Hello all,
I am going to delude myself that you particularly care about the reasons I sold my printer for a few minutes, as I reflect on the nature of the hobby for a few minutes. I originally got a 3D SLA printer in early 2021 (using that government stimmy money). I used it quite a bit over the next few years before selling it this week. In some ways this is odd, as 3D printing has never been more viable or popular. There are more quality STL files and options out there then ever, and the technology is making exponential jumps.
- 3D Printing is a lot of work
I have mentioned this before, but it takes a lot of maintenance and care to get a good outcome when 3D printing. You need to monitor a lot of factors, and many small errors can ruin a multi-hour print. 3D printing is a hobby unto itself and I had to put in a fair bit of money into buying new FEP and printer screens (largely due to my own errors). - 3D Printing is Very Messy
I don’t think I was fully prepared for the mess a SLA printer would make. Even if you are careful, you will get spills or leaks and it is a pain to clean up. I used water-washable resin and I can’t imagine the process you need to go through if you wash your prints in alcohol. Putting the washing aside, I also found I was quickly buried under a tide of misprints and left overs from my prints. I am a little concerned about how much waste plastic the process creates. - It’s never been easier to find someone with a 3D printer.
As I mentioned before these printers are becoming a lot more common. Thus I found a number of friends who were willing (for a price) to print out my STLs. I need to work around their schedules and prices but it saves a lot of hassle and mess on my end. Furthermore, the prevalence of sites like Etsy means you can get many of the best 3d models at pretty low prices. The explosion of these 3rd party terrain and mini productions is simply incredible.
With those reasons out of the way, would I recommend a newbie look into 3D printing?
I would say “Unequivocally yes!”. I think it is a great hobby, and a great way to get minis. The experience of getting a good print is equivalent to learning to drive in my mind. Your world opens up as you lose a lot of limitations you used to have. It’s a great feeling, but be prepared for the work and mess required to get that result.
For anyone looking to get into the hobby, my advice is to get a used printer from an established company (like Elegoo). This will allow you to practice and figure out if you want to jump into the hobby without spending too much. You may also get some experience replacing parts which is a useful skill. Furthermore, the advances in these printers continues to accelerate. I fully expect I will get another printer at some future point. I still think this hobby is the future and will continue to radically shift how we engage with tabletop wargaming.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
