first print in progress. Attempts yesterday yielded little other than to confirm that the motors all worked once everything was debugged. First attempt today started well but came away from the platform. Platform was bare glass cleared with acetone. The perimeters look OK, but the part warped. attempt 2 is currently printing using Diluted PVA on the bed. Adhesion is definitely better this time around. I have checked the bed temp with an infra-red thermometer, and noticed that it’s a good 25 degrees cooler than the thermistor is reading so I cranked that up to 85 degrees C to get the desired result on the top of the glass. pics later.
Just be aware that those infrared thermometers can be highly inaccurate on shiny surfaces.
What kind of printer do you have? I have heard of using ABS or PLA diluted in acetone - let me know how you make out with the PVA
I do trust it more than my bare hand which tells me it wasn’t getting very hot initially.
See above. I just finished assembling a Mendel90.
For your first prints, with the supplied PLA, temperatures of 185C/70C for extruder/bed should work.
Plain glass cleaned with White Vinegar (typically 5% Acetic acid and 95% pure water) is also ideal for this material.
It is very important to get your first layer height correct. Too high and the print won’t adhere to the bed - too low and it will adhere excessively.