Resin 3D Printer – a war gamer’s dream come true?

By Paolo Paglianti

Editor’s note: this is the first in a two part series looking at 3D resin printing. The second part, where Iron Tom takes a look at many of the cons of

Also: click on any of Paolo’s images to see a higher res image

Back in the 70s and 80s, Star Trek forecast a lot of things that we later saw in real life – touch screens, smartphones, TV screens as  walls, personal computers in every house, and AI answering with a human voice. Also the replicator: the Enterprise crew uses it to create any kind of food, while our “replicators” – the 3D Printers – allow creating resin models. For a wargamer, this is even better than the food!

What is a 3D printer, and why we would need a resin one?

The first 3D printers had a filament: basically, a long plastic cable is heated and used to forge an object by an extruder moving through space building upward on a  printing surface. This kindof 3D Printers are good for many uses, but are not precise enough for the needs of war gamers. They usually have annoying “lines” on every surface: very good if you print a concrete bunker, annoying if you want to print a detailed tank or a miniature in 28mm or 15mm.

Then a  miracle occured in the last few years, in form of a new kind of 3D printer. This kind uses a liquid resin, where the printing plate dives vertically. Below the transparent resin basin, an LCD UV lamp projects each layer of the sculpture, hardening the resin where it will form the final model. The precision is fabulous: the layers can be as tiny as 0,025 mm – one-third of the thickness of a single hair.

 

Some Russian/Syrian Colw War tanks and transports (plus some infiltrated WW2 US M20s). You can easily find and print very unusual vehicles, like the BTR 152 or the Era-armoured tanks.

Printing takes time: at the maximum precision, it can take up to 5 hours to print a single 15mm tank. Since all the layers are printed at once, the time depends on how “tall” is the model. Printing a scaled-down Eiffel Tower of 20 cm takes more time than printing three T-64s laid down, even if the latter print of tanks will consume much more resin. When printing with a Resin printer – you need to think vertically.

Once the model is printed, you need to wash and cure it. For normal resin, you need to wash it with expensive, incendiary, and smelly Isopropyl alcohol. Or you can use a water washable resin, and your nose will greatly benefit from this choice. Just remember resin is always toxic and irritating, so you need in any case to handle it with gloves, eye protection, and FPP2 masks, and avoid using the 3D printer in rooms where kids or animals can enter, or where you’ll spend a lot of time. Too much exposure to the uncured resin may result in a serious allergy that will prohibit use in the future.

Finally, after washing the model you need to harden, or cure it with a UV lamp. If you live in a sunny place like California or Italy, you can just leave the model under the sun for a good afternoon. Otherwise, you need to use a UV lamp, like the ones to dry nails. The resin, at the end of the process, will  change from a glossy to a matte finish. Then you can then safely handle it. Resin is not recommended for items used in food preparation or storage. So you’ll want to avoid printing a set of those cute Mickey Mouse cookie cutters.

The printer we tested

I bought (actually, my Wife Superior gave me for San Valentine) a at 300 Euros. The resin costs around 30 euros/kg, the water washable 40 euros/kg (but you save money on Isopropyl alcohol).

 

 

Where to find models

The biggest archive of 3d models (the files are in .STL format, it’s like .PDF but for 3D printing) is . This website has been active for years, and you can find anything you can dream of, from The Mandalorian miniatures to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, toothpaste squeezers, wall fixing things, knife blocks. Literally, everything. And a lot of tanks, too.

For example, , while here you can find s from the . another talented digital sculptor, TigerAce1945, created many other tanks. For example, if you are looking for a WW2 Tiger and search for “” you will find many models and versions in different scales. Some of them are extremely simplified, while others can be used and scaled up for 28mm games. All totally free to download.

 

You can download and print all these files (and many more!) from Thingiverse.com. You can find very unusual and uncommon vehicles and tank variants you normally can’t find in “physical” shops. 

Some models we 3D Printed

What is better than printing in the tiniest and smallest scale to properly test a 3D printer?  I just scaled down the models from the WW2 tank collection above. I found various models of the M14/41 tank and Semovente, and looking around on Thingiverse I found also the Lancia 90 gun and the trucks.

The files had the wheels separate from vehicle. The idea for larger scales, like 15 or 28mm, is to assemble them after printing, because if you print them on a flat surface they have a better result than ordinary filament printers. Since we have a resin printer, and we were going to print them in 6mm, I just “assembled” them with a free 3D program prior to loading the files into the printer. It’s like playing with LEGO! Then I printed the complete model.

 

Very small tanks in 6mm – the bases are 3 x 3 cm, to give you an idea of the dimensions.

The other half of the Italian 6mm armies. I don’t know if I’m more amazed by the tiny Lancia 90 truck or by the Falco planes. 

 

The tiniest model was the smallest tank of the time, the L6/40. Being 3.8 metres long, in 6mm (1:285) is 1.33 cm. Despite the dimension, scaling down the model preserved almost any detail, and you can see some of the rivets on the metal plates.

As we already know, . I just primed with White and then Desert Yellow, used a good dose of Games Workshop Sepia ink and finally had a light drybrush with Desert Yellow + white. Finally, some black on the tracks and wheels, and some brown on the engine exhaust. I also had a couple of Falco GR 42s.

 

And some Syrian 6mm tanks – the bases here are 4×2 cm, so they are longer than the gun barrel and “protect” it when you pick with your fingers. A quick hint: always prime the resin model with white or black matte primers, don’t use directly the colored primer. 

 

A modern Cold War era French army, with detachable turrets. Did I tell you I love 6mm armies? I’ve also kept in the small round box the failed prints, so you can have an idea of how much you can expect. 

 

Stepping up: 15mm tanks

Printing a tank in 15mm (1:100) is something amazing. The free models on Thingiverse or 3D Wargaming have fewer details than the ones from Battlefront or Plastic Soldier Company, but the results are good. After some tests, I also began directly on the tanks, creating personalized and unique vehicles. Also, I modified the turrets to have small holes for 5mm magnets. Again, you need to learn a bit to use the 3D program. If I did in one week, everybody can do – and also Youtube is full of tutorials on 3D design – for example, the youtube channel 3d Farm is full of hints and good ideas (and the guy doing it is really nice and helpful).

I printed some German tanks, some Russian tank destroyers, and some Syrian transports like the BTR 152 – something you can’t literally find and buy around, as they are not covered (AFAIK) from the usual suppliers. As I said, the free models are very good but the real revolution will come when professional producers will sell STL files.

 

Some smaller WW2 vehicles: you can look at the details. And they will not cost – in resin – much more than a Euro (or Dollar)! 

 

‘ ancient range is something exceptional. Look at the shield or the helm! The full range costs 30 Euros and includes Imperial Roman, Celts, Germans, Polybian Romans, Gladiators and Carthaginian! 

 

You can find very good models, for example, from 3d Breed Miniatures. They did a and another one on . You can print their soldiers in 15mm or 28mm (they supply both formats, even if you can reduce the scale from 28mm). The result is speechless. For the WW2 armies, you can buy the single infantry platoon (like URSS mortar team or Japanese AT rifle) or the infantry “deal” for 30 Euros for each faction. For another 30 Euros, you can buy a selection of accurate STL files for tanks and vehicles. All units and infantry models came both in 15mm and 28mm scale.

Another very good site is . They are like Thingiverse, with a lot of free files, but totally dedicated to war gaming – any period, any scale. You can find 1:300 naval or 28mm Civil War infantry. If you are looking for something war gaming-related, it’s always a good idea to check here. They also

Two good more news. First one: printing your own tanks or miniatures is much cheaper than buying them. In our tests, considering some failed prints and the accessory costs like one-use gloves and lots of blotting paper, a 15mm tank like the T-72 costs around 2 euros. And you don’t have to wait for the mail to arrive in your city/country, or pay for postage.

Second important news: you can find a lot of things you normally can’t simply buy. In the free files on Thingiverse, we found eight different models of T-72s: among them, the A model, the M type for export countries, the BV one with Era armor. We also found models like the BTR 152, the early URSS transport in Cold War. The Spanish 3D Breed in his 15/28mm infantry units offers the French infantry, the Australian forces, the Japanese, the Italian Bersaglieri – really uncommon figures.

 

This Ezio from Assassin’s Creed is 28mm tall: the details are impressive. You can’t find many 28mm miniatures so nicely sculpted and with “flying” elements like the floating belt. 

 

And, the dimensions are not critical – for once. If you find a 1:12 model, you can scale it down to 28mm. If you want to play with your friends with 1:72 models, you can download a 28mm (1:56) model and scale it down. By the way, here you can find a really helpful excel file for scaling down and up your STL files, again from Wargaming 3D.

A piece of very good news if you are into not-so-common scales like for example HO train buildings. I’m always puzzled how much terrains, civilians, and models in this “train” scale cost, even if below-the-average quality. Now you can print a very good-looking station, or buildings, or even water towers.

Editor’s note: For N-scale or smaller model railroads (N-scale is 1:160, so, roughly 10mm for people height), model railroad human and animal figures from major manufacturers are typically not very detailed. Three-D resin printing is quickly growing in Model Railroading to fill the voids manufacturers are not addressing in that hobby, and to increase the ability to detail their models and layouts.

Speaking of buildings, another amazing site you should check out is . Here you can find lots of buildings, from Sci-fi to Fantasy, and an amazing collection of WW2/modern buildings. Ruins from East Europe, Armored Trains, famous sites like Arnhem Bridge and surrounding buildings, Pegasus Bridge, the Pavlovs houses, Stalingrad factory, Remagen; even the Reichstag. They are doing now a Kickstarter about

 

quality is very good: this small Berlin damaged tram car is so precise I’ll have at least two or three of them for my Flames of War urban table. They have a lot of “historical” buildings, but also elements you can use on tables for barricades or bocage. 

Looking for bases? As we explained in this article, 28mm miniatures greatly benefit from a sculpted base. With a Resin printer you can create your own mix. A lot are already available for free on Thingiverse but if you want something more professional and detailed, you can find producers like . They did a couple of really interesting and bigger round bases. Now you can buy the bases on their site, but keep an eye on them since they will probably do more kickstarters in future. 

 

round bases are extremely detailed and will enhance every historical or fantasy 28mm miniature. They also offered a discount for NoDiceNoGlory.com readers: if you buy anything in their store with the special coupon nodicenoglory15, you’ll have 15% off! (But this coupon is valid only before March 31st). 

A piece of advice if you are looking for a printer for buildings. You can print with a resin printer any building, but since the plate is so small you’ll need to “cut” the bigger buildings in slices and assemble them after printing. If you are interested in 15mm giant buildings or 28mm scenics, it’s far better to use a filament printer.

Too good to be true?

Search on the Internet for a model, finding it (70% of the time, for free), printing it at home, and paint it after few hours from when you sat at the PC. If it does seem a dream, it’s because it is a war gamer’s dream. A lot of people buy these printers and, after few days of printing frenzy, begin to ask themselves “do I really need to print the third Harry Potter figure?”

For a war gamer, with tons of lead models in the backroom waiting to be printed, there will be always a lot to print. Do you need an extra BTR 80 for your platoon? Want to try a new set of rules in 1:200? Fancy to paint some Roman legionaries? Need new temple ruins for the Warhammer table? It’s only a few hours and few bucks away, instead of weeks if you order online. And you save a lot of money, even – as we said repeatedly, the quality is usually lower – not for printer’s fault, but for the models, still generally speaking created for the filament printers.

 

The first rule of resin printing: print angled. If you print parallel to the printing surface, you’ll meet a number of errors, fails and flaws.

 

The Cons: the resin is toxic and irritating. You need to dress like Walt and Jessie in Breaking Bad every time you work with the printer or uncured resin . The one time you’ll don’t wear gloves, is the time you will pour some resin on the skin. The people living with you in the same house will need to get used to living with the smell, especially if you use the cheaper “alchool” washable resin.

And, the software is not that user friendly. In our tests, we observed some diagonal lines on some random surfaces, and when we wrote to the support we had no answer for weeks. You can find some help online (on 3D forums or FB pages on Resin printing) but it’s a young tech, and sometimes I feel nobody really knows everything about it.

We read about some faulty printers, so better to buy them on Amazon or other sites where you can send them back if there is any problem with the first tests. Also, remember resin and resin-contaminated water can’t be thrown away with ordinary waste. You need to take them to the nearest recycling area.

Finally, many of the resin printers have a smaller plate than most of the resin printers. The plate on the Elegoo Mars Pro 2 is about 12 x 8 cm (5 x 3,5 inches). If you can overcome these problems, the resin printer is something the war gamer will not live without!

 

Some Kickstarter or STL shops you should give a look to:

 

, a collection of everything you would ever need from the AD&D world: heroes, monsters, creatures from the talented Miguel Zavala. A lot of his production are free (, for example); he also has a Patreon program.

 

: if you want to build your small Eternal city at home

 

I’m lingering on this one for my next Saga Fantasy army.

 

: Middle East, US Mid West and Western Europe, to create any table you want for 6mm Cold War/ultramodern

 

from Lost Kingdom. These guys are true artists. (very similar to Bretonnia) is still open and striking good looking.

 

WW1 and WW2 planes Didn’t have the chance to print and test their models, but they seem quick and simple. They also have all sort of vehicles like modern cars

 

lots of 6mm scaled models and deals.

 

Instead of the Kickstarter, where you pay in advance the money, a lot of 3D artists prefer Patreon – a monthly fee of circa 10$, and they provide each month some models. This one is doing very nice 10mm fantasy armies.

 

. Another paradise for wargamers is printing ships!