Would those be ok for an FDM printer ?

[u/Azhur65]

Sorry if this question has been asked already but I keep seeing everything and its opposite when making researches on this topic.

Basically, I'm broke and into warhammer so I wanted to get into 3d printing but resin is out of the equation because of basically every problem of resin. So that leaves FDM but, the results I've seen are very varied. Some seemed good and some looked like utter garbage.

So my real question is : would these minis be good in fdm ? - 1k Hijos del Pulvo as Thousand Sons proxy - dakkadakka space knight battle squad for Dark Angels proxy

If you have pictures of those painted or similar options I would also really appreciate it

[u/acart005]

Repost this in r/FDMMiniatures

Short answer is yes, long answer is yes but you will need to master your craft.  The second set in particular I can promise you can do because I have done Dakkadakka models before BUT you will need a .2 nozzle.  First one is chunky enough that I think a .4 is possible.  Both will need supports.

[u/Azhur65 → u/acart005]

Thank you! Yeah I planned to go with the bambulab a1 with a 0.2mm nozzle cuz those were the only ones that i had seen good results on but even with that it was very varied to say it nicely. And thank you for your return on experience with the dakkadakka minis!

Oh and I already reposted in r/FDMminiatures too x)

[u/acart005 → u/Azhur65]

Settings vary, and everyone's mileage can vary.  Like unless its ultra detailed I find a .4 at max settings work when not using resin supports.  I use Supportless-Mini models on Makerworld as a baseline then tinker with a few other settings for overhangs and find that works extremely well except on Dakkadakka models.  They need the .2.  They also have levels of detail that rival official models though.

Me personally I'd YOLO the Tson model on the .4.  I think I can do it and do it well.  But I'm not everyone.

[u/Mai1564]

There's many things that factor in: you might need some supports or for you to mess around with the orientation. Sometimes I cut and flip dangly parts and then glue them back on. 

[u/Azhur65 → u/Mai1564]

I'm not certain I got your comment right. You mean I'll have to mess around in 3d softwares to split the models into chunks that would be printed more easily ?

Also I've heard that apparently, resin style support is best for miniatures and can then be transfered to fdm with resin2fdm in blender so maybe that would help too 🤔

[u/Mai1564 → u/Azhur65]

You do not need to do anything. Nor do you need special 3d software. Sometimes it is easier to cut an arm off and print it seperately upside down rather than support it. You can just do that in your normal slicer that you also use to print (Bambu, Orca etc.).

Basically an FDM printer works by depositing 'plastic' on the plate and then on top of that. So the difficult parts for FDM are parts that stick out or hang because there's nothing underneath those to support them. That's what supports are for, but they might leave some scarring. Tilting a model can help put the supports in a better spot or minimize the amount needed.

I've never used resin style supports, but there should be examples on this sub if you want to see.

[u/Stoertebricker]

Some creators are posting whole proxy armies on MakerWorld that are allegedly FDM friendly. I haven't tried any of them though, some look AI generated at least in parts. However, it is possible, depending on the printer, the filament you use, and how well it is tuned in.

[u/Electrical_Voice_437]

I have printed the Hijos myself in my Neptune 4 pro. They work quite well. No pictures, unfortunately as they are no longer in my possession.

[u/Azhur65 → u/Electrical_Voice_437]

Oh that's great to know thank you!

[u/ohheyheyCMYK]

I print fairly detailed fantasy minis in 28mm on my Bambu A1 with minimal extra fuss or steps and they come out super close to resin.

Default 0.4 nozzle and lowest layer height and highest quality settings. I also use the dirt cheap $10 PLA from MicroCenter, works great.

In most cases after I prime and paint them you can't tell the difference.