3D printing lets fans revive Star Wars toys

3D-printed plastic parts are being used in many important ways. In 2017, my son's doctor used 3D printing to make a model that helped him prepare for my son's jaw surgery. The process has taken the guesswork out of a long list of medical procedures.

But 3D printing also has allowed for some less-serious – but seriously entertaining — projects. Like making replacement parts for old Star Wars toys.

My pal Mat Luschek recently used a 3D printer to make new legs for Dewback and Tauntaun figures that were part of the Star Wars toy line in the late 70s and early 80s. The Dewback was the giant lizard that the stormtroopers rode when they were trying to track down R2D2 and C3PO on the desert planet Tatooine in Star Wars.

The Tauntaun was the furry biped that rebel troops used for transportation on the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.

That sound you're hearing is a Nerd Alert.

Mat used Elegoo-brand 3D Rapid Resin for the parts. The liquid resin "was designed to significantly reduce printing time with its excellent fluidity," according to the product description. "Its great stability and proper hardness guarantee a worry-free printing experience," the description reads.

The resin is made by Elegoo Inc. of Shenzhen, China. The firm employs more than 100 at an 11,000 square-foot plant in Shenzhen. Elegoo does most of its sales online via Amazon.

For the printing, Mat used a small stereolithography printer. SLA printers expose resins to wavelengths of light, causing short molecular chains to form. Those chains then polymerize monomers and oligomers into solid parts.

Mat and I worked together at the Medina County Gazette in Medina, Ohio, way back when. He's covered pop culture and related topics for many years. With his 3D Star Wars work, Mat can hold his head high at conventions, movie openings and other places where fans of weird stuff gather.