/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>363278
DON'T BUY ONE NOW! Please don't do it! DIY 3d printing is due for a drastic resolution improvement soon as more and more people start to build there own DLP stereolithography produced printers

>>303831
That's a really stupid design, you won't get much resolution, and the prints will take forever.

Get yourself a DLP projector, plastic vat capable of holding horrible nasty photopolymer, and a linear slide, and you've got a 3d printer that should have no trouble making miniatures.

Here's an example of one:
3dlprint.com

Only problem is that photopolymer you use to make the models is expensive.

As far as scanning goes, that's going to be difficult, especially for something as small and detailed as miniatures.

I doubt a cheap 3d scanner like a nextengine will be able to scan small figurines. You might be able to use a Roland MDX equipped with a touch probe, but that's going to be arduous and I'm sure you'll be able to get the resolution you need.

The absolute best way to scan these things that I can think of would be a micro CT scanner. Unless you are absolutely rolling in money, you will not be able to afford one.

However, you can usually buy access to them, at a rate of around $150 an hour and I'd say an hour would be enough to scan about 3 figurines. Though maybe you have some friend who has unfettered access to one of these machines?

Other than that, you could scan them destructively by casting them in clear block of resin, cutting off layer by layer, and taking a picture of each layer with a high resolution camera.