DRORHOBBY

DROR HOBBY / FIELD NOTES

The Workshop Journal.

Materials, methods and useful decisions before your model reaches the printer.

01 / Resin or FDM02 / Preparing files03 / Sculpting & magnets04 / Scanning & reproduction05 / Building a battlefield
01 / MATERIALS

Resin or FDM: what should you print?

The material follows the job. A 32 mm character and a large modular ruin ask for very different processes.

Photopolymer resin is usually the starting point for small gaming miniatures. It can reproduce faces, fine chains, fabric textures and compact weapon details with crisp edges. The final appearance depends on the model, orientation, supports, washing and curing. Standard resin and reinforced resin are separately priced at DROR Hobby because toughness matters when figures travel to games.

FDM printing builds an object from thermoplastic filament. It is often better suited to larger terrain, buildings, dice towers, scenery modules and robust functional accessories. Its layer lines may be visible and very thin details may require redesign. Large parts can be divided for reliable printing and assembly.

Resin is not automatically best for everything, and FDM is not automatically cheaper for every geometry. Thin unsupported swords, hollow models without drains or intricate bridges can fail in either process. Before starting, we check dimensions, intended use, print orientation and whether parts should be separated or reinforced.

Our minimum workshop order is ₪300 for either technology. A mixed set of miniatures and parts may share an order.
02 / FILES

Before you send an STL.

A printable file is more than a shape on the screen.

First establish scale: 28 mm, 32 mm and 75 mm refer to different conventions and do not guarantee the same actual character height. If your army must match existing models, provide a target height or photograph with a ruler. Separate bases and interchangeable parts should be called out early.

We can review STL, 3MF and OBJ models, plus reference images. Printable meshes should ideally be closed, without accidental overlaps, inverted surfaces or zero-thickness features. Resin models with hollow volumes may need proper vents and drain holes. Fragile ankles, spears and antennae benefit from practical reinforcement.

If you already own licensed files, supply them directly. If you have only a picture or description, we can help identify appropriately licensed models or commission original digital sculpting. Purchasing a file does not always grant permission to sell physical prints, so usage rights are checked before production.

Send the desired quantity, material, scale, deadline and information about any conversion. That allows one coherent quote covering printing, preparation, third-party file licences and creative work where applicable.

Files may be attached to the inquiry when online intake is configured; WhatsApp and email are available in the meantime.
03 / CONVERSIONS

The weapon that isn't on the sprue.

Digital sculpting solves a common tabletop problem: the rules allow an option that a fixed-pose model does not.

Imagine a character whose roster includes a flamethrower, while the available miniature holds a rifle cast into both hands. Cutting and fitting a donor part may damage the silhouette. With a suitable digital model and the necessary permission, we can replace the weapon, adjust the fingers and stance, tidy the connection, add pouches or change the head, then print a single coherent result.

The same workflow applies to sculpting a unique character from drawings or photographs. Reference images define proportions and costume; the 3D sculpt is then checked for printing thickness, undercuts and unsupported details. A modelling commission is a separate creative service from the printing itself.

Magnetisation can avoid duplicating a complete figure. When legs stay the same but torsos or equipment vary, we can split the digital model at the waist and create aligned seats for small magnets. Magnet diameter, depth, polarity, wall thickness and physical assembly must be specified together; magnets and gluing are not assumed included unless agreed.

Changes are made with permission from the rights holder of the underlying model, where required.
04 / DIGITISATION

From physical model to digital geometry.

3D scanning can capture the shape of an existing object so that it can be prepared for accurate reproduction.

Scanning collects surface measurements from the physical miniature. The raw result typically needs alignment, cleaning and mesh repair before it can be printed. Very dark, reflective, transparent, recessed or fragile surfaces may require special preparation or alternative reconstruction methods.

Reproducing geometry is different from recovering the original sculpt file. Scans capture the visible exterior; hidden cavities, internal joints and details occluded by overlapping parts may need modelling. A scan also does not automatically reproduce paint colours or textures. If the client wants the object at a different scale, we examine thin features and structural parts before resizing.

This service may be useful for authorised personal designs, replacement components, prototypes and unique sculptural pieces. Copying a commercial miniature without reproduction rights is not an automatic part of the service; we ask about the model's origin and permissions.

05 / TABLETOP WORLDS

Build a table, not just a pile of scenery.

Good terrain balances appearance, line of sight, movement and storage.

A full battlefield is best planned as a collection of complementary pieces: a few major structures, medium obstacles and small scatter terrain. The exact composition depends on the game, table dimensions and visual theme. Taller terrain may need accessible interiors and removable floors so that miniatures can stand securely.

We can print modular buildings, ruins, trenches, trees, rocks, objectives, dice towers and scenic bases. Terrain may be produced in FDM plastic or resin according to dimensions and detail. For efficient production, large parts may be segmented with joints and assembly marks.

Our set cards describe possible small and large terrain commissions, not a warehouse of identical ready-made products. The client supplies suitable 3D files or requests help sourcing or modelling them. A complete composition and fixed quote are agreed before production.

Paint-ready preparation can be discussed with collaborators. Finished painted miniatures shown in site concept art are illustrations of a possible aesthetic, not examples of orders already delivered by this workshop.

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