Miniatures and wargaming · 2026
3D printed conversion bits for miniatures
Can you 3D print conversion bits for miniatures?
Yes: heads, weapons, backpacks, shoulder pads, shields and bases for converting your miniatures are printed in resin with the detail 28–32 mm needs. A single bit or kit costs about the same as a miniature, €8–€23, because setting up the batch is what costs; in quantity the price drops a lot: 20 heads for about €89 in total (€4.44 each), excluding VAT and shipping, per the Fabrishare calculator. Fabrishare is a maker network: you post your project for free and get quotes within 24–48 hours.
Which conversion bits can be 3D printed?
Bits are the loose parts used to convert a miniature: swap a head, a weapon or a shield and it becomes a different model. These are the ones printed most:
Heads and helmets
The most common: a different face for every member of a unit, or a whole army switched to another helmet style.
Weapons
Swords, axes, rifles or heavy weapons to equip a whole unit the same way, or with an option the box doesn't include.
Backpacks and gear
Backpacks, antennas, pouches, scrolls and tools: the details that make a miniature look like part of your army and nobody else's.
Shoulder pads and shields with your own symbols
With the emblem of your own army or campaign, designed by you or by a maker. About as personal as it gets.
Textured bases
Bases with ruins, cobblestones, rock or snow, matched to yours: 25, 32, 40 or 50 mm are among the most common.
Resin miniature printingConversion kits
Sets of parts from independent designers that turn a miniature or a vehicle into another variant. You buy the file and the maker prints it.
How much do 3D printed bits cost?
Fabrishare calculator estimate for resin bits, unpainted, excluding VAT and shipping. Sizes are typical for 28–32 mm miniatures. Each maker sets their own price in their quote.
| Bits | Typical size | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 heads | 6–10 mm | €53–€142 | €89 (€4.44 each) |
| 10 weapons | 15–35 mm | €33–€87 | €55 (€5.46 each) |
| 10 shoulder pads or shields | 10–15 mm | €33–€87 | €54 (€5.44 each) |
| 5 textured bases | 32 mm diameter | €23–€60 | €38 (€7.51 each) |
| 1 single bit or kit | Up to miniature size | €8–€23 | Same as a 28 mm miniature |
The resin in a bit weighs a few grams: what costs is the work on each part (removing supports, washing, curing and checking) and setting up the batch. That's why a single bit costs almost as much as a miniature, while 20 heads take about 30 minutes of machine time and come out far cheaper each. If the file has the bits joined on a sprue or with tested supports, the maker needs less time.
Miniatures and figures are the second most requested group on Fabrishare: 28 of the 110 requests registered between May and October 2026.
Why print bits instead of buying them?
The same bit for the whole unit
Boxes come with one or two of each option. If you want ten troopers with the same weapon or twenty heads with the same helmet, printing them is the only way to get them without buying ten boxes.
Fits nobody sells
A head at a different scale, a weapon for a miniature from another range or a shield sized for one particular arm: a maker can rescale the file or adjust the fit before printing.
Parts you designed yourself
Your army's symbol, your campaign emblem or a part you've imagined. If you don't have the file, a maker who designs can model it from scratch; design is quoted separately.
How to order conversion bits that fit your miniatures
With these details in the project, the maker gets it right first time.
- 1
The file and its licence
Upload the STL or the link to the kit. Check that its licence lets someone else print it for you: many bits are sold for personal use only and don't allow it.
- 2
The scale
Say what scale they're for (28 mm, 32 mm or heroic) and, if you can, the height of the miniature they're going on. A head at the wrong scale really shows.
- 3
The fitting point in millimetres
Measure the neck, wrist or socket with calipers and write it in mm. If it needs a push fit, ask for a clearance of one or two tenths of a millimetre; if it'll be glued, there's no need.
- 4
Pin or glue
For long weapons or parts that get handled a lot, ask for a hole for a 0.8–1 mm brass pin: the joint holds far better than glue alone.
- 5
Quantity and spares
Order two or three extra of the thinnest parts (antennas, swords, plumes): they come out of the same batch and barely change the price.
Which bits can you order and which can't you?
Fabrishare doesn't check licences: when you post a project, you declare you have the right to have it printed, and the maker can turn it down if that isn't the case.
Yes
- Bits you design or have designed.
- Kits from independent designers whose licence allows printing through someone else.
- Generic parts: heads, weapons, backpacks, bases.
- Symbols and emblems of your own army or campaign.
No
- Copies of branded bits, scanned or taken from their files.
- Recasts of commercial conversion kits.
- A game's registered emblems and logos.
- Files whose licence doesn't allow someone else to print them.
Can they be sent primed or painted?
Yes. Besides printing them, you can ask the maker to get them ready for your painting desk, or to paint them:
Unpainted
Supports removed, washed and cured: the norm for bits, because they're glued on before the whole miniature is painted.
Primed
With a coat of primer, ready to paint. Handy if you're assembling a lot of parts at once.
Assembled and painted
The maker or a painter in the network assembles the conversion and paints the complete miniature. Each artist sets the price in their quote.
Print and paint: how to order
For the rest of the army
If besides the bits you need the miniatures themselves, stand-ins for other models or a run for your own game, you can order it in the same project: one maker, one parcel.
How to order your bits on Fabrishare
- 1Post the project for free: the file or the link to the kit, the scale, the fit measurements and how many of each part.
- 2Get quotes from resin makers within 24–48 hours, with price and lead time.
- 3Pick one; the maker prints the bits, cleans them up and ships them to you.
FAQ about 3D printed conversion bits
How much does it cost to print bits for miniatures?
In a batch it's cheap: 20 resin heads cost about €89 in total (€4.44 each) and 10 weapons about €55, excluding VAT and shipping, per the Fabrishare calculator. A single bit costs about the same as a miniature, €8–€23.
Why does one bit cost almost as much as a whole miniature?
Because the resin is the least of it: the maker has to set up the batch, remove supports, wash, cure and check, and that costs the same for one part as for several. That's why it pays to order all your bits at once.
Resin or FDM for bits?
Resin. Bits are a few millimetres long and have faces, edges and relief that FDM loses. FDM only makes sense for large, plain parts such as vehicle bases or terrain.
How do I make sure the head fits the neck?
Measure the neck or socket with calipers and put it in mm in the project, along with the scale. For a push fit, ask for a clearance of one or two tenths of a millimetre; if it'll be glued, the size just needs to match.
Can I have branded bits printed?
No. Copies of branded bits or kits, scans and recasts are never printed. Bits from independent designers whose licence allows it, and parts you design yourself, can be.
Can I order a shield or shoulder pad with my own emblem?
Yes. If you have the file, it's printed as is; if you only have a drawing, a maker who designs can model it in 3D and quote the design separately. A game's registered emblems can't be copied.
Can they be sent painted?
Yes. Most people order them unpainted or primed, because they're glued on before the miniature is painted; but the maker or a painter in the network can assemble the conversion and paint the whole thing. Each artist sets the price in their quote.
How long do they take?
A batch of bits prints in about 30 minutes of machine time; the real lead time depends on cleaning, curing and shipping. Each maker gives a delivery date in their quote.