TIPS! - For anyone struggling to remove these supports: (in suggested order of what to try): 1. Try increasing the Z-top distance (try not to go to crazy with this) as this will increase the gap between the supports and the model. 2. Decrease Support "Line Width" (could be called Flow Rate) this will decrease the amount of material used to print the supports making them a bit thinner and weaker, therefore easier to remove. 3. Increase the top interface spacing (perhaps 0.4) and increase the top interface layers (perhaps 4) this will make less of the support touch the actual model and make sure your model only touches the interface layers. 4. (Advanced) Check your e-steps are tuned in - it might be worth dropping them slightly as your printer might be over extruding
For those who haven't looked into it, let me tell you that if you do .2mm nozzle and 0.06/0.08mm layer height and use something like PETG or PLA Support material as the support interface filament, you can get some pretty amazing results with the automatic OrcaSlicer support settings. It is a longer print time for sure, about a day with more time depending on the number of models printing, but removing the supports is insanely easy. I wouldn't do it for single models, just due to time and waste from filament swaps (many!), but if you are printing a full bed of minis, it wouldn't be too wasteful and would make it so you don't have to spend near any time cleaning them up. I used the Bambu PLA Support material that I got with my P1S Combo to test it out and have had great results!
This video is actual content. It is not clickbait. It is not sensational in nature. It is not garbage like the average video. It was actually something I was interested in. It was months ago since last I randomly got a solid suggestion for something I was actually interested in and where quality not product was prevalent. Thanks for a great video. You get my sub. Super interested in what you are up to.
I'm sick of the mess with resin so bought an A1 Mini and your videos are a big help. Fascinating how so many resin techniques are being applied. Keep up the good work.
okay, had to stop at about4:43 not only for the fact that we share a printer, and slicer, but i honestly cant thank Once in a Six Side for recommending that his audience stop here. i lurk on his vids for support and mini information and frankly i've been missing out on real FDM stuff. ive learned a lot already and i cant wait to finish the video. Thank you as well for taking the time to make this vid aye.
Wow. I learned more about printing detailed parts in the first 5 minutes of this video than what I have learned by trial and error in the last 2 months. Thanks a lot
Thank you for your videos! I have a Bambu mini arriving in a few days, and I have been consuming videos about 3D printing in general, and minis in particular. Your videos on FDM minis made me pull the trigger; resin was not an option. I have already been playing with the settings you recommend in Bambu studio, and your videos have given me an understanding of what various settings do. I look forward to actually printing them out. The hand-painting the supports was an eye-opener. Keep up the good work!
new to fdm models so i've mostly been finding print profiles from other makers who seem to get good results. This is the first vid I've come across with such useful tips for orientation and manual supports. also that segue to asking for support was smooth as heck and i really couldn't let it go unmentioned lol Thanks for this vid, it's going right into my FDM playlist so it'll be easy to find for later reference!
Thanks for showing the models uncleaned! It's good to know what to expect. I'm always a little frustrated with the outcomes, but after cleaning they look really nice. The nozzle sizes is a big factor, but not for the reasons newbies might think. I can print almost any miniature in 0.4, it makes very little difference. Where it does make a difference is supports. 0.2 mm supports are so much easier to remove! Its crazy.
Hi, Jacob! I wanted to say that your videos have helped me tremendously in my 3D printing journey. I have really struggled with my machine (the Elegoo Neptune 3) and my peers have just suggested I get another machine. I was getting very frustrated and was giving up hope, but thanks to your settings, I have gotten significantly better results! I will be recommending your videos to everyone who is interested in 3d printing minis or is just interested in learning how to dial in your settings. If you do not have one already, would you be able to go over how you went about dialing in your settings and calibrating your machine? I think this would be helpful for others who have different printers, but want to learn a framework for testing. There are a lot of settings and it can be overwhelming for a beginner to understand what they affect.
Thanks to your videos, I've finally started getting awesome One Page Rules minis on my Anycubic Kobra 2. Got a 0.2mm nozzle, dialed in the settings and voila! I'm actually going to get rid of my resin printer because this is a cleaner, safer option and it's more than good enough. Thank you and keep on with these videos! It would be ace if you could show how to do, say, large squads and different types of minis as references - and different scales too. Thanks again!
Great tips! I often find manual support difficult to manage, but sinking the model into the build plate and negative support painting makes it easier for sure. I still think that the auto support distance might just be too tight (as in hard to remove), and I have no good solution for that.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It’s been really useful, as I was having problems with auto supports unnecessarily covering details or generating in hard to reach areas. I’ll definitely be practising manual supports.
This looks incredible. I have been able to get some pretty good mini's with my fdm printer already but you touched on things I have never even considered. Thank you so much for this. Your prints look great without even beginning to touch them up.
I just had my 0.4mm nozzle swapped for a 0.2mm in my Ender 3 V3 KE, and will start to experimenting on miniatures again. With the 0.4 nozzle I've got some promising results, but fine details were lost and it had some layer lines visible. I am using Cura, but I was mainly printing suportless miniatures designed to be FDM friendly. Think I will give Orca (or even Creality Print) a try, the custom supports painting tool is very powerful, custom supports on Cura are a pain in the ass... Lol Anyway, thank you very much for these videos, they are helping a lot.
Started unravelling the mystery of mini printing on my A1 mini last week and I wish I found you earlier! Just knowing about the support blocker alone is so nice
Great video. I bought a FDM printer due to with my house set up I do not have a place to use resin safely especially with 2 small kids. I am mainly a scale modeler, but I like to paint minis as a palate cleanser between builds. Thanks to your videos I'm going to start printing my own minis instead of ordering them from a printer. Also this makes me feel more confident that I can print model parts if I need to also. I will be watching and rewatching your videos. Thanks.
Printing models slowly means you can paint one while the next is printing and no build up of unpainted plastic. Yes you can't batch paint but you can keep on top of it
4:12 I like what you're doing and love that you're showing the settings from your tests. I've the plus version of the printer you've and despite its size I'm getting decent results, though I'm still on Prusa Slicer after my own fine tuning and tweaking of settings. I wait patiently for your overview of Orca Slicer; it's something I've wanted to move to but haven't had the time to tinker with and fine tune as I had the first go around with my printer.
Yeah I making the transition from Prusa to Orca I had to pretty much throw away everything I had dialed in Prusa and figure it out from the ground up 😭 So when I make the settings video I want to go indepth enough that others don't have the same issue!
I recently bought a filament printer and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm learning from your videos and it keeps giving me confidence to keep trying when I get discouraged. I can't wait to see what setting you have on your printer.
Thanks to Once In A Six Side, this is my first visit. What microphone are you using, and that what looks like laser cut MDF storage on your desk...what is that? Very interesting looking stuff. Have you played with adaptive layers? I think that added to your techniques here you'd get even better prints. Overall quite impressive results. Well done. To learn more about how any given support approach works I would recommend doing individual components as tests first. For install print the heavy bolter by itself in several orientations to see the results. Do several on a single plate to see how they compare. What we are targeting is an efficient way to gain experience, which after all, is what any person needs to get better at this. This is a fast way to gain experience while optimizing print times.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to check out the channel 😊 For Microphone I use an Audio Technica AT2020+ (usb). The laser cut storage on my desk is all custom made! - I liked the various kits that could be bought online, but at the time none were available in New Zealand - and shipping that much MDF here cost more than the product, so I designed the pattern myself and had it cut locally! I have used adaptive layers on larger models but prefer to keep it consistent for miniatures, to maximum quality.
Dude thank you, i was worried after i bought my neptune 3 pro that i wouldnt be able to get the quality that the bambu labs has. But these look really good! Keep up the great work
Totally valid concern, the Bambu printers make it easy to get high quality out of the box but the Neptune's can totally get there with a little effort!
Great video, I learned quite a bit here. My first attempt printing minis with a 0.4mm nozzle left a bit to be desired, but keen to try again with the smaller nozzle and custom supports
One of the justifications stepping from my CR6 SE to a P1S were your videos showing that 0.04 with a 0.2 Nozzle is possible. Still printing stuff for the dryboxes and the Riser and presents for the family, but minis will be printed in November!
This is just what I needed to help me learn from the mistakes I made with my first try at printing minis! Clear, concise explanations for your choices, and helpful demonstrations of your method. Thanks so much dude =)
Thanks for doing this, as supports are something I struggle with in terms of getting them off the models. They always seem too firmly attached and difficult to remove. Any educational videos like this are excellent ideas. Thanks again!
Great video. No brain melt down from figuring out or understanding. I couldn’t do it. I will refer this video if it’s ok with you for my channel. People are asking me for some settings, but I’m more focused on designing terrain workflow than technical tutorials on how to. I just did a couple ones based on my what I experienced.
Theres a little bit of that ion my older FDM Printing Guide if you want to check that out, I tend to do quite minimal post-processing in honesty. I have tuned my setting to only require some minor stringing removal and the odd bit of knife-work.
I only started a few weeks ago and found your channel but love the idea of dropping the ball joints down a little. I'm splicing models to get flat surfaces but having awesome results so far x
Thank for you demoing the manula support setting and how to remove auto supports. I saw the options in bambu studios but never understood how to get it working and if it would be worth the extra effort. Would def give it a go on my next mini print to see if creates an improvement
Great Video! I really like your calm approach and the way you explain tihngs! Please consider doing more of these Videos, maybe also trying out other Slicers, settings and maybe other printers as well. I am sure, there are a lot of Printing-enthusiasts out there, that will benefit from this, just as I did! Thanks for sharing!
Of course! Hope to get some bambu coverage in at some point, as I know plenty of people have an A1 series printer now. But I definitely aim to cover as much as possible!
I've come across your videos and found them really informative! Printed my first miniature just yesterday on my A1mini with Fatdragon's profile and was amazed by the quality, but now i'm looking forward to try to print miniatures designed on Hero Forge and i'm sure your tips will prove very useful! Thanks a lot!
WOW... What a wealth of knowledge Supports alone frustrate me endlessly in cura to the point that ive switched to heavy resin supports... Definitely giving orca a try
ive done more then a few minis in FDM but i use CURA slicer. its interesting to see some of the differences and where the similarities are. one of the biggest advantages i can see is manual support placements. thats HUGE and potentially worth changing slicers entirely. something I've noticed that's almost universal about FDM is touched on in this video but something worth emphasizing is that each filament behaves differently. PLA from sunlu and PLA+ from china are ENTIRELY different on the
Very useful thanks I was looking for just this help ❤ Warming supports evenly with a hair dryer can also help removal if you are careful not to overheat it, as they are thin an external the trick is to heat and soften them.
I use most of the same processes but when I can I put the mini on a base when printing and sink it into that. I also started cutting and pinning larger models for ease of print in bambu slicer.
Just got an Adventurer 5m and been strugling with supports either bieng hard to remove or in spots that i just cant get too. definatley will try some of these tips.
Never heard of this suggestion before about sinking the model a little into the build plate for adhesion…I always assumed that would make the nozzle dig into the build plate, but that must not be the case? If so this one tip will save me tons of time prepping models for print
It just acts as if it cuts the model off in the slicer, essentially making the layer where the model is intersecting with the bed the "first layer" of that model! so no danger of the printer digging into the build plate!
I used to do manual supports but after some tweaking with support settings automatics for fine for 90% of the cases. Currently mine settings for OrcaSlicer are top z distance = 0.14mm, top interface spacing = 0mm (for smoother bottoms), tip diameter = 0.8mm, tree support branch distance = 1mm, tree support branch diameter = 1mm, branch diameter angle = 5, tree support branch angle = 45, preferred branch angle = 30, branch diameter with double walls = 0mm. Yet I have noticed these are filament dependent, some filaments are really good for details some less so. Currently my favorite filament is Sunlu PLA 2.0+
Cool video and I'm glad to see you've made a playlist for this topic as well! My printer was an unexpected gift so I had nothing in mind about what I wanted to print. But I do play a lot of TTRPGs so for now my focus has been printing minis for the table. Still trying to grasp some of the nuances of printer settings and I look very much look forward to seeing how you have adjusted your settings as I too use Orca. This video on supports is great to see because I find the default supports in Orca too tough to remove without snapping things off at the ankles. I have made some progress in tuning the supports, but I've always found the idea of manual supports too intimidating to try. Well, now I guess I better get to it! Thanks for showing us how!
I love these videos! I just started with 3D printing and mostly do functional parts and don’t have a extra room for a resin printer and 2 cats so resin isn’t really an option for me right now. So seeing what is possible now with fdm is so awesome! Thank you!
100% Resin isnt an option for everyone (like myself), I just want people to know that FDM is a great alternative option for some game-night ready miniatures!
5:27 Wouldn't it make sense to first slice and let the program show where the extreme overhangs are and only then record manual supports there? I mean for the beginner... you already seem to know the problem areas :)
Totally, I tend to switch on the "Highlight Overhangs" feature (I forgot to mention it in the video), which is those red highlights and use that as a guide, but yes you totally can do it that way too!
Heck yeah! Ive loved printed some space bears up on FDM, definitely get your hands on a 0.2mm nozzle for the printer when you can, its crazy how much better minis turn out!
Thanks for the video! Been trying to get the most out of my P1S for minis and really scraping the barrel on ideas. I started using round peg pliers for removing supports, they work well for organic ones. Can grab or get inside without cutting the material for better leverage
Try using PLA Support material or PETG as the Support Interface material. It produces a decent amount of waste but it will make your support removal loads easier. Do it for a bed of minis instead of a single one just to help cut down on waste.
@@aztinothI do actually have a small reel of support material, but ended up avoiding it due to the waste. I recall one time doing a slice for a mini and being told it would use more support material than the whole reel! I know setting to “interface only” makes a big difference. But have yet to setup a whole plate of minis like that to see how efficient it would be. I will say that I try not to put multiple minis on the plate due to the high risk of failure they have. The sheer number of trade offs is frustrating…
Thanks for these vids. Very helpful in designing minis to model for print. I'll be offering up a set for my skirmish game in 2025 and I would like to include stls that can be printed on a FDM printer as well as the usual resin offerings. I too, have a Neptune 3 Pro and started printing minis on it. Your videos have helped a lot.
Glad I can help! More FDM friendly minis are always welcome ~ If you want some inspiration on support-free or FDM-friendly models check out "Arbiter Minis" hes doing great work that I love for FDM
I have printed so much terrain from small rocks to entire castles but your channel finally go me on to minatures. So far I have had mixed results but things are improving all the time. I am just moving on to trying a .2mm nozzle. Thanks and keep up the great videos. Just one question, can you put the link to the minis you use in each video. I know you have done a video on recommended links but specific to each video would help us to try your methods along with the video.
make srure layer lines are done in the increments of your stepper motor. for my ender 5 one step of the motor is 0.04 layer hight. so thats the increments i use.
The minis from this video are in the description, I just try to avoid sharing GW~Look-a-like links 😬 - But yes! I will endeavor to be better at adding links to video descriptions.
![How to Print AMAZING FDM Miniatures! | A Complete Guide to FDM Minis [CHECK DESCRIPTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UDxM9VsQrtM/mqdefault.jpg)
TIPS! - For anyone struggling to remove these supports:
(in suggested order of what to try):
1. Try increasing the Z-top distance (try not to go to crazy with this) as this will increase the gap between the supports and the model.
2. Decrease Support "Line Width" (could be called Flow Rate) this will decrease the amount of material used to print the supports making them a bit thinner and weaker, therefore easier to remove.
3. Increase the top interface spacing (perhaps 0.4) and increase the top interface layers (perhaps 4) this will make less of the support touch the actual model and make sure your model only touches the interface layers.
4. (Advanced) Check your e-steps are tuned in - it might be worth dropping them slightly as your printer might be over extruding
thanks for advancing the community.
🙌
For those who haven't looked into it, let me tell you that if you do .2mm nozzle and 0.06/0.08mm layer height and use something like PETG or PLA Support material as the support interface filament, you can get some pretty amazing results with the automatic OrcaSlicer support settings. It is a longer print time for sure, about a day with more time depending on the number of models printing, but removing the supports is insanely easy. I wouldn't do it for single models, just due to time and waste from filament swaps (many!), but if you are printing a full bed of minis, it wouldn't be too wasteful and would make it so you don't have to spend near any time cleaning them up. I used the Bambu PLA Support material that I got with my P1S Combo to test it out and have had great results!
gonna test this as i have 30 terminators to print
PLA and PETG don't adhere well to each other, a dual head extruder will lower print times as AMS has to reload the filament
What..? .2mm nozzle, .6mm or .8mm layer height? Does it... work? I feel like that would defeat the purpose of the .2mm nozzle.
@bodaciouschad fixed the typo
This video is actual content. It is not clickbait. It is not sensational in nature. It is not garbage like the average video. It was actually something I was interested in. It was months ago since last I randomly got a solid suggestion for something I was actually interested in and where quality not product was prevalent. Thanks for a great video. You get my sub. Super interested in what you are up to.
🙌 Glad you enjoyed it!
Came here based on Once in a Six Sided Dies recommendation. Great content!
Thanks for taking a look ❤️
I'm sick of the mess with resin so bought an A1 Mini and your videos are a big help. Fascinating how so many resin techniques are being applied. Keep up the good work.
Yep! A lot of similar theory, just a matter of relearning the application of it for FDM
Thanks. Very useful tips. Especially sinking the model into the baseplate. Such a simple but efficient method
Does a world of wonder for making sure you have enough area for build plate adhesion!
Thanks man, nice to see videos on printing FDM minis. I had to switch over from resin.
okay, had to stop at about4:43 not only for the fact that we share a printer, and slicer, but i honestly cant thank Once in a Six Side for recommending that his audience stop here. i lurk on his vids for support and mini information and frankly i've been missing out on real FDM stuff. ive learned a lot already and i cant wait to finish the video.
Thank you as well for taking the time to make this vid aye.
Thank you so much for the kind words ❤️ Glad you found some useful information 😊
Tremendous help for someone like me who just got an A1 to print warhammer. Have had some mixed success so far haha
Wow. I learned more about printing detailed parts in the first 5 minutes of this video than what I have learned by trial and error in the last 2 months. Thanks a lot
Great Video, good to see FDM Miniature printing improving!
Thank you for your videos! I have a Bambu mini arriving in a few days, and I have been consuming videos about 3D printing in general, and minis in particular. Your videos on FDM minis made me pull the trigger; resin was not an option. I have already been playing with the settings you recommend in Bambu studio, and your videos have given me an understanding of what various settings do. I look forward to actually printing them out. The hand-painting the supports was an eye-opener. Keep up the good work!
Hope you enjoy the new printer once it arrives! (Though im sure you will, the A1s are amazing)
Fantastic paint job on that tiefling; couldn't tell it was FDM vs resin from a finished piece at that distance!
new to fdm models so i've mostly been finding print profiles from other makers who seem to get good results. This is the first vid I've come across with such useful tips for orientation and manual supports.
also that segue to asking for support was smooth as heck and i really couldn't let it go unmentioned lol
Thanks for this vid, it's going right into my FDM playlist so it'll be easy to find for later reference!
Thank you! Hope my tid-bits of info help in the long run 😊
Great video! I have been thinking about getting a printer and after this video and a few of your other ones I am sold on FDM.
Looking at getting a FDM printer for the family for Christmas, glad to know I will still be able to make some minis on it
I got one ‘for the family’ too. This was a very helpful video.
@ us too, we got a Bambu Lab A1 for Christmas!
I was feeling discouraged after my first few minis got destroyed by supports, this is super helpful!
Thanks for showing the models uncleaned! It's good to know what to expect. I'm always a little frustrated with the outcomes, but after cleaning they look really nice.
The nozzle sizes is a big factor, but not for the reasons newbies might think. I can print almost any miniature in 0.4, it makes very little difference. Where it does make a difference is supports. 0.2 mm supports are so much easier to remove! Its crazy.
Yep! smaller nozzle means thinner support interface, its much nicer to remove and makes it possible to print with a thinner z top distance
great advice here. I 3D print stuff at work a lot, and this is helpful
Great to hear! 😄
Hi, Jacob! I wanted to say that your videos have helped me tremendously in my 3D printing journey. I have really struggled with my machine (the Elegoo Neptune 3) and my peers have just suggested I get another machine. I was getting very frustrated and was giving up hope, but thanks to your settings, I have gotten significantly better results! I will be recommending your videos to everyone who is interested in 3d printing minis or is just interested in learning how to dial in your settings.
If you do not have one already, would you be able to go over how you went about dialing in your settings and calibrating your machine? I think this would be helpful for others who have different printers, but want to learn a framework for testing. There are a lot of settings and it can be overwhelming for a beginner to understand what they affect.
Yes for sure - I want to do a deep dive / masterclass type thing sometime next year but it will take a while to make as it would be a big project 😉
@@Painted4Combat Excellent! Glad to hear and thanks for the reply! I hope you have a great holiday season!
Been really enjoying your content on FDM printing minis. Feels like a niche of the hobby which is definitely growing and is exciting to be a part of!
Great Video, good to see FDM Miniature printing improving!
Thanks to your videos, I've finally started getting awesome One Page Rules minis on my Anycubic Kobra 2. Got a 0.2mm nozzle, dialed in the settings and voila!
I'm actually going to get rid of my resin printer because this is a cleaner, safer option and it's more than good enough.
Thank you and keep on with these videos! It would be ace if you could show how to do, say, large squads and different types of minis as references - and different scales too.
Thanks again!
Damn that marine looks clean! My first attempt was far messier than that I'm afraid. Great video!
Great tips! I often find manual support difficult to manage, but sinking the model into the build plate and negative support painting makes it easier for sure.
I still think that the auto support distance might just be too tight (as in hard to remove), and I have no good solution for that.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It’s been really useful, as I was having problems with auto supports unnecessarily covering details or generating in hard to reach areas. I’ll definitely be practising manual supports.
This looks incredible. I have been able to get some pretty good mini's with my fdm printer already but you touched on things I have never even considered. Thank you so much for this. Your prints look great without even beginning to touch them up.
I just had my 0.4mm nozzle swapped for a 0.2mm in my Ender 3 V3 KE, and will start to experimenting on miniatures again. With the 0.4 nozzle I've got some promising results, but fine details were lost and it had some layer lines visible.
I am using Cura, but I was mainly printing suportless miniatures designed to be FDM friendly.
Think I will give Orca (or even Creality Print) a try, the custom supports painting tool is very powerful, custom supports on Cura are a pain in the ass... Lol
Anyway, thank you very much for these videos, they are helping a lot.
This has given me the courage to finally try manual supports after four failed attempts at the same dragonborn paladin 😭.
Started unravelling the mystery of mini printing on my A1 mini last week and I wish I found you earlier! Just knowing about the support blocker alone is so nice
Hi, thanks for your work in making FDM more accessible
🫡
Great video. I bought a FDM printer due to with my house set up I do not have a place to use resin safely especially with 2 small kids. I am mainly a scale modeler, but I like to paint minis as a palate cleanser between builds. Thanks to your videos I'm going to start printing my own minis instead of ordering them from a printer. Also this makes me feel more confident that I can print model parts if I need to also. I will be watching and rewatching your videos. Thanks.
Thats awesome to hear! All the best on your painting 🙌
Printing models slowly means you can paint one while the next is printing and no build up of unpainted plastic. Yes you can't batch paint but you can keep on top of it
I'm fairly new to 3d printing and haven't attempted minis yet but I'll definitely be saving this video to reference if/when I do attempt them.
4:12 I like what you're doing and love that you're showing the settings from your tests. I've the plus version of the printer you've and despite its size I'm getting decent results, though I'm still on Prusa Slicer after my own fine tuning and tweaking of settings. I wait patiently for your overview of Orca Slicer; it's something I've wanted to move to but haven't had the time to tinker with and fine tune as I had the first go around with my printer.
Yeah I making the transition from Prusa to Orca I had to pretty much throw away everything I had dialed in Prusa and figure it out from the ground up 😭 So when I make the settings video I want to go indepth enough that others don't have the same issue!
I recently bought a filament printer and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm learning from your videos and it keeps giving me confidence to keep trying when I get discouraged. I can't wait to see what setting you have on your printer.
Thanks to Once In A Six Side, this is my first visit. What microphone are you using, and that what looks like laser cut MDF storage on your desk...what is that? Very interesting looking stuff. Have you played with adaptive layers? I think that added to your techniques here you'd get even better prints. Overall quite impressive results. Well done.
To learn more about how any given support approach works I would recommend doing individual components as tests first. For install print the heavy bolter by itself in several orientations to see the results. Do several on a single plate to see how they compare. What we are targeting is an efficient way to gain experience, which after all, is what any person needs to get better at this. This is a fast way to gain experience while optimizing print times.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to check out the channel 😊
For Microphone I use an Audio Technica AT2020+ (usb).
The laser cut storage on my desk is all custom made! - I liked the various kits that could be bought online, but at the time none were available in New Zealand - and shipping that much MDF here cost more than the product, so I designed the pattern myself and had it cut locally!
I have used adaptive layers on larger models but prefer to keep it consistent for miniatures, to maximum quality.
I use brims rather than sink into the plate on Bambu slicer. It works good for me and has been easy to remove
Great advice. I figured some of this out myself through trial and error, but it's helpful to see someone talk through the process.
Thank you so much for another great lesson!!! Keep the videos about Orcaslicer and FDM minis coming! 😊
🙌
Dude thank you, i was worried after i bought my neptune 3 pro that i wouldnt be able to get the quality that the bambu labs has. But these look really good! Keep up the great work
Totally valid concern, the Bambu printers make it easy to get high quality out of the box but the Neptune's can totally get there with a little effort!
Lots of useful tips here!
I also like that you showed the painted druid to see the final result: looks good!
bro this was so lit for me im coming from resin printing and now loving FDM this was very much a big help thank you so much
I recently realized that putting minis at an angle with organic supports helps. It's done great!
Great video, I learned quite a bit here. My first attempt printing minis with a 0.4mm nozzle left a bit to be desired, but keen to try again with the smaller nozzle and custom supports
It makes a world of difference! 🙌
One of the justifications stepping from my CR6 SE to a P1S were your videos showing that 0.04 with a 0.2 Nozzle is possible. Still printing stuff for the dryboxes and the Riser and presents for the family, but minis will be printed in November!
This is just what I needed to help me learn from the mistakes I made with my first try at printing minis! Clear, concise explanations for your choices, and helpful demonstrations of your method. Thanks so much dude =)
Thanks for doing this, as supports are something I struggle with in terms of getting them off the models. They always seem too firmly attached and difficult to remove. Any educational videos like this are excellent ideas. Thanks again!
Great video. No brain melt down from figuring out or understanding. I couldn’t do it. I will refer this video if it’s ok with you for my channel. People are asking me for some settings, but I’m more focused on designing terrain workflow than technical tutorials on how to. I just did a couple ones based on my what I experienced.
Of course!
@ thanks!
This is exactly what I was looking for!! Thank you.
Super helpful FDM 3D print guide for minis
Thanks
Thank you for the support! 🙌🙌
Love to see some vids around post-print processing. I know its a "boring" topic, but would be absolutely of benefit for us newbs :)
Theres a little bit of that ion my older FDM Printing Guide if you want to check that out, I tend to do quite minimal post-processing in honesty. I have tuned my setting to only require some minor stringing removal and the odd bit of knife-work.
im not a commenter usually but you've inspired me to get my first 3d printer, ive been loving it and learning more every day. thank you.
I only started a few weeks ago and found your channel but love the idea of dropping the ball joints down a little. I'm splicing models to get flat surfaces but having awesome results so far x
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Thank for you demoing the manula support setting and how to remove auto supports. I saw the options in bambu studios but never understood how to get it working and if it would be worth the extra effort. Would def give it a go on my next mini print to see if creates an improvement
Definitely give it a go! Makes a world of difference once you get a feel for it
Thank you for working to make FDM better!!
Great Video! I really like your calm approach and the way you explain tihngs! Please consider doing more of these Videos, maybe also trying out other Slicers, settings and maybe other printers as well. I am sure, there are a lot of Printing-enthusiasts out there, that will benefit from this, just as I did! Thanks for sharing!
Of course! Hope to get some bambu coverage in at some point, as I know plenty of people have an A1 series printer now. But I definitely aim to cover as much as possible!
I did know there were so many options with editing supports! This is SO helpful
I've come across your videos and found them really informative! Printed my first miniature just yesterday on my A1mini with Fatdragon's profile and was amazed by the quality, but now i'm looking forward to try to print miniatures designed on Hero Forge and i'm sure your tips will prove very useful! Thanks a lot!
Thanks for sharing these techniques, supports are always challenging, so new tricks are welcome!! Cheers!
Loving your channel. As someone who bought a Bambu A1 recently, your vids have been a tremendous help! Thanks!
Finally starting to learn a bit more regarding printing settings and your content is very very informative. Thanks!
Very helpful, first time viewer
This video was invaluably helpful, thank you for taking the time to make it!
WOW... What a wealth of knowledge
Supports alone frustrate me endlessly in cura to the point that ive switched to heavy resin supports...
Definitely giving orca a try
ive done more then a few minis in FDM but i use CURA slicer. its interesting to see some of the differences and where the similarities are.
one of the biggest advantages i can see is manual support placements. thats HUGE and potentially worth changing slicers entirely.
something I've noticed that's almost universal about FDM is touched on in this video but something worth emphasizing is that each filament behaves differently. PLA from sunlu and PLA+ from china are ENTIRELY different on the
Very useful thanks I was looking for just this help ❤ Warming supports evenly with a hair dryer can also help removal if you are careful not to overheat it, as they are thin an external the trick is to heat and soften them.
I use most of the same processes but when I can I put the mini on a base when printing and sink it into that. I also started cutting and pinning larger models for ease of print in bambu slicer.
Just got an Adventurer 5m and been strugling with supports either bieng hard to remove or in spots that i just cant get too. definatley will try some of these tips.
Never heard of this suggestion before about sinking the model a little into the build plate for adhesion…I always assumed that would make the nozzle dig into the build plate, but that must not be the case?
If so this one tip will save me tons of time prepping models for print
It just acts as if it cuts the model off in the slicer, essentially making the layer where the model is intersecting with the bed the "first layer" of that model! so no danger of the printer digging into the build plate!
As someone starting to print minis using an A1 mini, this is super useful! Thanks you
Some great tips. Just about to try your settings, so wish me luck!
Fantastic results, that's exactly what I'm using my FDM printer for and this was a lot of good info.
Thanks a lot for this video.
I only use manual supports. This gives me much more control, so I have only as many supports as I really need.
Just starting my 3D printing journey and this is incredibly helpful!
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I used to do manual supports but after some tweaking with support settings automatics for fine for 90% of the cases. Currently mine settings for OrcaSlicer are top z distance = 0.14mm, top interface spacing = 0mm (for smoother bottoms), tip diameter = 0.8mm, tree support branch distance = 1mm, tree support branch diameter = 1mm, branch diameter angle = 5, tree support branch angle = 45, preferred branch angle = 30, branch diameter with double walls = 0mm. Yet I have noticed these are filament dependent, some filaments are really good for details some less so. Currently my favorite filament is Sunlu PLA 2.0+
Everyone keeps recommending SunLu, but its hard to find in New Zealand 🥲 I might have to branch out from my usual stores and source some to have a go!
Cool video and I'm glad to see you've made a playlist for this topic as well! My printer was an unexpected gift so I had nothing in mind about what I wanted to print. But I do play a lot of TTRPGs so for now my focus has been printing minis for the table. Still trying to grasp some of the nuances of printer settings and I look very much look forward to seeing how you have adjusted your settings as I too use Orca. This video on supports is great to see because I find the default supports in Orca too tough to remove without snapping things off at the ankles. I have made some progress in tuning the supports, but I've always found the idea of manual supports too intimidating to try. Well, now I guess I better get to it! Thanks for showing us how!
Oh yeah! by default Orca wants to make damn sure that models are aggressively supported 😆 Glad I could help!
Thank you for the manual support setting, I had no idea.
I love these videos!
I just started with 3D printing and mostly do functional parts and don’t have a extra room for a resin printer and 2 cats so resin isn’t really an option for me right now.
So seeing what is possible now with fdm is so awesome!
Thank you!
100% Resin isnt an option for everyone (like myself), I just want people to know that FDM is a great alternative option for some game-night ready miniatures!
5:27 Wouldn't it make sense to first slice and let the program show where the extreme overhangs are and only then record manual supports there? I mean for the beginner... you already seem to know the problem areas :)
Totally, I tend to switch on the "Highlight Overhangs" feature (I forgot to mention it in the video), which is those red highlights and use that as a guide, but yes you totally can do it that way too!
hey whaddup my printer is arriving tomorrow so thanks for all the advice
Congrats! hope you enjoy your new printer 🎉
Great video, thank you! I was pointed to your channel from Once in a six side.
Thanks for checking out the channel! ❤️
Your videos have inspired me to bite the bullet and buy a bambu printer. Can't wait to try and print these space bears I backed on kickstarter
Heck yeah! Ive loved printed some space bears up on FDM, definitely get your hands on a 0.2mm nozzle for the printer when you can, its crazy how much better minis turn out!
@Painted4Combat nice! The bambu has arrived, with the .2 nozzle - bought after your video on it. Thanks mate 👍
First timer here, very informative and helpful video! Thank you!
Thank you for the continued FDM content! Looking forward to the profiles
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Following your mini printing vids with great interest, these look great!
My first printer just arrived so these videos are very helpful!
Appreciate the detailed breakdown!
Thanks for the video! Been trying to get the most out of my P1S for minis and really scraping the barrel on ideas.
I started using round peg pliers for removing supports, they work well for organic ones. Can grab or get inside without cutting the material for better leverage
Try using PLA Support material or PETG as the Support Interface material. It produces a decent amount of waste but it will make your support removal loads easier. Do it for a bed of minis instead of a single one just to help cut down on waste.
@@aztinothI do actually have a small reel of support material, but ended up avoiding it due to the waste. I recall one time doing a slice for a mini and being told it would use more support material than the whole reel!
I know setting to “interface only” makes a big difference. But have yet to setup a whole plate of minis like that to see how efficient it would be.
I will say that I try not to put multiple minis on the plate due to the high risk of failure they have.
The sheer number of trade offs is frustrating…
Great advice! This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!
Thanks for the video! I just stating in this world of miniature 3D printing and this video would be very helpful
Thanks for these vids. Very helpful in designing minis to model for print. I'll be offering up a set for my skirmish game in 2025 and I would like to include stls that can be printed on a FDM printer as well as the usual resin offerings.
I too, have a Neptune 3 Pro and started printing minis on it. Your videos have helped a lot.
Glad I can help! More FDM friendly minis are always welcome ~ If you want some inspiration on support-free or FDM-friendly models check out "Arbiter Minis" hes doing great work that I love for FDM
Love your content mate! I had mostly given up on printing minis but you’ve inspired me to give it another go. Keep it up!
Awesome to hear! Definitely worth it once you get it working
I feel like supports are the final boss I need to beat to get passable minis from my A1, and this will certainly be a big help. Thanks!
Fat dragon gaming has a profile then use auto slim tree supports with 0.3 too z distance. Final boss over come
Thanks for the Video, nice additional input to consider 👍
i would have never thought about sinking models into the build plate for better adhesion
Just getting into this, thanks for the video!
Looking forward to the next part.
Thank you for your valuable information!
I have printed so much terrain from small rocks to entire castles but your channel finally go me on to minatures. So far I have had mixed results but things are improving all the time. I am just moving on to trying a .2mm nozzle. Thanks and keep up the great videos. Just one question, can you put the link to the minis you use in each video. I know you have done a video on recommended links but specific to each video would help us to try your methods along with the video.
make srure layer lines are done in the increments of your stepper motor. for my ender 5 one step of the motor is 0.04 layer hight. so thats the increments i use.
The minis from this video are in the description, I just try to avoid sharing GW~Look-a-like links 😬 - But yes! I will endeavor to be better at adding links to video descriptions.
@@GoalOrientedLifting Thanks
Wow they look great