7 reasons not to.
Do not buy a printer. Buy minis instead.
I know, it is easy to say, right? Being middle age man with a steady income that allows you to spend two or three-digits monthly for plastic crack. But hear me out. Is it better to take up extra shifts at work than buying a printer and getting yourself a new army weekly? Absolutely. So let me tell you why buying a 3d printer is bad for you, your wallet, your lungs, your skin, your social life and your mental health. Doh!
Health issue.
Nobody is telling this enough and loudly enough and with big fucking capital letters enough. Resin used for printers is highly toxic. Those fumes literally burn your lungs slowly with every breath you take without the mask and even when you do not feel like, it does the damage. check the stuff you find in almost every mix:
Epoxy Resins (monomers or oligomers) can be powders, or they can be thick, clear
or yellow liquids. Some common epoxy resins are: the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A
(DGEBA), novolac resins, cycloaliphatic epoxy resins, brominated resins, epoxidized
olefins, EponR and EpikoteR.
Curing Agents react with epoxy resin monomers to form epoxy products. They are
usually liquids with strong, unpleasant odors. There are several categories of curing
agents. Examples include:
Aliphatic amines such as triethylenetetramine (TETA) and diethylenetriamine
(DETA);
Aromatic amines, including diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) and dimethylaniline
(DMA);
Anhydrides such as phthalic anhydride and nadic methyl anhydride (NMA);
Amine/phenol formaldehydes such as urea formaldehyde and melamine
formaldehyde;
Catalytic curing agents such as tertiary amines and boron trifluoride complexes.
Diluents and solvents are used to dilute or thin epoxy resins. Diluents are usually
clear liquids. Some examples are:
Glycidyl ethers (reactive diluents) such as n-butyl glycidyl ether (BGE), isopropyl
glycidyl ether (IGE) and phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE);
Organic solvents such as toluene (toluol), xylene (xylenol), acetone, methyl ethyl
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Epoxy Resin Systems
ketone (MEK), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and glycol ethers.
Fillers add bulk and body to epoxy products. They are usually powders or fibers
such as sand, clay, calcium carbonate, fiberglass, asbestos, or silica.
Yes, we all use gloves and professional masks. When we sleep. A recent poll on the Tamiya scale modelers page showed that almost 35% of users had contact with uncured resin bare-handed and without a proper mask at least once EVERY WEEK.
It does fuck up your skin too. Unlike plastic, try to file it while dry (even small amounts of resin dust from like getting rid of small pins) and then check the skin on your face. It goes in the pores and because of it`s microsize it stays there irritating deeper layers of your skin, with some bits of silica/fiber-glasss being stuck there for very long triggering micro-inflammations.
Time.
When you finally find that nice STL set you wanna use, there comes the time. I`ve seen plenty of people complaining about temperature changes in the room, and vibrations on furniture that caused print fails. If you print a larger scale model the room is practically excluded from use for long hours. No more bunga bunga or having a joint in your window. Curing. And then cleaning with IPA.
Investment return.
With initial costs around of $500 this already kills all “look how cheap my army is” issue. You will have to literally print 2 or 3 armies to even get close to the original manufacturer prices. This will take time, stress and bit of your health too. Not to mention patience. Bear in mind that good quality, cohesive style armies are not coming for free either. If you planning to get just a few models/units for your army, it is much better to order prints from well-established printing guys than buying the printer yourself. That brings us to another issue.
Additional bits.
I have found myself gathering massive bits box over my 25yrs of hobbying. And it came with little surprise, when I started ordering some units from printing guys, that… I am slowly getting short of some useful bits like additional heads, guns, shoulder pads, grenades, tank weapon optional sponson guns etc. Sure, they are more than happy to print them too but it always comes with additional costs. And you need to remember to mention those things as well. Additional bits come very useful when you suddenly have an issue with another thing:
Resin resilence.
Yes, it does like to be fucking broken in transport. It may already be messed by the post service from your printer man (very often), you can damage it during assembly, painting, transporting to the club, or during play. Another thing, but that depends on what type of miniatures you order. Sometimes whatever you do to keep them lances or banners straight, doesn`t work. They can be set properly for a few weeks then one day you wake up and all you see is some curved cucumber.
Scale issues.
This. With plenty of designers around we have very hard decisions to make. Be careful when you order prints from your trusted resin dealer. Always ask to see an example of the size you want compared to some original miniature in the same picture. Do not trust “factory settings”. Highland Miniatures tend to be a little bigger with their knights than Monstrous Creatures stuff so be aware.
Competetive gaming exclusion.
Your 3d printed units will not be allowed at local tournaments hosted by independednt shobby shops that are selling GW minis. Your army may not be valid to play in some national leagues as well due to the finals being sponsored by GW too. And finally, you will not be able to go to Warhammer World to play with 3d printed versions.
If you planning to buy a printer to get yourself models from time to time I really think this is a bad idea. Money, time and health be better used to get original versions or to just find a trusted printing guy that is doing it on a daily basis and supplying flawless product. Those guys run few printers 247 and can really smash stuff. I do have a big number of printed knights (almost 50) and men at arms (this supply is enough of pile shame until 2030 I think xD ) so if you need good printing service send a PM.
Bretonnia 