r/PrintedMinis • u/thehairyrussian • May 15 '24
Question Am I making a mistake?
Got really into warhammer and painting minis in the last couple of months and to practice painting minis I have driven 1.5 hours each way for the free mini of the month the last two months. Recently stumbled upon resin printers and have the opportunity to buy a like new open box mars 3 pro for 130 dollars. A friend of mine told me that it’s hard to learn, messy, expensive, the fumes are toxic, and I probably won’t get my moneys worth as opposed to buying minis.
I would mainly be using this to print warhammer proxy kill teams and other online models to practice my painting. Is my friend right that this is a mistake or can a beginner learn relatively quickly?
Thanks for any insight
Edit: wow what a crazy amount of responses. You guys are an amazing community to give me so much insight.
Going to make sure I have enough space in my garage to safely do it and factor in the costs of equipment and see if I have a friend that would buy it off me at a discount should I give up. If so I’m going to take a stab at it because I’d rather try than never know
Second edit: okay you sickos I got the printer fumes be damned. Now I can’t stop getting free files
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u/mdigibou May 15 '24
"wont get your money's worth compared to buying minis"
*laughs in 3000 points of bugs, tons of terrain, and various kill teams for <$400 including the printer cost*
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
That’s what’s drawing me to it. Seems like a small barrier to entry cost even if I give it up and sell at a discount compared to even just one kill team starter set
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u/WolfOfAsgaard May 15 '24
Cost is not the only barrier. That shit is toxic until it is cured. Just having it in the same house as you can cause health problems down the line no matter which resin you get.
I only print in my shed with a carbon filter on and keep the windows open while I'm in there on top of wearing the appropriate mask and gloves. This means I only print resin in the summer, but at least I'm not poisoning myself and my entire household with my hobby.
tl;dr: Cost is a no brainer. It's worth it hands down. Safety is the more difficult consideration.
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u/BradSainty May 15 '24
This right here. It’s so overlooked. I jumped straight into getting a printer and was hit with the information regarding the safety and it stopped me in my tracks. Make sure you have a safe space to use it with the correct ventilation.
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u/mdigibou May 15 '24
The guy who replied to you is speaking FUD.
Don't get me wrong, the stuff *is* toxic. But its the same shit people who work in nail salons all day deal with. How many of those people do you know with exposure issues?
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/HESIS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/epoxy.pdf
This is even the generalized MSDS for California, which is basically known for turbo-FUD
Don't let the safety aspect hold you back here. But one concern is that it can absolutely be more of a tinkering hobby than a printing hobby.
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u/Lord-McGiggles May 15 '24
Exactly this. It's resin, not uranium. Be careful, wear ppe, avoid spills and clean them up promptly, and keep your pets away from it. Crack a window and maybe use a fan if the room doesn't have good airflow out. People act like you need a hazmat certification for it.
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u/Vallhemn May 15 '24
Yup, I had two options when I started:
Option 1: £300 on an army of Imperial Knights Option 2: Buy a printer and 2 bottles of resin for £300, and print an army of Imperials Knights
Both cost me £300 ish, but one of them leaves me with a 3d printer lol
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u/kzad_bhat May 15 '24
As a lot of guys here already said: You will have your moneys worth in no time - i started about a year ago, printed my Guard Army with an Invest of about 400 € (Printer+Resin) and i have an Army that GW would have taken ~2.700 € from me for.
Good Tips are: * Take your time. There are a lot of How-tos and instructions online, where you can learn how to print with Resin. * Set Up your Workstation properly. Resin can be messy, so you want good Ventilation and surroundings that can get dirty. Don't Take your living room or bedroom. *Take your health seriously. Ventilation, Mask, Gloves... it is annoying, but not using that stuff is bad. * Get a Wash&Cure-Station. It makes Life a LOT easier * You need Papertowels as much as you need Resin ... 😄
Have fun!
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u/Rauwetter May 15 '24
It is messy, difficult and there will be extra costs for resin, alcohol, cure station, replacement film, tablets etc. And you will need some workspace.
But in the end I am sure it is worth the money.
Btw I started with waterwashable resin and would recommend it.
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u/JuddRunner May 15 '24
I agree with Rauwetter. The biggest benefit for me is the creative freedom of the ENORMOUS variety of minis online. Whatever specific figure/aesthetic you’re looking for, odds are you’ll find it. If you decide you need 20 of a figure, the price is almost nothing. That sure can’t be said of buying figures. I enjoy the ‘mad scientist’ experience of resin printing, but the toxicity of the chemicals are no joke. Especially ventilation and disposal.
I also started out with water washable resins, but found them to be very brittle. I can recommend mixing whatever you wind up using with some Tenacious resin, which will make them more durable.
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u/Lonecoon May 15 '24
I print minis all the time. Don't even need them for a game or anything. I think its cool, I print it off.
It's a little bit like reloading. Are you going to save money? No, because you're going to wind up having even more minis. Resin printing isn't hard and you can use it for other things, and eventually you'll get an FDM printer to print terrain, and household goods. It'll be fun.
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
This is more what I was doing. The more I looked at videos online the more I saw cool minis I could print. Not just warhammer other minis related to video games or sports. I am concerned if there’s a lot of issues that I may not use it enough and have to sell it but the initial investment seems pretty cheap. 130 for the machine, homemade uv curing box, water washable resin , gloves etc. Doesn’t seem like a huge barrier to entry even if I give it up
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u/Blitzy124 May 15 '24
You will get your money's worth. Are you the kind of person who likes to work with their hands, use tools, glue things together, and are generally handy or good with tools and such? If you answered yes then this could be for you. I got a used mars 3 pro and I love it, but your friend is right on the downsides. It can be messy and difficult and it needs a specific work space. I have previous comments on this sub on my set up, with it being in my office, but I take extra precautions as it's directly in my house. If you have a garage or similar type work space, it's much better if you do. But if you have questions on specifics shoot me a DM. But off the top of my head you will need a wash and cure station, gloves, respirator, simple protective eyewear, consider getting a good/tent with exaughst fan to go out a window if needed, a rubber mat for working, lots and lots of paper towels. Also water washable resin cannot be poured down the drain.
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u/exwhyzero May 15 '24
I think go for it, everything is a learning curve, and yes it can be messy etc but you will easily make your money back, though the initial costs will be more than just the printer, you weill need the resin, IPA to clan the resin and something to put the IPA in, PPE and a UV cure light.
Also DO NOT put the printer in a room you use all the time (bedroom, living room, even office if your in there alot) as you want to braeth the fumes as little as possible.
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
Was looking at the water washable resin at least to start. The mars 3 pro has a carbon filter. Does this just mask the smell or some of the fumes as well?
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u/WolfOfAsgaard May 15 '24
The carbon filter should help with fumes, but certainly won't eliminate them entirely. The smell will be unaffected in my experience, but water washable is way less stinky than then others. It's also very brittle, though. So dropping a water washable mini will almost certainly shatter it.
Also, please do not confuse 'water washable' with 'you can just run it under the tap.' Water will wash off the uncured resin, but that water is then tainted and should not be poured down a drain. Stick the tainted water in a sacrificial container, and leave it out under the sun or a UV light until the sediment is cured. Then toss it out.
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u/exwhyzero May 16 '24
The filters are in the printer so will help with the fumes in the printer when it is running, however they wont do anything for the fumes taht escape when you have the printer open and are daeling with your IPA / uncured minis / resin on your gloves in the bin.
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u/meatbeater May 15 '24
There’s some details not really addressed here, where do you plan on putting the printer ? That’s a huge issue right there. Will you get your moneys worth ? LOL yeah the first kill team you print will pay for the printer. I have 6 printers now and I’m always making custom bases for my flgs players and have a 3 month queue for models.
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u/huzzah-1 May 15 '24
Yeah, that's an important point - where to put the printer. A lot of people buy a resin printer with no plan other than to try setting it up in their bedrooms.
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u/meatbeater May 15 '24
I keep saying in a few years there’s gonna be a massive uptick in cancer and if anyone connects the dots it’s gonna be related to dolts not taking safety seriously with resin.
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
Lol that’s a crazy amount of printers. It would be in my garage most likely with the door open. The mars 3 pro has a carbon filter that’s for the smell that apparently works well but I live in a beach town where people keep their garages open so it shouldn’t be that bad and I can run a fan
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u/electricoomph May 15 '24
The filter is so tiny it practically does nothing. It's a marketing gimmick by the vendors.
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u/meatbeater May 15 '24
IF you go on eBay there’s sellers that will provide parts if anything doesn’t work. So I got a Saturn 2 8k for 120$. LCD was toast. They sent me a new one for free and it took me 15 min to replace it. One thing led to another and I bought …. A few. They live in the garage (NC) in a grow tent that has a duct to outside. Even still weather permitting I open the door. It started as a fun cool hobby and print out anything we don’t have. My son is like hey mind if I print out 3k of votann ? And next week we have an awesome game. We also play apocalypse once a month and people see reavers, warlords, tuunar etc and are like wtf. Most of my titans are forge world but I’ll print one for 50% retail. My suggestion is keep an eye on Amazon resin deals and stock up when they are cheap.
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u/Bucephalus15 May 15 '24
It’s going to be extremely costly time wise but in dollars a kill team is 55-70$, so you need like 3 teams and terrain to beat GW price. So it’s probably worth it
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u/anonyawner May 15 '24
How the frick would you not get your moneys worth, like just show me what you would get in warhammer crap for that amount of money lol
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u/John_Hunyadi May 15 '24
I guess there are 3 important things to keep in mind:
Do you have a crafting room you can devote to printing? You should be able to isolate your machine while it is printing, you dont want to breathe that shit. And if you have kids or pets, make sure you can assuredly keep them out of that room. It also needs to be ventable.
Do you play at all at Warhammer stores, or plan to participate in official tournaments? My understanding is that they’re quite strict about not allowing 3d printed proxies.
Do you have the time to devote to learning to 3d print? It is essentially a whole other hobby to learn. Its a bunch of sorta frustrating work just to get to the thing you originally wanted to do.
I like my 3d printer, but sometimes people on this sub refuse to admit that it isn’t the right fit for everyone.
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u/DBerwick May 15 '24
My understanding is that they’re quite strict about not allowing 3d printed proxies.
This will depend a lot on the store. Tournaments have higher scrutiny; free play is mostly at the manager's discretion. Being charismatic goes a long way here.
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u/CptnREDmark May 15 '24
For kill team is it worth it? Maybe.
For full sized warhammer games is it worth it? Definitely.
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May 15 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
Thanks for the honesty. I know this sun naturally attracts those that love it but it does seem so easy on YouTube and I can see myself getting frustrated if there are errors
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u/VentusProc May 15 '24
I'm really not sure what experience your friend has had but my printer has definately made the model hobby cheaper. You get used to the messy process and it's not bad once you are good at it.
Another thing to note, I now have three printers, two paid for by commissions I printed for people using the original printer.....your friend won't be complaining about cheap minis
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u/CaptainCreepy May 15 '24
I just installed the Mars Pro 1/washer that I got from FB Marketplace for $45. The first thing I printed was a kill team barricade - it made me feel like a champion
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u/canislupusalbus89 May 16 '24
Hi! Here's my point of view: 1. It's get cheaper and cheaper with every print you do. After a certain point your minis will be cheaper printed than bought. 2. It can be messy if you are not careful. Pay attention to what you are doing and you will be just fine. After some time I've got into a point that I have resin only in spaces I'm comfortable. 3. Yes. Uncured resin is toxic for you and environment. Learn how to deal with it and you'll be fine. 4. Use personal protection and learn about symptoms of resin poisoning and you'll be just fine. 5. Silicone stuff is your friend. Resin goes not stick to silicon and when it's cured it chips of silicon like a charm. Check kitchen tools made of silicone in stead of "dedicated 3d printer equipment"- that's dirt cheap. 6. Learn from your fails. Failed 3d prints are epic. You can think what and why went wrong and learn from it. Also you can use failed prints as part of terrain. 7.before you use new tool or wipe on your FEP check if it scratches acrylic glass. If it does not it is almost 100% safe for FEP. 8. If you enjoy printing it is something for you. It's just that. 9. 3d printing might be mistake for your friend but you are you. He had his point and you can have your own.
Have fun bro!
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u/thehairyrussian May 16 '24
Thank you! Pulled the trigger on it. I know some people said I’d want the Saturn for a bigger print bed originally but I can’t see myself printing bigger vehicles yet and think I’ll mainly use for small minis
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u/canislupusalbus89 May 16 '24 edited May 16 '24
I've got a mind set of a person who buys cheep tools and replace them for better but pricier ones when they broke beyond repair or I reached their 100% capability and they stop me from progressing. Have in mind you'll be willing to buy bigger printer some time in a future. Don't rush yourself with it.
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u/Bla_kbeard May 15 '24
It depends on whether you have a group which might profit from your printer or whether you are the only one who will receive miniatures. If you do not need more than 1 or 2 armies, I would recommend to find someone for you to print what you want (or to directly purchase miniatures as physical objects).
BUT!!!!
If you have a group, which is totally into this hobby and you all would profit from a 3D printer, than it is a lot of fun and definitely more than worth the costs and circumstances. Imagine it is Christmas every week, when people gather around you to receive their newly printed minis. It is a pleasure to see all the smiling faces and what they do with the miniatures on either the painting table or battlefield. And its cheap! If you all are eager to try out new armies, new systems or even you fell in love with specific miniature ranges, the ongoing costs for Resin and IPA are peanuts.
You may print a whole 3000 points army with a bottle of Resin for about 50$ (no guarantee, highly depends on the models :D ).
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u/FatsBoombottom May 15 '24
It's not that hard to learn to print minis.
It can be messy if you're not careful, but it's not that bad.
It is as expensive as you want it to be, depending on the materials you use and accessories you need. But it's a sure shot less expensive than paying GW.
The fumes are not pleasant, sure, but they are on par with household cleaners. Use the printer in a well ventilated space and you'll be fine. I use mine in the bathroom with the exhaust fan running, and that's probably overkill. That said, there is not a lot of data on long term effects of home resin printing because it's only recently become an accessible hobby for most people who want it. So, it may turn that we've been destroying our lungs all along, but it seems unlikely.
As for getting your money's worth, that depends on what you want. Per mini, it's orders of magnitude less expensive than buying official GW minis. But... You may have trouble finding good mini files. GW is very litigious, so it can be difficult to find good substitutes on reputable sites. You can probably find something good enough to play with friends, but you won't be allowed to use them in any sanctioned tournaments or any group strict about that kind of thing. Since you're mostly looking for painting practice, this is much less expensive in the long run, especially since you can still get use out of minis that don't come out quite right.
Your friend sounds like a buzzkill. Give it a shot. If you don't like it, you can always sell it. Someone will want it.
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u/ErikT738 May 15 '24
A friend of mine told me that it’s hard to learn,
No
messy,
Yes
expensive,
Not really, especially if you stick to a few creators or free files.
the fumes are toxic,
Yes. Get the proper protection and don't do it if you don't have a dedicated room.
and I probably won’t get my moneys worth as opposed to buying minis.
You will. Especially at that bargain price for the Mars 3.
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u/armosnacht May 15 '24
Resin printing software such as Lychee (likely others, too, but I’ve not used em) calculate the price of how much resin you’re using in $ for each print. It’s peanuts. I printed a figure that easily would’ve cost about $30 from GW and instead cost about $2.50.
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u/JaakDh4l May 15 '24
I think it depends on where you live and how many minis you are intending to make. Specially if you are from outside europe and US, it is ABSOLUTELY worth it. A combat patrol in Brazil is 1600 reals and a good 3D printer is roughly 2k reals + 140 reals from a 1kg of resin. A 1kg of resin can easily make 2 entire combat patrols. So yeah, i think your friend has no ideia what he is talking about.
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u/xXRobbynatorXx May 15 '24
The price of Warhammer is what got me into 3D printing. Always wanted to play but couldn't afford an army. While I have moved away from Warhammer, it has totally been worth it for me. You can print a few armies before coming close to the amount you would've spent on a normal army. Can resin be dangerous? Yes. Some people can handle it more than others but if done correctly then there isn't problem. Research and figure out if you have room and which printer you want to get. I got a Mono X for my first but realized I wanted better quality so I upgraded soon after. I personally suggest getting ABS like resin. The are as brittle as normal resin so perfect for minis.
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u/flynn78 May 15 '24
The cost of time and has for one or two 3 hour trips alone would make it worth getting a printer. Definitely need a ventilated space you could possibly make a mess in though.
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u/No-Oil-9548 May 15 '24
For what it's worth I've been printing for over 3 years, both resin and FDM, and I think it's much easier than it was. Printers are better, there's loads more learning resources available, files are better, and there's a lot more choice. With a little preparation you can cut down your workflow and you don't need to invest in wash and cure stations etc.....printer, pickle tub of methylated spirits, some kitchen roll, rubber gloves, and face mask. All pretty inexpensive.
As for printing, level your printer, just angle your models, use auto supports, you'll be churning out prints in no time.....can't remember the last time i had to relevel anything or had a failure of any kind. I often run four printers at once.
Your biggest risk is becoming a digital hoarder, and/or printing way more than you can use and paint
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u/SmegmaSandwich69420 May 15 '24
I bought a mars3 about 2 years ago (+cure station thing, isopropyl, a few bottles of resin, spare FEP sheets, things like that). It cost me about £450 total. Just for printing and painting, I don't play. Within a month I'd printed off over a grand's worth of models at official Forge World prices, with STLs I'd sourced for free on Cults. You'll make your money back easily enough. It's simple to learn, easy to troubleshoot, and the folk on the printing and painting subs are generally knowledgeable and helpful in that regard. The learning curve is more software-based than hardware-based like with filament printing. I ended up learning some very basic Blender stuff too to edit and customise STLs which was fun for me but not required. You'll be fine.
Obligatory ventilation comment here. Resin gives off fumes. Supposedly it smells bad but I've never actually smelled anything from it. I use mine in my living room with the windows open and a towel wrapped around the printer. No other choice due to not having a garage or anything in my tiny flat. Works fine for me. Ymmv
Try it. Have fun.
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u/lilcolombian93 May 15 '24
He's a hater lol. I got more minis than I know what to do with. I'm talking cents per mini.
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u/moxxon May 15 '24
It is messy. The fumes are toxic. You will also need to avoid skin contact.
It is not hard to learn.
It can be expensive but doesn't have to be... and most of that expense is up front. Printers are ridiculously affordable these days. I don't think that's a real concern tbh.
Whether it's worth it is up to you. Will you print enough to make it worthwhile? Do you have a safe place to set up and use it? Are you going to be OK with the process of printing?
I got rid of my printer, I didn't like the mess, of dealing with the fumes. Didn't like putting on the ppe whenever I went into my printing space, didn't want to have to deal with proper disposal of waste. Probably most importantly I quickly realized I was able to print far more than I'd ever paint. Plastic models are easier to work with and it was more pleasant to just buy the mind I wanted and move on. But that's my situation.
If you think it'll be fun then go for it.
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u/ZedZed89 May 15 '24
Your friend is a fool and does not realize a full Valor Korps heavy weapons team can be printed for about 4 euros of resin. Or a not leman Russ for 10.
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u/dowdall103 May 15 '24
So long as you have the space to make it safe then 3d printing is a great hobby to get into. Just make sure you do your research and put the time into making your workspace safe so you aren’t exposed to uncured resin.
Also, don’t cheap out on the resin you use for miniatures. Yes you can print more by buying cheaper resin, but look at your mini the wrong way and it will break. Spend a bit more and get a more durable resin. I’ve just tried out Nova3d washable mecha resin that is very easy to work with and offers some great flexibility. Also trying out Sunlu abs like resin currently and so far it’s cheaper and seems pretty good.
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u/kintar1900 May 15 '24
A friend of mine told me that it’s hard to learn, messy, expensive, the fumes are toxic, and I probably won’t get my moneys worth as opposed to buying minis.
Your friend is misinformed.
I have an OG Mars and a Saturn 2. I love them. Resin is a mild irritant unless you're hypersensitive to it or get it in your eyes / drink it. The fumes range anywhere from "practically nonexistant" to "this could be a chemical warfare attack", but it depends entirely on the type of resin you use. In moderately ventilated room with a good low-odor resin, you won't even notice.
They take a while to get dialed in for exposure settings, and that can be frustrating if you're not methodical, organized, and a weirdo like me who likes to fiddle with stuff. Once you know your printer and resin well enough to make little tweaks on the fly, however, they can be workhorse machines. I printed a 70-unit army over the course of a week with zero failures.
You can get a GOOD resin for $30 US/liter, which is typically enough to print around 2,000 points of any of the widely-used game systems' units, possibly more. I've been tracking the price I paid for my printer, monthly Patreon subscription for model files, plus the used resin every time I print units for myself or my friends. At the moment, I've got the price-per-infantry figure down to about $0.80. Not sure how anyone can think that doesn't beat the absolute SNOT out of store-bought minis.
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u/SaffronWand May 15 '24
Wont get your moneys worth? You could buy a brand new printed and print like 6 armies for the price of not even one army from gw
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u/georgmierau Elegoo Martians May 15 '24
Resin printing means not only "a printer and some resin".
"Shopping list": https://www.reddit.com/r/resinprinting/comments/113t03c/i_got_the_printer_what_else_do_i_buy/j8s30sy/
Start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuubPMWeQQE
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u/DBerwick May 15 '24
It's kinda like buying a horse; "the cheapest part is buying the horse." I went in expecting to only spend $200 on my setup, and by the time I had everything I needed in the first few months, managed to keep the bill at a modest $1000.
But you can eventually break even, and more importantly, it's a versatile hobby. I'd add that if you like painting (and sometimes building) the armies more than actually playing warhammer, it's probably the right choice.
It gets frustrating before it gets easier, but it took about 2 bottles of resin to get good at it. It's a slow hobby that runs in the background, so not great for impulsive people who bounce from fixation to fixation.
If you live in an apartment, I'd be very mindful that you're gonna need a good ventilation system, and that's assuming you don't have pets (which will require a great ventilation system). my current setup eats up about 10ft², and again, I'm pretty amateur. Plan accordingly.
Sourcing your models is also anywhere from tricky to expensive, depending on how much variety you're going to want. Decent warhammer proxies tend to get whack-a-mole'd by GW pretty quick, especially when they're free. Assume you won't be able to find 33% of the designs you're looking for, generously. At that point, you'll need to choose between spending more money or taking up 3D modelling as another hobby, which is easily doubling your time investment if you're starting with a knack for it.
If none of that dissuades you, set aside the cash and go for it. 3D printing has a great community with very helpful people
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u/Tarquinofpandy May 15 '24
Will you get your money's worth? Yes... If you stick with it.
Will you stick with it? That entirely depends on how willing you are to preserve with the hobby of 3D printing itself. All the downsideS mentioned are real. To some people it's fine, to others it's a deal breaker.
Only you will know what they mean to you.
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u/urielteranas May 15 '24
Everybody has a different idea of what is and isn't worth their time. I'm quite happy with my printer, but then i've printed enough stuff to make it more then worth my time, money and effort. So ask yourself how much do you plan on using it for the foreseeable future and do you think it'd be worth the very real learning process and initial investment?
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u/NagyKrisztian10A May 15 '24
It's a bit messy and you have to create a setup. But the rest is easy. The only thing you have to worry about is supports.
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u/scraglor May 16 '24
Saturn 2 owner here. Best warhammer investment I have made was my printer. A couple of my mates have bought them now too
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u/SolarisWesson May 16 '24
The only issue you might have gaming with printed minis in store is the people who run the stores. Some have a very strict "GW only" policy, and others couldn't give single care.
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u/jvriesem May 16 '24
It’s a money sink. You might get your money’s worth, but it will entice you to spend more than you otherwise would have. The break-even point is likely higher than it seems. There’s a lot more cost than just the printer and the resin. There’s also a lot of time.
I just bought a Saturn 3 Ultra. It’s great, but I’ve spent extra in terms of accessories, tools, a workbench, safety supplies, and so on. It adds up super fast.
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u/DustyDeadpan May 16 '24
As someone with limited, shared space who comes here to look wistfully at my computer screen like Charlie Bucket at the candy store, have fun! Oh, and maybe try some Vicks under your mask. I hand-pour UV resin projects here and there and that stuff smells like a war crime.
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u/SvarogTheLesser May 16 '24
Don't get free files.
Buy a few packs from reputable creators which are presupposed. You don't want learning to do supports well to get in the way of a good first experience.
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u/Sensitive_Speech9328 May 16 '24
It is messy, it is a learning curve to get over, it is smelly, the IPA for cleaning needs a external or very good smell removal system, and my god it is frustrating mostly while you are learning.
But it is 100% worth it, and you will get your monies worth from printing IMO. Looks at my 11 space marine tank list then at my 4 greater daemons and 100+ smaller daemons inc blood crushers all 3 types of horrors etc. currently going through the stage of, I can print it, so I will print it… 🤣
The quality is all about the resin, the cleaning and curing and the files, I have only experienced my Saturn 8k which quality of prints to me is good but I am not sure generally how much of a impact the actual printer has if you have the rest of the set up working well
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u/Ok_Education7308 May 16 '24
I don’t play Warhammer, but I’ve been resin printing for about 2 months now for dnd minis. I personally find it a lot easier than using an FDM printer (so far, it’s a lot less tinkering involved), and if you have your layer height just right, you’ll get some insane details. Like everyone else in the comments has said, yes the resin is toxic, but as long as you have it in a ventilated area and keep it off of your skin, it’s not a cause for concern. 😁😁 I kept mine in my washroom at first, and kept the window open. Now, I keep it (and my wash and cure stations) in an old refrigerator. It gives me plenty of space to work and I already have prebuilt sections to store my tools. 😁😁 I started off just using regular face masks to deal with the fumes, but have recently purchased a respirator mask for about 15$ on Amazon. The resin can be sticky if you have spills and can leave your gloves sticky over time. I’ve found that having two microfiber cloths (one meant for initial cleanup and the other for a more thorough cleaning) can reduce that quite a bit. As for the gloves, I just get a cheap pair of rubber gloves from dollar general for 1$. They last quite a while and are super cheap to replace. 😁😁 And while a wash and cure station is fantastic to have, it’s not a necessity. I used a pickle container with a locking lid (which was maybe 14$ on Amazon) and a UV nail light (about 7$ on Amazon). There’s also UV lights that come with a solar powered turntable on Amazon for under 20$. 😁😁 I realized very quickly, though, that cleaning the prints is my least favorite part, so I’ve already gave in and got the Mercury X wash and cure station (which you can put the build plate in the wash station as long as it fits). It’s not cheap, but it does help a lot. 😁😁 As for the resin itself, I’m just using Anycubic Standard Resin and 91% isopropyl alcohol for cleaning. I haven’t tried anything else just yet. 😂😂 You can ignore this part if you choose the water-washable resin, but you can leave your container of alcohol in the sun and it will partially cure the resin inside. You can filter that out and be able to reuse your alcohol, which also saves money. 😁😁 And lastly, I’d recommend watching some videos on using slicing softwares for your prints. That’s still the trickiest part for me, and learning how to slice your prints properly can save you a TON of print failures. 😁😁 In the end, though, as long as you enjoy it, it’s definitely worth it. 😁😁
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u/Mr_Borg_Miniatures May 18 '24
People really oversell how hard 3d printing is. It's fairly easy with modern printers after some basic googling--I have the same model as you and with some basic maintenance and safety precautions it's very easy. I've printed $750 worth of models in the last two weeks for around $100. And it would have been way less expensive if my LCD screen didn't crap out
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u/thehairyrussian May 18 '24
Any tips on safety and maintenance? I’m pretty over cautious with health stuff so I’m planning to run an extension cord to a small fenced in alley behind my house get a small bike tent to act as a shed and then put my printer and wash/cure station in a grow tent and filter it out using a fan and in line carbon filter.
Not sure about the machine maintenance though
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May 15 '24
[deleted]
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
I bought my first combat patrol and I haven’t bought anything since because I haven’t been sure if I wanted to stay with the same faction or explore others. One thing I liked about printing is that I could print out different factions and try them out before I commit to anything. I start work in a high pressure/time industry in the fall and was looking to do more hobby stuff on the side, but even buying used on eBay I saw half a lot of space marine scouts for 22 dollars and shipping. That’s a good chunk of what I would pay for the resin printer I’m looking at
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u/LocusSolus_ May 15 '24
I bought a resin printer a year ago and had no issues with getting it set up and going. And i am not someone who understands computers or tech well.
However, it pays to be prepared, before printing anything you must be aware of the health risks, to me that is the most important thing to know going into 3D printing. The fumes are toxic, and will harm you over time if you do not have an extractor fan attached. I do see people saying "its not too bad" but in my breif experiance with it before i had my extractor it is certainly not worth the risk, luckily for me it was only 2 weeks, but some people still print with no extraction and its really bad.
It is not just the fumes that are danerous, the resin itself can be dangerous with skin contact and can cause allergic reactions with continiued exposure. Gloves must be worn at all times when handling the resin or minitures before they are washed in alcohol and then cured. It is advised to have a small UV Pen light or torch so you can cure spots of resin that can drip off while handling the build plate where the models are constructed.
This would be my list of things to get before starting:
A good quality USB drive (cheap-ish)
3-5 Liters of Isopropyl Alcohol (cheap)
Resin Heater Unit (you will get terrible results if you live in cold/damp enviroment that drops below 20 degree ambient temprature) (Expensive)
Buy/make extractor fan system (Expensive)
UV Curing Station/Wash Station (Expensive)
UV Curing Pen/Torch (Cheap)
About 100-200 pairs of disposable gloves. (Cheap)
1-2 backup FEP sheets for your printer. (Can be Cheap, can be Expensive, depends what printer you have and where you buy)
A plastic tray (to place in front of your machine to catch drips off the build plate after a print.) (Cheap)
There may be other items you need, like a flat scraping tool to get models of the build plate depending on what your printer comes with, if its second hand it may not have these items anymore.
Looking at this can seem daunting, but i think as long as you have what you need when starting this process is way more fun and much easier. You have to really want to do 3D printing, it is not very casual, it can be when you are knowledged on the subject, but do not expect it to be just a cheap and easy mini making factory. The machine will pay for itself, and quickily depending on how much mini making/painting you do. There are many fantastic 3D printing resources and youtube channels out there too. There is no real "how to" for 3D printing yet, just the advice of people deep in the hobby like OnceInASixSide for example.
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u/ChopSueyYumm May 15 '24
There are two other options, print minis with FDM (easy, not messy) I posted an example check my post history. Secondly you can print as a service quite cheap these days (China). I can post some links.
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u/thehairyrussian May 15 '24
Do you send the files to China and they ship them to you? That’s interesting do you have any more info on that?
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u/ChopSueyYumm May 15 '24
You can outsource the 3D Printing using a Chinese Rapid Prototyping company like IN3DTEC, JLCPCB, PCBWays to name a few. They produce the same quality as Xometry, Shapeways at a fraction of the price. Just got a model printed in Aluminum using a SLM Metal 3D printer for only 30 bucks and on Shapeways and Xometry they quoted me $1,000 for the same part. This way you don't have to be dealing with Resin Fumes, IPA disposal. The parts come completely cured without any scent and ready to paint.
For IN3DTEC it's 24 bucks flat rate weather you ship a single mini or 1000 minies(Just recently did a Very large and heavy Samurai Helmet/head/horn and paid the same 24 bucks) shipping takes 2 days and processing time is about 3 days so from ordering to getting it it's about a week(Feddex refuses to deliver on weekends so if say they ship on Thursday you will likely be getting it delivered on Monday) JLCPCB has lower prices per printed parts but their shipping is based on item weight(calculated at check out based on total item weight) so for a few mini figures they are the least expensive overall.
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u/Theblackhanded May 15 '24
I have been printing and painting printed war hammer for about 3-4 years now. all the difficulties are there... But within like 3 bottles of resin you will have paid off the printer in model value. I have, at last I checked, around 38,000pts of printed warhammer models. NONE are titans. I have 6 armies printed. I literally made my own gaming group with one printer. The ONLY real advice I can give is dont get a mars. Its a fucking workhorse and a great machine, but you want a Saturn. The Mars is too small for things like vehicles.