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#how-to
35 results
Guides
Resin Printer LCD Screen Replacement: How to Spot a Dying Screen and Swap It
The LCD in an MSLA printer is a consumable, not a permanent part. Here's how to tell a failing screen apart from an exposure problem, how to replace it on an Elegoo or Anycubic machine, and why you have to recalibrate afterward.
How to Fix a Broken Resin Miniature: Gluing, Pinning, and Hiding the Repair
Resin snaps clean instead of bending. Here is how I glue, pin, fill, and repaint broken miniatures so the repair holds up to actual play and disappears under paint.
Resin Printing in Cold Weather: How to Print Miniatures in an Unheated Garage or Basement
Cold resin fails in ways that look like a hundred other problems. Here's what temperature actually does to a print, how I keep my Saturn running through a Tennessee winter, and the settings that need to change when the room drops below 70F.
Resin Exposure Test: How to Calibrate Exposure Time for Sharp Miniatures
Every new bottle of resin needs its own exposure time. Here's the test print process I run on my Saturn, what over- and under-exposure actually look like on a 28mm mini, and how to dial in the number in one print.
How to Clean Your Resin Printer's Vat and FEP Film (Without Wrecking It)
The vat is the part beginners are most afraid to touch and most likely to damage. Here's how I clean mine on the Saturn: routine drain-downs, cured-resin removal, and FEP care, without a single scratch.
How to Orient Resin Miniatures for Printing: Angle, Support Scars, and Suction
I tilt every resin miniature 30-45 degrees, rotate scars off the face, and check for suction traps before I hit slice. Here's my full orientation process.
How to Resize and Rescale STL Miniatures for Resin Printing
How to scale STL miniatures to 28mm or 32mm, match an existing army, keep base sizes right, and avoid the detail loss and support problems that scaling causes.
How to Cure Resin Miniatures: UV Time, Temperature, and Common Mistakes
How to properly cure resin miniatures: UV cure times by resin type, why temperature and water matter, the budget nail-lamp method, and how to tell when a mini is fully cured.
Resin Printer Pre-Print Checklist: 9 Things to Check Before Every Miniature Print
A 60-second pre-flight checklist that prevents the six-hour failed prints. The nine things I check on the Saturn before every miniature print, and why each one matters.
How to Print Resin Miniatures for Board Games: Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, and Beyond
Upgrade your board game minis with resin prints: scaling, batch printing a full cast on a Saturn plate, durable resins, and fast paint for table play.
How to Paint Faces on Resin Miniatures: A Step-by-Step Technique Guide
Resin faces are sharper than cast plastic but the technique is different. This guide walks through basecoating, washing, layering, and adding eyes on 3D printed resin miniature faces: from beginner-friendly contrast shortcuts to the full layering method.
IPA vs. Resin Cleaners vs. Water-Washable: What to Use for Cleaning Resin Miniatures
IPA is the default, but it's not always the best option. Here's an honest breakdown of every resin cleaning approach, when each makes sense, and what the trade-offs actually cost you.
How Much Resin Does a Miniature Use? Cost Per Print Breakdown
Size-based resin use estimates for miniatures, with worked cost math and slicer tips for estimating before you hit print.
How to Hollow Resin Miniatures in Lychee and Chitubox (With Drain Holes)
Walk through hollowing resin miniatures in Lychee and Chitubox. Wall thickness, drain hole placement, infill, and the trade-offs that matter for tabletop printing.
Wet Blending and NMM for Resin Miniatures: Advanced Technique Guide
Resin's smooth surface changes how wet blending and non-metallic metal painting work compared to cast plastic or metal. Here's the advanced technique for painters who have mastered contrast and drybrushing and want the next level.
Speed Painting an Army: Contrast Paints and Drybrushing for Resin Minis
You printed 40 minis. Now what? The zenithal prime to contrast paint to drybrush workflow gets a full army to tabletop quality in hours, not weeks. Real batch sequencing, real time estimates.
Miniature Storage and Transport: Protecting Your Resin Collection
Foam cases, magnetic bases, and varnish-first rules for getting resin miniatures to game sessions without losing an arm or a weapon tip. What to buy, what to skip, and why varnish is not optional before transport.
Pre-Supported vs. Unsupported STL Miniatures: What the Difference Actually Means for Beginners
Pre-supported STL files save time but limit control. Unsupported files give you flexibility but require skill. Here's how to decide which to download, and when each option makes sense.
Zenithal Priming for Resin Miniatures: Technique Guide for Dramatic Results
Zenithal priming is the fastest way to add light and depth to a resin miniature before the first drop of paint. Here's how to do the three-coat black-gray-white spray pattern correctly, common mistakes, and why it works.
Chitubox Settings for Miniatures: A Step-by-Step Configuration Guide
Exact Chitubox settings for miniatures: 0.05mm layers, anti-aliasing on, exposure times by resin type, support density, and hollowing thresholds that work.
Why Your Resin Miniature Print Failed: 10 Common Causes and Fixes
Resin stuck to FEP, supports detaching, melted detail, warped bases: 10 miniature print failures diagnosed by symptom with exact settings fixes for each.
Using Contrast Paints on 3D Printed Resin Miniatures: Tips for Better Results
Contrast paints are a natural fit for resin minis, but resin surfaces behave differently from injection-molded plastic. Primer choice, surface prep, and application tips specific to printed models.
Drybrushing Resin Miniatures: Technique Adjustments for Smooth Printed Surfaces
Drybrushing works differently on 3D printed resin than on cast plastic. Here's how to adapt the technique for resin's smoother surface and still get sharp, natural-looking highlights.
How to Base 3D Printed Miniatures: Texture, Paint, and Finishing
The base is the last thing people look at and the first thing that tells them your model is finished. Here's how to base 3D printed miniatures using texture paste, sand, static grass, and printed custom bases.
How to Varnish and Seal 3D Printed Resin Miniatures
Resin miniatures chip without varnish: it's not optional. Here's how to apply matte, satin, and gloss varnish without frosting, cloudiness, or ruining a paint job you spent hours on.
How to Remove Support Marks from Resin Miniatures Before Painting
Clean support nubs, pock marks, and scars off resin miniatures before primer. Tools, timing, and the fill technique that hides the damage for good.
Resin 3D Printing Safety for Home Hobbyists: Ventilation, Gloves, and Disposal
Resin is a skin irritant and potential sensitizer. Here's what you actually need for safe resin printing at home: ventilation, PPE, disposal, and the risks people underestimate.
Water-Washable Resin for Miniatures: Is It Actually Worth It?
Water-washable resin sounds like the obvious choice for home hobbyists. The reality is more complicated. Here's what it actually trades off, and when it makes sense for miniature printing.
Lychee Slicer Settings for Miniatures: The Settings That Actually Matter
Specific Lychee slicer values for resin miniatures: layer height by print type, exposure by printer class, AA level by resolution, and support settings that reduce failures on thin features.
How to Replace FEP Film on Elegoo and Anycubic Resin Printers
FEP film is the consumable you'll replace most often. Here's when to do it, what you need, and the step-by-step process, including the tension check most guides skip.
ChituBox vs. Lychee for Pre-Supported STL Files: What You Need to Know
Pre-supported STL files behave differently in ChituBox and Lychee. Here's how the two slicers handle imported supports, where each one causes problems, and which settings actually matter when you're not placing your own.
How to Add Supports for Resin Miniature Printing
Manual vs auto-supports in ChituBox and Lychee Slicer, with practical placement tips for miniatures. Stop failing prints before they start.
How to 3D Print Resin Miniatures: The Complete Beginner's Guide (Start to Painted Mini)
Everything you need to go from zero to finished, painted miniature: printer setup, resin selection, slicing, printing, washing, curing, and painting prep.
How to Paint 3D Printed Resin Miniatures: From Wash to Highlight (Beginner Guide)
A step-by-step painting guide built specifically for 3D printed resin miniatures, covering surface prep, primer, basecoat, wash, and highlight for beginners.
Resin Printing Your First Miniature: Complete Beginner Guide
Everything you need to know to go from unboxed printer to finished print: exposure settings, support basics, curing, and cleanup.