Printing FDM Miniatures on (arguably) the WORLD'S BEST FDM PRINTER

[@trademarkdesigns]

Honestly, as someone who has had FDM printers for over a decade now, it's not slicer settings. It's the precision of the printer. If the printer isn't meticulously aligned, maintained, lubricated, etc. then the layers won't be extruded exactly the same or laid down in the exact coordinates. Look at MirageC's tests into z wobble/z banding and the tests that have been done. A super small diameter difference in an extruder gear can cause layer lines to show in your print regardless of your slicer settings.

[@navydiverdlt2316]

EXACTLY!! Sooooo many variables to getting pristine prints regardless of the size...no substitute for lots of experience and filament! 😂

[@Newmeishu]

And don’t forget the filament diameter changes.

[@sierraecho884]

FDM simply is not as precise as resin is. Resin uses a screen, it has incredible precision FDM extrudes a noodle which already has tolerances, like all the other mechanical parts do, it is simply not doable to that scale. Now you could xreate your own FDM printer with a 1mm filament diameter and very precise worm gears etc. but it would still be very very slow. It´s just how that is.

[@crosscy9387]

@@sierraecho884 exactly. if details is the focus, there is no reason to not go resin printing. When you choose FDM you are accepting you either need to do a lot of postprocessing or are okay with some degree of layer lines for the time taken. With enough prints on a plate, resin printing is even faster than FDM as well.

[@PrincessKushana]

This makes me wonder if a theoretical "mini quality" fdm could be done with a very small build plate and accompanyingly fine gearing and motors. Though I doubt that would wholly solve the maintenance issue.

[@Battlewear]

I have an X1C and print a lot of dnd minis with it. Yes it takes longer, but it’s a happy choice I make. I print with a .2 nozzle, for npcs I choose either a .8 or .1 layer height, for a group of skeletons it’s fine if there is some layer lines. Honestly, at any distance greater then 6 inches no one sees them. For player characters I do a .04 layer height and honestly it’s so smooth you almost can’t tell it’s fdm printing. I noticed stringing, you need to dial in the filament settings more, it will help. As to using resin style prints, I do it all the time, the supports are for the most part easier to remove. Now there are some models that just don’t work well with that style, so I print regular with tree supports and it’s done well..

[@joshuajenkins5384]

Do you print the model separately from the base plate?

[@sylvernale]

Curious what material you use

[@Battlewear]

@@sylvernale I main go to is Overture PLA +, I am switching over to Sunlu PLA+ , really want to try the new Hatchbox Max

[@Battlewear]

@@joshuajenkins5384 sorry didn’t see your question. Depending on the model some have the base included, some don’t, depends on the model. If I have my choice I prefer it included. Makes for a more solid and stable situation. I print the same way that resin typically does (at a 45 degree angle)

[@mrmidnight32]

@@Battlewearbrother if you could run a quick video of pieces, setting and give your take on what filament you decided to go with that would be worth a watch for sure! My friends resign print my pieces, but I want to FDM mine. I hear them and watch them bitch about resign printing and don’t want to bother with it but want to make my own pieces. I hate having to ask them to spend their time doing what I could just do my self.

[@voltage3d469]

Layer lines are a reality, I'm glad to hear people aren't so stuck up on them and they just enjoy painting and gaming.

[@wargameforge]

Great video and thanks for the shout out. Glad you liked my work!

[@FauxHammer]

I LOVED your work! I had so many questions about it at Essen Spiel too, I sent them your way ;)

[@ghostquartzgrey5639]

a recommendation for dealing with layer artifacts: knock down the outer wall acceleration and decrease the OW speed by a decent margin. Also, in the Quality tab, set the print order to outer/inner/infill. It's not perfect, but i found it gave me much better results, and it's a staple part of my standard profile

[@FauxHammer]

I’ll have a go at this and try again, thanks

[@drewbeirn7704]

I am working on some minis for Christmas gifts. I have done some in the past with 0.4mm nozzle and it did well just slowed everything down massively. But because I am lazy just used the "silent" mode on the bambu. I was happy with the results and did some of the tricks mentioned by 3D printing DM. This time I am going to attempt the 0.2mm nozzle since the models are very tiny. I well expect them to take a few days and I was recommended to switch to silk PLA to help with the extrusion issues. We will see...

[@PLr1c3r]

@@FauxHammer @8:24 you can see the building lifting off the plate, when printing PLA you'll want to remove the top glass to avoid warping and heat creep. Like many others pointed out slow it down and run some tests using different infill patterns that will speed up the process and not affect the surface quality. I would also look into using plastic that can be sanded easily, there's many options like ABS or cosPLA that will allow light sanding on surfaces. Another thing with ABS is the ability to smooth with acetone that chemically melts the outer layer to a gloss like finish.

[@zviratko]

2:40 the difference is not just a fan, the complete assembly also comes with heater and thermistor, so it's much more work than just 2 screws. I would suggest buying the whole asembly to most people, and only buying the hotend itself if they end up with multiple used nozzles. Most people would probably only need one for a year or more (assuming it's the hardened one and they aren't abusing it heavily).

[@FauxHammer]

Ah, didn’t realise this. I’ll stick to the one with the fan then?

[@zviratko]

@@FauxHammer yeah, that's just 2 screws :)

[@davydatwood3158]

They don't make the 0.2mm in hardened steel, mostly because abrasive filaments usually won't fit through a nozzle that small - but yeah, was just going to post this same comment and then realised the video was days old and figured I'd check to see if someone else beat me to it. :)

[@JohnVanderbeck]

This is what I do because it makes swapping so much easier. I envy the tool-less quick swapping of the A1.

[@DobbsyLondon]

It's not a 0.02 nozzle as you say at @02:05 'ish, and in your blurb. Its 0.2 and we have them on almost every fdm printer. FDM is great for terrain. For minis I suggest priming with vallejo airbrush primer.

[@smallnuts2]

What about large detail models for statues?

[@Iceh4wkvideos]

Okay so I've been working on this for a little while, and I might have a profile for a P1P that works pretty decent at least to my standards. But there's also some setup with the model that you got to do. So the big one that I found that helps the most is you need to cut the model in half vertically so that each side only has one arm and one leg, this allows you to print with supports so they're supporting the more hidden side of the model (under the arm, between the legs). It makes a huge difference. Also I recommend adding pinholes with undersized pins just to help with alignment (you can do that in the slicer) and if you have a soldering iron you can smooth over that seem between the two parts if it wasn't put back together perfectly (a lot of times it's not necessary as they fit well) and you can smooth over those support points. I'm still playing around with it and now that there's 0.06 profile I'll have to try that and see how it comes out. Mind you, I am not a painter, I hate painting minis (too boring, plenty of other hobbies), so I don't paint them or just pay my friends to do it (also sometimes make like weapons different colors from the body since they're usually separated prints). My point is it's not going to come out resin quality good, but my friends with resin printers really complimented how good those FDM print models looked. In a couple weeks I'll probably post my profile settings once I try out that new 0.06 layer profile.

[@Dracosaber]

Definitely interested, since I have a P1P also. 😅

[@cerberez1]

the cutting in half is genius!!! How do you add the pinholes? I'd love to get a peep at your profile, if you can share. thanks!

[@miteruno]

so the cutted plane goes facing downwards?

[@Iceh4wkvideos]

@@miteruno think of it as if you cut a mini in half between the legs and put the sliced surfaces against the print bed. You gotta play a little with it still based on the pose of the mini. Also important detail I forgot to mention is you need a smooth bed, textured PEI will leave too rough of a finish to mate the two halves without noticing.

[@XoriniteWisp]

Resin just isn't an option for many of us, without access to a properly ventilated space. I'm often frustrated with the results of my Ender 3 when it comes to printing minis, and I realize that it's time for an upgrade - but I just have no safe place to put a resin printer. FDM is what I'm stuck with, for now.

[@angrydragonslayer]

or we have a space like that but it's used for something else that really should not be mixed with resin

[@evildr.dinosaur2249]

I want to boost your engagement while continuing to hype up for one of my favorite creators: I have been a fan of Duncan Shadow for years now. His models are at that perfect level of detail that allows for fast batch painting while being anything but generic. They are "chunky" in the best possible way; every exaggerated expression or gesture comes out with a wash while weapons any equipment are large and obvious; players know that goblin has crossbow and is snarling from across the table. Of all my Pateron mini hoarding, Duncan Shadow's models are the ones that I actually print, paint and play with nearly every week.

[@FauxHammer]

yeah they are super good aren't they.

[@chrisnatale5901]

I've actually gotten pretty good miniature supports using the newish thin tree setting. The minis are no longer encased in a cocoon of support material.

[@liesureleeminis8268]

What are the thin tree settings?

[@Lurifaks707]

​@@liesureleeminis8268cura does auto generated tree supports

[@antmax]

@@liesureleeminis8268 the latest Bambu Studio that came out about a week ago has organic tree supports now, which work even better. Can grow them from the base and branch out barely touching the figure you are printing. So they aren't surrounded by walls of support. Make the support wall thickness 1 because it defaults at 2 which is quite sturdy, but also harder to break off.

[@liesureleeminis8268]

@@antmax good to know!

[@cerberez1]

why don't i see that as an option in my studio app? all i see is normal (auto or manual) and tree (auto or manual)... thanks!!!@@antmax

[@RoseKindred]

I know you said you were asked to do this, but I am grateful you did. I learned about a new sculptor, you answered a few questions I had about the X1 c, and showed a "print painted" wargame forge building which I wanted to print similarly.

[@perrinsilveira6759]

I don't do much as far as minis go anymore, but I do know a lot about working with lower layer height and you definitely need a printer designed around minis, precision extrusion, low flow rates, and bone dry filament that is being kept heated during the print. You want a much shorter melt zone with minis as the volumetric flow rate is so low, and bambu labs printers have extended melt zones making them actively worse than your standard v6 hotend. The standard flow revo actually might be good if you are providing a lot of airflow to the heatsink as it has a tiny heater area. Gearing and tolerances on the extruder mechanism is also a big deal as a tiny shift in something like axial alignment or filament deformation can produce a noticeable change in flow rate. Part cooling is also huge, and for minis I think the berd-air style cooling is better, lighter, and suits itself to small areas like minis without having the mass airflow of over-the-bed stationary fan cooling. I have also heard that nozzle geometry matters a lot more, and I remember something about a nozzle that has a long conical stepdown designed for printing small things helping with pressure issues more than common nozzles that have from the sharp transition they have from manufacturing. Pretty sure that was a CNC kitchen video and they are Japanese going down to like .05mm.

[@MrAndyPuppy]

Man, there are people like Danny that I wish still created content, but even moreso, wish there was a way to know that they're ok. If they decided to go on and do something else, good for them! But it'd be sad to realize someone left the community for other reasons and never know.

[@FauxHammer]

He’s ok, a mutual friend told me

[@spqrpraetorian]

@@FauxHammer He is ok, I think he decided to lay low after a bad Kickstarter.

[@mikeangstadt3985]

He's posted updates on a kickstarter as of September this year. Some major issues with being unable to fulfill it, and mentioned some health issues in 2022 that led to him not posting content.

[@godsvendetta117]

I print models on the p1p @ a 0.16 mm layer height with the stock .4mm nozzle. The models come out fine. Especially for proxying and especially vehicles where, like the buildings, layer lines aren't a huge deal.

[@chrisl4999]

I just finished printing a warhound on a p1s at 0.16 and it is more than just fine. Took far less time than fauxhammer’s 8d print…

[@MrHeHim]

I found a LONG time ago (bee printing FDM for over 10 years now) layer lines are from inconsistent nozzle temps from the part cooling fan or layer times/movements and z travel binding or bed wobble on bed slingers. The nozzle/part temp is greatly helped if you print multiple at a time as when you slow it down you will have to go very slow to prevent the part from curling by giving time to the part cooling fan to solidify before curling. Before part cooling was a thing i always printed a part cooling tower to take the nozzle off the part so it could cool. Printing multiple with low consistent part cooling fan will greatly help even the print temps for the parts as the filament is laying on plastic with more consistent temps

[@AckzaTV]

cool tower lol now they call it a prime tower and its just for multi color printing but maybe we can come back

[@Mockthenerd]

Honestly, the fact is supportless DnD minis are pretty amazing. I print them both in resin and FDM. Due to the costs and low prep time I just spam enemy dnd models on my fdm while I print more important figures on my resin.

[@martinquinn8437]

I also watched Danny's channel when I was first starting out. Your videos have become a must watch as well, keep up the great work.

[@legacyoftheancientsC64c]

What happened to Danny's channel? No uploads in over a year.

[@Zerarick]

​@nelsoncabrera6464 I thought he started a business. I'd need to check all his sites though

[@richm5276]

Workshops possibly

[@thunder5496]

For 2 years? ​@@richm5276

[@TheWaz248]

Great video, I have been printing minis with my Bambu X1 Carbon for the last year and it's largely been a positive experience. The .08 layer height typically provides a good enough surface quality, but I always have to keep in mind that the print is going to have a "good" side and "bad" side because of support scarring. It works really well when you can easily hide the "bad" side of the model (e.g. the "bad" side of shoulder armor is the inside that is going to be glued anyways), but sometimes it isn't possible. The easiest way I've found to do this is to cut the prints into halves or quarters when there isn't an easily hideable side. It does leave a large seam that needs to be glued together and can be difficult to get right, but the result is much better than having a side that is scarred up from supports. I have yet to try dissolvable supports, but the part that keeps me away is the price. Would love to see someone try this out. The layer lines are an issue on organic models, but they are easy to hide if the model doesn't have a smooth surface texture like skin. Fur and scales turn out really well because the rough texture hides the layer lines naturally. In some cases the layer lines turn out well for a metallic chassis surface finish as the layer lines look like a brushed metal finish, but in other cases it just looks weird. I may try switching to a .2 mm nozzle, but I have a feeling it will increase the time quite a bit for a marginal gain in surface quality due to the lower flow rate. Your video showed this off really well and I am interested to see comparisons between a .08 mm layer height with a .4mm nozzle and the settings you used in your video, including surface quality, time to print, and any other intangibles like support strength.

[@Sulfuron41]

I have a kickstarter X1C and have been using it nearly 24/7. I have used both the 0.4 and 0.2 nozzles when printing models that have a lot of detail. Although the 0.2 nozzle does increase print time, the results in quality between the 0.4 and the 0.2 nozzles are very visible. I almost exclusively print with a 0.2 nozzle because of this. Customers no longer complain about layer lines or muted details. Everything comes out sharp, crisp and even. I had refined my 0.4 nozzle profiles to what I thought was quite good, but the 0.2 nozzle blows those models away with ease.

[@ramblingbadger]

I printed minis for a good year or so on my Ender 3 before I got into resin and it was a pretty big learning curve, very slow but certainly achievable (although not to resin standards) As you say it really depends on the model, Duncan Louca's work is awesome and also DragonLock are good too... I still have two minis, a minotaur and a zombie bug bear (Loot Studios) in my display cabinet that I regularly forget are FDM until I pick them up. With the right painting techniques and a foot or so of distance they look pretty cool!

[@intboom]

Howdy, do you know of any good ender 3 cura settings anywhere? I keep trying to find settings specifically for mini printing and most reddit threads seem all circlejerk-y, requiring a load of prior knowledge to make sense of them

[@SianaGearz]

I don't know whether your slicer will let you do this, but you could try to fudge the supports extrusion multiplier for them to be effectively thinner than the nozzle width. Make them dense enough and they'll still hold up whatever they need to be holding up fine, but are easy to remove without ripping up the model because there's basically no cohesion to them. How to smooth out the sides? I don't think FDM can do this. Because the bead as it's extruded is fundamentally a little barrel shaped, on top of whatever vertical alignment issues your printer may produce due to extrusion or mechanical inconsistency. I think you need solvent smoothing or a filler material that you can apply on the surface so that when you paint the model, it doesn't start highlighting layer lines. Primer, plastic putty, etc. Some suggest actually using the UV printer resin as a filler agent. But please brush it on and wear PPE, i have seen one guy airbrush spray it on and that's just ludicrously irresponsible and dangerous, please don't be that guy.

[@Zodliness]

I agree with your conclusion, I too researched extensively into 3D printing miniatures with filament and resin. I eventually purchased an Ultimaker S3 dual nozzle 3D printer, which has quick swappable nozzles from 0.8mm down to 0.25mm, producing silky smooth almost layer-free results, in the smallest of highly detailed miniature models. When printing miniatures in PLA filament, I sometimes finish the models in a vapour chamber to further smooth out the layer lines. 👍

[@ozzytheartist4780]

You can reduce print times by quite a loot by lowering infill %. that 6 day print you showed had way too much infill

[@DrMcCoy]

Yeah, I've been wondering what happened to Danny for a while now. Even before he vanished completely, his videos have become less frequent. Possibly burnout? :/ I hope he's doing okay

[@HellbellyUK]

For things like buildings try using a larger layer height and adding "Fuzzy Skin" in the slicer to hide the layer lines.

[@MichaelMoser-j7t]

Hi, good work, I particularly liked the experiment with the 20 microns. I've been trying to print miniatures (not the optimized ones) on my cheap Elegoo Neptune for over a year and I keep running into the same problems. Unfortunately, I can't afford a new and better printer right now (a Prusa Mk 4 with MMU would be quite nice). First of all, it is worth using tree or organic supports, ideally with thin branch thickness and diameter. Since the Bambu has an AMS, you should also print the supports with PVA (e.g. AquaSolve or PrimaSelect PVA+) at full contact. That should solve the problem with the unsightly contact surfaces. Since printing miniatures takes a lot of time, you should also use a LokBuild film. PLA sticks like hell to the build plate and you can turn off the heatbed. (I only print with it.) This also saves a lot of electricity. Furthermore, PLA should not be printed in an enclosure with a heated print bed. If you also lower the printing temperature by 5 - 15°, it could also work with 40 microns (a fifth of the nozzle diameter) or less. Filament and filament color also makes a significant difference. I got my best results with neutral PLA/PHA from colorfabb. If the layer lines are small, good results can be achieved with two to three layers of primer. Printing with PVB (e.g. PolysSmooth / FiberSmooth) also helps against layer lines. Best regards

[@WildGooseProductions]

I've been printing my DND minis on my anycubic vyper with the .4mm nozzle with a layer height of .1mm using ABS and man I've been loving it! I scale them up to 150% so it's a little easier on the printer and since they are just player minis they aren't huge and the level of detail is great and even better since it's ABS I vapor smooth them with acetone and all the layer lines literally just melt away into a pretty smooth layer depending on how you let them sit in the closed container. If you have time definitely give it a shot in ABS, It's awesome seeing the detail that's achieved with it

[@WildGooseProductions]

Oh and another bonus to it being ABS, when you get any support scarring from ripping off the supports, the vapor smoothing gets rid of the nasty stress marks on the mini too

[@billdefranza4927]

Fat Dragon Games also makes support-less stops designed for FDM printing.

[@jaredkrivin6204]

Glad to see more and more interest in this, was playing around with printing a 1/12 scale helmet on the P1P for a Black Series figure and just kept trying to see what if I could get it perfect, honestly it's not bad at 0.06, there is loss of the smallest details (same details are just barely visible in resin) but that's to be expected. Will be messing around with it some more this weekend, from what I've recognized as a pain point thus far are the overhangs, especially on the underside if there are any, like on a dome for example (that's with it resting on a full bed of supports). I think splitting models in half and printing them split side on the bed is likely the best way to do it.

[@mvegaarance]

If you want to save time when FDM printing, you can also play with infill density. Those buildings seem unnecessarily filled to me. I bet you can stand on one and it won’t break.

[@kingbaaka3D]

exactly, i would even hollow my models to not use so much infill inside .

[@Gregatron13]

*immediately makes sure the bolt gun video has been liked*

[@ThePrintHouse]

Im beginning to like resin printing more and more, but thats because I've learned the steps it takes to keep it a clean(ish) process. I have a video coming out (hopefully) this month in regards to making resin more enjoyable to print.

[@eyyohbee]

I love Danny's channel and also have been wondering where he went. Glad to see I'm not alone!

[@FauxHammer]

He’s ok. Not my place to share. But he is good and moved on to different things

[@hobbitsatplay9542]

If you talk to someone that talks to him, let them know to let him know, many of us miss him and hope all is well!! ​@@FauxHammer

[@tronmachine9937]

If you are going to print a titan, use a 0.4 nozzle. You can see some Titans on printedwarhammer with nice qualities. You can achieve good quality print with the 0.4 nozzle using the "Fine" option. The 0.2 has "better quality" but takes twice the time than the .4 nozzle

[@seethruhead7119]

You should try cutting up your models so you can glue them together from pieces that are different colours then you don't have to waste time with multiple colour prints you just print all the parts that are the same colour for all your models in one go then then next colour and so on and then superglue the finished pieces together into a multicolor print you can even split the print between fdm and resin if a specific portion needs more detail

[@kitbashkingdom]

Excellent video. I like to see this question still being asked since I agree you can get great results. I have used my Prusa mini to test some of my miniatures to see if it would work for FDM users. I think even with extremely thin layer and a 0.2mm noz you will still have small line because of the nature of the medium. I tried PVB filament too to smooth with isopropyl. That had an interesting result but ended up only useful for transparent components on terrain I made. This all being said I found that 0.2mm with low layer heights makes for a very durable fun to put on the table model. I would like to implement your thoughts on solid painting to hide lines.

[@corkey2077]

Timing could not be better for this video, i've just received my 0.2mm nozzle for this very reason On another note fat dragon games are about to release a video on profiles from the bambu labs regarding minis

[@RzachPrime]

I have seen an article somewhere about using acetone to smooth the surface of a filament miniature after printing. I can't find the article now, but that might be an avenue to getting better minis from filament.

[@hoangdung7494]

Acetone melts plastic, it's great for building and big object. You can lose detail for small miniatures if you're not careful

[@alexcamilli129]

pretty sure that only abs

[@slightlylifted]

ASA and ABS can be vapor smoothed with acetone.

[@XYZQ578]

This works only for a difrent material, not PLA.

[@suit1337]

​@@slightlyliftedPVB can be smoothed with Isopropanol

[@Optikification]

I just sold my Saturn 2 and mercury xs setup as after 2 years i just hate the mess resin causes and the post processing is a pain. I just have my Neptune 3 max and P1S. I follow Fat dragon studios as Tom is great at doing minis on fdm

[@OofMr.Chattino]

I went with a fdm more specifically Bambu because of Danny and you. Thanks for this video so I can go back to some of Danny's old videos for inspiration!

[@darrenellis9491]

I find that the filament matters also. The Inland PLA+ seems to produce supports that are easier to remove than the Bambu basic PLA.

[@InAJamAgain]

Always print multiple models if you can, it will save overall waste rather than using it for 1 model at a time. Loving my bambu so far, and I just got the 0.2mm nozzle to try this!

[@KiemPlant]

0:51 I'm at the starting point right now. I bought an X1C first. Received my A1 mini today because I wanted to experience using it (and a gift for my mom). I'm already thinking of buying another AMS, but I might end up getting the P1S Combo instead. Insanely good quality printers. The only gripe I have is EVERY SINGLE COLOR being out of stock almost ALWAYS besides white and black. I am seriously considering making a bot to scrape the site and automatically place orders at this point when 4+ colors I want are available. I NEED ALL THE FILAMENTS

[@nazaxprime]

I feel like there's some smoothing that could be achieved with some kind of additional mechanical motion in the layers creation process. Much like you're piping analog, there's techniques to do more than just lay a bead... That said, I'm certainly not in a position to r&d such a feature. Even vibration with ultrasonics could potentially do something to smooth layer lines if the temp and material velocity is accounted for(pardon me, in an ultrasonic tech and I apply my experiences to random stuff from time to time.😂)... Hmmm... 🤔

[@SneakyJoeRu]

That's the video I've been sitting on making myself for 3 months. I bought this printer for minis myself among other things

[@NathanBuildsRobots]

My favorite part is where the guy with a 4 year old Ender 3 is making printing miniatures look easy 🤣 12:10

[@heller-games]

i print 6mm (full spectrum dominance, specifically) scale minis, scaled up to 133% (so the math stays right) on my p1p w/ .2mm head with 10% gyroid infill and otherwise default settings and they turn out excellent.

[@TokyoScarab]

I don't think layer lines will ever be fully removed as it's just a byproduct of the process.

[@BumblebeeFern]

I’m dying 😂 after thinking printing minis on my Bambu x1 would be a waste of time, I finally randomly came across a video that made me interested in the possibility. I just came from Danny’s video (first video I’d ever seen from him) that was made 5 years ago and wanted to see if there was as an updated video on the X1. Typed it in the search only to find you’d made one 4 days ago!! I just started into the d&d/mini hobby within the past few weeks and found your channel around that time. Anyways, that timing just tickled me!!

[@Selppins]

It looked like your infill percent setting seemed really high. I usually bump up the number of walls to 3-4 for terrain and do 5-10% infill with the rectangular pattern. Great video still! Definitely looking forward to the day FDM can really do resin quality prints easily

[@Tailmonsterfriend]

This is an important detail, thank you for pointing that out. Whenever I design models for printing, I also spend a lot of time thinking about where I can add voids on the model to avoid infill entirely; basically, where can this model be made hollow in such a way that it saves material and time.

[@hprfire]

Rock on Warhammer! looking forward to my own test when my bambu A1 comes. I miss Danny too

[@DMKarinZeeland]

Printed a couple of mini's on my P1X without playing with the settings and they were great without sanding or other polishing techniques. Thicker paints (Vallejo) helped a lot. Speedpaint was not a good idea.

[@Binary_Omlet]

Simple way to get rid of layer lines is to paint in ABS and Acetone vapor smooth. Do it right and it looks injection molded.

[@michits1118]

You can print the miniatures in ABS with the 60 micron layer resolution and do vapor smoothing, which makes it look like an actually resin print with glossyness

[@FauxHammer]

Softens all the sharp edges too though

[@LuckyAssult]

I kinda wished in these FDM reviews, you would take some time to try testing them with specifically terrain. The Printmini's modular shipping container is printable on both Resin and FDM printers. It's a decent size, but still having some smaller detailing like rivets and bracing. I feels like it would make a good benchmarch for comparasons.

[@FauxHammer]

There’s really no value in testing print quality on FDM printers. The second you do you invite arguments of “waghhhh you can get better if you change these settings” I just like to focus on user experience with the machines

[@icrofts]

I am more familiar with the P1 series. But the difference in the nozzel configurations is not just the fan. It is also the Thermister and heater. And you probably want 2 of those for swapping back and forth. (Plus they are a bit fiddly to swap)

[@FauxHammer]

it's all within the same component you get from Bambu tho.

[@tehhamstah]

@@FauxHammer yes, but swapping the fan, thermister and heater between two hotends is fiddly and requires new thermal grease on every swap. If you plan to do it once and never go back, fine, but if you plan to ever go back, it's not a huge amount extra to get it with the electronics already installed. I have a 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 hotend all with electronics, and I regularly swap between all of them depending on what I want to print.

[@FauxHammer]

@@tehhamstah yeah I'm starting to realise this as more people comment. It's not clear on the site

[@SirLANsalot]

you can do .03 layer lines with that .2 nozzle, however you need to SLOW the printer down. Granted Bambu will do it on its own for the most part. One thing you can do is increase the layer cooldown time, this slows the printer down by a lot and makes each layer much better. FDM is going to be slower then SLA because one does each layer in a single take, vs drawing a line over and over again. So FDM can do organic shapes, but it will take a lot longer and some good tuning to get resin quality levels.

[@kingdwight1]

What is the setting to "increase the layer cooldown time"? Looking for it in Cura but don't see it.

[@SirLANsalot]

@@kingdwight1 Cura can't do it, too old of a slicer. Orca slicer has it under Filament settings > Cooling > Layer Time. The higher that number (in seconds) the more it will slow the print down to allow the layers to cool more, before the next layer hits it.

[@KToMmi]

​@@SirLANsalot it fucking can and always could.

[@ilikenothingtoo]

With the enclosure you should be able to print ABS no problem, it's so much easier to sand.

[@ulforcemegamon3094]

Also you can do vapor smoothing too

[@ishepard2]

RIP Danny/3D Printing DM. Even before his kickstarter collapsed and basically no one got anything they paid for he kind of disappeared. I think he should have kept up his videos and explained what was going on - owned it. Instead he seems to have been too afraid to explain the issues and that has drastically damaged his brand. I freakin loved his content and he was one of the people who got me into 3D printing years ago. I hope he comes back in some form or other but I kind of doubt it.

[@FauxHammer]

sad he's gone

[@ishepard2]

@@FauxHammer I mean, he's not dead. His channel is basically dead and gone tho. I hope he's not dead.

[@FauxHammer]

@@ishepard2 sorry, yeah I know. yeah i found out from a mutual friend, he want back to his old career

[@ishepard2]

@@FauxHammer Still makes me sad. His channel rocked.

[@FauxHammer]

@@ishepard2 Agreed!

[@feynthefallen]

There used to be techniques around for print smoothing. The problem with ultra high detail prints is that the details are often smaller than the layer lines and would be smoothed away together with the layer lines. I think for the time being, we simply have to accept that additive manufacturing has its limits where detail is concerned. You wouldn't expect your soho laser printer to produce the quality of a professional ultra-high-res printing press like it's used in document and money printing which commands 10,000 times the price. So stop expecting the same quality from your 1000$ FDM machine that you would get from injection molding where each tool would cost 10-100 times as much, to not even speak of the infrastructure needed to use them. I have worked at a high-class injection molding factory, I've actually stood next to the machine that makes the headlights for Maybach luxury limousines, so I know what I'm talking about. And I've also seen the 30 cubic feet boxes they fill up with test pieces and rejects during the 2-month setup phase it takes to dial in that level of quality.

[@intel31337]

I would recommend use a 0.4 nozzle for something like terrain.

[@ulforcemegamon3094]

Also Titans

[@wendelcompton2727]

You can smoth your prints what you do is either lightly paint on resin on the model and cure it or, use Bondo filler and sand it smooth or use primer that also fills in the layer lines

[@parallacksg]

I know this is late but some info on Danny. He had a kickstarter for a 5e adventure that went south due to various reasons. A big one was his health. There was backlash on how he handled the closing of the project and I haven't seen any content from him since unfortunately.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

I love his channel as well, really miss his content.

[@hightde13]

Were you still using the .2 nozzle for the buildings? six days seems excessive especially on a Bambu machine. From the video it looks like you could have used a .4 or .6 without much if any loss of detail and way less infill.

[@gaminglife7825]

Bros litteraly addicted to bambu. . .

[@BrentLeVasseur]

So I am relatively new to this hobby, and had my Carbon X1 for about a month now, and the one thing that has been driving me nuts is my Aoleon The Martian Girl character can’t print on it without major fails. I have tried everything I can think of and have been hitting a brick wall. The support filament doesn’t work properly and when using a separate support filament the printer creates more filament ‘poop’ than needed to print the model itself. The printer is worse than my cats in that its “litter box” has to be emptied several times during a single print. Furthermore, it can’t do rounded organic shapes well without things like speghetifying or layer lines and if you try ironing like I did, it ended up melting the entire print head enclosure and clogging the nozzle. It was a nightmare project for me that ended in misery. And I’m now at the age where I just don’t have the patience for dealing with crap anymore. I expect things to basically just work, because life is too short.

[@davydatwood3158]

I have an X1C, I love it, it restored my love of 3D printing - but I still think the multi-colour feature is just a gimmick. Multi-colour/material through a single nozzle is just never going to be material efficient. If you really want to do multi-colour, get a tool-changer or multi-head printer.

[@dragonld123]

I like Resin printers detail but I hate the procedure. I am planning to buy a Bambu Lab P1P to print with PLA , PLA+ . I heard that enclosures are good for other materials like ABS and bad for PLA that why I choosed P1P instread of P1S. Most of the time I want to print terrain or large scale models like a vehicle or a Dreadnought size and Heroquest board but I still care about detail. Do you think I must buy 0.2 nozzle or keep the 0.4 nozzle? Can you make a video for the slicer for best settings of 0.2 and 0.4 nozzle according to best detail? From the specs I saw that the Bambu Lab X1 P1S P1P can print at speed 500 but I guess I must set it to 200-250 for better detail. What speed did you use for the miniatures of this video?

[@FauxHammer]

You'll get better detail with the 0.02 on smaller models but most miniatures aren't made with FDM in mind. I just used the standard settings In the slicer for all of these models

[@dragonld123]

@@FauxHammer Well you must decrease the outer wall size if it use standard and the total speed if it use around 400-500 to 250. I saw great improvement to my Ender 3 V2 with these changes on small models(Smaller outer wall, half speed).

[@jonlangfitt]

Dry brushing fdm terrain works alright if you have more texture and mess it up more with clashing strokes. Makes it so you have to focus on it to see it. The more the eye has to draw towards the less it sees in the periphery.

[@TorianTammas]

Primer does wonders.

[@primate2744]

When I saw what resin could do with minis after printing stuff with fff/fdm for several years, I knew instantly that it was game over.

[@swardinc]

as someone who wants to print some of those models on my minifactory having the resin printer be the only choice i'm left wonder how to do that then? From what i have heard is you must wear gloves and a mask and have ventilation is that true?

[@TheRelentlessAssault]

Everyone should have both a resin and fdm printer. It’s really much easier to use a resin printer than people say it is.

[@LWJCarroll]

Why dont you do the buildings as Hollywood/movie style facades. Just the outer walls and hollow, no fill interiors. You may have to print roofs and glue on but wouldnt tat save alot of time and materials? Laurie NZ 😊

[@meadmaker4525]

As someone considering getting into this hobby, the detail and comparatively short time with resin printing is amazing, but it seems a LOT more involved (liquid resin, harsh cleaners, fumes, UV curing cabinets, drip trays/bibs, hazardous waste disposal, etc.) than FDM. Then I watched this video. Seriously...a week to print a mini?!?! Whew, that's a long time. I'm not particularly impatient either, but that's a lot more than I was expecting. Makes me wonder if all the toxic, goopy BS with the resin printer isn't actually preferable. Maybe I missed it, but did you address fumes with the X1 and how it compares to resin printing?

[@KarlGosling]

I have no idea why it took a week, I printed a 50mm high mini at 0.10mm layer height and it took 1hour and 15mins on my P1S with a 0.4 nozzle and looked great for FDM.

[@icrofts]

Are you planning on driving over those with a car? 😂 8:39 Two outer shells and lightning infill is more than enough for wargame terrain.

[@FauxHammer]

yeah i didn't know how to properly hollow when I shot that....

[@Moody1351]

08:21 duuude the warping on the right corner, btw too much infill. That's why it took so long and it's not a stress or technical model, so 10% infill would be enough.

[@billcurran7210]

I developed a resin sensitivity as a result of resin printing. I would love to see a good FDM profile for my X1C (preferable with supports)!

[@FauxHammer]

I'm worried for the day that happens to me.

[@felipea7147]

I got my ender 3 watching that 3d printed Tabletop channel. He recommended me to wait for the ender 3 before buying the CR10

[@darkgeargaming1564]

I own the primal hounds bits and I'm planning on doing an experiment of printing them in ABS then using a gentle vapor smoothing on them.

[@tncountryboy34]

I have the anycubic kobra max and it's great...I'm still new to 3d printing and still learning how to print and learn the settings

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Not a nitppick but I genuinely found it funny that the video says the NOZZLE was 0.02mm That would be amazing!

[@FauxHammer]

I know. Sorry. My brain was in resin printer mode

[@biggboysouth]

First time viewer of your channel. Sorry if I'm mistaken but seems you are more proficient with resin printing than with FDM/bambu labs. Multi day prints is rather odd unless you are printing them at 100% infill which is never really recommended unless making functional parts. In general you want to print with as little walls and infill as you can for the models given task. On the topic of multi color printing it's been widely (in the bambu community) known that the default setting are very wasteful. Many people nix the purge entirely because the tower does well enough to not need it. Others have recommended simply having a duplicate model on the plate that would serve as a sacrificial piece so they could turn off the tower as well and end up with a somewhat usable model vs a useless tower of waste. Then like you mentioned it really seems to be suited for batch printing but there are still ways to improve waste some.

[@Malephex]

Fat Dragon Games (other KZbinr) has a video with a good profile for the A1 Mini. Requires a 0.2 nozzle, though

[@ilKamuTube]

Probably the Active Flow Rate Compensation of the A1 series can be useful for precise prints. Furthermore, the A1 Mini has a hardware configuration that seems much simpler to maintain and more mechanically stable than the A1 Combo, also due to the presence of the linear rail on the Z axis compared to the double screw.

[@javilo2797]

Go for the mini then?

[@svengro5019]

The problem with fine FDM printing is that there are so much variables that can cause print errors that will be visible later. Reliable precision of the movements, the extruder, the constant temperature of the nozzle, the surrounding temperature, the unprecise filament diameter, etc. etc. And all that assumed that the slicer settings are perfect for the layer height and nozzle diameter. Is it worth the hassle? sometimes.

[@miguela.migallon8405]

Hello everyone. I am a 3D modeler and I recently bought my first resin printer to start a business of Art Toys and large-sized figures (15 - 20 cm). A few days later I had to return it because I don't know if I'm allergic to the resin but the fumes it released burned my eyes and lungs (even with protection and ventilation). My question is... My figures and art toys are cartoon style, since they are large in size, could I get good quality with these bambulab printers? I can't afford to buy the X1c, could I use a cheaper bambulab model? Which one would you recommend? Lately I see a lot of people using the A1 mini, is it better quality as the work surface is smaller? Thank you and greetings.

[@thebigaverage-jordanspeck9045]

Im currently saving for a creality k1c.. thanks for this video

[@FauxHammer]

Yeah.. you’re sure? I mean it’s your call. But make sure you watch a good amount of reviews by trusted outlets

[@michael90810]

You need to get into contact with Tom Tullis from Tomb of 3d Printed Horrors/Fat Dragon Games, he's really the go to guy on using FDM printers for terrain and miniatures.

[@FauxHammer]

Happy to speak to anyone who could advise

[@peejwilco1357]

What quality could you expect with the Bambu A1? I'm looking at getting back into printing, and considering the Bambu's are on sale at the moment would be a good time. For me the A1 or A1 Mini would be perfect. Considering you're using the top end Bambu, just wondering what I could expect with their entry level models.

[@timfriesen7751]

Was there any way to decrease the print time by decreasing the infill? Looks pretty hefty the way you have it!

[@dwarfy2k264]

If anyone is wondering what happened to the 3d Printed Tabletop guy. Basically he did a kickstarter (Uncharted Lands: Book & STL Collection) and has left alot of people high and dry. So I guess his utube chanel was also abandoned cause it'd eventually fill with comments about how they got shafted of (in many cases) alot of money. Always sad to see but this is a timely reminder that just cause someone seems nice on utube doesn't mean that they are your friend and you should trust them emphatically.

[@FauxHammer]

except me right? I'm your friend and you should trust me....

[@dwarfy2k264]

@@FauxHammer lol but seriously on the whole you are one of the way better reviewers as you also know PPE exists

[@FauxHammer]

@@dwarfy2k264hehe PeePeeEeee Seriously, thank

[@shadowzedge5793]

I'd love it if Bambu released a 0.1mm nozzle for miniature printing

[@FauxHammer]

dunno if that would help or hinder at this point

[@RisingApe]

Another great video, I despise the mess resin makes no doubt, but as my main jam is painting, the detail is essential, so for now at least I'll stick with resin

[@scottgozdzialski6478]

I have a flashforge idx printer where I use pva for supports. I get great mini s from that. For the Bambu I use the 0.2 nozzle for fdm it is all orientation. You need to reduce supports on detailed parts.

[@Hohmies86]

I can’t believe I’ve learned so much for free. Humanity isn’t dead by a long shot

[@yuvalhindri6458]

It looks like you're using a lot of infill, you can use about 5% infill or even less, that will save you a lot of time and material. You can also use the infill for the purging during color changes

[@ThePhiphler]

I hope eventually we can get the quality of FDM with the easy of use and convenience of resin.

[@RushimaV]

The Arachne settings helps a lot also if more difficult miniatures

[@craigjones7343]

Danny’s most recent Kickstarter fell apart and I think the backlash from it has chased him away from social media. I love his videos as well.