Elegoo's Saturn 4 Ultra - The Wargamer's Printer [Impressions & Review]

[@jmanchaput]

I started watching your videos a few weeks ago and I can't even thank you enough for all the know-how, tool tips and confidence you've given me when it comes to painting models. I painted 3 WWII era tanks this weekend and each one looks better than the last and it's all from what I've learned here.

[@JohnDoe-bz4yl]

I have been looking at getting into 3D resin printing and have watched a lot of reviews on the Saturn 4 Ultra and everyone seems very happy with it and a few reviews say it's great for beggingers like me! I pulled the trigger yesterday and mine should be rocking up from Amazon today

[@SodaPaints]

Got one of these at launch as my re-entry into printing after a hiatus and it was a fantastic move. The self-levelling alone has been a massive headache-saver.

[@dukewellington9308]

I am new to 3d printing and I bought one of these. They are perfect for someone who is just starting out.

[@alessiodecarolis]

This video was very useful, also if I can't afford a 3D printer, naturally it is for those that print huge quantities of minis. 3D printing really changed our hobby, I just bought some UNIT9 cyberpunk minis, and the detail is fantastic. P.s the main difference btw M48 and M60 is in the turret, the latter's one is more elongated, and the gun, a 90mm for the former and a 105mm L7A1 for the M60..😊

[@brittanislarp3850]

Sat 4 Ultra is my third printer. I’m never going back. HOLY MOLY what a difference. ❤

[@PlanetToborTV]

Oh man... this looks cool. Certain terrain pieces that I've wanted to print for some time, too, were just a bit too big for my current printer. Haven't had the guts to start cutting the 3D models apart and attempting my own assembly.

[@LordNerfherder]

I print most terrain on my fdm but the saturn has a solid size. I think ppl should start with saturn now and not mars probably. It is so comfy.

[@PlanetToborTV]

@@LordNerfherder I do want an FDM printer for terrain tasks, yeah.

[@bjf10]

I bought a Mars 5 ultra as my first resin printer, and I love it! The more I print the more I wish I had bought a Saturn 4 ultra instead haha.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

The extra space is nice, no doubt, but the Mars 5 does have a slight edge in detail if you're printing miniatures - it's minor, but worth bearing in mind if you're worried about what you got.

[@bjf10]

@SonicSledgehammerStudio I wasn't worried about it at all until I started printing these station forge orkaz planes. It took like six plates to do one of them lol

[@MLaak86]

@@bjf10precisely the sorta thing I knew I wanted to print and why I went straight to the Saturn 2 when I got my SLA printer

[@jmanchaput]

I just bought a Mars 5 on the black friday sale. Figured I'd start with the smaller one to get the hang of it, determine it's utility, and then go from there. I'm pumped!

[@Adi031978]

The large build plate looks very tempting. As a slow painter I would very rarely print batches of 30+ minis in one go. So I wonder if you have experiences regarding resin wastage if you go for such a large print area but mostly will not use most of the space available 😅

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

There's no wastage by filling a tank and only printing two miniatures out of it. The rest of the resin just needs a gentle stir in the vat before being used again.

[@Adi031978]

@SonicSledgehammerStudio Really? Sounds cool. Now I feel very tempted. Will need to see if I can find a cheap desk to create a "print station" area

[@bruzougulify]

How is the Saturn 4 Ultra for printing 1/6 scale superhero figures?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I couldn't say personally, I've never tried it. But considering how well it prints tanks and other large busts, I'd say it should work well. Most of the marketing images from Elegoo feature large-scale figures like that, so I'd imagine it's a pretty safe bet!

[@Imperialguardftw]

This is spooky, I was just looking at upgrading my Mars 3 to this one today! How is the auto leveling process?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Plug and play, really. Once you hit print, the machine runs a quick self-test, then lowers the build plate and auto-levels... well, automatically. It's super simple.

[@Gabbiano88]

The heated vat good enough for a cold garage? That was my biggest problem I had anycubic resin printer.... had to do it on hot days...

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

My little print room gets down to about 2-4 degrees C, and through that the resin still sits at about 24C while idling, and will come up to 35 or so as a print continues. The heater's pretty good, I'd say, though I haven't really pushed it while it's proper freezing in there.

[@Gabbiano88]

Ya I think that would be good we generally do not go under freezing for more than a few days. I think that vat warmer would do great. I wouldn't need to print every day anyways on the super cold days.

[@Riceyminimad]

Is the vat really heated? Some people have said it isn’t?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

@Riceyminimad It's definitely heated. You can hold your hand above the resin on a cold day and feel the warmth coming off it.

[@darklingeraeld-ridge7946]

Great video, thanks. You said some things may have been missed, and I have a few questions ! • would you recommend it for someone who has no digital printing experience, and often finds digital tech very frustrating? • I am a wargamer, but am a Fine Art painter first. I have a dedicated studio, but somewhat perversely there is almost no ventilation from outside because of Central London security issues. Does that sound like it should preclude this (and other)machines? • And though I get an approximate sense of required space from the video, how much measured space, including materials, drying, whatever, is needed in total? • Is this machine complete, as a purchase, or are other items needed ? Many thanks , all best wishes and keep up the very good work !

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Good questions! I'll answer quite succinctly for clarity's sake: 1. The digital side represents the preparation of files for arranging and printing. Pre-supported files are generally easy to use once you've got your print and resin settings dialed in, but supporting your own would be a learning curve if you're not that fond of the program/digital side of things. Not massive by any stretch, but it'd be something to learn. 2. No ventilation _at all_ would likely pose an issue. If you've got a space you could dedicate to the printer there are fume hoods and carbon filters which would mitigate some of those. I wouldn't say it would preclude a printer, but it would start to become a real question of setup. 3. For a printer, cleaning station, and somewhere to put tools? Somewhere roughly 2x5ft has always been enough for me, but as with most things, more space is better if you've got it. 4. The printer itself is complete, but there are a couple other things you'd need. Resin and cleaning agent of some description are consumables, as well as gloves, masks, and the occasional paper filter for if you need to strain any bits of failed print out of a resin tank. A cleaning and curing station like the Mercury isn't strictly necessary, but it is very nice to have - otherwise, some form of UV light at 405nm wavelength to fully cure and harden prints after they've been cleaned would be a must-have. On balance, I'd probably suggest it might be worth seeing if there's any other wargamers or clubs local to you where you could get an up-close look at a printer or have someone go through the process to slice STLs for printing. Given your circumstances, it sounds like a resin machine might require a lot more setup than most, so on the face of it I'd probably shy away from recommending going out and grabbing one on impulse. 😅 Much as they're neat to have, better not to have a huge white elephant sitting in a spare room!

[@darklingeraeld-ridge7946]

@ Many thanks for your very helpful reply

[@tracer0017]

As always great content my friend, glad to see something on printing. Can I ask how this stacks up against a Epax X1? I was thinking on upgrading and do like the larger build plate. And I print in a cooler location and like the heated vat. And can I ask how does this printer print 15, 10 and 6mm vehicles, guns and infantry? Which since i play O Group mostly those scales are my main focus. Thanks again

[@robbied8587]

Thanks for the review. How are the fumes?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Same as would be for any printer, really. Though this one's compatible with the Mars line of carbon air filters, and there's a port in the back of the casing where you can unscrew a cover to install an extractor tube. Otherwise it's a decent mask and ventilation, same as any resin.

[@hasve978]

I just got my saturn 4 ultra. It will not let me print ctb files. The print option is grey out.

[@dyansis]

Ok. Seeing this. Im sold on the saturn.

[@rccmavis]

where do you get your tank stl files from

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Wargaming3D.com or BobMack3D are my go-to for most things, though there's a lot appearing on MyMiniFactory recently.

[@nasigoring1525]

Hello there folks! I am keen on this printer, it looks the goods.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I was a little surprised by how well the auto-leveling build plate actually works on a printer this size. I thought I was going to have to fuss and tweak it, but everything's been perfect straight out of the box.

[@simonday3740]

Dragons! did you paint them?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Not yet! They've only just come off the build plate. 😅

[@CA-qs5iu]

What resin have you been using? Prints look great. Always interested in resins and settings.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I'd been using the Elegoo water washable, but switched to the ABS-like grey stuff due to a few bayonets snapping. The ABS-like 2.0 resin I can drop a miniature from standing height on to a stone floor and it just bounces, pretty happy with that one. The tanks having a little more weight behind them I'm not sure they'd bounce, buuuut I hope not to test that one! 😂

[@CA-qs5iu]

@ thank you, do you mind sharing your settings for the abs?

[@StormtrooperYD]

Damn , as a first printer would you recommend it ?

[@simonteppett8435]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio I have an earlier Saturn and ended up with Anycubic ABS-Like V2 which is also water washable and I would definitely recommend it for miniatures.

[@lok3kobold]

Comming in 'naked' to 3D printing. How much would a mars, cleaning equp and curing equp etc. Cost? Also as one of your best parasocial friends I can come test it as your house, right? ;)

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

I can't really tell you without knowing where you are? 😅 Fastest way to find out would be to go to the website and dump it all in a cart in your local currency.

[@DrewberryHobbies]

Sadly Not able to really use my printer :( i have Thing i want o Print for my Models and Minis to Thoe i only have amars pro XD that i cant really use currently or even IT feels Like

[@MrCai01]

@0:47 call me relieved. Mine being delivered in the next hour

[@RichardJRussell]

The tilt release is a resin spill disaster just waiting to happen.

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

@@RichardJRussell I've filled the tank to the max line a couple times and haven't had any issues. Even when turning the unit off at the switch it just dips slightly; it's designed with it in mind.

[@RichardJRussell]

@@SonicSledgehammerStudio I was thinking less about in use and more when removing the tank for draining/cleaning. They put tape around the screen edge to prevent resin ingress from the inevitable spills that are bound to happen at some point but then leave a gap around it that, if I'm right, leads directly into the guts of the printer. 🤷‍♂ Don't get me wrong, I soooo want one. My anxiety and paranoia just like peeing on my parade 😜

[@stompieandsuzie]

I heard you need to do 3D printing in a well ventilated environment because of the resin off gases (and other chemical solutions) into the room environment especially if the room is in your home. Are you aware of this?

[@SonicSledgehammerStudio]

Yep! I'm lucky enough to have a little space in what's essentially my laundry, with a window right next to the printers. Some folks go the extractor fan route, and there's filter options available that run with the machines themselves.

[@MandaloretheSavage]

Damn it i am trying not to spend money....