3D Printing for D&D 🤔 Is it Worth it? (Elegoo Mars)

[@WASD20]

UPDATE (January 2022) I'm still loving 3D printing! I currently use an Elegoo Saturn, which is nice because it has a much bigger build plate and prints faster. However, my Mars link in the description now links to the (currently more expensive) Mars 2 Pro, because the Mars has been discontinued. So if you are looking for a comparable cheaper model, here are some suggestions: Voxelab Proxima: amzn.to/3eZraUJ Creality Halot-one CL-60: amzn.to/32RKy3v As for me, I'm loving my Saturn, which is currently priced around $500. amzn.to/3qXHqeB Feel free to suggest others below!

[@ashers9695]

Really appreciate the update! just getting into the research for my first printer and its super helpful to get current info!

[@Andres9632]

Any recommendations for a 6k printer?

[@MachineGunMyrr]

Thanks this video really helped a lot! 😄😄

[@kalibbailey6219]

I found used vowel Labs proximas for $85 on ebay

[@borewyrm]

Excited to start this weekend. My FDM has been printing terrain for a long time. I have also been printing dragonlock minis. Bit I am excited to print with my new photon 4k.

[@SILVERF0X13]

Also worth noting for people interested in water washable resin, do NOT just rinse it in the sink. You can use normal water for the rinsing, but you need to still treat that water as toxic and not flush it down the sink.

[@absolutelydegenerate1900]

Yes keep it in a container, once it’s too dirty or you’re done you evaporate it, and take it to toxic waste disposal.

[@jenem1855]

@@absolutelydegenerate1900 Leaving the container that held the water evaporating in the sun will cause the resin in the water to cure.

[@Kaylakaze]

For custom minis, there's now also Desktop Hero 3D. They don't charge for STLs but instead sell asset packs (sets of clothing and items) that you can use to make as many minis as you want and the core pack is free.

[@chuckfarley2764]

Also, large minis should be hollowed to save resin.

[@bluebobman6152]

I'm assuming you're talking about making the infill pattern smaller, if you are that's good advice, however I've found with completely hollow things they can sometimes missprint.

[@csmead209]

@@bluebobman6152 that and solid might be easier to glue if the thing breaks.

[@custardstuff5178]

@@bluebobman6152 You can never clean an infilled model properly, you will end up with uncured resin on the inside which is bad news.

[@NikkiAnnMarie]

@@bluebobman6152 You don't require infill for resin miniatures, you only require a few internal supports if hollowed (along with drain holes)

[@bluebobman6152]

Ok listen to these people not me, sorry i come from FDM Printing so SLA Printing is pretty new to me

[@andersdenkend]

I'm a scale modeller and 3D printing is pretty much revolutionizing this industry. It might not be for everyone, but people who are doing arts and crafts anyway, can surely benefit from printing. It's amazing how we are living in the literal future right now.

[@steveharrison76]

I’ve often wondered about 3d printing. I don’t have the room or the money for it right now, but it always seemed to be a massive boon for a DM. I can print minis for my players, I can develop a great collection of beasties and so on... yeah. It feels like the right choice. And I’ll tell you, I REALLY needed this video. Thank you so much for making it, boss. Fantastically informative, answered all my questions... sincerely: grateful for this.

[@WASD20]

Thanks, Steve!

[@TheBeelzboss]

You need a 2'× footprint for the printer and needed items

[@PaulGuy]

I have two running printers right now, a resin like this (Anycubic Photon) and an FDM (Prusa I3 Mk3s), plus an Ender 3 that needs fixing. I use the resin for regular minis, and the FDM for really big stuff and terrain. I am currently doing the Tarrasque from Artisan Guild on the FDM, the quality is still great if you run small layers, it just takes forever. I used the FDM because his thing is freaking huge, and filament will cost about a quarter of what resin would, maybe even less.

[@WillWildsOutdoorAdventures]

@@PaulGuy Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems 2.2 pounds of filament would be $25-30. 1 liter of water washable resin is $45-50 or non water washable for $30 is 2.2 pounds. So it looks like it's the same weight which wouldn't mean any price savings unless you are getting cheap filament but you could also get $30 non water washable for the same price/weight. Please if I'm wrong let me know but not seeing any savings here.

[@PaulGuy]

@@WillWildsOutdoorAdventures FDM prints generally get printed hollow with support infill, so you use less filament. Resin prints the full layer solid. Technically you can hollow resin prints out, but you need to make drain holes for uncured resin, and the stuff inside will never fully cure.

[@renealbrechtsen9743]

Next step: Nate getting into 3D sculpting and making his own miniatures. :)

[@AndreiPek]

As a 3d artis and a mini fanatic I can say there is sutch a fulfilment when you start conceptin your mini, model it, print it and paint it. Its like crack :))

[@FlRELAlR]

@@AndreiPek is there a way to scan sculptures you've handmade, then shrink down to make minis out of it!? :O This is definitely something that would push me toward getting a 3D printer! (the scanning part is something I'm not sure how you'd go about it)

[@AndreiPek]

@@FlRELAlR yes you can but being so small its hard to get acurate results. If its painted its even harder if it has metalics on or reflective coats. Perfect scenario: gray matt coat and lots of photos taken under a overcast sky or flooded light. Yf you search a bit on photogrammetry you'll see the ins ant outs and what is required.

[@FlRELAlR]

@@AndreiPek I searched "Photogrammetry" and the first video showed me everything I had questions about. Thank you so much!

[@najkraemer3117]

@@AndreiPek Oh cool, im doing the same. Do you have a MyMiniFactory account or art page? I'd like to see what stuff you make. (Sofar ive amde an undead skeleton horde, Orc warband, and spiders

[@BobWorldBuilder]

I can see it now, “3D Printing A Fantasy Map!!” Great review, Nate :)

[@prtwriter4660]

If you need a commission. DM me I print lol.

[@WASD20]

Haha! Thanks, Bob. :)

[@hyperguyver2]

One thing that helps when cleaning your build plate, vat, and LCD screen is Sprayway Glass Cleaner. It has a compound that dissolves resin and give them a hood protective coating that helps with plate adhesion.

[@chuckfarley2764]

I run a game off of entirely 3d printed minis and terrain. Resin for minis, FDM for terrain. Also the Phrozen Sonic Mini is a fantastic and FAST resin printer. I own one and highly recommend it!

[@illidony3836]

same here. I'm using the Anycubic Photon, which was back then the best choice. Today I'd recommend anyone trying to get into resin 3d printing to get a Elegoo Mars, since their customer support and pricing is just fantastic. Can't wait to get my Elegoo Saturn to print even bigger minis :V

[@akbarrmd7714]

@@illidony3836 i have a question regarding photon. Does the photon S have bigger surface area than the OG photon? Im planning to buy one. Thanks. Stay safe and healthy.

[@illidony3836]

@@akbarrmd7714 No, the Photon S only has faster curing times and a dual Z rod. The new upcoming Photon Mono will have a bigger build plate.

[@WASD20]

@@akbarrmd7714 I've heard from one KZbinr that the Photon S is NOT worth the price hike over the Photon. Many Photon users were pretty disappointed with it.

[@akbarrmd7714]

@@WASD20 thanks. so the OG photon then.

[@PaulGuy]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with autosupports. You just need to go through it afterwards and check that everything is actually supported.

[@wildbillsworkshop3410]

The mask doesn't really do anything for breathing in the fumes. To take care of fumes you need to wear a respirator. The mask keeps small amounts of resin from flicking up into your mouth or nose when you work with it. Usually, the most common time this could happen would be when taking the print off the build plate. I would also recommend eye protection. you would not want to get resin in your eyes. Why that isn't brought up more when discussing safety is beyond me. The smell can vary from resin to resin and even person to person. some people can be sensitive to the smell. A friend of mine printed just once and then sold his printer due to the smell. I used the resin which he gave to me and I didn't think it was bad at all. Large prints also need to be hollowed and have drain holes put into the print. Uncured resin trapped inside the print will leech into the print and cause issues over time. As far as auto supports, good when your new and still figuring it all out. However, over time you'll notice that the surface quality you can get from doing your own is far better. You can control the size and depth penetration of supports making for easier support removal with little to no surface defects. Auto supports doesn't really do that very well.

[@amaurythewarrior]

yeah it really bothered me that he just neglected this point so much. I was aiming for filament as I mainly wanted to do detail pieces for sci-fi scenery, and not miniatures, but resin just seems really superior, and might be worth putting in the extra effort - and actually knowing enough about safety.

[@pg259]

This depends on the filters you are using. I use Draeger masks, Draeger offers different masks for different applications. Use P2/3 for dust only or go up to A1B1E1K1Hg P3 for organic fumes, unorganic fumes, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, quicksilver fumes and particles.

[@Mekhami]

the dangers of the toxicity of resin are wildly overreported. it's no more harmful than bleach or nearly any fluid you'd put in your car, yet people freak the hell out about resin and don't bat an eye about using bleach without a respirator. take precautions, sure, but you don't have to suit up to print some minis.

[@MikeTheGamer77]

The larger the build plate, the lower the cost per piece. Makes printing things like the dragon cost less and take less time to actually print. There have also been a bunch of after market pieces you cn buy, like a flexible, magnetic build plate.

[@Gamarishi]

"This is a big toy to print small toys" hahahaahahahaha Oh, man, how i wanna a toy like that

[@roanthewanderer2626]

Yes it is 100% if you use a ton of miniatures but disclaimer there is a large learning curve but once you get it down it’s absolutely amazing plus you can make money from it

[@WillWildsOutdoorAdventures]

No there isn't a large learning curve at all, it's quite easy.

[@Nukeclearchipmunk]

The learning curve seems to depend on the printer you get. Some printers seem more plug and play almost, where as some require a lot of work just to get going and then more work to get the prints to look good.

[@roanthewanderer2626]

I’m basing my learning curve comment in the fact that I knew nothing at all about 3d printing other than I liked miniatures. So yes there was a large learning curve for me personally I had to learn how to slice software , how to use the machine and how to even get the files to print yes indeed a very large learning curve for someone like me that had less than zero experience with any kind of 3d computer knowledge. And I’m sure there are other printers out there that are plug and play I’m basing my knowledge of using the ANYCUBIC photon only and it’s wash machine. My comment on this thread wasn’t to discourage any one from getting into it. But from my personal experience it was not as easy as it looked. :)

[@inter-partyconflict9540]

@@WillWildsOutdoorAdventures If you've never used a slicer before (which I imagine most people haven't), 3D printing can be VERY confusing, and slicing your files wrong can waste hours, resin, and (in extreme cases) damage your printer. For resin printers especially, processing and handling minis after printing is awful and can't really be overstated. Whatever your experience, you have to acknowledge that someone who has had no 3D printing experience whatsoever is going to have to learn a LOT if they just pick up an Elegoo Mars out of the blue.

[@MH-dm4qc]

The unicorn was VERY unexpected, and I loved it :)

[@randomguyontheinternet5030]

love how he says beforehand that his links are affiliate links, i know a lot of youtubers who dont do that and its just nice that hes upfront about it

[@ChristianFoushee]

I got this notification as soon as I started preparing my 3D printer for printing a miniature

[@ITSACRITICAL]

I have a FDM printer and use it to print minis and dungeon tiles and I love it. I printed my daughter's d&d mini with it.

[@JJ-vp3bd]

What printer is it

[@ITSACRITICAL]

@@JJ-vp3bd it's a Tronxy XY-2 I am still learning some new things but love how the prints are coming out.

[@ovecka17]

As a person who does 3d modeling, 3d printing seems extremely amazing for DnD, as I could actually create fully customized minis

[@michaelsorensen7567]

And then sell them too lol

[@RidleyofZebes]

Awesome! I've been waiting on this video, and you did not disappoint, sir! I'm so glad to see how much you're loving your Elegoo Mars. You've done a wonderful job of breaking down the process for newcomers, you should really be proud. I especially love that your video will reach an audience who might otherwise not have looked up a video on resin printing, and hopefully others will now be drawn into the hobby. Looking forward to seeing more from you on this, Nate!

[@WASD20]

Thanks so much! I do hope it spreads the good word on how awesome this is. :)

[@Thornspyre81]

The BEST gaming purchase I've made hands down is my Ender 3 Pro. I use it primarily for terrain but have made amazing minis. The amount of detail is unreal. Ive printed large rock and mountain sections where the fractal like detail has to be seen to be believed. It really is too good to be true.

[@chuckchuckerson5364]

One of the guys in my primary group just bought one of these a month ago, and it has been pretty awesome. Any time I can't find a mini for sale I want, he just prints it up. We have been painting more than playing lately lol.

[@DragonRoams]

Thanks for sharing your experience and the steps. I've been getting closer to making this leap myself. I really like the idea of mixing this with 3d sculpting for when I throw custom enemies at my players.

[@3DPrintedDebris]

The biggest weakness to the MSLA type machines are the LCD screens. The MARS needs a steady flow of FEP film and LCD screens to be reliable in a large scale setup. I have 12 of them running paid work, but I also keep 16 screens (1 for every 100-150 hours of printing) and about 20 FEP sheets (1 for every 50 or so hours depending on model complexity). You'll also need spare vats, as the stupid screws mounting the sheet to the vat as well as the film to the frame do tend to strip and sieze. Luckily they are the same size as ender 3 spare screws (I have 30 of the Ender 3 machines), so I have had a good supply of replacement hardware. Oh, and 3-in-1 PTFE lube on vat cleaning or FEP replacement is a MUST.

[@3DPrintedDebris]

@@BlackRazor54 Rapid resin isn't too bad for smell, but the mess is pretty insane with more than a few machines. I wound up creating a 3' x 4' "Slap Mat" out of platinum cure silicone to try and keep it under control.

[@IcarusGames]

For auto supports, I use the Prusaslicer to auto orient the model and add auto supports (I usually add a couple extras too) and then export the supported model as an STL before throwing that into chitubox. The result isn't as nice as my custom supports, but it goes about 10x faster, which means more minis on the table! For getting the supports off, I soak the models in warm (as hot as your taps will go) water after washing them in alcohol to weaken the supports.

[@vjaceslavsavsjaniks6431]

Resolution on 3d printers is around 50 or less microns. So it can print very fine details. Friend of mine currently writes about it.

[@WASD20]

I think it's more a matter of more time and energy being invested by GW for sculpting of models. I think sculptors for 3D printing will get better, but it's hard to compete with the resources of the big dogs at the moment. Still GW and Reaper better watch out. This is the future and if they don't get on board it could be bad for them. I think it WILL reach a tipping point.

[@pearlaygriffinrider6979]

Detail is determined by scupt, many STLs are ones made for Filament printers who cant print the detail of resin, GW Scupts there minis BIG then shrinks them down before Mold process.

[@Yuricthebold]

"I think we're all getting used to this by now!" - LOLZ

[@DaveThaumavore]

You crushed it in this video, Nate. Tight format, excellent information.

[@WASD20]

Thanks, Dave. That means a lot coming from you. :)

[@robertmcrae3443]

If you get a failed print or a partially failed print instead of straining the resin and scratching your FEP film, do this. While you are cleaning the build plate and the resin is sitting, settled, fire the screen using the test function. I usually go 45-60 seconds. This will create a "model" of the screen. Usually at least one corner peels up and can be easily removed from the vat taking any solids with it.

[@wiggy5209]

When you mentioned about the "return on your investment" being less when you printed that wyvern thing ......yes it becomes less of an overall return but you pay £9, whereas for the same size GW would charge £95...

[@StorytellingRon]

This was a great video and has solidified my desire to keep using my paper minis! Print, cut, fold, trim done! Whoohooh! But thorough informative video as always by WASD20 for sure!

[@DennisCNolasco]

Lots of really cool info here. I’m considering creating custom minis, and your video answered the questions I had 👍👍

[@chefboycc5448]

I had the same grease issue on the z axis when I first got my photon, I now have a photon, elegoo Mars, and an ender 3 pro, I have to say the ender is excellent for terrain and very customizable if your seriously teetering on getting one I’d say jump on it when you get the chance!

[@HellGod67]

Do you prefer Photon or Mars for resin printing? And why do you have both?

[@MarkLewis...]

I'm torn... I love crafting, but I am intrigued by this new fangled invention of 3d printing... and indoor plumbing. Great vid!!!

[@cartoon80s90s]

I do not own a 3d printer so I have not tested their models, but I hear Titan Forge offers a great deal with their Patreon subscription. I think it's around $10 and you get a ton of stl files for high quality minis.

[@englandderogatory9224]

Imo the biggest downside to 3d printing is the need to paint them yourself. It's pretty good practice for my warhammer minis, though. Other than that, I've had a great experience with my 3d printer. Really makes prepping for a new game easy, especially since all the hobby shops nearby are shut down.

[@csmead209]

Use it to bootleg your Warhammer miniatures.

[@wombora]

I keep my supports - the support bases and standoffs make awesome Greebles for spaceship moddeling :D

[@InsanityisSanity]

best review ever, you came out right at the beginning with your verdict without faffing around about nonsense. Thank you, im still gonna watch till the end but just wanted u to know that its very much appreciated :)

[@rioploon]

For auto supports, some have used the Prusa slicer to generate supports, then save the STL and import into Chitubox to slice. Prusa slicer has better support capability while Chitubox slices better. But, that's what some perfectionists claim..... :)

[@WASD20]

I have also seen this.

[@DungeonClass]

Oh boy, I have been telling Gonzo we need one of these for our channel for research and stuff. Yeah, that’s it research. Thanks for making this, Nate. Excellent video.

[@WASD20]

Thanks for watching! Keep up the good work on the vids. :)

[@DungeonClass]

WASD20 thank you, sir. You are one of our favorite channels and we look up to all you do.

[@RayGallardo]

Oh man this is a great surprise. I recently got this printer and it comes in this weekend. I got it for miniatures because I spent so much time on Heroforge designing I was like. The cost is as much as a printer.

[@ravensgategames1912]

Great video, mate! I'm printing with the Epax X1 (that choice was all about the factory leveled bed. Talk about a quality of life upgrade!!) for minis and an Ender 3 for terrain and other large items. Both were first printers for me, and I couldn't be happier with the pair. If you are going to get an fdm printer, I'd highly recommend an Ender 3. For the price, you'll be hard pressed to beat it, and it can print at an amazing 0.04 mm layer height. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience!

[@ravensgategames1912]

Sorry folks, I have a typo in this comment. The Ender 3 will print at 0.08, not 0.04. That's what I get for being awake so late at night.... Cheers all!!

[@MrOreo123]

Please don't immediately toss your supports into the trash without post curing them. They'll be safe to dispose after some time in the sun though. Thanks for the video! I love printing on my Elegoo Mars. I'm fortunate to have the money for it, so I sprung for the Anycubic Wash and Cure station along with the printer for the quality of life improvement.

[@zacfor4454]

You seem pretty knowledgeable so thought I would just ask but how toxic is this resin exactly? Like ya dont get in on you don't touch it and all of that but if you do get it on you by mistake is that like a "go wash your hands really fast in alcohol" or a "go to a hospital" situation

[@wrinklysoldier5244]

This is the video I was looking for, as I've been asking myself these same questions lately. Thank you!

[@davinci3259]

I bought the Elegoo Mars for $259 back in May and I'm very happy with it, even though the price has dropped a lot since then I'm not even mad about it cause $260 is still a good price. I use Elego ABS-like resin because it is a lot more flexible than the standard and is $40 a liter. Luckily the slicing program tells you a pretty close estimate to time, resin used, and how much that resin is costing you. My cost is usually between $0.80 - $1.05 for a complete build plate of minis and I squeeze as many as I can which is around 8 depending on the pose give or take a couple mini's. I finally gave in when I realized I was going to be spending over 1k on minis in reapers kickstarter. A month and a half later I bought an Ender 3 pro for printing anything I cannot fit on my Elegoo plate. I have not bought a miniature from a store since, but I do pledge to a few sculptors on Patreon and I buy resin and filament as I need it, usually keeping 2 of each on hand. One of the best parts is you can print better quality mini's than most companies sell.

[@davinci3259]

I use Fingernail polish remover to clean them. 100% acetone, I bought a few microfiber towels from Dollartree and have 1 in front of my printer which is in my bedroom. After it prints I hang it from the plate holder that came with the printer, allows you to hang the plate at an angle upside down to save as much resin, then I use the scraper to get it from the plate onto the towel and just swish it in acetone. Initially I used mean green and an ultrasonic cleaner but swishing it in the acetone, you don't even need the ultrasonic cleaner.

[@davinci3259]

I pledged to Crippled God Foundry after watching your video. I didn't know they started a Patreon so thank you for that. Hopefully more people will find out so we can get to the pre-supported level of miniature's.

[@TheLrdjustice]

Thank you for covering the supports part, I've seen so many reviews but no one ever explains that the minis don't just print, you have to go in and add supports yourself, an auto feature seems super useful.

[@davidcarter9322]

Combining FDM and SLA makes the best of both worlds. Larger structures on FDM and very detailed parts from SLA for those large structures is a win -win in my book.

[@lanzer22]

Elegoo sells rather pricy resins. I've recently found that Jayo has pretty cheap but very good quality resin. Both the regular and ABS like resins are awesome. They pretty much cut your cost estimate by 25 to 50%.

[@edwardp4417]

Hey, I had that same issue with my Mars when I first got it. I actually returned mine (because I had no idea what was happening) and got a replacement that has been working without a hitch for about 6 months now.

[@JohnSmith-qe6fb]

A lot of creatures can be bought around Halloween time or made with some ingenuity. Picked up a large spider from Amazon for $1.29 and repainted it and applied some leg hairs. Used it for a Spider Queen boss fight for a low level party. Her minions were a bag of spiders I repainted. A recent trip to Wendy's netted some super hero toys and the Lux Luthor repainted could be some sort of golem.

[@dawnjackson5773]

I have an ender 3 pro and I print both minis and terrain.. They come out so nice ..even the minis come out really nice if you do your homework and learn how the printer works. You really can get great prints on from these kind of prints.

[@cleio81]

There are SO many talented artists on patreon. So far my fav there is Raging heros infinite. The details on their modles are mind blowing and my Anycubic has no trouble printing them. For terrain and whatnot I really love EC3D. You can find a lot of his stuff on kickstarter. All of his terrain and minis are designed to be printed with an FDM printer. But they are detailed enough to look fantastic on a resin printer as well. for some tool reccomendations, I always have paper towels, a box of disposable gloves, a plastic scraper (one comes with the Anycubic), a metal paint scraper, and a pair of little wire snips. The plastic scraper is fantastic for removing failed prints from the FEP sheet on the bottom gently without damaging anything. The paint scraper is for getting stuff off of the bed. In my reaserch I've found that its ok if the bed is a little scratched. Finally the wire snips are fantastic at helping to remove stubborn supports and removing bits that are hard to reach with fingers. Finally, don't ever pour resin down the drain! Make sure anything that touches resin that you are going to toss (paper towels, gloves, ect) sits out in the sun a bit so the resin cures. Otherwise someone or something could come into contact with uncured toxic resin. Happy 3d printing!!!

[@JSmithHendricks]

This was a super informative video! Really appreciate you taking the time to make this. Super thorough.

[@TheAegisClaw]

I like that you've drybrushed your prints, helps us see the detail a lot better. Thanks

[@WASD20]

Thanks, yeah it’s super hard to see much otherwise. Especially because I used transparent resin for some of these.

[@StephenJoiner]

@@WASD20 Would you be willing to share your technique? I love the look and am not artistic enough for full-color painting. Thank you so much!

[@WASD20]

@@StephenJoiner - Just look up dry brushing. It's one of the easiest techniques in painting. I prime black, then take a crappy wide brush (some people use make-up brushes) and fill it with light gray paint. Get a paper towel and wipe most of the paint out. You'll be left with a dry brush that still has some gray paint in it. Then lightly and quickly brush all over the mini, and the paint will catch the raised edges.

[@StephenJoiner]

@@WASD20 Thanks dude you are awesome!

[@kurtcrean]

I've had my Photon S for about a week and a half and it's been amazing. I've had one or two issues and a couple of "presupported" fails but I really enjoy the process and it's been essentially going 24/7.

[@Bimwakian]

I just started getting into resin printing this week. Very helpful video! I'm excited to get into this

[@AvgKsHunter]

Couple of suggestions. First throw that plastic scraper in the trash and get a proper scraper from your hardware store. Quality of life improvement for sure. Second before removing supports rinse them in warm water. They come off so much easier and the artisan guild, titan forge, heroes infinite and archvillian (to name what I believe are the best Patreon/modelers out there that are pre-supported) supports will come off “like butter”. Lastly, in mentioning pre-supported models, be wary when vendors say this. Technically yes they may be but this is an art in and of itself with supporting models and the ones I mentioned above have truly talented people doing the supports...they are not auto-supported. Oh if you love DND check out Loot studios offerings. They aren’t on myminifactory yet but you won’t be sorry if you check out their subscription. Basically a themed adventure campaign per month and they print beautifully pre supported

[@WASD20]

Great points! So, what's wrong with the plastic scraper? Mine works great, and it also came with a metal one for anything that's too stuck to the build plate (pretty much only flat bases for me). With pre-supported claims - YES. Pre-supported WELL is the key, and Artisan Guild certainly does it right. I've heard good things about Loot Studios. I'll check them out.

[@AvgKsHunter]

WASD20 even the metal ones that come with the printers are not very good because the ones I’ve seen have a squared off edge. Ones I would suggest taper at the end to a sharper edge. Prints come off super easy with a proper edge.

[@WillWildsOutdoorAdventures]

@@WASD20 Plastic one is fine just take the minis off first then scrape the supports off with it, smash smash smash! First time I used the metal scraper "like some guy one youtube told me to" I ended up nicking the plate. Still with the plastic scraper it might take a moment more but just wack it really hard they come off fine.

[@Skokan82]

This video did answer allot of question I had in such way that other channels fail to do...BIG THX

[@Hepabytes]

You do need to replace screens and FEP films every so often.

[@WASD20]

True! That’s a cost I did not mention.

[@jonassvoboda9717]

Great video! Bought myself the Elegoo Mars Pro yesterday and got some pretty handy information from you. Can't wait to try some printing.

[@WASD20]

Awesome! Enjoy!

[@barendse1]

My Elegoo Pro 2 comes today. I'm stupid excited for it. Thanks for this video, I've been wondering how some folks do their workflow.

[@justinstuart8382]

If you would of told me 30 years ago that one day in the future I could be printing my own models I would of thought it was like something out of the Star Trek replicator. Just nuts. I bet its addictive!

[@gilbertpatrucco5196]

Great video!! One thing though, with the UV light, make sure you actually do it in a closed container. Your eyes should not be exposed to UV light directly. Some people buy a bucket and do the same with lining the inside with aluminum foil and use do an opening on the lid to fit the UV light. Keep up the good work!!

[@WASD20]

Thanks for the tip! I actually do wear sunglasses with UV protection when I’m doing this. Is that good enough?

[@gilbertpatrucco5196]

@@WASD20 it's all about the wave length of the UV light. You can get glasses that protect the range of 405 which is what your UV light probably emits. I would not recommend using normal sunglasses though. Did the printer come with protection glasses?

[@michaelsorensen7567]

Black lights, reptile basking lights, and "being outside" are all exposure to UV light. Pretty sure certain amounts are harmless. With a concentrated high power light like this one, you probably don't want to look straight into it fair enough, but I don't think it's catastrophe waiting to happen like you're implying.

[@gilbertpatrucco5196]

@@michaelsorensen7567 I'm not implying any catastrophe mate, just giving safety tips that's all. I've seen many bad advise in the internet when it comes to resin printing which ends up in the hands of people new to resin 3d printing. I myself prefer to play it on the safe side rather than just leave it to chance. If I can control something, then I will do my best to take the safe measures. But ultimately it's up to everyone individually of course. I don't know if black lights, basking lights are under the 405 nm range, so I can't speak to that but I do know that "outside" is way under the 405 nm as we don't see violet light outside (not sure why you would compare this one with a UV light source for resin).

[@JamieLycronisMcCutchen]

Thank you, Nate! Great video! I agree with your take on the subject 100 percent! Although I did decide to go with the more expensive Epax X1 and I don't regret it one bit! Fantastic machine and amazing customer service! I also have an Ender 3 Pro that I use for printing terrain and larger objects so I guess I have the best of both worlds! :)

[@nealsterling8151]

I used my old LEGOs from the 80s for my RPG games from time to time. Until i discovered that there are Weapons and Armors for Minifigures to buy. After that, i bought tons of used LEGO and other brands that are compatible with it (I'm not a purist at all) and sold the parts i had no use for. What i like about this (you just have to live with the Toy look of the minis) is their versatility and that you can basically build any environment AND dissasemble/modify it extremely easy (with no additional costs btw.) if you find something better.

[@Scribbinge]

Love the channel, new subscriber - however... Elegoo resins are not toxic, please check your wording when talking about safety,. Toxic and harmful are very different things. (Source: Safety data sheet and chemistry degrees.) They aren't even listed as being hazardous to the touch (though they are irritants so gloves are advisable). Irritant = red skin and discomfort, not generally lasting harm. (read: don't get it in your eyes, nose, mouth) The absolute worst things listed on the safety sheet are: - May be harmful if swallowed - May cause respiratory irritation. If you get it on you, simply wash your hands and you will be fine, zero lasting harm in most cases.

[@jasonstatham5879]

Not directly related to the video, but I like the re-purposing of the Tupperware pickle container for 3D printing.

[@tannerallen8206]

This way incredibly detailed yet simple to understand, thank you for making this video 3d printing minis for my games always sounded to expensive and intimidating but now I am looking to get a printer thanks for the insight!

[@RobertLeaverton]

You definitely want to invest in a flex plate, makes popping off prints from the build plate super easy.

[@ttie5453]

I've had an Ender 3 for about a year, now seriously considering pulling the trigger on either an ELEGOO or the new Creality resin printer... 3D printing is an addiction!

[@galadine12]

I have an ender 3 pro I use for terrain and larger minis and an elegoo for smaller character models. I like them both for what they are. Good compliments.

[@ChemoshKamos]

One thing he didn't cover, is that you can make your own 3d models for free with Blender 3d. The program lets you make models, or import other 3d formats, and export them into an stl. Not sponsored or anything, but sometimes I see a 3d model I like that isn't an stl, and it's relatively easy to do a quick import-export with blender. And if I need a model needs changes, you can always change it up within blender's edit mode.

[@bland2467]

Me and my friend have started a new campaign. We are both the DM. I am constantly trying to help our three players while he is constantly trying to kill them.

[@psychotimo]

you could try hollowing out larger prints. (hollowing out is a bit weirder on resin printers, but it works well enough) as for regular 3dprinting stuff, the supports is something you can learn...or you can go for supportless builds. Rocket Pig Games has a ton of good supportless builds, these are awesome, sure you are a bit limited on angles when building supportless stuff, but the rocket pig games minis generally look amazing.

[@PerroLokoMakein]

Totally agree. Artisan Guild is absolute tier1 for minis.

[@robertfrayer6711]

Im an FDM fan. I use ABS when printing my minis that way I can vapor smooth them.

[@LargeNuts]

Great video. One thing though n95 masks are useless for VOCs.. Which is the main danger you get from photopolymer resins. Not sure why they send one with their printers lol. Maybe you to protect from droplets or splashes into your mouth? But for photopolymer resin you really need a full active carbon respirator rated for VOCs.

[@joshuaheider7714]

I highly recommend anyone that gets the elegoo Mars printer to use a different thumb drive other than the factory thumb drive. Cleaner alternatives I can highly recommend acetone, denatured alcohol and mean green. Each cleaner has its own benefits and negatives.

[@WASD20]

What's wrong with the factory thumb drive?

[@joshuaheider7714]

@@WASD20 it's simply a cheap drive. it might work fine for a few months, but you will get to a point to where the printer will not read the drive or you might get odd print failures because the drive is corrupting the files.

[@crapphone7744]

You might want to be cautious about the UV light you are getting exposed to. I don't know if it's an issue, but I can tell you as a psoriasis patient exposure to ultraviolet light for therapy was carefully regulated due to carcinogenic qualities of that type of light. I have no idea whether your little UV light outputs harmful wavelengths or not but I'd sure be sure to find out before being around it too much.

[@glitchedjson4042]

I believe you can copy-paste the timestamps below to the video's description, and youtube will add those sections to the actual video. Not sure if the title or timestamp must come first, but I've seen something similar on other's videos. Just thought I'd mention it, since you've already gone through the trouble of noting them, so you might as well use it. Edit: By _"timestamps below"_ I mean the timestamps on his pinned comment. KZbin customs have infected my brain...

[@WASD20]

Ooh. Great tip. I’ll try this later when I get home.

[@mariototsi5987]

Crippled God Foundry, ur right! good stuff - very good quality. Thanks for thr tip

[@prtwriter4660]

I hate FDM now a days prints always fail tried to add a Bltouch and that was a nightmare. RESIN Mother of god I love it, plus I love making 3D minis.

[@dougpridgen9682]

Given the models I printed on my Creality resin printer, it paid for itself in the first week. It is definitely worth it.

[@blackbarnz]

High quality trees are cheap if you assemble them yourself. companies like woodlandscenics sell bags of trunks & stumps, they come in several variations and each can be adjusted as desired (bend trunk, move/remove limbs) they're made of wire coated in a tree trunk and branches mold that's some type of plastic or rubber. Then buy a couple bags of lichen or shredded sponge , (floral lichen is cheap it's the exact same material and available in more colors) then ya add foilage. Ya can sand down and seams or paint highlights on the trunk stump & branches if ya want, possibly use some flock for moss or foilage texture & color variation if ya want. Dye works well with the sponge material for color varition , ya can give it a dusting if desired. Mount an appropriate sized based and it's done. It's been a while since I've purchased trees but I remember RxR model trees were pennies on the dollar compared to trees made by game companies. Though railroad modeling isn't as popular as it once was there's still way more model railroad trees out there on the market than gaming trees.

[@WASD20]

I actually have some woodland scenics trees in the cupboard. Haven’t gotten around to dressing them up, but maybe someday.

[@blackbarnz]

@@WASD20 Such is the way in this hobby. Lol We all do. I actually pulled out an old dragon model I haven't worked on in years after watching this vid. I'm back at now. Thanks for the inspiration

[@block_the_]

Thank you for an informative video! I really like the idea of printing my own minis, but this showed that I'm not prepared to put down the work that goes in to it.

[@gypsysix7085]

Sir, I speak for myself but I am sure that some may agree... Your head is absolutely memorizing! p.s. Keep up the great vids! In all seriousness, I do love them! lol

[@dougpridgen9682]

You should get the Anycubic Wash & Cure machine. So worth it. It's down to $165.00 on Amazon. At least I think that's what I paid for mine.

[@hyosworld109]

100% acetone nail polish remover works amazing for cleaning prints.

[@WASD20]

Great tip! Thanks.

[@marekpastyrik1888]

omg i just ordeterd 3D printer with miniatures in mind so thanks for this

[@theCreamyCrusher]

I love minis and want to make a diorama of a small town built into a table. I love painting large monster like giants and behirs so im look into the elegoo saturn as its alot larger than the mars. I also want to make bits and bobs for cool costume ideas i have so im excited

[@TheDinosaurOfDOOM]

A particle face mask will not do squat against chemical fumes, use a proper gas mask! The fumes are the most dangerous things with handling these types of resins, if it gets on your skin it might cause irritation and eczema and with prolonged exposure often triggering contact allergy. The fumes do pretty much the same things but to your lungs and once it's there the body can't get rid of it. Great video apart from that, really informative and with great examples of the prints!

[@WASD20]

Sadly, given the shortage lately this is what the printer came with.

[@wyattfont3569]

For trees and terrain I just make it myself with clay and plaster and like model train supplies.

[@Finkeldinken]

It's not for me, but I am super chuffed that this possibility is out there for others, and stuff from like, Titanforge and Artisan Guild looks amazing. There are so many cool models. Being made out there! I got into painting minis just before Easter, but I don't see myself going into 3D printing, as the number of models I need is so small.

[@JeskaDax]

Two thoughts to share: . 1> You can make yourself known as someone that prints custom minis for others (online and/or locally) and use your printer to make some money that way (as another use for it). . 2> You might find someone local that you can send your custom mini files to, and who will print them for you for a small fee (as another use of their printer).

[@theldun1]

Great video! One of your best.

[@WASD20]

Thanks!

[@buzzbbird]

Excellent video, you won a new suscriber!

[@B.treveton]

People should use photon validator more, if you use chitubox and slice as a photon file, the program will automatically find all islands that you missed supports with.. and I mean all... then you can reslice as what ever file you need after you fixed it, or re-export the file as an stl file.

[@dustinlumos5947]

I do fdm and resin printing and i use resin 90% of the time the prints look better and are faster but yea fdm is good for big prints. i would say if you have to money to get started grab an elegoo mars and don't look back the minis are as good if not better than store bought and way cheaper, look at payed minis $3 for the files and 25cents in resin for each copy you make you would spend a minimum of $5 for any plastic minis and a hobby shop.

[@jamiehurricane]

I want to see a new d&d campaign book come with the files to print the miniatures that appear in the book

[@markwilliams5654]

Top tip don't drop the build plate onto the screen vat ....it's breaks the screen easy repair

[@WASD20]

Yeah that sounds like bad news.

[@TheMountainWulf]

Would you consider making a tutorial for the newest of noobs? One that doesn't skip over even the tiniest step, or assume we'd figure it out ourselves? That would really help someone like me.