‘Fallout 4’ Fan 3D Prints Own Pip-Boy After Missing Out On ‘Pip-Boy Edition’ Of Game

The Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition proved to be so popular that pre-orders sold out quickly for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. What’s a fan of the role-playing series to do to have their own wrist device to use with their smartphone? One decided to fire up their 3D printer and create their own.

Reddit user zenpool34 used a 3D printer to make his own wearable replica Pip-Boy after missing out on the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition pre-orders. He used a MakerBot file from Thingverse made for the iPhone 5. The parts are broken up between the top and bottom body plus cover plate and the back plate.

“Had to print it in three parts that took about 22 hours to print in total,” zenpool34 wrote. “The cover plate is held on by some Velcro. All I need to do is paint some of the components and make a sleeve that can attach to the inside of the pipboy.”

The cost for printing the Pip-Boy was relatively inexpensive. That’s after purchasing a 3D printer though.

“Overall I used 0.583lb of filament to print the entire thing which comes to pretty cheap when you factor in how much a spool of filament is,” zenpool34 explained. “The actual printer cost around $1,500. I didn’t use any supports or rafts so I was a bit weary of the print failing. All the parts came out fine the first time with the only huge defect was some stands peeling on the inside of the sleeve.”

A 2.2-pound spool of filament costs between $20 and $35 depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the filament. So, this print job was around $5 to $10 not including the costs of additional material such as the sleeve, paint, and other hardware.

Zenppol34 is not the first to take on the challenge of making a Pip-Boy with a 3D printer though. An Instructables user named dragonator posted a guide on how to 3D print and build a working Pip-Boy 3000, plus there are many other guides on YouTube that can be found with a simple search.

Still, this shows that fans who miss out on collector’s editions goodies aren’t necessarily out of luck. If you can’t afford your own 3D printer, there are 3D printer services available online and even UPS Stores are offering 3D printing now. It’s just a matter of finding or creating the right files to print.

[Images via Reddit, Thingverse]