieced together from Thingiverse designs. The look comprises of thrifted clothes plus 3D printed helmet, chest plate, shoulder armor and bell, as well as belt accessories including metal cartridges and a holster.
If you like the idea of putting together your Mando outfit from different sources and seeing someone actually print them, you have quite the choice of models!
- Who designed it? Multiple Thingiverse users
- What armor components are 3D printed? Helmet, chest and arm armor, jetpack, weapons, belt accessories
- Where to find out more? Rise 3D Printing via YouTube
Bo Katan
vaultfox_ is a cosplayer, maker, and gamer who used her 3D printer to create an award-winning Bo Katan suit of armor. While the 3D models for the suit were purchased from MysteryMakersStudio on Etsy, the pieces were brought to life by vaultfox’s creativity!
The armor is designed for a person who’s 1.66 meters tall, but the designer has created a dedicated video on how to properly scale such models to help you with any necessary adjustments. In addition to detailed instructions and a materials list, she has also provided many valuable tips on how to get a realistic-looking finish of Beskar armor, as well as a tutorial for Bo Katan’s jetpack.
This project is perfect for those who are making their first armor and are looking for a thorough tutorial, plus upgrades. As the maker mentions in her tutorial, each printer may work with slightly different settings so you may have to do some fine-tuning.
- Who designed it? MysteryMakersStudio
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? vaultfox via YouTube
The Armorer
Another impressive and imposing armor from the Mandalorian universe is that of The Armorer. She is one of the leaders in the series, and countless other Beskar armors have been forged by her hands. Often the suits also include some elaborately crafted leather clothing pieces that clearly take a lot of work.
There are several makers out there who have created pieces of the Armorer’s suit, but a complete model with a tutorial is hard to come by. Thorssoli, a professional prop and costume designer, documented his build on his blog where 3D printing was used to create the prototypes and molds for the final parts. Unfortunately, the project does not specify which models were used, only that they were from Do3D.
Luckily, you can find inspiration from various other models like the belt and helmet that have been posted for free on Thingiverse. Alternatively, if you have room in your budget, a tutorial on Instructables for this suit includes a recommendation for a purchasable model set on 3Demon.
- Who designed it? Do3D
- What armor components are 3D printed? Chest armor, belt, helmet, tools
- Where to find out more? protagonist4hire
Boba Fett-Inspired
Mandalorian Mercs is a global non-profit bringing together fans of Mandalorian culture, costumes, and characters. They are also the largest Mandalorian organization in the world with over 1,500 members.
This post-empire custom suit was built by user Trent based on Boba Fett’s reappearance in season 2. All of the parts were custom built and designed, some before The Mandalorian had even aired. Most of the armor was printed in PETG, with some parts in PLA or carbon fiber composites, all on the Sidewinder X1.
To get a smooth finish, plastic fillers or coatings like XTC-3D are great to get rid of any imperfections from the layer lines.
- Who designed it? Trent
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? Trent via Mandalorian Mercs
Female Armor
There’s 3D printed armor for female Mandalorians as well! The designer of the impressive armor featured above also made a custom suit for his wife, and it looks fantastic!
Other than the scale, in comparison with Trent’s armor, darts were used to achieve a properly-fitting breastplate. A big takeaway Trent shared is that when printing parts, especially those with curves, variable layer height should be selected in the slicer settings (PrusaSlicer has this capability) to avoid a staircase-like appearance.
The finishing process involved five stages of sanding, two stages of primer, and a clear coat. As we’ve seen, taking your time with post-processing is really key!
If you’re interested in making one of your own, there’s a female armor-specific thread on Mandalorian Mercs you can post in for help.
- Who designed it? Trent
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? Trent via Mandalorian Mercs
Kid-Friendly
The Mandalorian race has inspired many fans out there, including the little ones. For a special occasion, or just for fun, creating armor for your child can even be an exciting and interactive activity that you and your little one can enjoy together. Be it a Halloween or a birthday party, a shiny suit of armor will surely be a big hit!
Maker MJHerman on Instructables provides a nice walkthrough of the process of designing and fitting 3D printed armor pieces for kids. Unfortunately, the only information about the exact models printed is that they were sourced from Do3D.
Since the armor has to fit on a kid-sized body, you’ll likely have to scale any model you find in order to get a perfect fit. Thankfully, stevenmarx on Printables posted a guide to teach you how to properly scale Mandalorian helmets, including three different-sized models.
In addition to the basic armor pieces, you can also use other materials you already have at home to complete the costume. There is lots of cool inspiration for this from other creators, like Makers Empire or Nero 3D on YouTube.
- Who designed it? Do3D
- What armor components are 3D printed? Helmet, chest and arm armor
- Where to find out more? MJHerman via Instructables
Full Armor with Jetpack
Thingiverse user moeslizzac has designed and curated a full set of Mandalorian armor that’s free to download. Not surprisingly, it’s very popular, with over 41,000 downloads and 50 posted makes.
This project has been continually maintained and updated since 2019, with the latest update in January 2021.
Not only are there comprehensive files for this set of armor free to download, but the process to add a microphone and fan in the helmet is also explained. For more details, check out the maker’s website and YouTube channel.
- Who designed it? moeslizzac
- What armor components are 3D printed? Chest and shoulder armor, jetpack
- Where to find out more? moeslizzac via Thingiverse
Personalized Gear
Reddit user Moto_Guzzisti decided (like many) to make some Mandalorian armor. Unlike most people, they decided to go outside of the norm and make the suit unique. This meant upgrading Mando’s rifle and also adding a different pistol and blade. For the visor, Moto_Guzzisti recommends using some polycarbonate clear plastic sheets and covering them with a colored mirror window film.
The designer said they used a Creality CR-10 V3 for printing. For post-processing, the chrome finish was achieved with Alclad and Spaz Stix spay paint. If you really want to go for it and you have some extra money to spend, apply a high-gloss clear coat prior to the chrome. Then after applying the chrome paint, finish with a two-step automotive clear coat.
- Who designed it? Moto_Guzzisti
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? Moto_Guzzisti via Reddit
Kilted Paz Vizla
Serial Kilter (Dan Simon) is a cosplayer known for incorporating kilts into cosplay, hence the name. In this case, the design inspiration was from the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian Paz Vizla, who appeared during “Chapter 3: The Sin”.
One of the challenges Dan experienced when constructing this suit was fitting the pieces together. Since he couldn’t find the STLs for a complete set of armor for the look he wanted, he combined different pieces. Along the way, a number of modifications had to be made to fit the outfit together. If you’re also struggling to design your armor or size it, check out The Armored Garage, software for designing cosplay outfits.
Dan recommends gluing parts together and doing so before priming or painting to get the best grip. It’s also suggested to print parts with a larger than 0.15-mm layer height to save time, as the post-processing is where the look is truly revealed.
- Who designed it? Not specified
- What armor components are 3D printed? All major components
- Where to find out more? 3DUniverse
License: The text of "3D Printed Mandalorian Armor: Most Amazing Projects" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.