dEADLINE
Finalize the brand name, logo, and concept. Launch SNS. (~4.30)
Define product categories and begin design.(~5.31)
Complete all designs and 3D print everything. (~6.30)
Sign the workshop contract (07.01) -> Register the business, finalize all products (~7.31)
LAUNCHING OUR BRAND (8.30)
tHOUGHTS
This was the original plan…
It’s definitely moving faster than expected.
Once the rubber mold is done, everything is basically finished.
There’s only one original master piece left,
and for that, it’s just a matter of choosing the right resin and handing it over.
Still, the faster the better.
It’s better to identify problems early
than to move slowly and end up scrambling to fix things later.
pRODUCTS
Earrings: Orange
Rings: Orange, Croissant, Egg
Necklaces: Meat, Orange, Pretzel, Pizza
The earrings are still a problem.
I was planning to include the orange design, but if I want to use epoxy,
there are certain conditions that need to be met —
and to meet them, the size becomes larger than I expected.
For now, I still have some time, so I’ll keep thinking about it.
It was my first time using the printer,
and these were the first products that came straight out of my head.
I used eSUN PLA-PRO resin. They say it has less odor,
but there was still some smell.
Anyway, the pieces actually came out — and that alone made me incredibly satisfied.
I still vividly remember the rush of dopamine.
Pizza
It was too small. Much smaller than I expected.
The details came out more or less the way I had imagined.
The flowing cheese was expressed quite well too, but the supports were a problem.
There was a pretty high chance of causing damage during post-processing.
Meat
Strangely, one of the bones kept collapsing.
Even though both sides had the same size, mass, and shape, one side kept breaking.
I couldn’t figure out why, and it gave me a bit of trouble.
Still, the moment it came out, I thought it looked cute.
I was immediately satisfied.
But the logo felt too small, so I decided to increase its size.
Orange
As for the ring, I liked it immediately after printing it — just like the meat piece.
There wasn’t much to give feedback on.
The necklace seemed fine at first as well.
But based on feedback from people around me,
it felt a bit too big — and after looking at it again, I agreed.
The logo also felt too small compared to the overall size,
so I decided to reduce the size of the piece instead.
Fried egg
While removing the supports, the ring broke as well —
that’s why it ended up like this.
Still, I was fairly satisfied.
Once a gemstone is set there, it’ll create the perfect focal point.
Croissant
The moment it came out, I thought, “Oh, it’s cuter than I expected!”
But the logo was a bit too small on this ring as well.
I had intentionally added a hole with the concept of placing a bandage over it,
but it seemed like it would make the post-processing too complicated,
so I decided to remove that idea.
Pretzel
It came out better than I expected. The twist was expressed well.
When I showed it to people,
they suggested that maybe it would be better to go with something like a typical heart-shaped pretzel necklace —
the kind you immediately see when you search “pretzel necklace.”
But with this design, I had already won half the battle.
It was different.
Still, after looking at it again, the size felt a bit too large,
which reduced the cuteness.
So I decided to make it smaller.
Overall
Overall, I realized that our product designs shouldn’t exceed 20mm in width.
The moment they go beyond that, unless the character itself is undeniably cute,
it becomes too overwhelming for women to wear comfortably.
To be honest, “kitsch” doesn’t necessarily mean cute.
It’s more of a positive way to describe something tacky, old-fashioned, or worn.
But that’s not the important part.
In the end, what matters more than the original definition
is the nuance people actually feel when they see it.
I increased the size of the pizza.
I reduced the size of the orange and the pretzel.
The meat stayed the same.
Overall, I made the logo slightly larger on all pieces.
For the orange,
I added a bit of depth between the pulp and the outer peel to create more detail.
I also added clasps to everything.
But they didn’t look very good.
I wanted it to feel more like a toy.
So for the third iteration, I decided that design would need to be revised.
At that point, all that was left was to print using castable resin.
Then I would send it for casting, get the original metal pieces, finish them,
and once the rubber mold was made, it would be done.
But there were problems.
The pizza didn’t hang at the angle we wanted when worn as a necklace.
For the orange, if we wanted to use epoxy, the area where it’s applied needed to be flat.
That meant removing the logo and changing it to an assembly structure.
The rest was fine.
So I immediately revised the design and decided to print it using castable resin.
For reference, castable resin costs ten times more than what I’ve been using.
What I’ve been using is extremely cheap.
And honestly, I also found a very cheap version of castable resin.
At that time, I didn’t know.
That cheap things are cheap for a reason.
That resin, when it’s expensive, is expensive for a reason.
It was the final test before sending it off for casting.
Strangely, everything came out mirrored.
Fixing the issue wasn’t that difficult, but…
I wasn’t happy about losing an entire day.
Technically, this was the third version, but there had already been countless attempts before this.
Anyway, I confirmed that it printed well with castable resin.
Once I fixed the mirroring issue and sent it for casting, that part would be done.
Of course, I also adjusted the clasp and the pizza clasp position.
But as you can see in the next photo, the casting didn’t come out properly.
The surface came out bubbled and boiled, making it impossible to work on.
The owner was flexible and didn’t charge me, which I really appreciated.
At that time, I thought it was purely a curing issue.
But it wasn’t.
Still, he gave me another valuable tip.
When making the master piece for the rubber mold, use brass instead of silver to reduce costs.
I was really grateful.
After buying a modified microwave mercury curing machine, I ran it immediately.
And those were the results.
Let me explain from the left.
Most people recommend placing a cup of water inside when using a mercury curing machine.
They say it helps with heat transfer and allows the inside to cure properly.
So I placed it in water and ran it for 30 minutes.
It didn’t feel fully cured, so I ran it for another 30 minutes and went home.
But I had also heard that resin absorbs water…
After sitting in water all day, the piece turned gray like that.
The pizza next to it also absorbed some water.
It’s transparent, but slightly gray.
So next time, I decided to monitor it closely.
I cured the croissant ring next to it.
The color wasn’t bad.
That result came from waiting and watching it for an hour.
As soon as it finished — even while it was still hot —
I removed the water immediately and dried it with an air gun.
That was probably the proper curing method.
The piece on the far right was cured without water.
I later found out that resin can discolor if it becomes too dry or aged.
So I think that’s why it turned yellow.
It was hot and dry.
From what I’ve researched,
that discoloration doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to casting.
That’s according to GPT.
So I took those pieces straight to Jongno again.
This time, I tried a different casting shop.
But the moment they saw it, they rejected it.
They said it wouldn’t work.
They explained that, like the previous casting attempt,
the surface would boil and come out rough.
That’s when I clearly realized the resin itself was the problem.
So I joined an open chat group and purchased resin directly made by the owner.
I finally found the resin and casting shop I had been searching for,
and the casting came out well.
If I were to make the master in silver, the cost would be quite high.
So I’m planning to create the master in brass, refine it, and then make the rubber mold from that.
I found the right resin.
Now all that’s left is to print and hand it over to my acquaintance.
But of course, once I printed it, there were several issues again.
Meat
Completed.
Pizza
The sprue from the casting was attached right
where the pizza cheese detail was supposed to be visible.
So I have to send it back and have it redone.
Next time, I’ll need to clearly explain where the sprue should be placed.
Orange
Overall,
it came out fine, but there were air bubbles on the top —
and they were large enough that I have to send it back.
Also, the outer part that wraps around the inner section was clogged,
and it was difficult to drill through.
So I revised the design.
I increased the overall diameter by about 1mm,
and widened the recessed outer groove inside as well.
I need to minimize casting issues as much as possible.
My acquaintance said that whether holes get clogged or not is mostly a matter of luck.
But after printing the rings in resin yesterday,
I could clearly see that even with resin, clogging can happen.
mY tHOUGHTS uNTIL nOW
The 3D printer is still acting up, and defects keep coming out.
Printing failures are common, sure…
But I’m still moving constantly.
If I had been working a job at the same time,
I probably wouldn’t have made it this far.
I’m living within God’s plan.
Personally, I just want to buy another 3D printer…
I do have the money, but… I don’t know. Maybe I can still endure this one.
I don’t want to increase my expenses unnecessarily.
If it’s about money, my partner says I’m moving much faster than expected—
that we don’t really have that kind of margin.
And honestly, that’s true.
Our goal was to finish the designs by June.
We weren’t planning to be at the casting stage already.
He said by then he’d have more breathing room.
Anyway, I’m under a lot of stress.
Negative thoughts and positive thoughts are hitting at the same time.
I feel like I’m in chaos.
Everything feels confusing. I don’t know what to do.
I tell myself I’m relying on God, praying, living inside His plan —
that everything is learning and realization.
And at the same time, I find myself thinking…
Wouldn’t it just be easier to die? Wouldn’t that be more comfortable?
This is fucking brutal.
I usually don’t swear.
But I don’t even know how else to describe this situation.
And strangely enough, what’s interesting is —
I’m not thinking, “Can I do this?” or “What if I fail?”
I don’t think that way
Yes, it’s true — I have nowhere to retreat.
I’m standing at the edge of a cliff.
But I keep pushing myself, telling myself,
“I will make it.”
I haven’t even started yet. I haven’t even tied my shoelaces.
Maybe I’ve just bent down slightly.
No — not even that. I haven’t stepped onto the field.
I’m still just training.
And I’m confused about whether this is the right direction or the wrong one.
But that’s not even my decision.
I just do it.
My body just moves.
My mind just keeps turning.
I don’t even ask myself “why” anymore.
The word “why” doesn’t come up.
I just do it.
wHAT'S mY nEXT sTEP?
Refine earrings.
Master 3D printing.
Secure manufacturing.
Formalize the business.
Protect the brand.
Build the platform.
