My recent blog post on common 3D Print bed materials and coatings. Along with an in-depth test of 3D EeZ (build plate skin) It’s a general overview and reference point with tips and advice, should be useful if you are ‘getting stuck’… or not. If anyone has any other experiences please comment.
And as a call out for any other materials or coatings being developed or released, let me know as I do plan to do more on this topic when I get more magic mixes to test out.
That’s brilliant Rich, thank!
I suggest at least trying 0.75mm-1mm thick PEI stuck to glass with 3M 468MP adhesive. Everything I’ve tried (ABS, PLA, flex, HIPS, plus some ABS blends with other stuff) sticks to it at temp, and it generally comes off pretty easily once the bed cools. I’ve done a few hundred part runs on a sheet so far without apparent loss of adhesion properties. I’ve done parts up to 325mm long without warp on the bottom.
Maybe this treatment isn’t for everyone, but I really love getting away from tapes, sprays and wipes.
@Jeff_DeMaagd sounds like good results. I have used thin PEI sheets and am still trying to source thicker ones. I do agree PEI is a good way forward for new machine and 3DP manufacturers.
Thick PEI is very expensive, I think that’s why most users are using the adhesive to apply thin PEI to glass.
No mention of printing on polyimide (Kapton) or PET tape, except to say that 3D EeZ doesn’t work over it? PET tape is still my go-to for heated platforms. Polyimide works about the same, but is usually much thinner and more likely to tear while impatiently removing prints.
I’d like to see a test of “Wolfbite” from Airwolf 3D and comparison to 3D Eez.
http://airwolf3d.com/shop/wolfbite-prevents-3d-printed-parts-from-warping
I’ve used Wolfbite with ABS on plain glass and found that it does hold very well – too well if you’re not careful. Some suggestions based on my experience:
(1) Clean the glass well with dish detergent before applying Wolfbite. Initially I had problems with beading of the solution during application.
(2) Apply a very sparing layer of solution to avoid overly aggressive adhesion.
My suggestion for manufacturers of this kind of adhesive is to put some light tint into the solution so that it can be seen on the bed. This would allow easier and more uniform application and repair of the film laid down.
@Whosa_whatsis Try thicker polymide. I get the press and stick sheets from Printrbot and they don’t tear unless you are extremely violent with them. I think they are 5 mil but maybe they are thicker. The sheets you usually get from elsewhere do tear constantly. I get many months on the Printrbot squares and usually when I do finally ruin one it is due to me doing something dumb like cutting it with a razor or something not just from normal wear.
@Understanding_3D_Pri Yeah, I’ve tried the thicker polyimide, but thicker PET is cheaper and easier to find. I also don’t like the large sheets. I can lay down strips of tape in seconds, and don’t have the patience for the soapy water method with a larger sheet. I also don’t want to have to replace the entire surface if there is some damage, rather than just replacing one strip.
@Whosa_whatsis I have not tried PET tape. I like the big sheets and I find the thick sheets go on without soapy water just fine (no bubbles). You just start at a corner and use a putty knife to lay it down carefully. Again, I maybe do that once a year or so anyway. What I dislike about tape strips is that it tends to leave the seam on the print. That being said, I keep a few rolls of wide and narrow tape in theory to do repairs and such but rarely use it for that purpose. Where do you find PET tape?
I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Maxi-248-Polyester-Silicone-Splicing/dp/B00EP22NKY/ref=sr_1_1
@Whosa_whatsis Fair point, I’ll add references to the blog post when I get a chance. I did use PET tape for ABS printing, for many years, but as object print size increased I found PET tape didn’t stop corner curl, adding an ABS+Acetone wash made things better again, but then why apply on top of PET tape?, so I went back to glass and ‘ABS juice’.
Kapton is very good for PLA, but then so is just glass.
@Understanding_3D_Pri
I just acquired a thin sheet of PEI. I’ve got a Printrbot Simple Metal, though, which requires a metal print surface to do its autoleveling magic, so attaching the PEI to glass isn’t going to work for me. I’d prefer not to permanently adhere it to my metal bed. Are there any other suggestions for “temporarily permanent” mounting methods for thin PEI sheets? Or is that 3M 468MP tape less ‘permanent’ than it seems?
I know the 3M adhesive can clean off initially, I think with isopropyl alcohol. I don’t know if it gets hard over time in a way that it can’t be cleaned.