So the world ended. Power’s out, society’s gone, and all you’ve got left is your 3D printer and a single roll of filament—or maybe a bottle of resin. The question is simple: which one do you trust to survive a zombie apocalypse? PLA or resin?
In this ridiculous (but totally necessary) Maker Build It experiment, we decided to settle the score once and for all—with pumpkins standing in for zombie heads.
The Setup
For our survival test, I printed two identical mace heads—one in PLA, the other in resin.
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PLA Mace Head: 5 walls, 100% rectilinear infill, as solid as I could get it without summoning Skynet.
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Resin Mace Head: 100% solid resin. Normally, I’d hollow it to save material, but resin doesn’t always cure perfectly inside—and the last thing we need in a zombie apocalypse is a mace leaking uncured goo.
To make the test fair, both prints were nearly identical in weight:
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PLA mace head: 8.6 oz
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Resin mace head: 8.7 oz
Pretty close. Now it’s time to see which one survives a battle against the undead (or, in our case, pumpkins).
Round One: Visual Inspection
Right out of the printer, the resin mace looked flawless—no visible layer lines, sharp details, and a menacingly smooth surface.
The PLA mace, on the other hand, had visible layer lines but felt sturdy and battle-ready.
Both looked great, but we all know looks don’t matter when the horde arrives.
Round Two: Light Attacks
The first test was simple—light taps against a pumpkin to test surface penetration.
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PLA: Made deep dents with surprisingly little effort.
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Resin: Equal force, equally nasty holes.
Both performed admirably, proving that even light hits could cause serious “zombie damage.”
(And yes, I wore safety glasses - because no one wants a pumpkin shard to the eye during the apocalypse.)
Round Three: Full Power Smash
Now for the fun part—full swings.
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The PLA mace cracked deep into the pumpkin, bending slightly on the tips after a few hits but staying intact.
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The resin mace hit just as hard, maintaining its sharp edges and structure with only minimal dulling.
After several rounds of chaotic smashing, both weapons were still in fighting condition.
The PLA’s spikes bent a little, while the resin held its shape like a champ.
|
Test |
PLA |
Resin |
|---|---|---|
|
Cost |
✅ Cheaper |
❌ Pricier |
|
Detail |
❌ Visible layer lines |
✅ Smooth, sharp finish |
|
Durability |
✅ Slight flex, no breaks |
✅ Hard, sharp, no cracks |
|
Print Safety |
✅ Non-toxic |
⚠️ Handle uncured resin carefully |
The PLA version was tougher than expected, handling repeated hits without shattering. It’s cheap, easy to print, and you can always reprint another between zombie attacks—assuming you’ve still got power.
The resin version was sharper and showed almost no wear, but it’s more expensive and takes longer to prepare. Still, if you want a weapon that looks terrifying and strikes true, resin is the way to go.
When the zombie apocalypse happens, remember:
Print smart. Print strong. Aim.
Both PLA and resin have their strengths, and either one will help you build your own anti-zombie arsenal overnight—because when survival meets making, creativity always wins.