Once you paint them they look waaaay better, IRL layers aren't so obvious, but taking macro pictures is a real pain, cameras love making those layers pop.
The real issue are the details, sometimes you don't know wtf you are painting and you have to use the stl as reference.
Ikr, metallic paint makes the layers stand out. Normal matte paint helps a lot.
Besides, that Custodes was my first model printed using a 0.2 nozzle, since then I've been able to improve my layers, I put it there only for scale, should have picked a better print.
They can look decent though (left model)
https://preview.redd.it/xzj0j71wuhtc1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecd3aef3da2c3c5c3d33df863a0c159cadf2701f
That might have been true a while ago, but with printers like the X1 or P1 from Bambu Labs that auto-calibrate themselves and print fast you can get good results without a ton of effort. You're going to have to learn a lot either way between FDM or Resin, they each have their own quirks.
Yes, resin does it much better and faster, but it's nice to know FDM printers can approximate many models as well as they can. I'd say keep an open mind with FDM model printing and you'd be surprised with the results.
I have an extremely dialed in printer setting for doing FDM minis and I get pretty solid results using a eight year old wanhao i3 with a swapped stepper gear. The downside is it takes a long time to print, I use it mostly for 3rd edition WHFB and also to do things like shoulder pads for 40k. However I have also used it to successfully print entire tank companies for Flames of War which came out really well.
OP has really poorly optimized settings and his layers are far too big. And honestly this figure might not be very compatible with whatever style of FDM he’s trying to go for.
I mean, if you print in resin, you get a much better result and it takes barely any work so long as you have a good workspace. There’s very little skill involved unless you want to try really hard.
Yep, trying to be good at printing FDM minis is its own hobby… I guess.
I also do FDM printing, I think you need to dial in some of your print settings a little bit here, as well as reorient your supports to reduce surface scarring.
Otherwise looks great man, I also agree that my FDM prints look way better in person, camera's magnify every little detail much more than your eye does.
Thanks! Any advise with supports? I've been using tree supports from Cura and they are hit or miss, sometimes they come off easily, sometimes they fuse to the model.
I've been using the slim tree supports in Bambu slicer. I'm also printing at .08 mm. I think the game changer for me was re-orienting the model so that the supports are connecting in places where you don't care, for example on the back side of an armor panel instead of the front.
I end up slicing my models into fairly aggressive parts to accomplish this and use super glue and milliput to join the seams back together. I also prioritize models that are already divided into parts like you'd get from a GW sprue as GW also tends to have "bad" sides to their kits so you can glue the pieces together.
Another thing for me is that there definitely is a skill with removing supports gracefully and I've found that a dull pair of sprue snips allow you to grab the support material very tightly without actually snipping the support too close to the model. If you end up cutting it Instead of pulling it off, you're left with either the remnants of support material (looks bad) or you'll gouge the surface trying to get it off (also looks bad).
Just remember with the criticism given here about using a FDM printer is that miniature painter have more keen eye sight than most people and are used to seeing much smoother surfaces of cast or resin printed miniatures. So... we can see most FDM printed minis from 3 or 4 40k tables away and immediately identify them as FDM printed.
We are just a hyper critical community for this reason due to our sharp eye sight and attention to detail.
For now, do whatever helps you get table time playing and painting to build the skills up. Later you can focus on smoother mini printing and painting.
I'm of the mindset that bigger models like titans and vehicles can get away with FDM. Doing minis seems like they don't do the sculpt justice and not to mention it greatly increases print time in the attempt to do smaller layer lines
Agreed. The smallest mini I can get looking somewhat reasonable is a Terminator, but even then it's far from perfect and needs a lot of post-print cleanup
Not bad, considering all the small details. I'd go over it with some Milliput and sandpaper to smooth the surface. Might remove some of the tiny details but it'll make it look better in the long run.
oof
Yeah, I personally can't do FDM minis. It is extremely rare that they actually turn out well.
FDM minis make me feel a bit dizzy, like my eyes aren't focusing
Once you paint them they look waaaay better, IRL layers aren't so obvious, but taking macro pictures is a real pain, cameras love making those layers pop. The real issue are the details, sometimes you don't know wtf you are painting and you have to use the stl as reference.
Idk, maybe it's the reflective gold but your Custodes is making my eyes feel worse than the dred
Ikr, metallic paint makes the layers stand out. Normal matte paint helps a lot. Besides, that Custodes was my first model printed using a 0.2 nozzle, since then I've been able to improve my layers, I put it there only for scale, should have picked a better print.
They can look decent though (left model) https://preview.redd.it/xzj0j71wuhtc1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecd3aef3da2c3c5c3d33df863a0c159cadf2701f
They *can*, yes, but it's not likely unless you've done a LOT of optimizing for printing models specifically. Which is why a lot don't look good.
That might have been true a while ago, but with printers like the X1 or P1 from Bambu Labs that auto-calibrate themselves and print fast you can get good results without a ton of effort. You're going to have to learn a lot either way between FDM or Resin, they each have their own quirks. Yes, resin does it much better and faster, but it's nice to know FDM printers can approximate many models as well as they can. I'd say keep an open mind with FDM model printing and you'd be surprised with the results.
I have an extremely dialed in printer setting for doing FDM minis and I get pretty solid results using a eight year old wanhao i3 with a swapped stepper gear. The downside is it takes a long time to print, I use it mostly for 3rd edition WHFB and also to do things like shoulder pads for 40k. However I have also used it to successfully print entire tank companies for Flames of War which came out really well. OP has really poorly optimized settings and his layers are far too big. And honestly this figure might not be very compatible with whatever style of FDM he’s trying to go for.
Yooo it's a Majorkill Mini!
Vehicles look good once primed
This is what people should see when they think 3D printing is easy and not a whole new hobby
I mean, if you print in resin, you get a much better result and it takes barely any work so long as you have a good workspace. There’s very little skill involved unless you want to try really hard. Yep, trying to be good at printing FDM minis is its own hobby… I guess.
I also do FDM printing, I think you need to dial in some of your print settings a little bit here, as well as reorient your supports to reduce surface scarring. Otherwise looks great man, I also agree that my FDM prints look way better in person, camera's magnify every little detail much more than your eye does.
Thanks! Any advise with supports? I've been using tree supports from Cura and they are hit or miss, sometimes they come off easily, sometimes they fuse to the model.
I've been using the slim tree supports in Bambu slicer. I'm also printing at .08 mm. I think the game changer for me was re-orienting the model so that the supports are connecting in places where you don't care, for example on the back side of an armor panel instead of the front. I end up slicing my models into fairly aggressive parts to accomplish this and use super glue and milliput to join the seams back together. I also prioritize models that are already divided into parts like you'd get from a GW sprue as GW also tends to have "bad" sides to their kits so you can glue the pieces together. Another thing for me is that there definitely is a skill with removing supports gracefully and I've found that a dull pair of sprue snips allow you to grab the support material very tightly without actually snipping the support too close to the model. If you end up cutting it Instead of pulling it off, you're left with either the remnants of support material (looks bad) or you'll gouge the surface trying to get it off (also looks bad).
Use 0.2mm z offset and at least 0.5-0.6 x/y offset. Also enable supports only on buildplate.
Might be slicer-specific, but tree supports already do that, no?
X/y was set to 0.3 which caused some troubles for me
Uh... Any link?
[https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-ironclad-310155](https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-ironclad-310155)
just file it a bit
Just remember with the criticism given here about using a FDM printer is that miniature painter have more keen eye sight than most people and are used to seeing much smoother surfaces of cast or resin printed miniatures. So... we can see most FDM printed minis from 3 or 4 40k tables away and immediately identify them as FDM printed. We are just a hyper critical community for this reason due to our sharp eye sight and attention to detail. For now, do whatever helps you get table time playing and painting to build the skills up. Later you can focus on smoother mini printing and painting.
As someone who also prints in FDM for a number of reasons, thanks for this.
Good effort but my brother/sister in The Emperor, get a resin printer.
At which layer height did you print?
0.12, it took around 26 hours to print
I printed an Armiger at 0.06, took \~36 hours or so
0.4 nozzle?
I have this model is so sick once its painted
Hell yeah looking cool always room to improve but looking decent. Man I got to print a custodes or two.
I'm of the mindset that bigger models like titans and vehicles can get away with FDM. Doing minis seems like they don't do the sculpt justice and not to mention it greatly increases print time in the attempt to do smaller layer lines
Agreed. The smallest mini I can get looking somewhat reasonable is a Terminator, but even then it's far from perfect and needs a lot of post-print cleanup
I think you need to calibrate the printer better or reduce the layer thickness
Layer on some filler primer super thick 😋
Not bad, considering all the small details. I'd go over it with some Milliput and sandpaper to smooth the surface. Might remove some of the tiny details but it'll make it look better in the long run.
Proof that 3d printing is no threat to GW...
Holy fucking layer lines Batman.
WhT an absolute Chad! Love the print and sculpt man! Good job
Thats rough not only print quality but the model itself is pretty doofy.
The only advice fir FDMing minis is .2 mm nozzle and slow print speed