{"id":1372,"date":"2026-08-12T09:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T09:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/?page_id=1372"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T14:59:24","slug":"materials-preparation-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/materials-preparation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Materials & Preparation Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Infinite Terrain! We take pride in producing high-quality tabletop scenery designed to bring your battlefields to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are unboxing our lightweight PLA filament prints<\/strong> or high-detail resin models<\/strong>, this guide covers everything you need to know about material properties, cleaning, priming, and painting your terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Understanding Our Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We select materials based on structural needs, size, and level of detail required for the tabletop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feature<\/strong><\/td>PLA Filament (FDM)<\/strong><\/td>Tough UV Resin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Best Used For<\/strong><\/td>Large structures, buildings, walls, and scatter terrain.<\/td>Highly detailed scatter, small props, vehicles, and fine detail pieces.<\/td><\/tr>
Durability<\/strong><\/td>High Impact:<\/strong> Flexible and extremely resistant to table drops.<\/td>High Detail:<\/strong> Rigid with crisp edge retention; handled carefully like plastic kits.<\/td><\/tr>
Surface Finish<\/strong><\/td>Microscopic layer lines visible upon close inspection.<\/td>Smooth, injection-moulded plastic feel with ultra-sharp details.<\/td><\/tr>
Heat Resistance<\/strong><\/td>Keep away from high heat (> 50o<\/sup>C \/ 120o<\/sup>F) avoid hot cars.<\/td>Stable under normal ambient temperatures; keep out of direct prolonged UV light before priming.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Preparing Your Models for Painting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All our terrain is inspected, cleaned, and hand-finished before dispatch. However, a small amount of quick preparation before priming guarantees the best paint adhesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing PLA (Filament) Terrain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Inspection:<\/strong> Look over the model for tiny fine strands (stringing). If present, gently scrape them away using an hobby knife or briefly pass a heat gun (or lighter) over the area for half a second.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sanding (Optional):<\/strong> PLA is tough, but if you want to minimize visible layer lines on top surfaces (like roofs), lightly rub the area with 240-400 grit sandpaper<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Washing:<\/strong> Wash the piece in warm, soapy water with a drop of dish soap to remove any residual skin oils or dust, then allow it to dry completely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Preparing Resin Terrain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Safety First:<\/strong> Always work in a ventilated space when sanding resin, and wear a dust mask.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Support Marks:<\/strong> We carefully remove print supports prior to shipping, but small nibs can occasionally remain. Simply shave them flush with a sharp hobby knife or sand them smooth with a fine sanding sponge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Washing:<\/strong> Give resin pieces a quick rinse in warm, soapy water to ensure any remaining processing residue is removed, ensuring your primer bonds cleanly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      3. Priming & Painting Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Proper priming is the single most important step when working with 3D-printed scenery. Never apply acrylic paint directly onto unprimed PLA or resin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Step 1: Priming (The Foundation)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Spray Primers:<\/strong> Use a dedicated plastic spray primer (such as Citadel, Army Painter, Vallejo,<\/em> or standard Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch<\/em>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • PLA Priming Tip:<\/strong> For large FDM buildings, a filler primer<\/strong> (available from automotive stores) works wonders – it naturally fills in fine layer lines while preserving surface detail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Application:<\/strong> Shake your spray can thoroughly for 2 minutes. Spray in light, sweeping passes from 20 – 30 cm away. Apply two thin coats rather than one heavy coat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Step 2: Painting Techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Once primed, both PLA and resin can be painted using any standard hobby acrylics (Citadel, Vallejo, AK Interactive, Two Thin Coats, or standard craft acrylics<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Drybrushing Terrain:<\/strong> FDM PLA terrain loves drybrushing! Heavy drybrushing over dark primers rapidly picks up stone, wood, and metal textures across large buildings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Washes & Contrast Paints:<\/strong> Acrylic washes and contrast paints work brilliantly on resin pieces due to the deep recessed detail. On PLA, apply washes over a pre-varnished or painted coat to prevent the wash from pooling into layer lines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Step 3: Varnish & Protection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Tabletop terrain takes a beating during gaming sessions. Once your paint job is complete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. Apply a coat of Matte or Satin Varnish<\/strong> (spray or brush-on) to protect against scratches, chips, and skin oils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Allow 24 hours for the varnish to cure fully before placing miniatures on the surfaces.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n

            Can I use superglue or plastic glue to assemble pieces?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Use Cyanoacrylate (Superglue)<\/strong> for both PLA and resin. Plastic cement (like Tamiya Extra Thin<\/em>) will not melt PLA or resin because it is designed specifically for polystyrene plastic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            How do I store my terrain?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Store terrain in a cool, dry place. Avoid leaving PLA terrain inside hot vehicles during summer, as ambient temperatures above 50o<\/sup>C can cause thin PLA walls to warp.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Welcome to Infinite Terrain! We take pride in producing high-quality tabletop scenery designed to bring your battlefields to life. Whether you are unboxing our lightweight PLA filament prints or high-detail resin models, this guide covers everything you need to know about material properties, cleaning, priming, and painting your terrain. 1. Understanding Our Materials We select […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1377,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1372","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1372"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1394,"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1372\/revisions\/1394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infidim-tech.co.uk\/InfiniteTerrain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}