Avengers Assemble! Fan 3D prints complete Iron Man suit

As both cosplay and 3D printing technology are becoming more popular, it’s no surprise that the two are increasingly meeting

A basic desktop 3D printer is after all perfect for producing cool and unusual accessories to complete your costume. But then again, some people take things a bit more seriously. Remember this cool 3D printed Samus suit? And now the 20-year-old Ross Wilkes, from Birmingham, England, has 3D printed his very own Iron Man suit. Be prepared, ComicCon.

During the day, Ross works in flower wholesaling, but in his free time he has been working on something special. After seeing Iron Man 3, he became convinced that he wanted to recreate the iconic superhero suit for himself. Having purchased a Velleman K8200 Printer, completing the project became his New Year’s resolution for 2014. Though as you can image, when working with a 20 x 20 x 20 cm print bed, that takes a long time.

And now, more than a year further and 1,100 feet of filament (or about 32 rolls of the stuff) later, the project is completed. All in all, it took Ross 14 months of designing, printing and assembling to complete, and cost him about £400 ($615) in filament. The suit, which has been assembled using a solder and a heat gun, consists of an impressive 597 different pieces. And would you believe it? It’s his first real project as well. "It’s actually the first thing I’ve ever printed properly on the machine," Ross explained, "after [having] a lot of problems and disasters before."

"Building my own Iron Man suit has been an incredible challenge. Before I could start, I had to learn the basics of 3D printing and was able to pick up," Ross said. "I’m thrilled with what I’ve been able to create using only a 3D printer, and to be able to see the complete suit now is incredible." But as you can see, it's been a big success. The suit is an impressive six foot and two inches tall, and weighs about 55 pounds. As you might have guessed, it hasn’t been painted. Instead, the colors are simply those of the filament used.

There’s just one problem: it cannot yet be worn as the hands and knee joints need to be adjusted first to enable movement. While that final process is definitely on the agenda, Ross is somewhat confused about what to do with his suit. "I have no idea what I wanna do with it," he told reporters. "I just wanted to build the Iron Man suit for so long, so I’m glad I managed to complete it." But as he’s been infected by the 3D printing bug by now, one thing is certain: Captain America’s armor is next.