Project Execution Time Log

Student Name: William Kufahl Mentor Name: Lyle Wickham

Description of Project: The acquisition and painting of fantasy miniatures, typically in 28mm or 32mm scale.
All students must keep a detailed time log to be completed as the student goes through the exit project process. As well as
describing what he/she did, the student should include statements regarding successes and failures, frustrations, and
victories. In other words, the log should record not just time and work done, but emotions and reactions as well. Please
record time in decimals and round to the nearest quarter hour.
Note about time: for this time log, I am choosing to neglect any time spent waiting on something. Due to the nature of
the project, I will have to wait for various reasons – prints to finish, paint to dry, etc. As such, I feel the need to separate
the waiting from the rest of the project. Therefore, any time recorded on this log corresponds to time I spent in activity, not
while waiting (or in rest).
PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
My first experience with the SLA 3D printer, the Elegoo Mars 2. In this time, I set up the
printer, performing multiple tasks like leveling, establishing initial settings, and getting
ready for the first print. Personally, I found this incredibly taxing. The process of initial
leveling was extremely finicky, to put it scientifically. It was advertised as being simple –
3/14/22 3.25 and it was – but the level of fine precision and a close eye that was required felt almost
absurd. Thankfully, however, this should be the only time I have to do this. In terms of
getting ready for the first print, which involved downloading and learning the ChiTuBox
1.9 software, it proved quite satisfying. It was very mathematical in nature, and required a
certain skill that, while quickly learned, proved a sense of accomplishment.
The day after setting the first print, the immediate goal, right in the morning, was to check
the results. Unfortunately, it was a catastrophic failure – the print not only failed, but
didn’t attach to the build plate at all. What followed was a tedious procedure involving the
draining of resin that, when touched, reacted quite intensely with my skin. Thankfully, I
had some disposable gloves around (from Mom), which remedied the issue. Waking up to
3/15/22 .5 a failed print was… less than enjoyable. I had personally spent over 400 dollars for my
3D printer, and so having immediate failure, while somewhat expected, proved
disheartening. Immediately after this, I would spend my own time at school and home to
do personal research regarding the issue, in an effort to solve it later. But not tonight, as I
have some personal matters.
More time has passed than I anticipated, due to life catching up with me temporarily
(editing William here: this was barely anything compared to the rest of the year). I
did some personal research on trying to remedy my previous issue, and discovered a few
techniques. First, I can utilize a spray-on dry lubricant, covering the FEP sheet with a
nonstick layer (however thin). Secondly, it is recommended to take 90 grit sandpaper and
sand the build plate, then take 120 grit and sand some more. Following a few YouTube
3/20/22 2 videos and articles, I sanded the build plate, as well as changed some settings on
ChiTuBox, getting ready for the next print. At this time, I also took a bit of a break from
the computer in order to outline a few creative ideas regarding the hopefully successful
print. Today proved very informative. During my research escapade, I came upon
numerous other articles and sites regarding SLA printers, which should hopefully prove
helpful in the future. It also opened my eyes to the potential of SLA printing, which was
both exciting and incredibly motivating.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
After waking up, I went downstairs to check the print… and it was a success! Kind of. A
print had succeeded, but had a few issues: 1) it was larger than anticipated, 2) the details
weren’t super crisp on the print (but still noticeable), and 3) removing the supports would
prove a monumental task. The tips of the supports were incredibly large, and the number
of supports was excessive; additionally, I had never done clean up work before, which
3/21/22 1 proved to be an entirely different beast when it came to resin. This process proved
incredibly frustrating. Part of the idea of purchasing a 3D printer was to be able to get
high-detail items far cheaper than I could purchase using normal methods. But this goal
would prove useless if my clean-up skills didn’t improve. Eventually, I gave up on
removing supports, vowing instead to do some more personal research at how to best
remove supports and get crisper details from models.
Today, the entirety of my free time was dedicated to 3D printing: learning the in-and-outs,
getting more prints started, cleaning up some prints, and more. In the morning, I prepared
a print, which would include two miniatures of smaller stature than the first. This took
about an hour, since I placed all the supports myself, experimented with resin settings,
and actually started the print itself. After about six hours, bringing me into the evening,
the print was finished… and came out phenomenally. In the print, I had successfully
created two models, each depicting various forms and physicalities of a demon-skeleton
thing. On the first, I tried a new method of removing supports – temporarily dipping the
print into lukewarm water, which made the resin have an almost rubber-like flexibility
and then promptly ripping off the supports, similar to ripping off a band-aid. At least,
according to the articles I had read. Fortunately, it worked phenomenally. There were still
a few rough bits here and there, but nothing that fine sanding couldn’t fix. Therefore, I did
the same with the second model. This is where I reached new territory. I had never
3/23/22 5 actually had to yet clean or cure a model and didn’t have any special machines to do it for
me. So I had to take a small tupperware filled with 95% isopropyl alcohol and clean the
miniatures in it using a soft-bristled toothbrush. It was remarkably similar to giving my
dogs a bath, just on a much smaller scale. Afterwards, I assembled the models, attaching
base to mini, then put them upon a windowsill, in order for them to cure. After waiting
about 3 minutes, as recommended, I grabbed them again, and then promptly tripped. The
two miniatures fell upon the carpet, which I hoped would be enough to save them. It
wasn’t. Like two structures of glass, they shattered into innumerable little pieces, so small
you couldn’t see them within the carpet – but you could step on them. This day was a
mixture of joy, glee, and disappointment. I learned a lot, and discovered a number of very
useful techniques. When the models were, well, together, they looked phenomenal! I could
see incredibly minute details, like those of a chain or blade-etching. But, of course, the
small trip proved catastrophic, and showed to me the incredible fragility of resin. This
medium is going to prove more frustrating than I anticipated.
Today, I focused on recreating the previously successful print (as described above),
hopefully without the destruction of my miniatures. I got the files ready, plugged it into
4/02/22 .5 the printer, and pressed go. Hopefully, this print goes just like the last. That way, I have
just one more instance of consistency, which is what I need to be able to make minis. I’m
hopeful, but nervous for the morning.
This morning, I spent my time looking at the new print. Thankfully, it came out exactly
like the last one! I did the exact same procedure, using the water bath method to peel off
supports, the alcohol bath method to clean it, and the windowsill method to cure it; unlike
4/03/22 1 previously, however, I didn’t trip. The models looked great. Having established a
procedure, the difficulty of the process was greatly diminished, although I was nowhere
near proficient at it. Of course, not having my models break also proved motivating – and
pleasing.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
For today, I wanted to tackle the process of printing a larger miniature. To begin with, I
prepared two files – one for the base of the miniature, which was, itself, larger than
anything else I printed, and the second for a few pieces of the miniature: arms, head,
shield, etc. The latter half of the day was spent waiting for the prints to finish and for
clean-up. It is that second part that proved interesting. I encountered a new problem with
printing, which I have nicknamed “pooling”. In essence, whenever printing a large
miniature, it is expected that you hollow the miniature out. If you don’t, you will, most
importantly, use an excess amount of resin, and risk the possibility of the miniature itself
4/11/22 3 becoming too heavy and falling off the build plate. What I didn’t realize, however, was
that by hollowing the miniature, I needed to then put more holes in it, so that extra resin
that got stuck inside the hollowed print could escape. But… I didn’t put enough holes in
it. As such, it took almost two hours for the print to drain itself, and that was before any
other cleanup. But, after cleanup, it looks good! Overall, today was pretty good. I learnt a
few things, like how to avoid pooling, but the problem was easy to solve – it just required
extra time spent waiting. Thankfully, this model was one of the better ones to make this
mistake on. Other models would have proved much more troublesome. So today was
good! I’m excited for the future.
Today was interesting. It has been too long, in my opinion, since I messed with the
printer. Today, I tried to print some more, as well as prepare the painting of a few models.
This involved the priming of models, the purchasing of paints, and more. I prepared a few
more parts for the larger model I’m working on printing, as well as started the overall
print. Afterwards, I worked on priming models, experimenting with my wet palette, and
more. Once finished, I just waited for the print to finish. Once finished, I went to do the
process that is increasingly more normal for me. The print, however, had completely
4/29/22 2.25 failed. Instead of a detailed arm, spear, and pair of legs, I was met with the silhouette of
the lower layers, a thinly cured layer of seemingly amorphous resin. It was completely
different than anything else I have seen happen before. This felt like a massive setback for
me. Of course, I got some actual painting stuff done, but after the print failure, even that
felt inconsequential. Every failure feels like a stab in the heart, as if proving my personal
foolishness and failure. Like it was money wasted upon something useless, instead of
saving for college or other much more responsible acts.
Today, I spent some time finding bits of inspiration in the form of YouTube videos,
graffiti, drawings, book covers, and even landscapes. I eventually settled on some graffiti
and a landscape full of lilacs as inspiration, which seems like an odd mix. The rest of the
day was spent working to troubleshoot the printer, get a test print up and running, and
crossing my fingers for the best. Overall, today was pretty productive. Finding artistic
inspiration was a nice relief, a break from the constant experiment of completely new
5/1/22 1.5 things that this Exit Project has thrown at me. Troubleshooting was far less relieving, and
even proved frustrating. The math, science, and technology that goes into SLA printers
was almost overwhelming, and the sheer number of factors that could lead to the same
print results felt like a massive ocean that, somehow, always leads to the exact same river,
irregardless of weather or tide. Even things like temperature, noise, and ambient light
could impact the quality of the print – including the silhouette failure I had experienced.
It was demotivating, for sure.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
It has been a substantial amount of time since I properly worked on this Exit Project.
Admittedly, I worked on troubleshooting the printer for the entirety of the summer,
ultimately leading to nothing. A number of personal circumstances also arrived, which
deflected my attention elsewhere. Today, I once again worked on troubleshooting the
printer, like I have been periodically. This usually includes the preparation of a print for it,
like always, to just fail. But, today, something new came up. During my inspection, I
noticed a few oddities. Firstly, the printer’s screen looks damaged. Not cracked or
crushed, but merely slightly fractured. On initial inspection, however, it doesn’t look
consequential. The second thing, however, came when I opened up the printer to take a
look at the motherboard. While looking at the motherboard, a tiny little… bit, of some
kind, rolled out from underneath the printer. To me, with my experience in computer
8/9/22 3.25 construction and science, it almost looked like a GPU, or some kind of graphics card.
That’s when it dawned on me… the wiring itself was messed up. This resulted in me diving
into the deep end, honestly. All the difficulties and negative circumstances from the
summer had caught up to me, and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, after
a mental breakdown, I did some more research, specifically about the mechanical wiring
of a SLA printer. Eventually, after far too much brain exploding, I figured out how to fix
the issue, but it likely involved a call with the manufacturer, ordering a new mono-LCD
screen and a new GPU (put simply). Shipping, however, was extremely long. A month, at
the least, since the parts were exported primarily from Japan and China and the company
was out-of-stock. So I made an executive decision to, in essence, give up on the dream of
printing all my miniatures. I could figure that out on my own time. For now, I needed to
paint the minis I have now, acquire new minis, and work on painting those.
Like before, far too much time had passed since my last proper time working on the
project. I had done vaguely similar things, but nothing explicitly related to the plan I
proposed in my initial proposal, so I didn’t feel the need to record it. Today, I went to
Goblin Games, a local gaming store, and bought a bunch of paints, all matching colors I
initially envisioned originally when I outlined my inspiration for the miniatures.
Additionally, I bought a pack of Deathrattle Skeletons from Games Workshop (as part of
their wargame, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar). Once I returned home, I started work on
building the models. Unlike the minis I had 3D printed, these miniatures were assembled
into tiny, miniscule parts that required individual glue and assembly. They were incredibly
11/21/22 3 small and thin, which meant that gluing, while seemingly simple, required more precision
and coordination than I thought I possessed. But, after a few hours, I managed to
successfully assemble, clean, and prime a number of skeletons, as well as sand and
scratch off moldlines. Today was interesting. Personally, it was incredibly difficult. On my
last proper day of work, I decided to stop the process of 3D printing in order to just
acquire models and start painting more consistently. But today made it real. While that
seems excessively dramatic, it was incredibly disheartening. For the time being – at the
least – it feels as if I had thrown over $400 dollars in savings down the drain. I felt like a
fool… and had far too much glue, plastic, and various other shavings on my hands.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
Today, I focused on painting a single miniature. Most of the time, people often paint
miniatures in various “batches”, since this hobby originated from a love of wargames,
which usually require upwards of 10 - 30 miniatures, if not more. As such, spending a
substantial amount of time on every single mini isn’t just time consuming, but inefficient.
For my purposes, however, where I want to refine my hand, taking time on an individual
miniature, no matter how small, would prove more beneficial. Therefore, I spent today
learning how to set up my wet palette, performing some basic experiments with my
acrylic paints, such as mixing, blends, and more. After experimentation, I began my work
on the mini itself. For now, the goal was just to lay down a basic foundation. I used a
12/01/22 2 single layer of paint, not worrying about highlights, gradients, or other more advanced
techniques. I just wanted paint on mini, establishing a basic idea. While seemingly
simple, for the inexperienced, this proved more difficult than anticipated. My hand was
shaky, my lines and details rough, and I had to clean up and fix mistakes more often than
not. But, eventually, it was looking good. So I called it a day. Today was very
disheartening. When I decided upon this Exit Project, I assumed the greatest difficulty
would be in learning and using advanced techniques, like layering, glazing, and
highlighting. I did not think that the basic action of cleanly laying paint upon the
miniature would prove difficult, and it made me nervous for the future of the project.
Today, I focused on expanding upon the previous painted miniatures. At this point in time,
after talking to Mr. V and my mentor, I decided that I would use multiple miniatures to
represent the passing of time. So the first miniature would represent the first large time in
painting, the second the second, the third the third, and so forth. For today, the focus was
on applying a basic foundation, known as a basecoat, and then carefully applying a wash
in select areas. Like previously, the basecoat proved remarkably difficult, though easier
than the first. My hand had become ever so slightly steadier and, more importantly, I
learned what I call “grounding”, in which I try to have as many points of contact between
myself and other physical objects, especially the miniature, as possible. I then applied a
wash… and completely over did it. The wash looked terrible, and was a complete failure.
So I stripped the paint off the miniature, and started over. This time, I used grounding as
12/10/22 3.25 much as possible, as well as applied the wash more liberally, so that the color wouldn’t
tint the miniature to the same extent as previously. The second attempt proved much more
successful, though I still wasn’t perfectly content with how it looked. Today was, overall,
pretty good. Although I definitely made mistakes, and completely overdid the wash the
first time, I learned a lot today. The discovery of grounding was particularly influential,
and, hopefully, would prove to be a useful technique in the future. I also discovered a
unique feeling today, in which the painting process felt very graceful. It was almost like a
conversation. I make a mistake, fix it up, decide against it, reverse it again, and so forth.
It was like sparring someone – I make one move, they make one move, and we keep
launching blows back and forth until we’ve entered an almost dance-like trance. Hitting
that flow was extremely satisfying.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
Today, I started work on a new miniature. The plan was simple: apply a basecoat, a wash,
then reapply the colors of the basecoat in select areas, which would begin the process of
highlights, shadows, and layering. This time, the basecoat was even easier, and the new
technique of grounding made the process far simpler. I could set myself up and then cover
an entire area in one go, creating a much more even spread of color. I also discovered a
new personal method to basecoat, in which I focus on the application of color versus
coloring details. Before, I would start from the bottom up, meaning that I started with the
base color of the greaves, then the skeleton legs, then the waist, and so forth. Today, I just
chose a color – silver, for example, and painted all the details that would have silver on
them. I repeated that with every color, which allowed for a more nuanced application of
12/29/22 2.75 color as well as being more efficient, since I didn’t need to clean the brush as often. After
the basecoat, I applied two washes. Any single detail would only be given a single wash,
but each detail had the option of one of two washes – a rust wash and a black wash. Once
I finished the washes, I reapplied the basecoat in select sections, primarily those that face
the sun. This made the target areas appear brighter, slightly replicating the effects of
highlights and shadows. At first, the idea of shading and highlighting a 3D object felt…
odd. I figured that the mini would, well, do it for me. But, after looking at some
professional painters and doing some research, I learned that it is my job, as the artist, to
accentuate the contours and shapes of the model by highlighting and shading it just like I
would a drawing. Just, on a 3D shape.
Today, as in the previous days of painting, I worked on a new miniature. This time,
however, I applied a basecoat, a wash, another layer of paint, and then tried to do some
more layering, in an effort to better highlight and shade the miniature. At this point, I
have become much more proficient in better applying paint upon the mini. My hand was
steadier, my confidence had grown, and my coats were more consistent. The new part,
however, was the layering. Layering is the process of gradually applying increasingly
1/12/23 3.75 smaller layers of paint, typically from dark to light, in order to create a gradient that acts
as shading on the model. Previously, I thought basecoating was hard. This proved even
harder. Due to the nature of layering, I needed to have both an increasingly steady hand
and a greater level of coordination in order to prevent making a mistake and, potentially,
resetting all the progress I made on a part. It proved difficult, but rewarding. Eventually, I
became somewhat happy with the model, though it still didn’t look anywhere close to the
models I see online – but, compared to my past work, it was better.
Today, as in previous days, I began work on a new miniature. I spent the vast majority of
my free time, after finishing some homework, on miniature painting. Mostly accidentally,
to be honest. I plugged into a podcast and got through two episodes before even realizing
I had finished the first. The painting plan was as follows: basecoat, wash, reapply paint,
wash again, then work on layering, glazing, and building up highlights. There were also a
few goals for the paint job: prevent the mini from looking too satin, as washes seem to be
causing, and achieving a crisp, clean look. The new technique I’m introducing is glazing,
which is the process of applying semi-translucent paint, often thinned via water, in
gradual layers in order to create an extremely smooth blend. Unfortunately, as I learned,
1/30/23 5.5 this process takes a lot of time – and I mean A LOT. But I was able to achieve a look I
haven’t before, so it was extremely fascinating. Due to the nature of the process, it was
also incredibly easy to fall into a rhythm of applying paint, looking at the layer, dipping
the brush back in, and repeating the cycle. Today reminded me of why I liked the idea of
this Exit Project. In many ways, it proved cathartic. In the advent of my parents’ divorce
and other numerous personal circumstances, having some time to just paint a miniature
with the intent of improving upon myself creatively was, well, rewarding. It felt good; and
while the miniature actually didn’t get finished, what I did accomplish was looking the
best it ever has.
 PROJECT EXECUTION TIME LOG
Use this form to record all time spent on project execution. Please put your personal thoughts/descriptions in italics.

Date Number of Detailed Description of Project Execution

(mm/dd/yy) Hours (should include personal thoughts, experiences, emotions, etc.)
Today, I worked on finishing the mini I had begun previously. The goal was simple: to
continue the process of glazing and layering, especially on areas I hadn’t yet touched
once, in order to get closer to a finished product. Already, this was the best mini yet, and I
was hoping I could make it even better. I also wanted to try a new technique, called
stippling. I had done this in drawing before, so the idea wasn’t new to me, but doing it
with a paintbrush and on a miniature was very new. I wanted to try this on the cloth of the
2/10/23 4.25 miniature, in order to provide a certain level of texture, detail, and highlights in the exact
same stroke. This process, like above, proved incredibly time consuming, although very
rewarding. Stippling, in particular, was interesting. Unlike a pencil or bit of charcoal,
which is my normal 2D medium, the paint brush has substantial give. This means that
achieving incredibly tiny dots proved difficult, especially compared to the fine points that
can be achieved with a pencil. But the result was more than worth it.
Project Execution 47.75 These hours are when you are working on your project independently.
Hours
Total Hours 47.75 Training + Project Execution = Total Hours

Student Signature _________________________________________ Date____________________

Mentor Signature _________________________________________ Date____________________
Advisor Signature _________________________________________ Date____________________