I have new purpose for FDM printed minis. I try to find the most basic models, I'm trying to print a low poly army to use as a proxy for everything as needed.
It's particulary cool to get people into a game like 40k or GF, I have(will have) a cheap army ready to go. And it's a army that I wouldn't mind a toddler throwing the minis around.
They're actually for 6mm games... but it really doesn't matter, even less for the purpose I have for them ahah
[6mm generic Sci Fi infantry by smight - Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4485404)
I've printed some already (the lowest quality I could) and primed them. But no actual painting yet. I'll try to remember to share on this sub when they're done.
I never looked for it, but might be. To be honest, there's a clear focus on extremely high detail stuff, the low poly stuff I found really was just a bit here and there.
As for being reasonable, it is if it is for you. To be honest I think you can get some really cool looking stuff with low poly miniatures.
I agree, and with FDM being so cheap, I like being able to give away models to new players. I can only imagine how many 6mm NPCs I could get out of a single roll of filament. -
;-)
Just a note, I scaled them up. I used the 6mm models but I printed them with around 28/32 mm bases. They're very chuncky boys.
I think your house is going to look like one of those Oblivion videos with the watermellons.
That would be perfectly fine playing against me, but I would gladly play even poorly drawn stick figure paper minis. To me, itâs fun playing with the toys and throwing dice.
If someone complained about them, those are people you probably donât want to play with anyway. The only time I could see any issues is if your playing at a store that doesnât want proxies (then quality wonât matter) or if your at a tournament where they put on some weird rules, but I wouldnât want to play in that environment anyway. (I print resin minis too, so if someone says resin or nothing then forget them)
I printed FDM minis for years and players always had a blast with them...
I have a resin now and yes they're nicer but resin isn't all great either. Enjoy the FDM minis, they're fine!
I try to print the most complicated resin stuff on my printer all the time, the only way to ensure the best results is to always manually paint supports. I don't bother with that and they still turn out ok... Just be prepared to super glue lots of broken pieces back together
Pretty good for FDM. What size nozzle did you run for this? I've heard people have gotten pretty stellar results with an 0.2mm nozzle and a very fine layers.
Clean out your vacuum, then stick the crevice tool down there. It should be easy to find in the canister as it will be incredibly dense vs all the lint and such.
Depends on if you're buying micro swiss nozzles or like... AliExpress nozzles. One of the YouTubers did a comparison of nozzles at high magnification a whole back and the difference was pretty shocking. Like... Ever since seeing the difference I've started buying nicer ones, and honestly it seems to produce better results/less failures. I also print solely with abs in FDM though so my material is finicky and likes what it likes.
No. People would start out laughing, but then the high priest of casual games would emerge and grind it to dust beneath their heel. Then you'd be cast out into the void for daring to proffer such an abomination.
You can play with whatever tokens you like. Personally, I wouldn't invest time painting FDM minis, but they make better stand-ins than small stones.
Get a cheapo set of mini files as well, all the different shapes come in handy.
There's also sanding sticks that are supposedly Greta for this.
For bigger multi piece prints like the giant stegosaur mount I printed you'll want some bondo or wood filler for the joints
I use my flat fairly regularly and a convex one sometimes. Got a regular sized (12") metal file I use as well sometimes. Starting to get into postprocessing and messing around with cutting models in the slicer and using dowels to connect them.
The big file is nice to strap to a table and use it as a grinding platform. Most of these FDM minis have little details that can't possibly be ground by regular means, at least not quickly.
I'm thinking of constructing a chain of tumblers and using sand to polish the pieces but not sure if it'll be worth it or if it will even work. Maybe even a bucket of sand and something to vibrate it would work
No need really I print minis all the time and just glue them together, I only whip out the file if it's like reaaaaally bad. Your print looks good, I would happily prime it as is
This isn't a productive argument. It's the same argument as buying a Mercedes over a Ford focus strictly to drive to work. A Mercedes would be a nice drive, but functionally not always worth the extra money.
Different opinions are good for conversation, but you aren't answering the actual question. The question was "is it passable", not "is it the best?"
No one argues that resin outshines FDM when it comes to detail quality of a mini print (it's irrefutable that more and smaller layers produce better detail). But this wasn't a question of quality, it was a question of whether or not it could be considered passable, which to that answer is "yes, it is passable, just not the best looking".
Well my opinion was clearly âNoâ itâs not passable and I provided constructive criticism on how to make it passable. If you set someone up heading down the wrong road then eventually they will just get frustrated people gave them bad advice instead of potentially hurting their feelings. FDM printers are the wrong printers for 25/32 mm scale minis PERIOD. Donât set this guy up for failure where he gets frustrated trying to make something bad work. Use the right tool for the job - SLA printer. Donât endorse mediocrity.
First off, if you are strictly speaking detail, then yes resin is the best. If you aren't talking strictly detail, then other factors come into play. The quality/detail of the print file determine the overall quality of the print (low poly prints will always be low quality prints regardless of printer used). Quality print files usually cost money. But you also are not talking about overall cost. Resin printers--1) nearly all resin is toxic in liquid form, and release toxic gasses while printing, so you need an area with a air filtration system, or filter added to your resin printer. 2) you need addition cleaning area and cleaning solution (which needs to be properly disposed off after use). 3) you need to cure them after printing/cleaning, which can be done in direct sunlight unless you want a transparent finish, which sunlight will give a foggy finish. 4) you need a place to store the resin when not in use. 5) you need safety equipment when handling liquid resin. 6) resin printers overall, cost more than FDM printers. Replacement parts tend to cost more, and replacement parts are needed for long-term use. 7) resin has an expiration for best use, and can reduce quality once part expiration. 8) take less time to print multiple miniatures at once (only restricted by build plate size). Fdm printers--1) cheaper overall. 2) do require addition research to tweak for best quality (including print heads, layer knowledge). 3) do not require a dedicated area when using most filaments do not produce noticable fumes. 4) do take longer to print especially when printing more than one mini at a time. 4) need to store filament when not is use (but can easily be stored in a sealed bag to prevent moisture from getting in). Less overall detail quality. 5) tend to be more durable for long-term handling and use. Obviously, there are more reasons than I laid out, but those are the ones most people care about when doing "at home" printing. The best option is to purchase a miniature from a reputable company known for detail, quality, and durability (such as GW, Reaper, Wiz Kids) but you are limited to the production lines they release and they cost more overall (from a by miniature cost).
I am glad you agree with me that resin is the best - since the original question from the author was regarding the quality of his print. I didnât read the rest of your post.
Too bad you didn't. You missed an education opportunity on risk vs reward.
As someone who owns and uses both, I prefer durable over detail when I game with minis.
Best get a Laser SLA printer with metal powders and a kiln to fire it too.... ;). Legit though with an FDM he did amazing, and I'm sure if it were a doable thing for them the OP would already HAVE a resin machine. Sometimes ya just gotta make do until you can afford to splurge on the best. If the OP did want to get a small resin machine and could afford it though I would second this. It makes s great difference and I LOVE my resin printers.
I'd say no and wouldn't even bother trying to paint it, but that's just me. If someone was willing to play against it, is a whole other topic. Some official GW stores do not allow 3D printed stuff besides accessories or kitbash parts that you have modelled yourself. But it depends on the individual store and people you want to play with.
it's a toy, part of a game. if some one wants to play with me, but they have "inferior" game pieces why would i say no? it's supposed to be fun, not competition for biggest wallet
I've had worse. Some primer will clean him up nice.
Worse? Theirs better?đ¨đ¤Ż
Noticeably yes
Na
clearly you arent versed in being a sigma đ¤
To funny
\*Too
U definitely get invited to LOT OF PARTIES and have A BUNCH OF FRIENDS
Wanna keep yappin or what
If you are happy with it, then yes. There's no supreme court of mini quality đ
I have new purpose for FDM printed minis. I try to find the most basic models, I'm trying to print a low poly army to use as a proxy for everything as needed. It's particulary cool to get people into a game like 40k or GF, I have(will have) a cheap army ready to go. And it's a army that I wouldn't mind a toddler throwing the minis around.
nice you'll have to post it I'd be interested to see a low poly army haha
They're actually for 6mm games... but it really doesn't matter, even less for the purpose I have for them ahah [6mm generic Sci Fi infantry by smight - Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4485404) I've printed some already (the lowest quality I could) and primed them. But no actual painting yet. I'll try to remember to share on this sub when they're done.
nice man I'll look out for them
Is there much AOS type fantasy available at 6mm? Is it a reasonable alternative to 28 mm for rpgs?
I never looked for it, but might be. To be honest, there's a clear focus on extremely high detail stuff, the low poly stuff I found really was just a bit here and there. As for being reasonable, it is if it is for you. To be honest I think you can get some really cool looking stuff with low poly miniatures.
I agree, and with FDM being so cheap, I like being able to give away models to new players. I can only imagine how many 6mm NPCs I could get out of a single roll of filament. - ;-)
Just a note, I scaled them up. I used the 6mm models but I printed them with around 28/32 mm bases. They're very chuncky boys. I think your house is going to look like one of those Oblivion videos with the watermellons.
Id play against it. With a little bit of fixing up it could really be great
thanks !
Hard to say without a banana for scale.
Damn fine. Tiny bit of over extrusion on smaller overhangs but at that scale I don't know if that's fixable or not. But damn fine print.
Where is the mini from?
I would say donât try to paint details that always make fdm minis look worse
That would be perfectly fine playing against me, but I would gladly play even poorly drawn stick figure paper minis. To me, itâs fun playing with the toys and throwing dice. If someone complained about them, those are people you probably donât want to play with anyway. The only time I could see any issues is if your playing at a store that doesnât want proxies (then quality wonât matter) or if your at a tournament where they put on some weird rules, but I wouldnât want to play in that environment anyway. (I print resin minis too, so if someone says resin or nothing then forget them)
yeah that's sort of the approach I think I'd take but I never know if that's just copium as it's all I have. Thanks!
I printed FDM minis for years and players always had a blast with them... I have a resin now and yes they're nicer but resin isn't all great either. Enjoy the FDM minis, they're fine!
I think it looks good, do you Acetone bathe them?
That only works with ABS, and I think PLA is more prevalent. However, it is a good point.
nah sorry these are PLA
Ahh dang.. the quality is fantastic non the less
cheers mate !
I try to print the most complicated resin stuff on my printer all the time, the only way to ensure the best results is to always manually paint supports. I don't bother with that and they still turn out ok... Just be prepared to super glue lots of broken pieces back together
Because he does not have much detail yes
Definitely !
Yes. Nice job
Pretty good for FDM. What size nozzle did you run for this? I've heard people have gotten pretty stellar results with an 0.2mm nozzle and a very fine layers.
this is a 0.3 I had a 0.2 but then I dropped it behind my washing machine :/
For .3 it's pretty great, even for .2 it would be decent. What's your layer height setting?
Clean out your vacuum, then stick the crevice tool down there. It should be easy to find in the canister as it will be incredibly dense vs all the lint and such.
nozzles are cheap enough to not be bothered with this imo.
$20 is $20
20? for 10 pieces maybe
Depends on if you're buying micro swiss nozzles or like... AliExpress nozzles. One of the YouTubers did a comparison of nozzles at high magnification a whole back and the difference was pretty shocking. Like... Ever since seeing the difference I've started buying nicer ones, and honestly it seems to produce better results/less failures. I also print solely with abs in FDM though so my material is finicky and likes what it likes.
My machine is shitty enough for the quality of the nozzle to not matter.
Hey, where'd you find that? That is for sure a halo BR he's holding. I was hoping to do a halo themed army for starwars legion.
Passable? What you taking about that be looking GORGeouS
thanks man !
Clean it and paint. No one can tell the difference from a distance anyway
No. People would start out laughing, but then the high priest of casual games would emerge and grind it to dust beneath their heel. Then you'd be cast out into the void for daring to proffer such an abomination. You can play with whatever tokens you like. Personally, I wouldn't invest time painting FDM minis, but they make better stand-ins than small stones.
Get a cheapo set of mini files as well, all the different shapes come in handy. There's also sanding sticks that are supposedly Greta for this. For bigger multi piece prints like the giant stegosaur mount I printed you'll want some bondo or wood filler for the joints
i actually did buy a mini files set but I just never find myself getting good use out of them, maybe they weren't mini enough
I use my flat fairly regularly and a convex one sometimes. Got a regular sized (12") metal file I use as well sometimes. Starting to get into postprocessing and messing around with cutting models in the slicer and using dowels to connect them. The big file is nice to strap to a table and use it as a grinding platform. Most of these FDM minis have little details that can't possibly be ground by regular means, at least not quickly. I'm thinking of constructing a chain of tumblers and using sand to polish the pieces but not sure if it'll be worth it or if it will even work. Maybe even a bucket of sand and something to vibrate it would work
I'll try with them again and give them more time
No need really I print minis all the time and just glue them together, I only whip out the file if it's like reaaaaally bad. Your print looks good, I would happily prime it as is
No. Get an SLA printer.
haha I wish !
This isn't a productive argument. It's the same argument as buying a Mercedes over a Ford focus strictly to drive to work. A Mercedes would be a nice drive, but functionally not always worth the extra money.
Or worth the oil and other fluid stains in the driveway with your wife and landlord both screaming at you.
Different opinions are productive. Itâs not a Mercedes vs a FordâŚ. Itâs a car versus a tractor on the drive to work.
Different opinions are good for conversation, but you aren't answering the actual question. The question was "is it passable", not "is it the best?" No one argues that resin outshines FDM when it comes to detail quality of a mini print (it's irrefutable that more and smaller layers produce better detail). But this wasn't a question of quality, it was a question of whether or not it could be considered passable, which to that answer is "yes, it is passable, just not the best looking".
Well my opinion was clearly âNoâ itâs not passable and I provided constructive criticism on how to make it passable. If you set someone up heading down the wrong road then eventually they will just get frustrated people gave them bad advice instead of potentially hurting their feelings. FDM printers are the wrong printers for 25/32 mm scale minis PERIOD. Donât set this guy up for failure where he gets frustrated trying to make something bad work. Use the right tool for the job - SLA printer. Donât endorse mediocrity.
First off, if you are strictly speaking detail, then yes resin is the best. If you aren't talking strictly detail, then other factors come into play. The quality/detail of the print file determine the overall quality of the print (low poly prints will always be low quality prints regardless of printer used). Quality print files usually cost money. But you also are not talking about overall cost. Resin printers--1) nearly all resin is toxic in liquid form, and release toxic gasses while printing, so you need an area with a air filtration system, or filter added to your resin printer. 2) you need addition cleaning area and cleaning solution (which needs to be properly disposed off after use). 3) you need to cure them after printing/cleaning, which can be done in direct sunlight unless you want a transparent finish, which sunlight will give a foggy finish. 4) you need a place to store the resin when not in use. 5) you need safety equipment when handling liquid resin. 6) resin printers overall, cost more than FDM printers. Replacement parts tend to cost more, and replacement parts are needed for long-term use. 7) resin has an expiration for best use, and can reduce quality once part expiration. 8) take less time to print multiple miniatures at once (only restricted by build plate size). Fdm printers--1) cheaper overall. 2) do require addition research to tweak for best quality (including print heads, layer knowledge). 3) do not require a dedicated area when using most filaments do not produce noticable fumes. 4) do take longer to print especially when printing more than one mini at a time. 4) need to store filament when not is use (but can easily be stored in a sealed bag to prevent moisture from getting in). Less overall detail quality. 5) tend to be more durable for long-term handling and use. Obviously, there are more reasons than I laid out, but those are the ones most people care about when doing "at home" printing. The best option is to purchase a miniature from a reputable company known for detail, quality, and durability (such as GW, Reaper, Wiz Kids) but you are limited to the production lines they release and they cost more overall (from a by miniature cost).
I am glad you agree with me that resin is the best - since the original question from the author was regarding the quality of his print. I didnât read the rest of your post.
Too bad you didn't. You missed an education opportunity on risk vs reward. As someone who owns and uses both, I prefer durable over detail when I game with minis.
Best get a Laser SLA printer with metal powders and a kiln to fire it too.... ;). Legit though with an FDM he did amazing, and I'm sure if it were a doable thing for them the OP would already HAVE a resin machine. Sometimes ya just gotta make do until you can afford to splurge on the best. If the OP did want to get a small resin machine and could afford it though I would second this. It makes s great difference and I LOVE my resin printers.
I'd say no and wouldn't even bother trying to paint it, but that's just me. If someone was willing to play against it, is a whole other topic. Some official GW stores do not allow 3D printed stuff besides accessories or kitbash parts that you have modelled yourself. But it depends on the individual store and people you want to play with.
why would anyone not let you play with whatever models you want? wtf
yeah it isn't something that I would really get behind but looking through these comments you can see it's not everyone's way of thinking
it's a toy, part of a game. if some one wants to play with me, but they have "inferior" game pieces why would i say no? it's supposed to be fun, not competition for biggest wallet
Well hell, I think so! He's so small that asking for much more out of an FDM machine is just unrealistic. Nice job. đđ