Bed Adhesion - tricks and tips?

[stratman]

I don’t buy the hairspray unless my misses is with me

Then it's a big NO that you've ever bought feminine hygiene products for her?

PS That was not The Hat's favorite music. Ever. He prefers the then newly discovered artists during his youth - Bach, Beethoven, Mozart.

 

[The Hat]

newly discovered artists during his youth - Bach, Beethoven, Mozart.

A little bit more modern that that @stratman, the sounds of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, but I do love the old classics too...

 

[Nifty]

I stumbled on that video I mentioned before about printing straight to glass without anything else:

 

[The Hat]

That’s the funniest informative video I’ve ever ever etc... etc... seen...

 

[Redbrickman]

I think I have done exactly what he suggests with the Ikea mirror with mediocre results but will do another test as he claims it works on an unheated bed.

As for the hairspray, I got one with the recommended copolymer and have not found it really successful, some parts lift after a few layers are down.

Since so many rave about the Elmers purple glue I have managed to find it in UK and will be giving it a go next.

The guy in the video has made another interesting one on tolerances and designing parts that fit together. Cura has a setting for adding an offset to compensate for shrinkage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFsTo6cDmF8

 

[stratman]

I stumbled on that video I mentioned before about printing straight to glass without anything else:

Fun and informative video, Nifty.

I do not recall, but either I or someone else posted this link about Ikea glass and nothing else a while back. @The Hat immediately poo-poo'ed it probably. Your video does not scuff or sand the mirror at all.

 

[berttheghost]

I think I have done exactly what he suggests with the Ikea mirror with mediocre results but will do another test as he claims it works on an unheated bed.

I thought that the guy in the video said that he ran his bed at 70C. Maybe he said both.

It shouldn't be that hard to get your print to stick to the bed. If the bed is warm enough and free of contaminants, the molten plastic should deform to conform to the bed surface and stay there until pried away. If the bed is too cool, it will quench thr molten plastic before it can conform to the surface. If the molten plastic is too cool to conform to the bed surface, the effect will be the same.

If the room the printer is in is too cold or too drafty, it may adversely affect both the bed and melt temperatures, keep the printer warm and out of drafts.

Wait for the bed and hot end to warm up before starting to print. Note that the actual melt and bed surface temperatures may lag behind the reported hot end and bed temps. Print a test line at the bed periphery immediately before starting the print. Think of this as a combination prime and nozzle check. You might choose to add a (short) skirt or even a brim in the slicer. Inspect the skirt for defects.

Try printing the first few layers slow and thick.

Your hot end has two fans, one to cool the heatsink and the other to cool the printed object. The former should always be running. The latter should be under firmware control. Check to see that they are wired properly and turn off the latter if the bed is too cold.

Do you have a comprehensive assembly/setup/troubleshooting guide for your printer? If you do, go through it carefully to spot possible defects such as poor electrical connections, bowed bed or axes, etc.

Sorry. I have to stop here. Good luck.

 

[The Hat]

Getting the PLA to stick to the platform, glass or otherwise, is a very contentious issue, everybody has their own opinions on it, but the only opinion that matters is your own, and when you find a method that works 95% of the time then stick to it like it was GLUE, no matter what anybody else tell you...

I found the problem, very much like refilling your carts, it works perfectly till you hurry and get carless...
P.S. but always keep an eye out for any other un-tried methods that have a chance of working....

 

[Nifty]

If the bed is too cool, it will quench thr molten plastic before it can conform to the surface. If the molten plastic is too cool to conform to the bed surface, the effect will be the same

Well stated and that's exactly what I've seen when I try to print to cold glass.

I'm not patient enough to wait for heated beds, especially on the huge CR10, so I just stick with painter's tape. If I ever decide to do PETG or ABS, I'm sure the heated bed will come in handy... well, necessary.

 

[Redbrickman]

Well I have found my solution now and it has worked so far 100% of the time

I have been printing PLA with the bed at room temperature (20c) nd the popular Elmer's Purple glue stick. I manged to find it here in UK and it's definitely "The Dogs" as they say. Just a light smear on the glass and nothing budges, In fact it is pretty hard to remove the part after the print finishes. No need even to remove the glass afterwards to clean it, I just use a damp microfibre cloth to rub off the surplus glue and if the surface left is no too rough I just recoat the same area without cleaning it off.