Star Trek : The Next Generation Comm badge

thingiverse

I designed this Star Trek: The Next Generation comm badge using high-quality references found online, and I'm confident it's as accurate as possible without an original to measure against! The model was created in Rhino 3D v6, and you can find the .3dm file, along with exported iges and stl files, here. The badge is designed to be printed in three parts: the delta, the ellipse, and the elliptical ring. This allows for easier sanding by hand to achieve a great finish after printing. The central ellipse features two small recesses that accommodate magnets, enabling it to be worn similarly to many other replica badges. Due to its unique shape and design, this badge will require supports during printing. I printed mine on my Ultimaker S3 at "detail" settings, which yields a 0.06mm layer height. To ensure sufficient adhesion to the print, I found that the delta needs to be printed with a brim. Once you're satisfied with the surface finish after applying a few coats of primer and possibly one application of wood filler, followed by sanding in between each step, you can glue the elliptical parts together and spray the delta and ellipse separately. The delta features a slight groove around its edge that should remain visible even after sanding and priming; this allows for easy painting with black paint. To clean up the groove slightly after each round of sanding, I ran a blade around it. As a final step, I painted the black onto the delta by hand. Finally, the delta can be glued into place on the ellipse. **Update**: I've created an updated delta with a finer trim based on user feedback. The only change is to the upper surface, so you can simply drop this new part into your existing print without needing to reprint everything.