The Magic of Printing Resin Miniatures: A Beginner's Guide to Resin 3D Printing

This week I got a Phrozen Sonic Mini and started printing resin miniatures!!! Come along with me as I show you just how easy it is to print in resin in 2021!!!!

0:00 - Introduction
1:11 - The Basics
2:14 - Loot Studios
3:35 - Research & Development
5:21 - My Printing Setup
7:07 - My Printing Workflow
10:45 - Finishing and Painting
11:56 - Final Thoughts

Videos I used to learn 3D printing:
and probably more I'm forgetting that I'll add later

Supplies and Equipment used: (amazon affiliate links)

MUSIC:
glaciære - “Last beach party of the summer”
glaciære - "Drinking wine and playing gameboy"
glaciære - "Hot air balloon"
glaciære - “Years Spent in an Ice Cold Pool”
glaciære - “Whisky on the rocks”
glaciære - “Going to bed on a warm summer night”
Stevia Sphere - "Elevator 7"
glaciære - "Pool water dripping from the diving board"
All music used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License

[lunarmagpie]

okay but I truly love how transparent you are about not only your craft, but the deals with sponsors that you make. Hands down one of the most ethical content creators I know

[dougpridgen]

When Saruman discovered the dark magic of 3D resin printing, he improved upon orcs and began pulling Uruk Hai from his resin vats.

[EricsHobbyWorkshop]

I was enjoying the metaphor of 3d printing as magic, then I saw the minis moving by themselves at 1:03 and realized it wasn't a metaphor at all

[oleww]

Love the “3d printing is magic” comparison. So true! I recently got into 3-D printing… And I love the fact I can literally buy/find or create anything, and have it in model form in no time! That is true magic

[jonnyr]

Turns out the real friends were the ones we 3D printed along the way.

[MakingToys]

Great video Dana! I leave my printer working at night and every morning feels like I'm a kid again and it's Christmas day. How these machines work really feels like magic to me, and how affordable they are right now makes them a great asset for hobbyst and sculptors/designers alike.

[benweinberg]

@10:00
"What? Alchemy without a circle?!"

Another great video, *Dr.* Dana!

[aloehart]

For people looking at resin printers, the Elegoo Mars print chamber is a closed environment (there's no exhaust vent where the resin is) so the fume level is non-existent except when you remove the cover. If you've got limited ventelation you can get by pretty easily with just a mask.

Edit: You can also build a real cheap curing chamber with UV LEDs and some type of closable opaque container (I just used the box the LEDs came in)

Also, @Dana, huge tip for removing supports that really helped my prints. Once you've washed them, run them under hot water for a few seconds. The supports come off super easily.

[EnderoftheGame]

I've never painted a miniature before, but I have been consistently watching your videos, looking forward to the time when I have the time and space to get into the hobby. Thanks for continually making high-quality content. Your distinct editing style is one of my favorites on the platform bar none.

[pseudonym]

Woo! I’ve been seriously considering getting a 3D printer. This is perfect timing

[garenosborn]

I’ve been on the fence about doing this so I’ve watched a lot of videos on 3D resin printing in the last few months. This one is probably the most helpful I’ve seen in terms of a getting started video. Thanks for that. Plus the mad scientist/artist vibe is pretty fun.

[garethlewin]

I got into resin printing about the same time as you, and have had similar success but one thing I did get that I am very happy with is water washable resin.

[robsonribeiro]

I'm at exactly step of researching and I'm super glad that almost every video you showed as your base was same as mine. Now I'm researching prices and maybe wait for black Friday or boxing day here in Canada. 3Dprinting is on! Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!

[cabe_bedlam]

"After removing the goo tray..."

DANA! :D

[SquidsEye]

You need much less cleanup from the supports if you wash your prints in warm water before removing them, then wash them properly again afterwards. The heat makes the supports peel off much easier and with less bumps, but you do need to be more careful with the little delicate parts.

[jondenman]

I'm glad you did one of these videos. Im just about to buy a 3d printer.

[jacquelinelove]

the lab coat is just an amazing touch, chef kiss perfect

[spartangaming]

Use elegoo water washable resin so you dont have to use stinky iso. Also buy a magnetic print bed, you dont even need to use the scaper anymore. You just bend the plate and the prints pop off. Chitubox for supports, use Microsoft 3d builder to repair models, use a blow dryer or put the prints in hot water to take off the supports. Look up 3dPrintingPro on yt, he knows everything about 3d printing. Also, look up the flint reed leveling method! Have fun!

[dtblackdragon]

i totally agree on you, it's a hobby on its own. needs time and lots of learning, espacially when it comes to supporting miniatures wich are not pre-supported.

And Loot-Studios is awesome. If you are a Warhammer-Player like me, you get used to chunky arms, thick spears and arrows thicker than a head. But Loot-Studios presents realistic scaled miniatures and I totally love these. The amount of detail a cheap printer creates is breathtaking (I personally own a Anycubic Photon Mono ... 220$). But the "sidecosts" are not as low as many think. The iso costs (ok, many times reusable but still money), the gloves, towels, resin (1kg is faster printed as you think and 1kg costs round about 40$), ...

I'd like to see some more of your models painted. Thank you for your great videos and have fun printing! Greetings from germany.

[tando]

The jury is not out on the fumes at all (at least academically). Numerous NIH papers have covered the toxicity including residue build up in children's lungs where people print in homes without a dedicated space and venting. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING THE FIRST MINI HOBBIEST ON YOUTUBE TO TAKE PROPER PRECAUSIONS!!!

You are awesome :)