Our 3D printing journey to this point has had us utilizing the Bambu Lab A1 to print out cool, distinctive models for our good video games room however what in order for you one thing bigger than an ordinary 3D printer can deal with?
The Bambu Lab A1 is a superb printer that requires little or no effort however generally you’re going to want to get your fingers soiled with a extra conventional 3D printer, particularly if you’re trying to make and even promote cosplay gadgets that look superb.
That’s the place the Neptune 4 Max from Elegoo is available in. The behemoth of a 3D printer wants a number of issues – first, it wants loads of house. It’s a giant, heavy unit. On prime of the precise house the unit itself wants you want to consider house in entrance and behind it as a result of, as it’s a mattress slinger, that construct plate goes to hearth forwards and backward.
So far, so apparent, however right here’s one other one that you could be not have nervous about fairly a lot in case you have solely had a smaller printer till now – a sturdy desk.
The Neptune 4 Max runs on Klipper and which means it’s quick and will throw the construct plate round at breakneck pace.
The first floor I put it on was a standing desk, so subsequently the legs have motion in them because it wants to go up and down, and I genuinely thought it would fly off the desk. You want one thing sturdy right here. And if it’s fastened down, a lot the higher.
The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max is what’s also referred to as a ‘helmet-class’ printer. That means it has a large enough print quantity to have the opportunity to print a full-size helmet, large enough for a human head for cosplay functions. It has a construct quantity of 420 x 420 x 480 mm, which is barely lower than the Max 3, however that is due to the large cooling fan strapped onto the gantry.
Even with a quick printer, these take some time so as we speak we’re simply going to print a full-size cosplay masks, and then print one thing bigger out for our game room – a big bust of Walter White from Breaking Bad to add a bit Heisenberg to the place.
Starting with the masks we selected this low-poly full face masks as a result of it seems each sinister and cool. This was my first massive print try and watching the 4 Max do its factor was a pleasure to behold. I had to go away it printing in a single day as I didn’t begin it till late in the day however awakened, checked the Fluidd interface through my cellphone whereas nonetheless in mattress, and was delighted to see it had printed completely. The solely helps right here had been on the hooks for the ears and they had been eliminated simply.
Next up is our second piece, the Walter White bust from Sid Naique. I needed to print this a lot bigger however plumped for a smaller than I needed measurement just because I used to be postpone by the two-day print time to make it a lifesize head. One day although when deadlines aren’t as urgent.
Again the bust printed flawlessly and even with the barely difficult assist round the beard, this all got here away simply and the Elegoo PLA+ in gray labored a deal with.
This is certainly one of my go-to prints once I need to exhibit the 4 Max, the stage of element is insane even with the 0.4mm commonplace nozzle (will someone please let me purchase different-sized nozzles). This would look nice on any shelf in your video games room. I believe I’m in the end going to print him once more with a marble PLA to make him look that bit extra, er museum!
So let’s take a look at the print expertise as we did with the Bambu Lab A1 in our final 3D mannequin function.
What is the Neptune 4 Max like?
My time with the 4 Max has been a little bit of a combined bag, however luckily, all of it appears to have turned out alright in the finish. From the off it printed nice, placing out actually high-quality prints. After per week or so all of a sudden nothing would stick to the plate, the Z-offset was throughout the place and no quantity of leveling appeared to assist. Then I had a huge downside with the extruder as when the print reached a sure a part of the axis the temperature studying would drop from round 180C to 0. Obviously, this was a false studying however it will trigger Klipper to crash mid-print.
With some glorious assist from Elegoo Support, we established there was a dodgy connection in the cable from the major board to the print head in order that they organized to exchange that. As all this was taking place although the Neptune 4 Max suffered a huge clog that destroyed the whole hotend and warmth block. Fortunately, Elegoo changed the whole print head for me, however I did have to wait for that to arrive from China which delayed this web page. It appears to me as if there could also be a slight design flaw in the method that if a clog begins and you don’t discover it, it gathers pace and runs away to self-destruction below the silicon sock and that’s just about the finish of that, you want a spare half as the thermistor and different wires are encased like Han Solo in Carbonite. The downside is at the second, with it being a brand new mannequin and utilizing a proprietary nozzle, you’ll be able to’t simply get them on Amazon and want to undergo Support, which is irritating if you simply need to print stuff.
I need to emphasize although that Elegoo Support is amongst the greatest there may be in the 3D printer world, it’s simply that publish from China, even UPS isn’t at all times the quickest.
Now nevertheless, after a few firmware upgrades and a change of the cable and hotend (which was a ache in the rear), the Neptune 4 Max is working flawlessly like a appeal and I can belief it to do what I need. It is a extra hobbyist printer although than say a Bambu Lab, so that you want to have some 3D printer expertise to get the most out of it and get it dialed in completely. I used to be undoubtedly unfortunate, however massive printers usually are not essentially excellent as your first little bit of 3D printing package. Now it’s working wonderful would I like to recommend the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max for this sort of undertaking?
Absolutely, for the value the pace and construct measurement are nice, and if you’re trying to get into printing props, cosplay, and giant gadgets for your game room, you’ll be able to’t do significantly better for the value. Also, the nice buyer assist is reassuring, there may be an energetic discord, and hopefully, spares shall be obtainable in Amazon warehouses quickly which is able to take the ache out of the nozzle subject.
Finishing our printed models
We used a shiny filament for the masks and in the major it genuinely doesn’t want a lot sanding down, such is the high quality of the print. We did a bit work the place the helps on the eyes and mouth however usually that was it. Again, with Walker White issues got here off fairly clear however we’ll sand down the areas the place the arms can be for a easy end earlier than priming for portray. Because the element on the mannequin is so good, Walter’s beard, stubble, and shaved head don’t want sanding as a result of they’re stubbly, which cuts down post-work so much.
Neptune 4 Max slicer settings
We didn’t use something apart from a primary 0.2mm later top in both mannequin. You may, should you had the time cut back that for the bust however the masks actually doesn’t want it. We sliced and printed the models in Orcaslicer, which is the present go-to slicer for the 3D printing game at the second.
