Well, ive had some fantastic results with glue stick, which I guess is a solid PVA glue.
Well, ive had some fantastic results with glue stick, which I guess is a solid PVA glue.
Can you expand on it a bit? I wouldn't mind using a glue stick before a print. It is easier than replacing the wood glue mixture.
How many times can you print before you have to use the gluestick again? And are there any disadvantages?
Just a little update. I am using this for a few days not and it is great. I don't take the glass plate off, I just sprinkle a bit of the wood glue mixture and distribute it with a brush. After it has dried I start printing.
It is so much better than with tape. Everything I tried sticks fine. Sometimes I have to use a knife to get the models form the glass plate, but it is far easier than getting the off after using isopropyl alcohol with tape.
Hi!
How do you clean the plate after getting off your part? Is in necessary to scrap everything away and prepare the whole plate or is it working just fill the holes in the surface?
Would like to have more infos on this because my glass plate still waits unused in my drawer...
Tnx!!!
I just clean it with water. But you can print several objects without the need to clean it. I have a the wood glue mixture and a paint brush near my Ultimaker. After I print a large object I just fill the holes on the surface. I think I cleaned the glass plate two times now - and I have printed many objects since then.
Great - good news!!
So I will start converting everything to a 3-point leveling and a glass bed setup as soon as my girlfried offers me some spare time :-)
Interesting technique - anybody tried it with ABS?
Mike.
I just tried this out, and it seems to work very well. I just went to the HW store and had them cut me a rectangle that fits on top of my acrylic build plate (going to the edges left/right, but not top/bottom so it does not interfere with the leveling holes. You can attach the glass to the build plate with ordinary binder clips, and have multiple plates and swap them in 20 seconds.
I accidentally bought the other type of wood glue (Aliphatic Resin Emulsion) but it seems to work well. You will probably need to readjust your z-limit switch position, of course.
There may be some borderline cases where you now need to use brim when using glass+glue, because the adhesion properties are a bit different from tape.
tl/dr: looks like a great $5 upgrade!
Good idea about cutting the glass plate for the entire width. I had a small one here that is quite small so I added double sided tape to hold it in place.
Had mixed results with this. Tried to print an item in PLA with a large flat base approx 110mm square. 3rd time lucky. Not sure what went wrong but suspect that my Z zero was too high - that is the first layer was too squashed.
Done another couple of things since then OK, with shiny bases, though picking up patterns from the uneven spread of PVA.
BTW, I think that it is a good idea to de-grease the glass before applying the PVA.
Mike.
I am going to try this asap as well. Do you think applying the glue with a roller would fix the uneven spreading?
Super psyched about this!
Had mixed results with this. Tried to print an item in PLA with a large flat base approx 110mm square. 3rd time lucky. Not sure what went wrong but suspect that my Z zero was too high - that is the first layer was too squashed.
Done another couple of things since then OK, with shiny bases, though picking up patterns from the uneven spread of PVA.
BTW, I think that it is a good idea to de-grease the glass before applying the PVA.
Mike.
Another note.
Make sure the glass plate sticks to the bed. I used double-sided tape with mine and it moved during printing so the top layer was runied :/
I also tried glue stick but it didn't work well for me. I found the wood glue / water mixture to perform best.
Another idea might be this one (hair spray):
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28787
I am going to try this asap as well. Do you think applying the glue with a roller would fix the uneven spreading?
Super psyched about this!
Hadn't thought of a roller, but do think that I needed a softer brush. The bottom looks better, I think, with translucent grades of PLA rather that opaque grades. I've just printed some butterflies and the undersides are super flat and shiny.
After my initial teething troubles I'm pleased with the results and the convenience. I have two pieces of 6mm thick glass. I went for 6mm as I know that my acrylic bed is warped.
Mike.
Another note.
Make sure the glass plate sticks to the bed. I used double-sided tape with mine and it moved during printing so the top layer was runied :/
I'm using this arrangement which seems to work fine.
Standard acrylic bed covered in blue tape.
6mm glass with diluted PVA spread with a (too coarse) paint brush
One 75mm wide Bulldog clip on the left side and one on the right clamping the glass to the acrylic. I started with two on each side but have cut back to one per side with none discernible downside.
Of course my glass is full width...
Mike.
I have been using this for a couple of days - really good results.
had some 3mm picture glass cut and hold it with bulldog clips.
Bent a piece of 3mm lexan and sit that on the limit switch when I have the plate on and take it off when I want blue tape
So far PLA works *best* and I can use it with almost NO smoosh (which gets rid of those elephant feet) but run it quite hot - between 220 and 240.
I have been using Colourfab XT and that takes a bit more persuading - I need to run it at 246 and smooshed right down onto the plate with a slow first layer.
Will try soft PLA next and waiting to try Nylon which Peter managed to get to work.
I have been using 3mm lexan sheet for the last month with varied effects - but the results were too unpredictable and this seems to work well with most materials.
Yet to test some big stuff that normally warps badly
James
Don't expect wonders though. Big objects will warp. It is not a perfect substitute for a heated bed. But it is much better for "day to day prints" than to remove tape constantly.
Speaking of colorFabb XT - how does it behave otherwise? Any big difference (apart from higher print temperature) to PLA?
next week I am going to enclose the printer and see if a warmer environment will help - as it seems to be later layers that warp more.
XT has been interesting to print with - I am sometimes looking for plastics with a bit more breaking strain than PLA and I really like clear PLA - so bought a 2Kg spool and have been playing with it - and it certainly feels like it is a bit tougher - less brittle.
but it needs a much higher temperature to properly adhere each layer.
it is not so low warp - much like most of the other plastics.
Not so clear either.
Nice iridescent finish on a stretchlet.
But yet another weapon in the armoury!
A good glue for glass printing, that is also available pretty cheaply, is PVA book binding glue.
I'm guessing you would need the PVA glue mixed slightly stronger for ABS. On my other printer, I just spray Aqua Net on the glass plate and it holds PLA prints down pretty well. Using the glass plate + Aqua Net is much easier than the blue tape I'm still using on my Ultimaker. I think I'm going to follow the path you guys are taking and go get a glass build plate made for the Ultimaker to hold me over until the replacement gantry with HBP is released in a few months. The bottom surfaces on the stuff I print on the glass plate look so much nicer on my other printer. Plus, the PLA sticks better on it. I'm not sure why I've waited so long to replace that acrylic surface with glass.
I have been using glass for about a year now and never had any problems, I just used the glass out of a picture frame cost me £1 then I use PVA and water mix 2 parts glue to 1 part water and paint it on with a small brush, then place under a low heat grill this dries the glue but also makes it even out fine
I just lay the glass on top of the bed and use bulldog clips to hold in place.
So far I have used PLA, Bendlay and Nylon with out any issues. I have the parts for the hot bed just not got round to putting it all together and with the glass way working so well not in a rush to just yet.
Woohw...
Count me in as believer....
Flex PLA on a piece of glass..
I'm convinced. :shock:
Woohw...
Count me in as believer....
Flex PLA on a piece of glass..
I'm convinced. :shock:
No way you did it!!!! AMAZING! Tell more details... only the glass or did you put glue on it? Tell me the configs that you used... cura or other slicer? the best print that I saw till now! congrats
No way you did it!!!! AMAZING! Tell more details... only the glass or did you put glue on it? Tell me the configs that you used... cura or other slicer? the best print that I saw till now! congrats
Hi Augusto, Thanks .
It's Flex Pla directly on glass, cleaned with some kind of solvent (smells like thinner).
The first one warped a little, so I used a Brim.
Bottom layer, printed at 225° with 15mm/sec bottom speed, 0.1 layer and 110% flow to get a flat solid first layer.
Still like to know who came up with this idea? Should be nominated for some prize or reward :-P
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LePaul 357
That's a very smooth surface on that part too. Very interesting
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