Elegoo is launching the Neptune 3
and it comes loaded with features!
Lot’s of good stuff
and a few things that could be better
so, get yourself something to drink and here we go!
Elegoo changed a lot in the Neptune 3.
But I think the most important change is that
this printer comes almost fully assembled.
You can easily put it together in 20 minutes or less.
The instructions are very clear
Only the first step is a bit tricky if you do it alone.
But, look: screw the big parts together,
screw the power supply,
connect the screen,
put the handle and the spool support,
connect the power cable,
connect the z-stepper cable,
this is me paranoid with no reason at all
because everything came fine…
connect the optical limit switch.
Done!
Almost.
You still need to adjust the wheels
on the print head, on the bed, so nothing wobbles.
Elegoo made an excellent video showing how everything is done,
if you want, I’ll put it somewhere here.
The Removable Touch-Screen:
I just held it in my hand and I loved it!
To ‘auto-level’, the Neptune 3 uses the nozzle
to touch the bed in 16 points.
And here I am, waiting for the nozzle and the bed to heat up,
And wait you will, because heating up is slow.
Homing the Z is also slow.
Finally, it began to touch all the 16 points.
You can follow the measurements on the display:
after each touch, it updates the matrix.
Look: it measures with the nozzle itself.
After that, you set a z-offset using a paper and you are ready to print!
Let’s print the Buddha that comes on the SD Card.
I am not printing in white,
because it is hard to see the details on camera.
I will use Eryone’s Scented Orange PLA, that once smelled like orange…
I am making a video about it.
And here you have it printing…
No Rafts.
I think it took 1h10m…
While the bed is still hot, I can see the adhesion is excellent.
It is much easier to wait a bit to cool down, and, easy - peasy!
This is exactly the build surface I like the most:
textured PEI on flexible steel sheet, on a magnetic bed.
It should be very durable.
I have a similar PEI plate that took A LOT of abuse
so keep in mind this is a consumable.
Any Steel Sheet will work perfectly on the Neptune 3.
I just don’t recommend the magnetic sheets because
it is very hard to find one that the magnetic patterns match your printer.
Here is the Buddha that we printed. Isn’t it nice?
I printed it again on “Silk PLA”, shiny, yeah, very cool print!
But here’s a secret: the Buddha is a fail-proof model!
It has no overhangs, no sharp corners, so no ghosting, no stringing…
Let’s print a Benchy!
[music]
The Filament Sensor is a smart sensor:
most sensors detect if the filament breaks or if the spool ends…
But this one also detects if the filament jams or clogs.
That’s all great!
Pushing the filament inside the sensor is a bit hard.
“Lost in Tech” made an excellent video showing how it works
and why it is hard to push.
I wish there was a lever or a button to press
and make it easier to push filament through.
The Double-gear extruder has a really strong grip.
Don’t laugh, but what I really liked about this design
is that the tiny teeth are exposed
it is very easy to clean them with a brush.
And if you see plastic dust on them, you need to clean!
What else?
Adjustable Belt Tensioners:
I think every printer should have them.
[tuning]
If not, that’s a MOD I would always add.
But the Neptune 3 comes with them and that’s great!
32-bit “silent board”: That's true!
You can barely hear the stepper motors
ha ha, because the fans are VERY LOUD!
Jokes apart, I’ll keep my Neptune 3 “original”
I already experimented a lot with different fans in the past
and I don’t want to ruin print quality on this printer,
because it prints really nice!
BUT the fans are noisy.
The Benchy!
It looks good here…
Usually, when there is not enough cooling, the bow gets messed up
but this one is perfect, so good cooling.
I forgot to change the seam to a less visible place, and,
if you pay attention, here you can see marks from the infill,
because I used only two walls.
Do you notice this tiny blobs, scattered all around?
They have nothing to do with the Neptune 3 or my slice settings:
this spool of PLA was out of my dry containers for a few months
and I think it got some moisture.
It might be better after a few hours on a food dehydrator…
So, I’ll change a few parameters, and print again.
Far less blobs!
With 3 walls we don’t see marks from the infill anymore.
So, 3D printing goes far beyond the printer itself:
how you slice things, how you store your filaments… it all matters.
28 centimeters tall!
The BED of the Neptune 3 is super different.
Do you see any springs or adjusting wheels?!
It doesn’t have them.
There is nothing to adjust and it feels weird to me.
The Bed is rigid.
It has 11 screws
this empty whole is where the carriage has a cut
to go around the Y stepper motor
Anyway,
On the millimetric scale, every bed comes different from the factory.
Mine looks quite flat in this line…
Here it also seems flat...
But here: See the Gap?
it's almost a milimiter.
This bed is NOT perfectly flat.
And here is where we might have a twist:
3 years ago, my first 3D Printer also had a curved bed:
but I only realised what was going on, I don’t know,
the 5th time I failed to print this “Wind-up Car”.
There was no auto-leveling,
I had sticking problems…
Ha ha, oh Lord, Rafts!
The solution, at that time, was to buy a Glass Bed,
because glass is flat.
But because it is rigid,
glass brings other challenges that are frustrating as well.
Back to the Neptune 3:
it has auto-levelling.
So, having a perfectly flat bed, or a bit curved,
maybe it doesn’t even matter!
So, let's do it again!
I am going to print Brian Brocken’s “Wind-up Car”
on the Neptune 3 and luckily everything will stick perfectly flat.
[music]
Ha ha ha!
Couldn’t it be any easier?
I will just cut these and…
...why didn’t I print them lose?
- And pink, please?
[magic chimes]
And pink!
So: fixed bed is…
...fixed bed is...
it works!
It is a “frustration-free” experience.
Assembling the toy is a challenge!
You should not let toddlers close to any 3D Printer
but, my daughter is 4 and she likes to see it printing.
- Ouch!
- Ahhh, it is NOT so hot!!!!
The Neptune 3’s print head is very “enclosed” and protected,
there are no spring wheels to mess… so, I let her be around.
- Finished!
And she is already a fan of the “Print Again” button.
If you have kids and you are in doubt
between a Resin Printer or a Filament Printer
don’t think twice:
it’s filament for the win!
PLA is non toxic, it pops from the printer
and your kids can play right away!
3D Printing can be overwhelming,
but the Neptune 3 is a delightful printer!
Super easy to set-up,
auto-levelling,
sensors,
and the price!
I’ll put links in the description.
Thanks again to for watching to the end!
You guys!...
...You guys are the best!
Yes, you are a bit noisy!
But I am making a beautiful little house for you,
with colourful lights and sound insulation, ha ha.
You will love it!