I became a wargamer as a young lad. I still remember playing with Airfix soldiers. Our wargames then consisted of hiding the soldiers in dugouts and pillboxes made with mud and sticks and then chucking stones at each others to see who could destroy the opposition the quickest. No rules just destruction.

Then as a teenager I discovered Hinchliffe 25mm Napoleonics. I built a French Army and one of my mates at secondary school had British and Prussian.

We started playing actual games but again the rules were very rudimentary. Nothing written down, plus one for charging, plus one for guard, plus one for cavalry, that was about it.

We joined a local wargames club and the games became more formalised.

I started work and moved away from home and started my own club, again, mainly Napoleonic with WWII thrown in.

I got married and had kids and the figures went in the loft where they remained for about 15 years until I reached the point of thinking I’ll never have time for wargaming so I sold them all in lots on eBay. I often wonder where they are now and if they are still fighting battles.

Then I rediscovered my interest in Wargaming. I could afford a metal army so started building a Victrix plastic Napoleonic Army. The I discovered Bolt Action and found a nearby club. I started wargaming again (though I’ve still not used the Napoleonics).

Bolt Action was the order of the day. I built up a collection of Warlord tanks, vehicles and soldiers. Then I discovered 3D printers.

I bought a Creality Ender 3. I showed the models to club members and when they discovered the costs they asked if I could do them some. Then I had an idea.

Creality Ender 3

I launched the Paint and Glue Miniatures website. Slowly, by word of mouth I started getting orders. I needed another printer, then another. Within a year I had a dozen plastic printers, most of them printing 24 hours a day.

As the printers wore out I replaced them with Ender 3 v2’s

Creality Ender 3 v2

Then I found resin printing; much better quality and finer detail. I bought one and was pleased with the results. I bought another.

The Crealitys have been superceeded by Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro’s

I currently have 8 resin printers, all Elegoo Mars and Saturns. I’ll gradually phase out plastic vehicles and just use the plastic printers for larger stuff like buildings and terrain; the resin vehicles look much better, take less time to print and the cleanup is much faster. A plastic vehicle might take 20 minutes to clean up whereas a resin can be done in just a couple.

Elegoo Saturns

All new models for the last year have not been available in plastic and in due course that choice will disappear from the older models.