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This knowledge base is intended to provide support for 3D printing miniatures with FDM printers. This is a community contributed resource of information that will continue to be built and refined as more people provide their own recommendations and experiences. There are also many great resources elsewhere that this site will also link to and reference.
This knowledge base is intended to provide support for 3D printing miniatures with FDM printers. This is a community contributed resource of information that will continue to be built and refined as more people provide their own recommendations and experiences. There are also many great resources elsewhere that this site will also link to and reference.


=== Guidelines ===
If you are brand new to 3D printing miniatures or to FDM printers, you may want to start with the following resources:
* [[FDM Miniatures FAQ]]
* [[FDM Miniatures Glossary]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPQ7uPPz-TBOBU2t9Q86S2l6RHZd_uk8u YouTube Videos]
 
== Guidelines ==
Due to the rapidly changing 3D printing ecosystem all advise here should be considered editorial based on personal experience and a starting point for anyone wanting to get started 3D printing miniatures with an FDM printer. Some content may be considered best practices and other content may represent advice that has risks and should be used with caution. At any time content on this site may be removed or revised. This site should be considered a family friendly site so things should be kept at a PG rating and questionable content will be removed.
Due to the rapidly changing 3D printing ecosystem all advise here should be considered editorial based on personal experience and a starting point for anyone wanting to get started 3D printing miniatures with an FDM printer. Some content may be considered best practices and other content may represent advice that has risks and should be used with caution. At any time content on this site may be removed or revised. This site should be considered a family friendly site so things should be kept at a PG rating and questionable content will be removed.


=== FDM 3D Printing Basics ===
== FDM 3D Printing Basics ==
General printing guidance that should be considered first steps when getting started with FDM 3D printing or when troubleshooting printing issues.
General printing guidance that should be considered first steps when getting started with FDM 3D printing or when troubleshooting printing issues.


==== Filaments ====
=== Hardware ===
0.2mm~ nozzle, you need this if your not a god of printing and want detail.
 
(Optional) A cool plate for your printer. It will save you filament as you won't need brims or as big brims and can avoid failures due to supports breaking. I'd get this and never look back.
 
=== Filaments ===
Recommended filaments, those to stay away from, and general filament maintenance guidelines.
Recommended filaments, those to stay away from, and general filament maintenance guidelines.
==== Recommended ====
# eSUN PLA+
#* Uses: Miniatures
#* Pros: Manages small crisp details, has good walls.
#* Cons: Must be dried(but can still struggle with light stringing), struggles with some small overhangs.
# Elegoo PLA+ (or DeePlee which is a sub-brand of Elegoo)
#* Uses: Miniatures & Terrain
#* Pros: Works well on overhangs, has good walls, less stringing issues when damp.
#* Cons: Small details not as sharp, slower speeds required.
# Sunlu PLA+ 2.0 (or Jayo which is a sub-brand of Sunlu)
#* Uses: Miniatures
#* Pros: Works well on overhangs, has good walls, less stringing issues when damp.
#* Cons: Can be a struggle to calibrate.


==== Calibration ====
==== Calibration ====
How to calibrate FDM printers & filaments.
Calibrate any major change. Different Nozzle? Calibrate. New filament? Calibrate. Same goes for any major settings changes, if you double the speed, or change layer height/line width calibrate again. It will save you pain later.
 
You should run a Temp Tower, Flow Rate, and Pressure Advance calibration in that order. You will want to use the range of temperatures that are printed on the spool/box for the filament. **NOTE:** **_Be certain to start a new project after each calibration before changing settings_**
 
* OrcaSlicer
** Calibrations built-in under the "Calibration" menu.
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kNuXuziCc Video Walkthrough]
* PrusaSlicer
** [https://help.prusa3d.com/category/calibration_199 Official Prusa Calibration Guide]
* Bambu Studio
** [https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/software/bambu-studio/calibration_flow_rate Flow Rate]
** [https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/software/bambu-studio/calibration_pa Pressure Advance]
** [https://forum.bambulab.com/t/psa-start-here-calibration-made-simple-please-share-user-tips/10932 Alternative Calibration]
* Manual - <nowiki>https://www.instructables.com/Perfect-Prints-the-Ultimate-Guide-to-Filament-Cali/</nowiki>
 
After completing your calibrations run the test print, "All-In-One-Less.stl" and review how things have printed. <nowiki>https://www.printables.com/model/1293946-micro-all-in-one-3d-printer-test</nowiki>
 
===== Manual Temperature Tower =====
 
* [https://github.com/SoftFever/OrcaSlicer/tree/main/resources/calib/temperature_tower Temp Tower STL]
 
Download a temp tower model and slice it (see above). In the Slicer Preview, drag the slider to the start layer of the temp you want it at and right click the little + sign then "Add custom g-code". Use <code>M104 SXXX</code> (where XXX is the desired temp) is what you want to type at the beginning of each different temperature. Then slice again and print the plate.


==== Tools ====
== Tools ==
General tool recommendations.
General tool recommendations.


=== Printing Miniatures ===
=== Nippers ===
Guides on printing miniatures on FDM printers.


==== Printing Tips & Guides ====
==== General Purpose ====
General printing tips and guides for printing miniatures via FDM.
* [https://a.co/d/02D5w61f Hakko CHP-170 - Micro Soft Wire Cutter]


===== Model Orientation =====
==== Precision ====
One of the first decisions you make when preparing a model for printing is what the orientation will be. It may be tempting to orient it vertically, with its feet on the ground, but this will often have suboptimal results. Instead, you will generally orient the model so that it is leaned back. This allows you to take advantage of the greater detail on the Z axis and to have supports on the back of the model, so any support scarring is less noticeable (all supports leave at least a little scarring).
* [https://a.co/d/09GduOru RUITOOL 4.7 Inch Model Nippers]
* [https://a.co/d/0i02pRLG stedi 4.7-inch Model Nipper, with Ultra-thin Single-edge]
* [https://a.co/d/0elFEg90 WORKPRO 4.7" Model Nippers Tool, Ultra-thin Single Blade]


Other considerations are to minimize the amount of supports needed, to minimize the appearance of layer lines, and to align the layers for stronger parts.
=== Glue ===
* [https://a.co/d/0c7NAhPD Bob Smith Industries BSI-133H Insta-Cure+ Gap Filling Super Glue]
* [https://a.co/d/0bDtyZUA Bob Smith Industries BSI-151H Insta-Set™ CA Glue Accelerator]


If you are unsure of how you should orient your model and it came with a pre-supported file, you can check that file for the orientation. Note that pre-supported files are generally not suitable for FDM printers since the supports are designed for resin printing.
== Printing Miniatures ==


===== Supports =====
=== Printing Tips & Guides ===
How you support your model is a major factor for how well your print will turn out. FDM printers cannot print directly onto thin air, so anything with enough of an overhang will need supports. Below you will find some supports settings that you can use:
Guides on printing miniatures on FDM printers.
* [[timnolte supports v5]] (current)
* [[timnolte supports v4]]


Common questions:
* [[Printing Miniatures/Printing Tips & Guides|Printing Tips & Guides]]
* What about the Resin2FDM tool?
** The Resin2FDM tool is a plugin for Blender that allows you to convert resin supports (on pre-supported files) so that they work with FDM printers. However, our experience has been that well-tuned tree supports (see the links above) provide better results with faster print times. This is because resin printing has different support requirements than FDM printers. Since the tool works by thickening the supports so that the FDM slicer can pick them up, you will need to cut most of them to free the model, which creates additional scarring, and with the density of supports generated, it is easy to accidentally cut part of the model.


===== Bases =====
=== Model Creators ===


==== Model Creators ====
==== FDM Miniatures ====
 
===== FDM Miniatures =====
Recommended model creators specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for printing their models.
Recommended model creators specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for printing their models.


* [[Printing Miniatures/Creators/FDM/Arbiter Miniatures|Arbiter Miniatures]]
* [[Printing Miniatures/Creators/FDM/Arbiter Miniatures|Arbiter Miniatures]]


===== Non-FDM Miniatures =====
==== Non-FDM Miniatures ====
Model creators that are not specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for attempting to print their models.
Model creators that are not specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for attempting to print their models.


* [[Printing Miniatures/Creators/non-FDM/One Page Rules|One Page Rules]]
* [[Printing Miniatures/Creators/non-FDM/One Page Rules|One Page Rules]]


=== Printing Terrain ===
== Printing Terrain ==
Guides on printing terrain on FDM printers.
Guides on printing terrain on FDM printers.


=== Printer Model Tips ===
== Printer Model Tips ==
General guidelines and tips for specific FDM printers.
General guidelines and tips for specific FDM printers.


=== Model Prints Galleries ===
* Bambu Lab
** [[Bambu Lab A1/A1 Mini]]
** [[Bambu Lab P1S]]
** [[Bambu Lab P2S]]
* Elegoo
** [[Elegoo Centauri Carbon]]
* FlashForge
** [[FlashForge Adventurer 5M/5M Pro]]
 
== Model Prints Galleries ==
A gallery of prints done on FDM printers.
A gallery of prints done on FDM printers.


* [[Galleries/Miniatures|Miniatures]]
* [[Galleries/Miniatures|Miniatures]]
* [[Galleries/Terrain|Terrain]]
* [[Galleries/Terrain|Terrain]]
__FORCETOC__

Latest revision as of 16:58, 12 March 2026

Welcome to the wiki!

This knowledge base is intended to provide support for 3D printing miniatures with FDM printers. This is a community contributed resource of information that will continue to be built and refined as more people provide their own recommendations and experiences. There are also many great resources elsewhere that this site will also link to and reference.

If you are brand new to 3D printing miniatures or to FDM printers, you may want to start with the following resources:

Guidelines

Due to the rapidly changing 3D printing ecosystem all advise here should be considered editorial based on personal experience and a starting point for anyone wanting to get started 3D printing miniatures with an FDM printer. Some content may be considered best practices and other content may represent advice that has risks and should be used with caution. At any time content on this site may be removed or revised. This site should be considered a family friendly site so things should be kept at a PG rating and questionable content will be removed.

FDM 3D Printing Basics

General printing guidance that should be considered first steps when getting started with FDM 3D printing or when troubleshooting printing issues.

Hardware

0.2mm~ nozzle, you need this if your not a god of printing and want detail.

(Optional) A cool plate for your printer. It will save you filament as you won't need brims or as big brims and can avoid failures due to supports breaking. I'd get this and never look back.

Filaments

Recommended filaments, those to stay away from, and general filament maintenance guidelines.

Recommended

  1. eSUN PLA+
    • Uses: Miniatures
    • Pros: Manages small crisp details, has good walls.
    • Cons: Must be dried(but can still struggle with light stringing), struggles with some small overhangs.
  2. Elegoo PLA+ (or DeePlee which is a sub-brand of Elegoo)
    • Uses: Miniatures & Terrain
    • Pros: Works well on overhangs, has good walls, less stringing issues when damp.
    • Cons: Small details not as sharp, slower speeds required.
  3. Sunlu PLA+ 2.0 (or Jayo which is a sub-brand of Sunlu)
    • Uses: Miniatures
    • Pros: Works well on overhangs, has good walls, less stringing issues when damp.
    • Cons: Can be a struggle to calibrate.

Calibration

Calibrate any major change. Different Nozzle? Calibrate. New filament? Calibrate. Same goes for any major settings changes, if you double the speed, or change layer height/line width calibrate again. It will save you pain later.

You should run a Temp Tower, Flow Rate, and Pressure Advance calibration in that order. You will want to use the range of temperatures that are printed on the spool/box for the filament. **NOTE:** **_Be certain to start a new project after each calibration before changing settings_**

After completing your calibrations run the test print, "All-In-One-Less.stl" and review how things have printed. https://www.printables.com/model/1293946-micro-all-in-one-3d-printer-test

Manual Temperature Tower

Download a temp tower model and slice it (see above). In the Slicer Preview, drag the slider to the start layer of the temp you want it at and right click the little + sign then "Add custom g-code". Use M104 SXXX (where XXX is the desired temp) is what you want to type at the beginning of each different temperature. Then slice again and print the plate.

Tools

General tool recommendations.

Nippers

General Purpose

Precision

Glue

Printing Miniatures

Printing Tips & Guides

Guides on printing miniatures on FDM printers.

Model Creators

FDM Miniatures

Recommended model creators specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for printing their models.

Non-FDM Miniatures

Model creators that are not specifically designed for FDM printing, and any tips for attempting to print their models.

Printing Terrain

Guides on printing terrain on FDM printers.

Printer Model Tips

General guidelines and tips for specific FDM printers.

Model Prints Galleries

A gallery of prints done on FDM printers.

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