For my recent(ish) birthday I recieved partial use of a FDM (Filament) 3D printer. Specifically a Bambulab A1, which various YouTube videos describe as being closer to an appliance than a hobby – which is what I personally want from a 3d printer. I say partial use, because it’s been spending a lot of time when I thought it would be printing miniature scenery. boardgame components and related objects it has in fact been printing shiny bangles and earrings and the like. I’ll say more about all that later own down the road.
In the meantime while I get used to using it, and try to figure out how to get around various pitfalls (I dunno how people are printing great looking figures without horrible support scarring), I’ve been printing a lot of scenery and objects on the simpler side – these trapdoors for Zombicide Black Plague amongst them.
I used Sunlu PLA Meta using FDG’s presets. One set each for the purple and Yellow Trapdoors. I changed up the stone colour as well to provide more visual interest and distinction. One of the hinges on one of them broke clipping them in after painting so I superglued it back on and will play with fingers crossed! Turns out that I later found another version of the file with reinforced hinges. Ah well, hopefully these will last! I also added texture trying to subdue the print lines on the top surface using AK Interactive’s Easycast texture Medium.
Being pieces for Zombicide, I’ll assume that they also qualify for Dave Stone’s latest Apocalypse Me challenge as well…
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Great work on the doors, and ruins mate, you have covered the lines well, sounds like you have one of those gremlins in your printer if it’s printing bangles and earrings ! LOL Yes I will count them, and have saved them in your file mate.
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Thanks Dave! Soooo many earrings!
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Great work
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Thank you!
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Oh no! The 3D printer rabbit hole! 🙂 Nice work on these bits! I must admit I like FDM/PLA scenery bits, buildings etc. and they are very tough!
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The good(?) thing is I already have SOOOOOO many models to paint so I’ll likely only be printing scenery, accessories and the odd vehicle for some time. I have been having some assorted issues with even this printer since I wrote the post above though – bed adhesion isn’t entirely consistent, but if I can sort these things out without too much trouble it’ll be okay – I don’t need *another* hobby!
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Nice work. I agree, sometimes 3D printing is a hobby within a hobby.
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Yeah for sure – and not one I especially want to take on. Babysitting this thing from time to time is about as far as I want to go. Slightly further actually, but I’ll put up with it to an extent…
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This is an unexpected development! I will talk about this more in a future update, but I’m starting to hear the call of 3D printing too… The terrain bits look great and I’ll be curious to hear how you get on with the printer as you get more practice with it.
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I’ve had build plate adhesion issues a lot over the last week. They appear to have been solved (so far) by a third party one that is just so much more …adhesive.
We’ll see how it goes over the next few weeks of non-stop printing. I’m definitely learning about best angles to print on to decrease support scarring, and a coworker’s husband (it turns out) plays 40k, so I’ve got someone to funnel many of my “learning as I go” prints off to now! 🙂
I also churned out a whole lot of terrain for a new game, and I’ll start to post those up shortly, depending on when I get a chance to take more photos…
Definitely look up some videos on YT about Bambulabs A1/A1 mini. I went with the A1 and the AMS lite so we can do multi-colour printing. Which so far has been used for QOL filament changing/reloads and making jewelry.. 😮
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I can imagine that its a real learning process and in a few months you’ll be much more skilled than when you started. Will do on the Youtube research. Thanks for the recommendation. I look forward to seeing your newly printed terrain as well!
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