Bringing a Deathclaw to Life: Finishing My 3D Printed Skull

Sometimes the best projects take a while to come full circle or at least mine always seem to. Last year, I found and 3D printed a Deathclaw skull—a hulking, iconic piece straight out of the Fallout universe. I had glued all the parts together, but it sat unfinished on the floor of my workshop for a while, but I finally had the time (and motivation) to dive in and give it the treatment it deserved. Here’s how it all came together.

Step 1: Smoothing the Beast

Anyone who’s worked with 3D prints knows the story: those layer lines are no joke. Luckily I had made this part of the work a little easier for myself by printing in ABS. I started off by sanding the entire piece down using 220 grit, gradually working my way through grits to smooth out the surface. For those stubborn rough spots, I hit them with another pass of sanding after applying a few coats of primer. In the worst areas—especially along the ridges and deeper curves—I used Bondo glazing putty to fill in imperfections and create a clean, bone-like surface.

Step 2: Laying the Foundation

Once the surface was prepped, it was time for paint. I laid down a terra cotta spray paint as the base coat. It might sound odd, but the warm, earthy tone was the perfect underlayer to help simulate the natural look of aged bone peeking through dirt and decay and it simplified the horns which I wanted to look more like ram horns and not a bone antler look.

Closeup of Deathclaw skull paint job.

Step 3: Building the Bone

From there, I started layering various shades of bone whites, muted browns, and some subtle blacks. The goal was to create depth and texture—something that would make the skull feel like it had been baking in the sun of the Wasteland for years. I dry brushed lighter tones to catch the edges and details, and used washes to sink into the crevices and bring out that gritty, weathered vibe.

Painted Deathclaw Skull

The Final Look

The end result? A worn, imposing Deathclaw skull that looks like it was pulled right from the Wastes. It’s equal parts terrifying and awesome—just the way I imagined it. While it is very big it's still a little undersized for a full grown deathclaw, so I think I'm going to see about scaling it up and reprinting, if I can get access to a printer that's big enough. Now I need to find a space for it in our Fallout themed haunted house attraction.

Painted Deathclaw Skull

Here is the link to the the STL file: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2764659 it was hollowed and enlarged by MasterAnubis and the original can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1611752 made by Cyanhyena.

Looking for more Fallout-inspired props?

While this Deathclaw skull isn’t for sale, I’ve got a whole collection of detailed replicas available in the shop—from Snow Globes to Nuka-Cola caps and beyond. Check out Vault 12 Props and bring a little piece of the Wasteland home with you. And remember—War… War never changes.