As a bit of a Fallout fan, when I found 3D print files online for a number of items from the various games, I couldn’t not print up some of my favorites. Two such favorites are the Mini-Nuke (because who wouldn’t want that destructive power sitting on their shelf), and the Fusion Core (cause I spent so many hours collecting these in Fallout 4 and love the concept of a fusion battery). The laser pistol is also one of my favorites, but that’s for a different post. This post documents the build of the Fusion Core and Mini-Nuke.
The Mini-Nuke was a fairly easy print straight from the files I downloaded, if not a large print for some of the parts. The Fusion Core however needed to be split on one part so it would print some of it’s overhangs a little nicer.
Mini-Nuke main body on the printer. 
All the pieces laid out for test-fit. 
Test fit and partial assembly of the model. 
The two main pieces of the Fusion Core. 
Test fit of the Fusion Core.
While these were cool prints alone, they needed to look a little less like the brightly colored (for some parts at least) PLA plastic I’d printed them in. So, it was time to sand and paint them over with filler-primer and then sand some more, repeating until I got the outsides looking smoother and less 3D printed. Then everything got a metallic base-coat of silver, save for the top half of the Fusion Core — that got several coats of black metallic paint.
Everything laid out to dry after getting a coat of filler-primer. 
Base-coat of silver.
Once the base coat of silver was on, each part got it’s proper color and touch of weathering applied before final assembly. For the Fusion Core, superglue for the two halves, and screw in the top to hold on the red switch. The Mini-Nuke got all it’s screws installed (real metal screws FTW) and a touch more weathering with some sandpaper to reveal the silver base coat on parts. Then both got dirtied up with an acrylic mud-wash and some rusting (burnt umber acrylic) for the Mini-Nuke. And afterward, a final clear-coat on top to protect the paint-job.
Final paint job and assembly with some light weathering. 
Light weathering on the Fusion Core. 
Screws, weathering, and rust for the Mini-Nuke
A rather fun build for one of my first projects and they look amazing in the display case.
Jumping Ship 
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