Bri
Speaking as someone who uses both types of printer - it's a big subject. There are many abandoned 3D printers gathering dust in the garages and sheds of the world!
I have answered many queries already on this site, and my opinion has changed over the years too.
There I a place for the FDM printer in our hobby but you will NOT be getting anything like the surface quality you are used to from injection moulded plastic and polyurethane resin, so Resin is unquestionably your most useful method. I use my FDM printer for bases and jigs and storage compartments etc but not model components. It's good for scenic and architectural components as well -especially if you need lots of the same thing, for instance window frames or brick walls-which is true for both types, to be fair.
The main question though, as Jim R says, is what do you want to do with it?
If it's because you want after-market parts that you can't get anywhere else, do you have the CAD skills to create it for yourself? If so then the opportunities are endless.
If not you will be just as reliant on other people to offer the digital files to market as you are on manufacturers to produce them. And unless you are into fantasy models the ground is pretty thin out there in interwebland. That said if you do find a model that you want, whether for free or purchase, you can print it as many times as you like and in whatever scale you fancy. So if, for instance you are into wargaming you could print as many Shermans as you want to spend on the resin.
And as Dave Ward says, do you like tinkering? Because all printers require some degree of it. As for the faff of resin printers- it's not so bad once you develop a routine.
you should read Gary MacKenzie 's thread.
Or many of mine have 3D printed bits in-for instance I made hobnail boot soles for my Napoleonic French Fusiliers(which I used on many lying down figures) , and a Flame Thrower and boot soles for US Marines for my Iwo Jima diorama.
Anyway enough of my waffle. Good luck and keep us posted
Neil
Speaking as someone who uses both types of printer - it's a big subject. There are many abandoned 3D printers gathering dust in the garages and sheds of the world!
I have answered many queries already on this site, and my opinion has changed over the years too.
There I a place for the FDM printer in our hobby but you will NOT be getting anything like the surface quality you are used to from injection moulded plastic and polyurethane resin, so Resin is unquestionably your most useful method. I use my FDM printer for bases and jigs and storage compartments etc but not model components. It's good for scenic and architectural components as well -especially if you need lots of the same thing, for instance window frames or brick walls-which is true for both types, to be fair.
The main question though, as Jim R says, is what do you want to do with it?
If it's because you want after-market parts that you can't get anywhere else, do you have the CAD skills to create it for yourself? If so then the opportunities are endless.
If not you will be just as reliant on other people to offer the digital files to market as you are on manufacturers to produce them. And unless you are into fantasy models the ground is pretty thin out there in interwebland. That said if you do find a model that you want, whether for free or purchase, you can print it as many times as you like and in whatever scale you fancy. So if, for instance you are into wargaming you could print as many Shermans as you want to spend on the resin.
And as Dave Ward says, do you like tinkering? Because all printers require some degree of it. As for the faff of resin printers- it's not so bad once you develop a routine.
you should read Gary MacKenzie 's thread.
Or many of mine have 3D printed bits in-for instance I made hobnail boot soles for my Napoleonic French Fusiliers(which I used on many lying down figures) , and a Flame Thrower and boot soles for US Marines for my Iwo Jima diorama.
Anyway enough of my waffle. Good luck and keep us posted
Neil
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