AztecWarrior

It's hard to believe this journey has come to an end.

For those just joining, this project was completed under a fair amount of pressure. With a long-awaited vacation approaching, I had to sculpt, print, electroplate, polish, and finish everything during the final days before leaving. Somehow, it all came together.

I'm writing this final update from paradise.

When it came time to submit the project, there was never any question about leaving the sculpture behind. It felt right to bring Jozef and Veronika with us. After everything I had learned about their lives, their struggles, and the love they shared, I liked the idea of giving them one final honeymoon. So here they are, enjoying paradise with us. I'd like to think they're having a wonderful time.

Over the past few weeks, I've shared more than the making of a sculpture. I shared the story of two ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. They survived war, built a family, worked hard, laughed often, and left behind something far more valuable than photographs. They left behind memories carried by the people who loved them.

It made me think about how little time any of us truly have. One day, our tools will be put away, our work will be finished, and our own stories will belong to those who come after us. The greatest hope any of us can have is that, somewhere down the line, someone remembers who we were, tells our story, and keeps a small part of us alive.

Thank you to everyone who followed along on this journey. Your encouragement and kind words meant more than you know. I hope this project inspired you to create something meaningful, preserve someone's story, or simply spend a little more time with the people you love.

Because in the end, that is what truly lasts Through Time.

#thanks

After electroplating, it was time for the final polish. Just like a piece of jewelry, the copper needs to be carefully buffed to reveal its shine. Thankfully, I have a dedicated polishing machine, so the whole process only took about 30 minutes.

I did notice my copper bath could use a little more brightener, so that's something I'll improve for the next project.

One more update to go before my final submission.

#thanks

This was, without a doubt, the most stressful part of the entire project.

After several layers of conductive copper paint, it was finally time to find out whether all the preparation had paid off. The print was submerged in an acidic copper sulfate bath and connected to a power supply for electroplating.

Simple in theory. Less so in practice.

For the next four hours, I had to carefully monitor the current as it changed throughout the process. Too little, and the copper takes forever to build. Too much, and you burn the surface, potentially ruining the entire piece.

Naturally, all of this happened during the final 24 hours before my flight.

I started early that morning knowing I only had one acceptable print and one chance to get it right. Thankfully, by midday, the process was complete, and the results were exactly what I had hoped for.

For the first time since this project began, Jozef and Veronika were no longer just resin and paint. They had finally become metal.

I'll share the polishing process in the next update.

#thanks

Once the sanding was complete, I moved on to painting.

This is arguably the most critical step in the entire process. If you get it wrong, the electroplating can fail entirely or even delaminate from the print. Considering I only had one acceptable print and no time for a second attempt, there wasn't much room for error.

Before applying anything, I made sure the model was completely free of dust and oils left behind from sanding. For this, I use an industrial degreaser to prepare the surface for what I suppose could be called a primer, though in reality it's simply a very thin layer of conductive copper paint.

For this step, I use my Gaahleri Ace Series GHAC-Swallowtail SD airbrush fitted with a 0.5 mm nozzle. I particularly enjoy its ergonomic design. It gives me excellent control over the spray pattern, and during longer sessions, my fingers definitely appreciate the comfort.

Even with a 0.5 mm nozzle, conductive paints tend to be considerably thicker than traditional paints. To achieve proper flow, I dilute the mixture with acetone. Finding the right balance is essential. These paints are extremely unforgiving. Add too little acetone and the airbrush struggles. Add too much, or make one wrong adjustment, and the paint atomizes into a fine powder that refuses to adhere to the resin altogether.

It's one of those steps where experience helps, but luck still likes to have a say.

In the next update, I'll share the electroplating process itself. Until then, please enjoy a photo of the peacocks currently roaming the resort where I'm writing these updates from. 🦚

#thanks

With vacation arriving faster than expected, I found myself compressing what should have been several days of work into just 24 hours. That meant moving from 3D printing to sanding, electroplating, and polishing in a single sprint before heading to the airport.

I wish I had more time to refine the facial details on Veronika and Jozef. Portrait work has easily been the biggest challenge of this project, made even more difficult by my ongoing battles with the resin printer. As I mentioned previously, it has not been cooperative lately, and judging by the growing pile of failed prints, my workshop is beginning to look more like a battlefield than a studio.

Thankfully, with only 24 hours left before my flight, I managed to produce one acceptable print. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. More importantly, it would be my only opportunity to finish this project before leaving.

I did my best not to tempt fate.

Spoiler alert: fate had other plans.

The first casualty was Veronika's bouquet, which snapped off at the worst possible moment. Fortunately, a bit of UV putty and some patience brought it back to life, allowing me to continue sanding and preparing both figures for the next stages.

Projects like this always have a way of reminding me that the final result is usually held together by equal parts planning, improvisation, and luck.

I'll share more progress later this week, along with my final submission.

#thanks

Real life has been keeping me incredibly busy, so I haven't had the chance to post the progress I wanted to share.

Most of my workshop time has actually been spent troubleshooting my resin printer. For the past few weeks it has been destroying every FEP film after only one or two prints, so getting it back into working order became a project of its own.

With vacation just around the corner, I've also barely had time to document the rigging process before printing. I'll share that properly once things settle down.

On a brighter note, I had a rather unusual visitor in the workshop today. A friendly bee decided to stop by and keep me company for a while. I later learned they're quite rare, so I took it as a good omen for the project. 🐝

I'll be back later this week with a proper progress update and some exciting advancements.

#thanks

This week I had to put in an extra effort to finish the bride in one go. I'll soon be heading on vacation, and I wanted to make sure I reached this milestone before I left.

As with Jozef, I realize this project isn't just about recreating faces. It's about discovering the people behind them.

Meet Veronika.

One story about Veronika stopped me in my tracks.

She worked as a nurse, caring for patients suffering from tuberculosis. It's difficult to imagine the courage that must have taken. Day after day, she dedicated herself to helping people through one of the most devastating illnesses of the time. It gave me a whole new level of respect for her.

Outside of the hospital, she seemed to embrace life with equal determination. She was a goalkeeper on her handball team and regularly competed in tournaments, helping her team win numerous championships. Perhaps when you witness firsthand how fragile life can be, you learn to appreciate every opportunity to live it fully. It's certainly a lesson I took away from learning her story.

She also had a remarkable talent for patchwork. Looking back now, it explains the beautiful handmade pieces that filled her home. They weren't simply decorations. They were quiet expressions of patience, creativity, and care. In many ways, they remind me of this project itself. Small pieces coming together to preserve something meaningful.

Now that both Jozef and Veronika have been sculpted, it finally feels like they're together again. Next comes preparing them for printing and bringing them into the physical world.

#Thanks

We visited the house where he and his wife once lived, a home still cared for by their daughters. While we were there, my wife's aunt brought out a box we had never seen before. Inside were personal items, little pieces of a life that I won't share in detail, as some things belong only to family.

But after spending the past weeks studying old photographs, listening to stories, and now holding objects that once belonged to him, I feel like I finally understand Jozef a little better.

I think if he were still with us today, we would have had long conversations. And I suspect there would have been a glass of his homemade wine involved.

On to the bride. 🤍

#thanks

Most of my time has been spent sculpting Jozef. He's slowly coming to life, but I'm still not entirely happy with where he is. I think he still needs more work before I'll be satisfied with his features.

#thanks