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The best 3D printer for miniatures in 2021
Looking for the best 3D printer to spice up your tabletop games? You've come to the right place. We've narrowed down a list of the best 3d printers for miniatures.
If you want the TLDR. Here's our findings:
| Top miniature 3D printers | Our verdict |
| Anycubic Photon Mono S | Budget-friendly 3D printer for miniatures |
| Creality Ender 3 | Best for terrains |
| Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k | Best in details, quality accuracy and speed |
How did we come up with this list?
We've collected a bunch of pain points and things that people like about their miniature 3D printer from these following sources.
/r/PrintedMinis subreddit
3D printing miniature facebook group
Online reviews
And our own experience as a 3D printing company
Without further ado, let's get started.
Top 3D printers for miniatures
1. Anycubic Photo Mono
Best Budget 3D Printer
Anycubic Photon Mono
The Photon Mono is the best LCD 3D printer that we've gotten our hands on. We own 8 of these machines and use it as part of our manufacturing process. It's cheap but the print quality is almost the same as the ones that we get from our Formlabs 3. If you're looking to buy your first 3D printer, we recommend going for a resin 3D printer like this one instead of buying an FDM printer.
$229.00 from Anycubic
Commisions earned
The Anycubic Photon Mono is the best budget-friendly 3D printer for D&D miniatures because it offers the best print quality at a budget price.
So what's so special about this 3D printer better that it blew away the competition?
Pros
- Ease of use
- Beginner-friendly
- High quality
- High resolution 3D prints
- Almost invisible print lines
- Very fast printing time
- One of the cheapest resin 3D printers in the market
Background info
The Anycubic Photon Mono is an LCD 3D printer.
LCD 3D printers are a subset of SLA 3D printing and uses resin as it's main material. For those who don't know what SLA 3D printing is, SLA 3D printers use UV laser to selectively harden parts of resin. [1] This makes SLA 3D printers highly accurate with almost no visible layer lines.
What makes LCD 3D printer a little different is that it uses an LCD screen to mask the UV light onto to the resin to the form the shape, layer by layer. This makes LCD 3D printers a lot faster than SLA but a bit less accurate and a bit limited in size. LCD 3D printers also way cheaper compared to SLA 3D printers.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 130mm(L）*80mm(W）*165mm（H） |
| XY resolution | 51 microns |
| 3D printing technology | LCD-based SLA |
| Connectivity | USB |
Sample 3D prints
We 3d printed these miniatures using our own Anycubic Photon Mono.
- 3d printed wallstreet bets
- On the left, printed on the Anycubic Photon Mono
How much does it cost to 3D print a miniature with the Anycubic Photon Mono?
It depends on the volume of your 3D model. Their resin costs about $40/kg. Assuming, a model volume of 1000 mm³ = 1 gram of resin. We're looking. at $0.04 per 1000 mm³ or simply $0.04/gram.
Our formula looks something like this:
Model volume (in grams) X $0.040 = Total material cost
Note however that this doesn't include any overhead cost. So if you're planning to start your own 3D printing business selling miniatures, you need to account for those as well.
Here's what each model's material cost would look like.
| Hero Forge Miniature | Ogre miniature - Thingiverse | |
| Height | 28mm | 130mm |
| Volume | 50grams | 142. 5grams |
| Material cost | $2 | $5.7 |
Is it worth it?
Hell yeah! If you want great looking miniatures for your tabletop games then you should get a 3D printer that can produce high resolution prints. The level of detail that you get from this price point is insane.
Our verdict
We own industrial SLA printers, Formlabs 3 and many more, but when it comes to 3D printing miniatures, the Anycubic Photon Mono has been our go to machine. Not only is it the right tool for the job, but it blows away all the other LCD and DLP printers on the market.
We've tested a bunch of LCD and DLP printers but we were never satisfied with them because of the amount of failed 3D prints that we get from them. As seasoned 3D printing professionals, we and we think this is the best 3d printer for miniatures especially if you're a beginner.
2. Creality Ender 3 v2
The Creality Ender 3 is one of the many FDM printers on the market.
What caught our attention is its immense popularity among the tabletop and gaming miniatures community. Every Facebook or Reddit post that we see, everyone seems to mention the Creality Ender 3.
So what makes this 3D printer so popular among the miniatures printing community?
First off, it's cheap. The Ender 3 v2 costs around $200. The material cost is also cheap compared to its resin counterpart.
The Creality Ender 3 has become the entry level 3D printer for many beginners.
We personally don't own one because we've sworn off FDM 3D printers for life. We hate cleaning FDM supports an the print quality doesn't reach our standards. It would take hours of polishing to get a smooth surface with an FDM 3D printer. And when printing larger models, FDM 3D printing has a tendency to warp. We'd rather use our industrial SLA 3D printer for that. (Slight flex).
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 192mm(L）*120mm(W）*245mm（H) |
| XY Resolution | 100 microns |
Pros
- Easy to use
- Cheap
- Large build volume
- Great for 3D printing miniature terrains
Unlike the other 3d printers listed here, the Creality Ender 3 does not use a touch screen interface.
It uses a knob to navigate your 3D printer settings. Some people actually prefer this method over touch screen because its more responsive and less susceptible to glitches.
Best 3d printer for terrains
Where the Creality Ender 3 shines is on 3d printing terrains. Most of the miniature community actually owns both a resin 3D printer and FDM 3D printer. They use their FDM 3D printers to print their terrain models because it's cheaper and it has a larger build volume compared to their resin counterpart. Terrains are less complex in design and don't necessarily need a smooth surface finish so you can get away with 3D printing them in FDM.
Here's an image of a 3D printed terrain using the Creality Ender 3 courtesy of /u/Singuy888
Our verdict
If you're on a tight budget, the Creality Ender 3 might be a good option for you. The Creality Ender 3 v2 is actually more expensive than the Photon Mono S but the materials used on these machines are cheaper compared to resin printing.
For miniature printing, you might be able to get away with it but the quality is relatively bad compared to resin 3D printers that we mentioned here. If you're making a large miniature, then this would be a lot cheaper compared to its resin counter part.
3. Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k
Best overall 3D printer for miniatures
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k 3D Printer
The Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k produces high resolution miniatures and costs only a $100 more than the Anycubic Mono.
If you're beginner, jumping into a 4k resin printer shouldn't be an issue. And for seasoned veterans, a 4k 3D printer should be in one of your bucket lists.
$349.99 from Phrozen3D
Commisions earned
The Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k is what you should buy if you want fast printing, highly detailed prints all at a friendly price. The Sonic Mini has an XY resolution of a whopping 35 microns.
It's getting a lot of love from the tabletop miniature community because of it's price and the high resolution that you can get from it.
Here's a video of how it compares to super expensive industrial 3D printers out there.
Sample 3D prints
- courtesy of Phrozen
- courtesy of Phrozen3D
Our thoughts on professional SLA and DLP 3D printers for miniatures
Formlabs Form 3
Before we fell in love with the Anycubic Photon, Formlabs 3 was our bread and butter when it comes to 3D printing miniatures. Unlike the Anycubic, Formlabs is a full on SLA 3D printer. This makes it more accurate, but at the same time, slower to 3D print compared to LCD 3D printers.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 14.5 × 14.5 × 18.5 cm (5.7 × 5.7 × 7.3 in) |
| XY resolution | 25 microns |
| 3D printing technology | SLA |
| Connectivity | USB/WiFi |
Sample 3D prints
Pros
- High accuracy
- Versatile, not limited to miniatures
Is the Form 3 worth it for printing miniatures?
Unless you have the money to spend, we don't think it's worth it.
Both the Form 3 and Anycbuic 3D printers have almost the same build volume and the quality doesn't seem to be that far off, at least, when it comes to miniatures. And you can probably purchase 10 Anycubic Photon Mono with the price of one Formlabs 3.
If you're planning to do more than miniature 3D printing, then maybe it is. We use our Formlabs 3 for our 3D printing service and it has been reliable for quite some time now. (We started with the Formlabs 2). But over time, we've seen less value in it. It can't 3D print large objects and it's too slow to 3D print miniatures or other regular sized 3D prints. We've come to a point where we use the Photon Mono to do most of the jobs that the Form 3 used to do.
Asiga Pro 4k
The Asiga Pro 4k cost at least $25,000. It wasn't intended for miniatures but we still gave it a try.
Here's a really complex tabletop miniature that we 3D printed on the Asiga Pro 4k.
We don't think the images do justice on how insane the quality is.
It also only took 4 hours to print this masterpiece.
Should you buy an Asiga Pro 4k for miniatures?
To be honest, it's an overkill. You're probably better off with the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k.
We bought the Asiga Pro 4k because we need it for our industrial 3D printing services. It's fast and reliable, as we don't have the time for failed prints so for us this is worth it.
If you run a 3d printing business or if you have the money to spend, it might be a good choice for you. But you should probably get the Asiga Max X as that offers an even higher resolution at 27 microns, cheaper at $10k, but with a smaller bed size.
Our final thoughts
So what is the best 3d printer for miniatures?
The Anycubic Photon Mono is hands down the best affordable 3D printer for tabletop miniatures. It's cheap, reliable, easy to use, and it produces high quality 3D prints. For 3D printing terrain, our top choice is the Creality Ender 3.
And if you want high resolution 3D prints that blows even the Anycubic out of the water, then you should go with the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k.
If you're a beginner and thinking of buying a 3D printer that fits your budget, you can't go wrong with this 3D printer. Heck, it's even cheaper than an FDM printer but with 10x the print quality.
The best 3D printer for miniatures in 2021
Looking for the best 3D printer to spice up your tabletop games? You've come to the right place. We've narrowed down a list of the best 3d printers for miniatures.
If you want the TLDR. Here's our findings:
| Top miniature 3D printers | Our verdict |
| Anycubic Photon Mono S | Budget-friendly 3D printer for miniatures |
| Creality Ender 3 | Best for terrains |
| Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k | Best in details, quality accuracy and speed |
How did we come up with this list?
We've collected a bunch of pain points and things that people like about their miniature 3D printer from these following sources.
/r/PrintedMinis subreddit
3D printing miniature facebook group
Online reviews
And our own experience as a 3D printing company
Without further ado, let's get started.
Top 3D printers for miniatures
1. Anycubic Photo Mono
Best Budget 3D Printer
Anycubic Photon Mono
The Photon Mono is the best LCD 3D printer that we've gotten our hands on. We own 8 of these machines and use it as part of our manufacturing process. It's cheap but the print quality is almost the same as the ones that we get from our Formlabs 3. If you're looking to buy your first 3D printer, we recommend going for a resin 3D printer like this one instead of buying an FDM printer.
$229.00 from Anycubic
Commisions earned
The Anycubic Photon Mono is the best budget-friendly 3D printer for D&D miniatures because it offers the best print quality at a budget price.
So what's so special about this 3D printer better that it blew away the competition?
Pros
- Ease of use
- Beginner-friendly
- High quality
- High resolution 3D prints
- Almost invisible print lines
- Very fast printing time
- One of the cheapest resin 3D printers in the market
Background info
The Anycubic Photon Mono is an LCD 3D printer. LCD 3D printers are a subset of SLA 3D printing and uses resin as it's main material. For those who don't know what SLA 3D printing is, SLA 3D printers use UV laser to selectively harden parts of resin. [1] This makes SLA 3D printers highly accurate with almost no visible layer lines.
What makes LCD 3D printer a little different is that it uses an LCD screen to mask the UV light onto to the resin to the form the shape, layer by layer. This makes LCD 3D printers a lot faster than SLA but a bit less accurate and a bit limited in size. LCD 3D printers also way cheaper compared to SLA 3D printers.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 130mm(L）*80mm(W）*165mm（H） |
| XY resolution | 51 microns |
| 3D printing technology | LCD-based SLA |
| Connectivity | USB |
Sample 3D prints
We 3d printed these miniatures using our own Anycubic Photon Mono.
- 3d printed wallstreet bets
- On the left, printed on the Anycubic Photon Mono
How much does it cost to 3D print a miniature with the Anycubic Photon Mono?
It depends on the volume of your 3D model. Their resin costs about $40/kg. Assuming, a model volume of 1000 mm³ = 1 gram of resin. We're looking. at $0.04 per 1000 mm³ or simply $0.04/gram.
Our formula looks something like this:
Model volume (in grams) X $0.
040 = Total material cost
Note however that this doesn't include any overhead cost. So if you're planning to start your own 3D printing business selling miniatures, you need to account for those as well.
Here's what each model's material cost would look like.
| Hero Forge Miniature | Ogre miniature - Thingiverse | |
| Height | 28mm | 130mm |
| Volume | 50grams | 142.5grams |
| Material cost | $2 | $5.7 |
Is it worth it?
Hell yeah! If you want great looking miniatures for your tabletop games then you should get a 3D printer that can produce high resolution prints. The level of detail that you get from this price point is insane.
Our verdict
We own industrial SLA printers, Formlabs 3 and many more, but when it comes to 3D printing miniatures, the Anycubic Photon Mono has been our go to machine. Not only is it the right tool for the job, but it blows away all the other LCD and DLP printers on the market.
We've tested a bunch of LCD and DLP printers but we were never satisfied with them because of the amount of failed 3D prints that we get from them. As seasoned 3D printing professionals, we and we think this is the best 3d printer for miniatures especially if you're a beginner.
2. Creality Ender 3 v2
The Creality Ender 3 is one of the many FDM printers on the market.
What caught our attention is its immense popularity among the tabletop and gaming miniatures community. Every Facebook or Reddit post that we see, everyone seems to mention the Creality Ender 3.
So what makes this 3D printer so popular among the miniatures printing community?
First off, it's cheap. The Ender 3 v2 costs around $200. The material cost is also cheap compared to its resin counterpart.
The Creality Ender 3 has become the entry level 3D printer for many beginners.
We personally don't own one because we've sworn off FDM 3D printers for life. We hate cleaning FDM supports an the print quality doesn't reach our standards. It would take hours of polishing to get a smooth surface with an FDM 3D printer. And when printing larger models, FDM 3D printing has a tendency to warp. We'd rather use our industrial SLA 3D printer for that. (Slight flex).
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 192mm(L）*120mm(W）*245mm（H) |
| XY Resolution | 100 microns |
Pros
- Easy to use
- Cheap
- Large build volume
- Great for 3D printing miniature terrains
Unlike the other 3d printers listed here, the Creality Ender 3 does not use a touch screen interface. It uses a knob to navigate your 3D printer settings. Some people actually prefer this method over touch screen because its more responsive and less susceptible to glitches.
Best 3d printer for terrains
Where the Creality Ender 3 shines is on 3d printing terrains. Most of the miniature community actually owns both a resin 3D printer and FDM 3D printer. They use their FDM 3D printers to print their terrain models because it's cheaper and it has a larger build volume compared to their resin counterpart. Terrains are less complex in design and don't necessarily need a smooth surface finish so you can get away with 3D printing them in FDM.
Here's an image of a 3D printed terrain using the Creality Ender 3 courtesy of /u/Singuy888
Our verdict
If you're on a tight budget, the Creality Ender 3 might be a good option for you. The Creality Ender 3 v2 is actually more expensive than the Photon Mono S but the materials used on these machines are cheaper compared to resin printing.
For miniature printing, you might be able to get away with it but the quality is relatively bad compared to resin 3D printers that we mentioned here.
If you're making a large miniature, then this would be a lot cheaper compared to its resin counter part.
3. Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k
Best overall 3D printer for miniatures
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k 3D Printer
The Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k produces high resolution miniatures and costs only a $100 more than the Anycubic Mono.
If you're beginner, jumping into a 4k resin printer shouldn't be an issue. And for seasoned veterans, a 4k 3D printer should be in one of your bucket lists.
$349.99 from Phrozen3D
Commisions earned
The Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k is what you should buy if you want fast printing, highly detailed prints all at a friendly price. The Sonic Mini has an XY resolution of a whopping 35 microns.
It's getting a lot of love from the tabletop miniature community because of it's price and the high resolution that you can get from it.
Here's a video of how it compares to super expensive industrial 3D printers out there.
Sample 3D prints
- courtesy of Phrozen
- courtesy of Phrozen3D
Our thoughts on professional SLA and DLP 3D printers for miniatures
Formlabs Form 3
Before we fell in love with the Anycubic Photon, Formlabs 3 was our bread and butter when it comes to 3D printing miniatures. Unlike the Anycubic, Formlabs is a full on SLA 3D printer. This makes it more accurate, but at the same time, slower to 3D print compared to LCD 3D printers.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 14.5 × 14.5 × 18.5 cm (5.7 × 5.7 × 7.3 in) |
| XY resolution | 25 microns |
| 3D printing technology | SLA |
| Connectivity | USB/WiFi |
Sample 3D prints
Pros
- High accuracy
- Versatile, not limited to miniatures
Is the Form 3 worth it for printing miniatures?
Unless you have the money to spend, we don't think it's worth it.
Both the Form 3 and Anycbuic 3D printers have almost the same build volume and the quality doesn't seem to be that far off, at least, when it comes to miniatures. And you can probably purchase 10 Anycubic Photon Mono with the price of one Formlabs 3.
If you're planning to do more than miniature 3D printing, then maybe it is. We use our Formlabs 3 for our 3D printing service and it has been reliable for quite some time now. (We started with the Formlabs 2). But over time, we've seen less value in it. It can't 3D print large objects and it's too slow to 3D print miniatures or other regular sized 3D prints. We've come to a point where we use the Photon Mono to do most of the jobs that the Form 3 used to do.
Asiga Pro 4k
The Asiga Pro 4k cost at least $25,000. It wasn't intended for miniatures but we still gave it a try.
Here's a really complex tabletop miniature that we 3D printed on the Asiga Pro 4k.
We don't think the images do justice on how insane the quality is.
It also only took 4 hours to print this masterpiece.
Should you buy an Asiga Pro 4k for miniatures?
To be honest, it's an overkill. You're probably better off with the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k.
We bought the Asiga Pro 4k because we need it for our industrial 3D printing services. It's fast and reliable, as we don't have the time for failed prints so for us this is worth it.
If you run a 3d printing business or if you have the money to spend, it might be a good choice for you. But you should probably get the Asiga Max X as that offers an even higher resolution at 27 microns, cheaper at $10k, but with a smaller bed size.
Our final thoughts
So what is the best 3d printer for miniatures?
The Anycubic Photon Mono is hands down the best affordable 3D printer for tabletop miniatures. It's cheap, reliable, easy to use, and it produces high quality 3D prints. For 3D printing terrain, our top choice is the Creality Ender 3.
And if you want high resolution 3D prints that blows even the Anycubic out of the water, then you should go with the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k.
If you're a beginner and thinking of buying a 3D printer that fits your budget, you can't go wrong with this 3D printer. Heck, it's even cheaper than an FDM printer but with 10x the print quality.
Choosing the best reliable table for a 3D printer
3DPrintStory Reviews Choosing the best reliable 3D printer table
To protect your 3D printer and ensure it performs optimally, you should be on a level surface. The 3D printer is sensitive to vibration and movement. Therefore, if there are excess vibrations during operation, it may fail.
So the question of a table for a 3D printer is quite important. When buying a table for a 3D printer, you should make sure that it meets the following specifications:
- Table stability for 3D printer . For optimal performance, you will need a sturdy table. Your 3D printer should be placed on a stable surface for various reasons. First, you don't want it to shake due to external vibrations or shocks. Using a weak or wobbly table may result in poor 3D print quality. What's more, your 3D printer is bound to shake during the printing process as the motion system drives the print bed and extruder. If the 3D printer is placed on an unstable surface, it may start to move during 3D printing, which will degrade the quality of the finished model. To prevent this, be sure to pay attention to table stability to minimize 3D printer vibration.
- Adjustable table for 3D printer . In order to get good 3D printing results, the printer must be placed on a level surface.
If the 3D printer is not placed on a level surface, its body may bend. As a result, it will be difficult to calibrate. On an uneven surface, print results will deteriorate. The level in your house or workshop is not exactly level. What's more, most of the tables available are not flat. That is why it is worth paying attention to tables with adjustment both in height and inclination angles. - 3D printer table size . When buying a table for a 3D printer, take a wider table. With a wide table, you can easily post-process finished models, lay out the necessary tools. If the table is stable and wide, then you can do post-processing next to the 3D printer when it is running, which is quite convenient. In addition, you should pay attention to the tables with built-in cabinets, in which you can organize the storage of your finished 3D models and tools.
Gladiator Modular Work Table 66.5 Inch Bamboo
The Gladiator brand produces quality tables that can be used for a variety of projects.
The rigidity and configurability of the tables make them ideal for use with a 3D printer.
The Gladiator Workbench is of the same quality as other Gladiator products. It is durable and has a rigid base.
The 3D printer table is nice too. You will have no problem using it at home. Its heavy tabletop prevents your 3D printer from moving around while you work. The tabletop is covered with a special layer that prevents it from being damaged by spilled chemicals. You can adjust the height of the legs.
Since the Gladiator table is very stable, you can safely leave the 3D printer and work on other tasks nearby. This is a really good and reliable 3D printer table.
Stainless Steel Rolling Rubberwood Top Workbench
This table is an example of a versatile 3D printer workstation.
Downstairs you will have a huge cabinet where you can store your 3D printing materials to protect them from damage. Shelves are adjustable up to 1 inch. The cabinets have a smooth surface as they run on high quality ball bearings.
The table is heavy and therefore durable. This way you can be sure that nothing will spoil your 3D models. The appearance is amazing, so this 3D printer table will surely fit perfectly into your home interior.
Need Computer Folding Table
If you're looking for a small, neat yet sturdy table for your 3D printer, look no further than the Need Computer Folding Table.
The Need Computer table has a very sturdy surface on which you can place your 3D printer. You can fold the table up to 2.5 inches by simply pulling the cross bar left and right. This table is shipped assembled. Therefore, all you need to do is install your 3D printer on it and start 3D printing.
The table is made of high quality solid wood. The legs are made of metal, which ensures high rigidity of the structure. The legs are treated with a special coating to protect them from scratches. It is possible to adjust and fine-tune the table legs.
Seville Classics UltraHD Lighted Workbench
This table is perfect if you need well organized access to your 3D printer and 3D printing accessories.
In addition to a 3D printer table, Seville Classics can also be used as a desktop. You can store all your 3D printing tools on the built-in perforated wall. The table has a top shelf where you can store your 3D printing material.
The tabletop on which the 3D printer will be installed is made of beech wood. The wood is 1 inch thick and looks very nice. High quality wood.
Seville Classic legs made of metal. The legs can be easily adjusted to place the 3D printer on a flat surface.
The manufacturer also added lighting under the projection (console) cabinet. This light comes in handy when you want to process your 3D models and want to see fine details. This table also has space for cables and wires, which no 3D printer can do without.
BenchPro Roosevelt Workbench
The BenchPro table comes with a 25 year warranty. This high quality 3D printer table is used by renowned organizations including NASA, US Army, Intel and General Electric.
BenchPro Roosevelt is the best 3D printer table for commercial and educational use.
From a design point of view, these tables are not particularly impressive, but the rigidity specifications of this model are beyond doubt.
The top surface of the 3D printer table is made from a variety of materials, including HD particle board, stainless steel, chemical resistant resin, and wood blocks.
To assemble a workstation for a 3D printer, you can safely use any of the BenchPro desktops. For example, choose a table whose surface will not be affected by chemicals if you use them to post-process finished models.
BenchPro tables come in a variety of sizes, from 24" x 48" to 36" x 72". Tables can be adjusted in height from 30 to 36 inches.
BenchPro Industrial Grade Complete Workbench
This BenchPro Workbench has features that make it almost ideal for a 3D printer. The table has an internal electric light bulb and several sockets. You can store reels of 3D printing materials on the top shelf of the table.
The Formica plastic top is resistant to most chemicals and provides a great place to work thanks to its rounded edges.
This table has all the features ideal for commercial and educational 3D printing projects. It also complies with standards set by regulatory bodies such as BIFMA, ANSI, DIN and GSA.
Table leg height adjustable from 30" to 36". The legs can also be adjusted for angle.
Like other BenchPro tables, this table comes with a 25 year warranty and is one of the best tables for 3D printers.
Viper Tool Storage
This is a high quality 3D printer table designed to last.
A great option for your 3D printer as it has a 26" x 72" wide tabletop. Thanks to the large dimensions of the tabletop, you can even install several 3D printers on it.
The Viper table is made of Inox steel, which performs well in daily use and will definitely help you achieve accurate 3D printing.
Furniture on a 3D printer: 3D printing
In this article we talk about making furniture using additive technologies - 3D printing - about the advantages and examples of using this approach in practice and what technique is best to use.
This article was prepared using a publication from the site 3dsourced.com, which was translated and supplemented for you by the Top 3D Group.
You may have once had the idea to use 3D printing in the manufacture of furniture for your home, but you dismissed it, considering this idea too laborious, time consuming or expensive. After all, large industrial 3D printers with a huge print area, like the Farsoon SS403P 3D printer, are usually needed to create large pieces of cabinet furniture, right?
That used to be true, but now there are ways to use 3D printing in the interior without the need for large-format industrial machines.
Read on - we'll take a look at some of these applications with real examples.
Option 1: Build furniture with the Hangprinter
Designed by Torbjørn Ludwigsen, the Hangprinter is a cable-suspended and movable print unit designed to print large objects as cheaply as possible.
The Hangprinter doesn't fit in a case, its print chamber is the entire room.
Hoping to inspire others to try frameless 3D printing, Thorbjörn has made the software files for this printer open and free for everyone to copy, use and further refine. Most parts of the Hangprinter can be 3D printed, and the cost of building one yourself is estimated to be as low as $250.
Chris Riley Stool
Introduced in mid-2017, Hangprinter printing immediately began to be tested in the creation of large objects. In the video below - one of the very first examples - Chris Riley's bar stool.
Such videos showed the strengths and weaknesses of Hangprinter, for example, the ability to create really large objects for relatively very little money and the possible delamination due to the lack of a closed camera.
Chris Riley's Stool printed with offset layers and delamination, and it also took two weeks to print because the Hangprinter was so loud it couldn't be used at night and only had to be printed during the day.
Building and operating the Hangprinter requires familiarity with 3D printers, an understanding of the mechanics of how they work, skills in working with electronics and debugging devices, but there are also detailed instructions for beginners, as well as a small but growing community of other Hangprinter users who can be contacted for help.
For those who are willing to put up with the disadvantages described above, or are confident that they can avoid them, Hangprinter remains the most affordable and affordable way to create fully 3D printed furniture.
Option 2: 3D printed furniture on a large 3D printer
3D printed furniture from the Print Your City project.
This model may not fit in your desktop printer.
The second method is to use a stationary 3D printer with a really large print chamber
Print Your City
The “Print Your City” project, for example, uses a 3D printer to print street furniture and other small architectural forms, consisting of a robot and a fenced indoor area equipped with a special printing platform.
Last but not least, plastic for printing is made from recycled waste.
Despite the simplicity of the idea itself, this method of manufacture is beyond the reach of most people. Large 3D printers not only take up a lot of space, sometimes entire rooms, but are also incredibly expensive. Large industrial 3D printers like the Farsoon HT1001P can still cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Because of this, very few furniture projects are carried out by individuals, usually by businesses or very passionate enthusiasts, and the Wilkhahn Printstool stool shown below is an example of both.
Wilkhahn Printstool One
Designed by Thorsten Frank and produced by Wilkhahn, this 3D stool was produced on an industrial 3D printer and is available as part of Wilkhahn's premium office furniture range.
Wilkhahn is a German furniture manufacturer that strives to differentiate itself from its competitors.
“Unlike almost any other office furniture manufacturer, Wilkhahn stands for designs made in Germany all over the world. It offers high-quality office and dynamic conference furniture that sets the benchmark for the entire industry,” the company says.
Printstool One is one of the few 3D printed pieces of furniture available commercially. It takes several hours to create and assemble, including 3D printing the base and attaching the seat.
The base is printed with lignin, an organic biopolymer that decomposes in nature.
Although the Printstool One is a commercial product, it is not easy to obtain. It is not part of the main Wilkhahn catalog and was released in a limited edition of 500 pieces.
The price for this stool has not been disclosed and probably depends on options, seat material, for example. But given that regular stock stools in this manufacturer's catalog range from $266 to $660, it's safe to assume that the Printstool One costs at least $500, making it quite an expensive plastic stool. However, overpayment for exclusive furniture is a quite common phenomenon.
In recent years, 3D printing has become more and more accessible. Most likely, this will also affect its large-format sector.
RH Engineering & ManoFigura - home furniture
"Magna Patero Ortus" - 3D printed sink RH Engineering & Manofigura .
In mid-2020, this pair of German designers broke into the luxury furniture and interiors segment with their signature Manoveneer finishing technology and large-scale 3D printing.
Their favorite printer is the BigRep One, large enough to print furniture, with a 1005 mm³ displacement, and costs around $39,000, depending on specifications.
The production process begins with 3D printing of craft furniture based on the client's design, then the ManoVeneer branded coating is applied to the product. What Manoveneer is made of is a company secret, it is only known that the coating is waterproof, can imitate the texture of natural stone and weighs very little.
Option 3: modular printing on a small 3D printer
Large 3D printers will always be a barrier to 3D printing furniture due to their size and cost, prompting designers to look for ways to stop using them, turning to smaller 3D printers and printing smaller parts for later assembly.
Supermod 3D printed wall
3D printed Supermod wall.
Designed by the founders of Simplus Designs, the Supermod shelving wall consists of individually printed modules that snap together.
Supermod was created for decoration, visual division of the room into zones and storage of small items in cells. As a modular system, Supermod bypasses the need for large scale 3D printers. While the assembled wall may be taller than most people, each module can be printed on an affordable desktop 3D printer.
The next method involves using 3D printed parts in combination with conventional parts such as a tabletop shield or wooden legs, giving the 3D printed components the role of fasteners and framing elements. This is the most accessible way for a wide range of makers to use 3D printing in the creation or repair of furniture.
Option 4: 3D printed parts as accessories
John Christie “Saul” Dining Table and Chairs
John Christie, who has been making custom furniture for over 20 years, returned to university at 40.
“During my studies, I became interested in 3D printing and how I could integrate it into the traditional furniture making process.
In my projects, I studied how 3D printed parts can be used in the production of furniture.”
John is best known for his Saul Dining Table and Chairs. The table is a handcrafted piece of wood with 3D printed connections.
The author suggested that his connection system would provide "greater customization options, reduced production time and waste" when applied to existing pieces of furniture.
This furniture set was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in Edinburgh in 2016.
This is a craft project to sell products, but similar technology has been used by amateur authors as well.
Alexandre Chappelle Furniture
Designer and YouTuber Alexandre Chappelle has documented the process of making his own wooden table with 3D printed connections.
As with John Christie's project, the only 3D printed parts on this table were the articulations, while the rest of the table's parts were made from wood using conventional hand tools.
The chair is another creation of Alexandre Chappelle.
The author has posted the STL files and instructions on his personal website, where they are available for as little as $5.
This is perhaps the most affordable way to 3D print your own furniture, although the fact that John and Alexander's designs are mostly made of wood begs the question: is using 3D printed fittings 3D printed furniture?
Which technique should be used to 3D print furniture?
So which of these methods can you use for your own furniture project?
If you are a professional studio or independent designer with the necessary funds and you have a project that needs to be printed reliably and with high quality, then a large 3D printer will be the best option.
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