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A resin printer arrives in a box with minimal accessories. Sometimes a pair of gloves. Sometimes a scraper. That’s it. The workflow to go from a fresh print to a painted, table-ready miniature requires about ten additional things that don’t come in that box.
This is the list. Some of these are safety-critical. Some are time-savers. All of them are things I use on every print session.
Before getting into it — all resin work requires basic PPE. Read the resin printing safety guide for the full rundown. The short version is in this list.
1. Fine Flush Cutters
The single most impactful tool for print quality is fine flush cutters. Not standard flush cutters — fine flush cutters, where the blade is thin enough to get into tight spaces between a support column and a model surface without crushing adjacent detail.
Why: Standard flush cutters leave a rough nub at the cut point. Fine flush cutters cut clean to the surface. On a 28mm face, the difference between a 0.5mm nub and a clean cut is visible under paint.
Get: Xuron 170-II Micro-Shear ($18) or Tamiya 74035 Sharp Pointed Side Cutters ($22). Either brand is solid. The Xuron is slightly easier to find; the Tamiya has a finer tip that’s useful for very close-quarter cuts on faces.
Skip: The generic flush cutters that come bundled with electronics kits. They’re too blunt for miniature support work.
2. Nitrile Gloves
Already covered in the safety guide, but listed here because they’re used every session and need to be stocked consistently.
Uncured resin is a skin sensitizer. Direct skin contact is how sensitization develops. Wearing gloves throughout every session — from the moment you open the print lid to the moment the print is fully UV-cured — prevents cumulative exposure.
Get: Aurelia Tranquility Nitrile Gloves or any 4–5 mil nitrile gloves, 100-count box, medium weight. ~$12–$18 per box.
Not: Latex (lower chemical resistance to acrylates) or the ultra-thin food service gloves (tear too easily).
Buy two boxes at a time. Running out mid-session is an excuse to shortcut.
3. IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol, 91%+)
IPA is the standard wash medium for uncured resin. Every print comes off the build plate coated in liquid resin and needs to be washed before UV curing.
Why 91% or higher: Lower concentrations have more water content, which interferes with washing effectiveness and can cause surface cloudiness on certain resins. 91% is the practical minimum; 99% is better but harder to find and more expensive than necessary.
Get: From a pharmacy or home improvement store — typically $5–$8 per liter. Buy in quantity because you go through it. Amazon has gallon jugs for better per-liter cost if you’re printing regularly.
Note on wash and cure stations: A dedicated wash and cure station uses either IPA or a cleaning solution in a motorized wash basin. The station dramatically improves the washing process. If you’re still using an IPA jar and dipping prints by hand, the wash and cure station guide explains why that upgrade is worth making.
4. Wash and Cure Station
Technically an accessory; practically required. Washing in an IPA jar and curing under a desktop UV lamp works technically. It also takes 15–20 minutes of active fussing per print versus 5 minutes with a station.
The station handles both steps: a motorized basket agitates the print in IPA, then the UV turntable cures it evenly. The consistency of a machine wash versus a manual wash also matters for final print quality — hand-washing often leaves uncured spots in recessed detail that the motor gets.
Best value: Elegoo Mercury Plus 2.0 (~$50–$65) — fits most miniature-scale print sizes, has a clear wash container, and cures small to medium prints efficiently. The wash basket is large enough for a full 200mm build plate in most orientations.
Step up: Anycubic Wash & Cure Plus (~$70–$85) — larger capacity, fits the bigger build plates on machines like the Saturn 4 Ultra. If you’re printing on a large-format machine, verify that your wash station’s capacity matches your build plate.
Full comparison in the wash and cure stations guide.
5. Resin Funnels with Filters
When a print session is done, the resin in the vat needs to go back in the bottle. If you pour it straight in, you risk trapping print debris, partially cured bits, and FEP flakes in your resin supply.
Resin funnels with attached mesh filters solve this in one step. The funnel directs flow back into the bottle; the filter catches debris.
Get: Resin filter funnels, pack of 20 (~$8–$12 for a multipack). They’re single-use. Reuse them a few times if you’re careful; replace them when the mesh is clogged or stained.
Alternative: Nylon paint strainer bags (used for filtering paint) work the same way. Slightly less convenient but more economical for high-volume users.
6. UV Flashlight (for Spot Curing)
A UV flashlight sounds redundant if you have a wash and cure station, but it’s not. The station cures the outside of a print. Fine supports in deep recesses, interior surfaces on hollowed prints, and any spot that the rotary lamp doesn’t reach directly may cure incompletely.
A UV flashlight lets you hit those spots directly. It’s also useful for tacking a print to its base before final cure, and for quick field-curing if you’re doing any print work outdoors.
Get: Solarez UV flashlight or any UV LED flashlight rated for 395nm. ~$10–$15. Not the cheap purple-LED “UV flashlight” sold for detecting pet stains — those don’t emit the right wavelength at enough intensity for resin curing.
7. Plastic Scrapers
The metal scraper that comes with most printers is too aggressive for regular use. Using it on a failed print that’s welded to the build plate is one thing. Using it for routine print removal is how you scratch your FEP liner or gouge the build plate coating.
Plastic scrapers flex slightly, which helps break the suction seal between a print and the plate without scratching. For prints that remove easily, the flex is convenient. For prints that are stuck harder, use the metal scraper only at the edges — never flat on the plate surface.
Get: Plastic razor blade scraper set (~$8–$10 for a pack). They’re cheap enough to replace when they develop nicks.
8. Replacement FEP Film
FEP film is the clear transparent layer at the bottom of your resin vat. It’s a consumable — it scratches, clouds, and eventually tears with use. A cloudy or scratched FEP causes layer artifacts and increases the risk of a print sticking to the bottom of the vat rather than the build plate.
Keep two sheets of replacement FEP on hand. You don’t want to be waiting on shipping when a print tears the FEP mid-build.
Get: Film cut to fit your specific printer model. Most printer brands sell FEP in multipacks; the dimensions vary by vat size. Search “[your printer model] FEP film replacement” on Amazon. ~$8–$15 for a 3-pack.
Replacement interval: When you see cloudiness, visible scratches, or increased print failures. If the film is clear, leave it. No need to replace on a schedule. The full step-by-step process — including the tension check most guides skip — is in the FEP film replacement guide.
9. Build Plate Texture Sheets
Some build plates — particularly on budget machines — have a smooth factory surface that makes print removal difficult and increases plate wear over time. Adhesive-backed build plate texture sheets (also called FEP plate liners or texture sheets) go on top of the existing build plate and provide better adhesion and easier release.
They’re also useful on machines that develop scratches or gouges — a texture sheet covers minor damage and gives you a fresh printing surface.
Get: Energetic 3D build plate sheets sized for your printer. ~$15–$25 for a multipack. Match the dimensions to your build plate.
Note: Not all printers need these. If your current plate releases prints cleanly, there’s no reason to add a sheet. They’re more useful on older machines, machines with surface damage, or specific models known for adhesion issues.
10. Small Dental Picks or Needle Files
Support removal leaves small contact nubs where the support tip touched the model. On hidden surfaces — the underside of a base, the back of a cloak — these don’t matter. On visible surfaces — a face, an arm, weapon handle — they show under paint.
Dental picks (or dentist’s probe tools) let you break contact nubs off precisely by working the pick into the nub from the side. The nub pops off at the contact point without gouging the surrounding surface. Needle files let you sand the remaining mark flush before priming.
Get: Dental pick set ($8–$12) and a needle file set ($10–$15). The needle files also handle the mold line cleanup that all resin prints need.
The Full Accessories Budget
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fine flush cutters (Xuron or Tamiya) | $18–$22 |
| Nitrile gloves, 100-count box | $12–$18 |
| IPA 91%, 1 gallon | $18–$25 |
| Wash and cure station | $50–$85 |
| Resin filter funnels, 20-pack | $8–$12 |
| UV flashlight | $10–$15 |
| Plastic scrapers | $8–$10 |
| FEP film replacement (3-pack) | $8–$15 |
| Build plate texture sheets (optional) | $15–$25 |
| Dental picks + needle files | $18–$27 |
| Total | $165–$254 |
Add this to a $130–$150 printer and a couple bottles of ABS-like resin and you have a complete working setup. The accessories cost roughly as much as the printer — but they’re longer-lived and several of them (gloves, IPA, FEP film) are the only ongoing consumable costs you’ll have.
What Not to Buy
Fancy resin spatulas: The standard silicone spatula included with most printers is fine for vat maintenance. Don’t buy an upgraded one.
UV nail lamp for curing: These are marketed as a budget UV cure option. The wavelength range on nail lamps (365–395nm) overlaps with resin curing, but the power output is too low for consistent full curing of 3D prints. Use a proper wash and cure station or at minimum a UV flashlight.
Extended warranty on the printer: Budget machines at $130–$200 aren’t worth extended warranty cost. If a budget printer dies, the math on replacement versus warranty claim is usually comparable, and manufacturers’ support for budget models is often slow. Save the money.
Print removal pads: Silicone mats and foam pads marketed as “print release aids” don’t do anything useful. Cold water on the build plate (resin contracts slightly in cold) and a plastic scraper at the plate edge is the correct removal approach.