From STL to Stadium: How We 3D Print Our WOODEN BLEACHERS

At Kraken 3D Studios, we’re passionate about creating immersive environments. Our WOODEN BLEACHERS are a perfect example. These modular stands bring your Fantasy Football pitch to life. Whether you're hosting a chaotic goblin tournament or a high-stakes Blood Bowl league, our bleachers will elevate your game.

Let’s explore how we transform these digital designs into eye-catching physical pieces. We'll dive into the techniques we use, focusing on both resin and FDM printing methods.

The WOODEN BLEACHERS fit perfectly in any Fantasy Football stadium, adding atmosphere and depth to your tabletop

Crafting Environment Elements for Fantasy Football

Our bleachers serve as more than just scenery; they act as storytelling tools. Each piece is packed with intricate wood grain textures, bolts, and detail that captures the energy of the crowd. These features are ideal for creating a rich atmosphere around the field. Whether you’re designing a home stadium for your team or sprucing up a league’s final match, these stands instantly enhance immersion.

Design and Compatibility

Each component is carefully designed and cut into modular sections. This design ensures optimal performance during the 3D printing process, regardless of whether you use a RESIN or FDM PRINTER. At Kraken Studios, we test print and paint every model in-house before releasing it to the public. This commitment ensures that what you download is print-ready, paint-friendly, and tabletop-approved.

Moreover, our bleachers are 100% compatible with any Blood Bowl field, meticulously crafted with scale, modularity, and visual impact in mind.

Designed with rich detail

Available in two distinct versions to bring variety and character to your stadium.

3D Printing the Bleachers: A Comparative Overview

At Kraken Studios, we typically print our larger environment pieces using FDM printers. This method helps to reduce material costs and enhances the durability of the parts—perfect for regular gaming use. However, all of our products are also fully compatible with resin printing, allowing for maximum detail for those seeking a premium finish.

All our designs are prepared to be printed in resin or on FDM printers.

For this specific project, we printed one set of bleachers in resin and the other in PLA using an FDM printer. The result? The difference is barely noticeable! Both versions look fantastic on your tabletop, each offering unique strengths based on your setup and preferences.

Both versions after black priming: can you tell which one is PLA and which one is resin?

FDM Print (Creality Ender 3)

If you're searching for a rugged and cost-effective solution for league play, printing with PLA on a basic printer like the Creality Ender 3 is an excellent choice. The results were outstanding for gaming use.

For our FDM print, we used Ultimaker Cura as our slicer. Below, we share our print settings along with some helpful tips.

Correct print orientation and settings are key

One key tip: ensure the model is oriented so that the wood grain runs along the longitudinal axis of the printer. This helps the layer lines follow the natural lines of the wood, making the texture look much more appealing.

Speed is crucial. We never print above 50% speed on our machines. Once we upgrade our FDM printer, we’ll test higher speeds, but for now, 50% offers the best reliability and finished product.

To generate supports, we utilized the “Custom Cylindrical Supports” plugin. It’s user-friendly and delivers consistently great results.

Tiles should ALWAYS be printed vertically—it's the best way to preserve surface detail and avoid top layer artifacts.

When it comes to tiles, we always print them vertically. In our experience, this yields the best results and preserves detail. Printing tiles flat often leads to artifacts or visible layer marks—especially on the top. If any tile has significant overhangs, we add a custom cylindrical support using the plugin mentioned earlier. This ensures reliable prints every time.

Result: While not as sharp as resin, the FDM print holds up great on the field; strong, stable, and full of character, making it perfect for intense league games.

👉 Follow *this video to see how we print our tiles vertically* and why it's the best method for detail and surface quality.

👉 Check out *this video to learn how we use custom supports* to enhance your prints.

🔧 Want to try the support method we used? Download the Custom Cylindrical Supports plugin for Cura right here: 👉 https://github.com/5axes/CustomSupportCylinder. It’s simple to use and yields excellent results for both tiles and vertical prints with overhangs.

Resin Print (Elegoo Saturn 2)

To capture every detail of the weathered planks and riveted beams, we printed the bleachers using the Elegoo Saturn 2.

“When printing in resin, orientation, exposure settings, and temperature control are essential for a flawless finish

A useful tip: rotating the model approximately 45 degrees (diagonally across the build plate) can often help decrease visible layer lines on surfaces.

This orientation helps distribute detail more evenly across layers, resulting in a smoother and cleaner print overall.

Result: The texture and surface detail are excellent. Minimal cleanup is required—just wash, cure, prime, and paint. If you're aiming for a showcase-quality build, this method is the way to go.

Cleanup & Assembly

Support removal is an essential step, whether you're printing in PLA or resin. If the model is sliced correctly, the supports should come off cleanly. After removing them, you’ll just need a quick cleanup to smooth out any minor marks or residue.

• Are there any support marks?

• Any rough edges that need smoothing?

• Do the modular pieces fit together snugly?

  
  

If everything checks out, we proceed to the next steps!

Always wear gloves and a mask when working with liquid resin!

Fast & Effective Painting for Table-Ready Results

Priming and Base Colors

We started with the stands. After applying a black primer, we used a base coat of Mournfang Brown and XV-88 on different wood sections to create natural variation and provide a more realistic look. Once it dries, we apply a layer of Agrax Earthshade to deepen the details.

Base colors applied and followed by a wash of Agrax Earthshade to bring out the depth in the wood texture.

For the miniatures, we primed them white and followed up with their respective base colors.

“For the miniatures, we applied base colors over a white primer to keep the tones bright and vibrant

Color Detailing and Personality

This is where the magic happens! Once the stands dry, we apply drybrushing techniques with Kislev Flesh and Baneblade Brown to highlight and enrich the texture of the wood.

Next, for the miniatures, we use inks and shades for deeper contrast. We finish with edge highlights using lighter base colors to make details stand out. Finally, we attach the bases to the miniatures, giving them a personal touch and grounding them into the environment.

Ready for game day! The bleachers and fans are set to bring your Fantasy Football matches to life.

Ready for the Table!

Now that everything is painted and assembled, your fans and bleachers are ready to energize any Fantasy Football pitch. Set them alongside your field, add sideline details, and you’ll create a stadium scene that immerses players in the thrill of the game from kickoff to touchdown.

Final touches: adding static grass and picking out individual planks for extra realism

Both versions of the WOODEN BLEACHERS, fully painted and packed with fans, ready to bring the stadium to life!

Want to Try It Yourself?

Download the files directly from our store and start creating your own immersive game table. Don’t forget to join our newsletter to access free miniatures, exclusive discounts, and behind-the-scenes content from the Kraken 3D Studios team!

👉 www.kraken3dstudios.com

How will you enhance your game day experience with these immersive elements?