Boldly Going...

The good news is that the work on the house is finally complete, which means my paints, brushes and other hobby supplies have emerged from their boxes. Normal service has resumed, and the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew have finally made it onto the painting table.

One thing I've discovered is that painting makes a considerable difference to FDM miniatures. When they're bare PLA, it's very easy to concentrate on layer lines and printing imperfections. Once painted in the familiar Starfleet red, gold and blue, your eye starts seeing the characters rather than the printing process and at normal tabletop distances, I'm really pleased with how they look.

Crusher & Picard

I also still love the natural poses of these figures. They actually look like the crew of the Enterprise rather than an away team where everyone has drawn a phaser. Worf even manages to appear without the obligatory bat'leth!

Troi & Riker

Geordi La Forge presented one of the biggest challenges. My original print had to be slightly oversized because the printer struggled to reproduce his VISOR at the correct scale. It was a perfect example of the sort of delicate detail where resin has an obvious advantage.

However, after a little more experimentation, I decided to try again.

This time I managed to print Geordi at the correct scale with his VISOR completely intact. It's a small victory, perhaps, but also a good demonstration of how much I'm learning about what the A1 Mini can actually achieve.

Geordi can now stand alongside the rest of the crew without looking as though he's mysteriously grown six inches between episodes!

Data, La Forge & Worf

The bases are also 3D printed, so these figures have effectively gone all the way from digital files to finished gaming pieces using my printer.

And with the house finished, the paints unpacked and Geordi restored to his proper height, the crew of the Enterprise are finally ready to boldly go somewhere other than my painting table!