4 ms·

The author (and many others) assume that quality 3D printers are expensive, as a throwaway note in the last sentence. A plastic soldier set is on the order of

by nippoo 10mo ago

The author (and many others) assume that quality 3D printers are expensive, as a throwaway note in the last sentence. A plastic soldier set is on the order of $20, and collectors will often purchase dozens. A Bambu A1 mini (which is sufficient for the level of detail needed for these figurines) is about $200, which breaks even after 10 sets.

awesome_dude 10mo ago
Sorry to nitpick at your math, but the breakeven point will be (slightly) higher - factor in the plastic, electricity, and designs (plus any failures)
- throw3e98 10mo ago
  At 22mm scale the cost of filament is basically negligible (literally pennies), but yes, you would have to either buy STL files or make them yourself in Blender.
  - dragonwriter 10mo ago
    > At 22mm scale the cost of filament is basically negligible (literally pennies) Even assuming no losses, just by volume, something like $0.10 per figure, and packs of 1/72 scale figures that retail for $20 are often a 20-50 figures.
    - throw3e98 10mo ago
      0.10 per figure is a order of magnitude+ overestimate. The paint will cost significantly more than the plastic.
  - s08148692 10mo ago
    If someone is printing their own rather than buying official models I don't think it's safe to assume they're buying the digital assets
    - throw3e98 10mo ago
      Most people I know buy STL files from MyMiniFactory because the cost of the STLs is already a tiny fraction of the price of buying models at the local store. We spend more on the paint to paint the figures than we do on the digital files. We also like supporting the artists - they often have cheap subscription based models where you get access new files, plus their back catalog if you stay subscribed for a certain period of time or at certain tiers. Often the artists are solo artists that you can, like, hang out with on Discord and chat directly with. The exception might be Russia, there's a big 40K hobby there and they're cut off from buying stuff due to sanctions and the terrible state of the economy.
throw3e98 10mo ago
An A1 Mini requires a smaller nozzle, a customized profile, specific filament, and quite a bit of work in Blender and the slicer to successfully print 32mm figures (approx. 1/56 scale). Even those larger figures aren't anywhere as good as the quality of injection molding you get from a Games Workshop, Archon Studio, Wargames Atlantic or Bandai kit. You typically need an SLA printer for that - which requires PPE and ventilation due to the hazardous materials. I don't think my A1 Mini would have success trying to print at 1/72 at the same detail as an injection molding process. I've done 28mm figures on it, but it was a lot of work and had a high failure rate. more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7pBUk8AvJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7pBUk8AvJ8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkW5nXRXN4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkW5nXRXN4
- PunchyHamster 10mo ago
  Better comparison would be prices in various 3D printing sides. But either way, margins for some companies like mentioned GW are huge
markild 10mo ago
A bit besides the point, but an FDM printer is definitely not good enough to reproduce these somewhat convincingly. That being said, a cheap-ish resin printer will probably do the job, and they are generally in the same price range.
- sho_hn 10mo ago
  Please don't resin print at home, especially if you have kids, unless you really know what you are doing. And by that I mean professional experience handling hazardous materials and provisioning a work environment for them. The internet is rife with influencer content that makes these look OK and "not that dangerous", along with people who want to believe that rather than face buyer's remorse. It's more dangerous than you think. It's messier than you think. The process steps are more ennui than you think. If you don't respect it you will make unsafe mistakes out of lack of knowledge, or impatience, or lazyness. This shouldn't really be consumer gear. You can also fuck up on health and safety with FDM printers, but the default beginner lane (printing PLA in common colors) is a lot less risky on zero knowledge entry.
  - OldOneEye 10mo ago
    I agree. Kids or animals. Specially dogs that are mindless brutes. I've been 3d printing with resin for a long time before I had my dog. Now I don't do it, unless I can be sure that I can have the dog out my printing room for several days straight, for the water-washable resin to solidify on the sun after usage, and all the different after-print steps that have to be taken care of. It's also annoying to clean the plate, and deal with the resin bottles when you stop using them. There's no easily accessible infrastructure to dispose of the waste from the printing process so if you become lazy, you end up creating toxic hazards for anyone in the community. Not a good outcome at all. Still, safe 3d printing brings me a lot of joy, specially to prepare board games sessions with friends and neighbours. Printing, painting, etc. You just have to be responsible and civic and do the right thing. There's a safe way to handle this stuff, but you have to be very disciplined about it. Animals and kids complicate that big time.
    - 10mo ago
dragonwriter 10mo ago
> A Bambu A1 mini (which is sufficient for the level of detail needed for these figurines) is about $200, which breaks even after 10 sets. $200 for a printer does not break even at 10 sets if the sets are $20 unless the cost per unit printed is $0.
- deleted 10mo ago
  [deleted]
- brulard 10mo ago
  And time of the operator is $0 per hour as well
  - bigstrat2003 10mo ago
    Which it is. Unless you would actually be getting paid for that time (which you wouldn't in most cases), the opportunity cost is $0.
    - szundi 10mo ago
      [dead]
    - wdb 10mo ago
      You get paid in happiness of having and doing a hobby that brings peace and joy :))
    - beng-nl 10mo ago
      Well said. I’m often nonplussed at these calculations of some fairly high hourly rate that we seemingly all should be able to command at will at anytime in unlimited supply. Well, I can’t.
    - dragonwriter 10mo ago
      If you would otherwise be doing anything with positive expected utility in that time, the opportunity cost is >$0. The fact that the analysis can be carried out in monetary units (because we don't have a good direct measure of utility) doesn't mean that receiving money itself is the only source of utility that needs to be considered.
BoredPositron 10mo ago
Need another napkin?

by nippoo 10mo ago

awesome_dude 10mo ago

Sorry to nitpick at your math, but the breakeven point will be (slightly) higher - factor in the plastic, electricity, and designs (plus any failures)

throw3e98 10mo ago
At 22mm scale the cost of filament is basically negligible (literally pennies), but yes, you would have to either buy STL files or make them yourself in Blender.
- dragonwriter 10mo ago
  > At 22mm scale the cost of filament is basically negligible (literally pennies) Even assuming no losses, just by volume, something like $0.10 per figure, and packs of 1/72 scale figures that retail for $20 are often a 20-50 figures.
  - throw3e98 10mo ago
    0.10 per figure is a order of magnitude+ overestimate. The paint will cost significantly more than the plastic.
- s08148692 10mo ago
  If someone is printing their own rather than buying official models I don't think it's safe to assume they're buying the digital assets
  - throw3e98 10mo ago
    Most people I know buy STL files from MyMiniFactory because the cost of the STLs is already a tiny fraction of the price of buying models at the local store. We spend more on the paint to paint the figures than we do on the digital files. We also like supporting the artists - they often have cheap subscription based models where you get access new files, plus their back catalog if you stay subscribed for a certain period of time or at certain tiers. Often the artists are solo artists that you can, like, hang out with on Discord and chat directly with. The exception might be Russia, there's a big 40K hobby there and they're cut off from buying stuff due to sanctions and the terrible state of the economy.

throw3e98 10mo ago

An A1 Mini requires a smaller nozzle, a customized profile, specific filament, and quite a bit of work in Blender and the slicer to successfully print 32mm figures (approx. 1/56 scale). Even those larger figures aren't anywhere as good as the quality of injection molding you get from a Games Workshop, Archon Studio, Wargames Atlantic or Bandai kit. You typically need an SLA printer for that - which requires PPE and ventilation due to the hazardous materials. I don't think my A1 Mini would have success trying to print at 1/72 at the same detail as an injection molding process. I've done 28mm figures on it, but it was a lot of work and had a high failure rate. more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7pBUk8AvJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7pBUk8AvJ8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkW5nXRXN4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkW5nXRXN4

PunchyHamster 10mo ago
Better comparison would be prices in various 3D printing sides. But either way, margins for some companies like mentioned GW are huge

markild 10mo ago

A bit besides the point, but an FDM printer is definitely not good enough to reproduce these somewhat convincingly. That being said, a cheap-ish resin printer will probably do the job, and they are generally in the same price range.

sho_hn 10mo ago
Please don't resin print at home, especially if you have kids, unless you really know what you are doing. And by that I mean professional experience handling hazardous materials and provisioning a work environment for them. The internet is rife with influencer content that makes these look OK and "not that dangerous", along with people who want to believe that rather than face buyer's remorse. It's more dangerous than you think. It's messier than you think. The process steps are more ennui than you think. If you don't respect it you will make unsafe mistakes out of lack of knowledge, or impatience, or lazyness. This shouldn't really be consumer gear. You can also fuck up on health and safety with FDM printers, but the default beginner lane (printing PLA in common colors) is a lot less risky on zero knowledge entry.
- OldOneEye 10mo ago
  I agree. Kids or animals. Specially dogs that are mindless brutes. I've been 3d printing with resin for a long time before I had my dog. Now I don't do it, unless I can be sure that I can have the dog out my printing room for several days straight, for the water-washable resin to solidify on the sun after usage, and all the different after-print steps that have to be taken care of. It's also annoying to clean the plate, and deal with the resin bottles when you stop using them. There's no easily accessible infrastructure to dispose of the waste from the printing process so if you become lazy, you end up creating toxic hazards for anyone in the community. Not a good outcome at all. Still, safe 3d printing brings me a lot of joy, specially to prepare board games sessions with friends and neighbours. Printing, painting, etc. You just have to be responsible and civic and do the right thing. There's a safe way to handle this stuff, but you have to be very disciplined about it. Animals and kids complicate that big time.
  - 10mo ago

dragonwriter 10mo ago

> A Bambu A1 mini (which is sufficient for the level of detail needed for these figurines) is about $200, which breaks even after 10 sets. $200 for a printer does not break even at 10 sets if the sets are $20 unless the cost per unit printed is $0.

deleted 10mo ago
[deleted]
brulard 10mo ago
And time of the operator is $0 per hour as well
- bigstrat2003 10mo ago
  Which it is. Unless you would actually be getting paid for that time (which you wouldn't in most cases), the opportunity cost is $0.
  - szundi 10mo ago
    [dead]
  - wdb 10mo ago
    You get paid in happiness of having and doing a hobby that brings peace and joy :))
  - beng-nl 10mo ago
    Well said. I’m often nonplussed at these calculations of some fairly high hourly rate that we seemingly all should be able to command at will at anytime in unlimited supply. Well, I can’t.
  - dragonwriter 10mo ago
    If you would otherwise be doing anything with positive expected utility in that time, the opportunity cost is >$0. The fact that the analysis can be carried out in monetary units (because we don't have a good direct measure of utility) doesn't mean that receiving money itself is the only source of utility that needs to be considered.

BoredPositron 10mo ago

Need another napkin?