I took all of your advice and bought an Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro because I would have had to have waited months for the 4 Pro in the US. I absolutely love it. I’m going to pass on some tips for beginners and I also have a few more questions:
Tips:
- Make sure to watch the video before you put it together, I just used the youtube one and it was probably the same one. It’s really necessary about half way through because their directions just sort of vaguely point to stuff.
- Make sure to set the height properly (the paper gives a little resistance when you pull it out) when you’re leveling. It’s the difference between a print actually working at all or it being strings and weird things.
- On a similar note, redo the leveling if you stop a print, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t turned it off. I kept having to stop the print because of the sd card not seeing the files, see the important note at the bottom for why.
- Make sure to have more PLA when it gets there, it doesn’t come with a whole lot. It works so easily and it’s so fun that you’re going to want to print more. I happened to have some from a 3D print pen that I tried a few years ago and didn’t use again. Also, I ordered some to go with the printer and they sent it separately. I haven’t received the rolls yet.
- Important -Don’t use the thumb drive, plug into your computer directly, I didn’t need any drivers. I’m guessing they downloaded with the slicing program. You can control everything from your computer then and things won’t randomly not print now.
If you’re using the thumb drive/SD card, make sure to put your sliced file (gcode) on the root directory, no folders, and rename it to something less than 20 characters (I think it was 20). If you don’t do this, the printer won’t see it. This one is odd to me because it saw the buddha file in a directory but it works now, so whatever.
Questions:
- It tells me to clean the printer nozzle after every use. What does that mean?
- Is the pliers that comes with it just for cutting the excess or am I missing something?
- Can I keep it together and just put a cover over it if it won’t get knocked or messed with? Someone recommended putting it back in the box when not in use.
- I made a flat print of a plaque and it started to curl on the edges, should I have cleaned the board after the buddha or is that normal for flat prints?
That’s it, thanks again for making this process so easy and fun.
To add on to the other response you got, what you’re experiencing is called warping (corners lifting up). Slow down your first layer, I usually do mine around 20mm/s. And yeah, clean your build plate if you are getting curling and you might’ve touched the plate. Hand oils transfer easily. You can take off the removable metal sheet and wash it with soapy water. You can also spray or drip rubbing alcohol and wipe with a paper towel between prints. Use a brim and make sure your first layer height is perfect (too far can cause it to not stick well enough, and too close can cause a clog or messy layers). The first layer is the most important for a perfect print.
When you get a new filament, do be sure to check the temperature recommendation on the side of the spool. Sometimes different brands print at different temps. Different types, like PLA and PETG, print at different temps too.
If you got clippers with your printer, they can be used for a lot of things. You can cut stuff off of your prints. Typically what I use mine for is cutting the end of the filament into a point before I insert it into the printer so that it goes in more easily. If you pull used filament out, it will typically be melted and blobby on the end and harder to reinsert.
People will probably give me flak for this but I use the metal wire brush that came with my printer and brush it on the nozzle while it’s hot. You can buy extras online. It does wear the nozzle down ‘sooner’ since it’s abrasive, and it makes a bit of a mess, but it’s way more effective than trying to wipe it off imo. Cleaning the nozzle isn’t super necessary, but it will keep bits of charred filament from getting into your print and will help the nozzle last longer until you change it.
As for the question about putting your printer away, you don’t have to do that. I would be more worried about the people sticking their fingers in or near the printer than about the printer itself, lol. 3D printers have really strong frames and motors. They are really easy to take apart and replace things as needed, unlike something like a computer which is a bit more delicate with more electronics. I typically pick mine up by the top bar if I need to carry it anywhere. Just make sure that the printer is somewhere where it won’t hit anything if the bed is sliding out, and that as it’s homing or moving, the head and the bed aren’t going to catch on any wires. Do be careful with the motors if you’re ever interacting with the printing while it’s moving, they don’t care if there’s something in the way. :p
Like I said on your last post, I’m happy to help if you have any other questions 👍 I’m happy you’ve been enjoying your experience so much! 3D printing is the best hobby!
Didn’t even think about how the different types of filament would have different temps, but of course they would. I will put up with whatever happens on the 3d pen extra I have since I lost the specs a long time ago. I need to add that to my list of checks.
I’m picturing a grab and go printer for you, lol. That’s great to hear that I don’t have to coddle it. I’ll probably still put some type of covering on it just to keep the dust off.
Thanks for all of the advice again. I was up late working on my 2 prints so far and couldn’t sleep because I have so many open projects I can now complete. Did you know the Smithsonian has 3d models? So many great people sharing their art and skills.