Resin printing 3D Miniatures is a somewhat fussy process that involves toxic, liquid resin being turned into safe, formed models. The process has several steps which Last Hope Printing undertakes for you, including supporting a model (see our last blog post), cleaning models, and finally, curing them. There are other steps but we'll keep it simple here.
But how do you, as the customer, handle the resin when you get it? This is a common question our customers send us before and after purchases.
So to start, you do not need to wash your resin models that you get from Last Hope Printing. We will clean them for you with 99% isopropyl alcohol. If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen this process already. When most people got their resin models from Forgeworld, they had to wash the models with soap and water because of a release agent that was used to get the models out of their molds. But with resin printing, there are no molds, so no need for release agent!
This means that your models arrive to you safe to handle, and as soon as you remove any excess supports left over from the cleaning process, you are ready to paint!
One thing that can happen, which is just part of the resin equation, is warped models.
This is an extreme example but I want to be very clear here: This does not mean there is anything wrong with the resin, the model, or the printer. The solution to this is very simple: Apply heat to the model and gently bend it back. For a small piece like this, you're likely good to go with a hair dryer or even a heat gun. Placing the model in water and SLOWLY bringing it to a light boil before removing it and resetting the piece, is also an option. I must emphasize SLOWLY here, as doing it too quickly can damage your model.
We of course do everything we can do eliminate the need for you as the customer to modify a model before assembling it, but sometimes with resin, especially in the hot summer months, this cannot be avoided.
Last Hope Printing exclusively uses ABS-Like Resin from one of the top names in the industry, so you can always be assured that your models will have as much detail as possible, while also retaining enough flex to be practical for use in tabletop games like Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.
We do recommend keeping your resin models out of direct sunlight prior to painting them, as the resin can still react and become harder and more brittle than desired. A coat of paint will protect from this (for all of those outside games of Warhammer I guess).