The material for all my models is called Frosted Ultra Detail by shapeways. It is printed in a process called Multijet Modeling (MJM). The model is printed in layers which are hardened by UV light. There is also a wax like material used as support material. Most of it is removed directly after print, but on some models it is stuck inside the holes and has to be removed before assembly.

At room temperature the Frosted Ultra Detail is inflexible and breaks suddenly without warning. Thinner parts break off very easily, so please handle all models with care. It gets more flexible when heated, but still breaks suddenly without prior warning. It is possible to very carefully bend it into a new position while warm. The Frosted Ultra Detail will retain this position when cooled, but when warmed again it will bend back to its original position.

The material can be cut with a sharp knife. Often small splinters will break off at the bottom of the cut. It is possible to smoothen the surface by sanding, I usually use a nail file.

The Frosted Ultra Detail material can be glued together with all-purpose glue and with super glue. As super glue I prefer the liquid one since it sets so fast. I use it mostly on parts which I fix in position before gluing. For stuff that needs adjusting before the glue has hardened I use all-purpose glue.

For painting the Frosted Ultra Detail material shapeways recommends acrylic paints. There are some reports in the user forums where models in Frosted Ultra Detail started to melt and smell when painted with non-acrylic paints, so I decided to follow the recommendation to be on the safe side.

A lot of my models are designed to be lighted by 0402 LEDs. To connect them I use emanelled copper wire of 0.1 mm diameter. Any thinner wire I tried dissolved when soldering. For models which use only one LED it is possible to use thicker wires.

To simplify the threading through the model I twist 2 wires together. I take 2-3 meters of the wire and stick both ends to something like a table or cupboard. Then I try to keep both wires parallel until I reach the end of the loop. This I put into a miniature drill and slowly twist the wires together. Be careful when taking the cable out of the drill, it will try to twist back and create a big knot. It is better to make several shorter lengths than 1 extremely long cable.

Soldering the wires to the LED is not an easy task. I try to stick the LED onto double sided adhesive tape, but they are so small that they don't really stick to it. I use a very fine tip and try to solder both wires at once, but it is also possible to solder them one after the other.

The LEDs I use

Here is a list of LEDs the I use as an example. Depending on where you live you may need to do some research on where to get similar ones.

Osram Firefly® LW VH8G	Cold white	A general purpose white LED. This is officially a side LED, put has the soldering pads at the bottom as usual.
Victory VS 1WD9M	Cold white	Another general purpose white LED.
Everlight 16-213UYC	Yellow	A yellow LED for traffic signs and traffic lights. It is a lot dimmer than the other LEDs on this page, but I did not find a brighter one. The LED color amber is no substitute, it is too red.
Everlight 16-213SURC	Hyper red	A red LED for traffic lights. The hyper red LEDs are a lot brighter than the normal red ones, but are nearly identical in color.
Osram Firefly® LT VH9G	True green	A green LED for traffic lights. Don't use a normal green LED, they are too yellow, the 525 nm true green ones are much better.

To remove traces of the support wax and the oil which is used to remove the wax on the Frosted Ultra Detail material I use a small ultrasonic bath filled with water and a drop of dishwashing detergent. I usually put the models in for 30 minutes with a change of water after 20 minutes when necessary.

Sometimes there is a white powdery stuff on some parts of the surface. This seems to be a mix of the support wax and the material. As far as I know the only way to remove it is by sanding or scraping it off.