this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
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3DPrinting

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The Buddha lives! (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by PeleSpirit@lemmy.world to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
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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.

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[–] mrfusion2000@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Congrats! I’ve had mine for a few months now and aside from a faint z-banding issue that I keep forgetting to tackle, it’s still working like a champ.

It tells me to clean the printer nozzle after every use. What does that mean?

I’ve never seen that, is it showing you that message on the touchscreen? Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to unload any remaining filament between prints, especially before it gets too brittle to remove.

Is the pliers that comes with it just for cutting the excess or am I missing something?

It’s primarily for cutting filament, like trimming that blobby piece off after unloading filament from the printer, but it’s also helpful when removing stubborn supports, brims, etc.

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.

You can purchase or build an enclosure for it if you like, which can be useful both for storage and printing, but if it’s not too dusty, you can leave it out in the open. Just wipe with a microfiber cloth before your next print. Garbage bags can also work as a dust cover in a pinch as well, but make sure your printer’s had a chance to cool down before covering.

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?

Large, flat prints can be tough to master since there’s lots of variables involved. (Platform might not be hot enough/too hot/unevenly heated, bed may need better leveling, could be affected by room temp, etc.) Brims & rafts do help, but sometimes an enclosure is needed to retain the right ambient temperature. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to clean the print bed before each session and sometimes even between prints, like if it’s dusty or when you accidentally touch the bed.

[–] PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I’ve never seen that, is it showing you that message on the touchscreen? Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to unload any remaining filament between prints, especially before it gets too brittle to remove.

I read it in the manual and now I can't find it so I can't tell you where.

You can purchase or build an enclosure for it if you like, which can be useful both for storage and printing, but if it’s not too dusty, you can leave it out in the open. Just wipe with a microfiber cloth before your next print. Garbage bags can also work as a dust cover in a pinch as well, but make sure your printer’s had a chance to cool down before covering.

I was going to use a garbage bag, lol. It's in my studio so it doesn't matter what it looks like and I'll be sure to cool down.

Large, flat prints can be tough to master since there’s lots of variables involved. (Platform might not be hot enough/too hot/unevenly heated, bed may need better leveling, could be affected by room temp, etc.) Brims & rafts do help, but sometimes an enclosure is needed to retain the right ambient temperature. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to clean the print bed before each session and sometimes even between prints, like if it’s dusty or when you accidentally touch the bed.

It still turned out great but it was a scary ride when the edges started curling. I will definitely clean it more.

Thanks for all of the tips, I really appreciate them I'm taking them all to heart from all of you.