3-d printing mini's

[Torpin]

Does anyone print their own mini's if so where do you get the files

[Mehangel]

I print my own minis. For player mini's, I use Hero Forge. For monsters, I use DM Workshop (https://www.shapeways.com/shops/dmworkshop). For dungeon tiles, I use DragonLock.

[Torpin]

thanks, i just got this printer and was also wondering is the stuff expensive to print

[Mehangel]

It is significantly cheaper than purchasing already printed minis. However, in my experience, you may end up having to print the same miniature 3-4 times before you have the desired fill / supports. So I would recommend only printing off mini's one at a time, and make sure the plate is level between prints.

[Telok]

I've found a decent selection on Thingverse. What I really like is the ability to bodge togather different things to make a custom mini.

Dependinf on your printer you may not have to fool with the leveling once you're dialed in and working. I ended up using painters tape for adhesion issues and I only have to fool with the leveling after re-taping or if something goes wrong and I end up needing to dismount the extruder to clean it.

[Knaight]

Thingiverse and other repositories are often pretty solid here. Beyond that you can make a mini in most 3D art/CAD programs (I default to Sketchup, but if you favor Blendr or whatever go for it), or find program specific repositories that include them.

As for printing costs, they're usually pretty low but depend on material. PLA is a lot cheaper than ABS, but even ABS is something like $40/kg for good filament, and minis aren't that heavy.

[jintoya]

Any recommendations on printers?
I'm going to get one soon, just would like input

[Mehangel]

Any recommendations on printers?
I'm going to get one soon, just would like input

The 3d printer I am using is the Ender-3.

[Knaight]

I've generally used the Taz Lulzbot line, but that was because the university had them. They're a bit pricey, albeit not hugely so.

[phlidwsn]

For minis you're going to get the best result with a SLA printer(resin based, smaller area, more detail, more expensive/messy).

For terrain and anything larger than about 2-4" you're looking at a regular FDM printer(Uses plastic filament, larger area, detail limited by nozzle size) FDM printers can do mini's when set up correctly, but its trickier as far as detail level and failure rate. I have a Prussia i3 MK3 that I highly recommend. Or you can get whatever the current cheap i3 clone is, but those tend to require more post-purchase tinkering. If you go cheap, do the safety mods for your model to reduce the chance of an electrical fire(heatbed MOSFET, etc).

[jintoya]

For minis you're going to get the best result with a SLA printer(resin based, smaller area, more detail, more expensive/messy).

For terrain and anything larger than about 2-4" you're looking at a regular FDM printer(Uses plastic filament, larger area, detail limited by nozzle size) FDM printers can do mini's when set up correctly, but its trickier as far as detail level and failure rate. I have a Prussia i3 MK3 that I highly recommend. Or you can get whatever the current cheap i3 clone is, but those tend to require more post-purchase tinkering. If you go cheap, do the safety mods for your model to reduce the chance of an electrical fire(heatbed MOSFET, etc).

Looked at a resin printer, I don't think it's the right fit for me, on the upside I've only got 2 hobbies, and disposable income, so I've been looking at something in the $500-1,000 range.
We've been doing D&D with just paper and pencils and imagination for years, but I'd like to start using minis, and making my own will be way cheaper

[Jack_Simth]

Looked at a resin printer, I don't think it's the right fit for me, on the upside I've only got 2 hobbies, and disposable income, so I've been looking at something in the $500-1,000 range.
We've been doing D&D with just paper and pencils and imagination for years, but I'd like to start using minis, and making my own will be way cheaper

I'm unsure how up-to-date This List (http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/) is, but apparently they can go surprisingly low.