Preserving History: Custom 3D Printed Mounts for Carnegie Museum of Art

When Carnegie Museum of Art reached out to 3D Print Pittsburgh in Spring 2025, they presented a unique challenge: create custom display mounts for delicate antique hand fans that would be featured in an upcoming exhibition. This project would demand precision, patience, and a deep respect for preserving cultural artifacts.

The Challenge

The museum’s preservation team, led by William Bergmann and Associate Preparator James Nestor, needed mounts that would:

• Provide stable support for fragile antique fans
• Make minimal contact with the artifacts to prevent damage
• Match the complex topography of each fan’s surface
• Include integrated mounting hardware for exhibition display
• Accept professional finishing to meet exhibition standards

3D Scanning: Capturing the Impossible

The first challenge was capturing the exact surface geometry of each fan – specifically, the underside that the mount would cradle. But how do you scan the bottom of a delicate artifact that cannot be flipped over or handled excessively?

Working with the museum’s conservator, we developed a creative solution: suspending a sheet of clear plexiglass between two tables, creating a transparent platform for the fan to rest on.

Using our Einstar 3D scanner, we were able to capture the intricate surface detail from below. The scanner’s infrared structured light passed right through the clear plexiglass without obstruction, capturing every contour of the fan’s resting surface – the wooden sticks, the fabric folds, the subtle variations in height.

The result was a detailed point cloud that we converted to an STL mesh – a precise digital replica of the surface our mount would need to match.

From Scan to Mount: 3D Modeling in Blender

With our captured scan data as a foundation, we imported the STL into Blender and began the precision modeling work:

• Shrinkwrap modifier to conform the mount surface to the scan’s exact contours
• Subdivision and smoothing to create a gentle, artifact-safe contact surface
• Minimal material philosophy – supporting only what was absolutely necessary
• Integrated mounting posts recessed to accept #4 cap head screws without interfering with the fans

This was not a quick process. Each mount went through multiple design iterations, with the museum team providing detailed feedback on everything from the extension distance to the surface texture depth.

Collaborative Refinement

The email chain between our team and the museum tells the story of true collaborative design:

“The peaks and valleys of the fan can we make them sharper and more pronounced by the addition of a small amount of material to the peaks… The idea being it is easier to remove than to add later.” – James Nestor

This back-and-forth resulted in mounts that were engineered to museum conservation standards – providing maximum support with minimal intervention.

Precision Printing and Finishing

Once the designs were approved, we printed the mounts in white PLA on our large-format printer. The white material provided a smooth, consistent base for the museum’s finishing process. The prints captured every detail of the modeled surface, from the gentle curves matching the fan’s shape to the precisely located mounting hardware recesses.

After delivery, the Carnegie Museum team applied their expertise:

• Light sanding to perfect the surface
• Application of surface filler where needed
• Professional matte black finish coating to achieve exhibition-ready appearance
• Protective barrier to chemically isolate the mount from the artifact

The Outcome

The project resulted in two successful custom mounts. The first was used in the museum’s exhibition, where it performed flawlessly – allowing visitors to appreciate the antique fan while ensuring its protection. The second mount, while no longer needed for exhibition, now serves as a specialized cradle for permanent storage, ensuring the fan remains protected for future generations.

The museum team’s response said it all:

“We were able to test fit your mount with the first fan and wanted to let you know that it worked fantastically. Thank you for your efforts on this.” – William Bergmann

Why This Matters: Full-Service Digital Fabrication

This project showcases our complete scan-to-print workflow:

Applications Beyond Museums

While this project was for museum conservation, the same scan-to-print capabilities apply to:

• Custom display stands for collectibles and antiques
• Specialized fixtures for retail and gallery installations
• Protective cradles for delicate instruments or artwork
• Replacement parts reverse-engineered from existing components
• Conservation supports for historical preservation