Have you ever thought about getting a 3D version of yourself? Martin certainly didn’t. Then one day the opportunity presented itself and he couldn’t say no. This post has some interesting behind-the-scenes pictures of the experience.
The best way to describe the six-inch, 3D-printed statue (an exact replica of himself), that Martin Dasko the author of Studenomics is holding in his hand is as a Life Reward.
This 3D printed portrait is a milestone marker for his office bookshelf. It’s a nod to all the work Martin has done to make his website valuable to readers looking for information, and a salute to the fresh ideas that have inspired so many others to find financial freedom in their twenties.
How did this whole thing begin?
This author has been reading Studenomics since 2015; I subscribed after I met Martin while covering his wrestling performances. His unique lifestyle and diverse passions piqued my interest. If you scroll back in time on the site, you can read how the young author has spent ten years now sharing his own original thoughts and stories and giving advice where possible. He doesn’t ask for donations and doesn’t peddle t-shirts. Martin doesn’t ask or expect any immediate reward, but this is the way the internet works.
What you make and publish with integrity, and true passion, and put your work out there free for the world to use, you do get rewards back, and they come in all different shapes and sizes.
So last month, Full Stack Resources web development agency reached out to me looking for influencers to spread the word about 3D printing at MY3D Agency in Toronto, and they explained how publishers could get these six-inch replica statues in exchange for some good press about the digital portrait service on their blogs. I immediately thought of Martin.
To say that a 3D figurine immortalizes a person is pretty accurate as the object itself will live forever. The cool thing is that it doesn’t take a whole lot of time here in the present to make one, and right now I’m thinking Martin should get one done every ten years, and he could make a collection worthy of gazing back upon when he’s a senior citizen, and Studenomics is just a distant memory.
How does one even get this done?
Every 3D print portrait starts with a full-body 3D scan.
Michael Gossack is the boss at MY3D Agency, and he’s a comic book superhero nut. He thinks everyone has a little Superhero inside them and in some cases its a force for good and in other cases, not-so-much.
If you visit MY3D Agency at #5 Dickens St – Dundas and Logan, you’ll see a tall wall filled with a great many homemade superheros. 3D printed figurines. Martin’s own mini-me statue will also be on the wall now as Michael said he liked it, and he thought it turned out real well.
In this author’s humble opinion, I think the print looks a comic book character just before he tears off his working clothes to reveal a colourful superhero suit underneath. And that’s pretty accurate in this case. While I’m sure if the opportunity presented itself, Martin would jump in and wrestle Bad Guys to the ground, but I’m thinking he’s more of a financial superhero, helping young people relax and enjoy their lives more through good financial planning and life hacks.
Your pose matters in 3D printing self portraits.
On the day Martin showed up to get scanned we spent ten minutes or more working out how he should pose. This is because the subject has to remain perfectly still for six minutes, and so it must be a comfortable stance, and yet it also has to look natural and represent the way he really carries himself in life.
Six minutes later, after Martin rotated on the pedestal twelve times, the scans were complete and at that point his image existed as many small digital files that were later rendered together to make a single very detailed digital portrait.
When Michael left the office that evening he turned on his 3D printer and it completed the print job just over nine hours later. The print heads squirt out the object one particle at a time, complete with adhesive and the proper colour ink.
The six-inch tall object is made of gypsum and printed in colour and then shellacked with a special sealant. After four separate treatments, the 3D printed figurine will keep its sharp colour for centuries.
How much does this cost?
6” tall 3D prints are $219
7” tall 3D prints are $269
8” tall 3D prints are $329
What should Martin do with this statue of himself?
Right now this object is the centerpiece of my bookshelf, and it marks the first ten years of my blog and my passion for personal finance. Who knows what surprises the next decade will hold for Studenomics?