Glass bed size on S5, textured glass replacement?

[Choclit99 0]

Simple question.  I just upgraded to an S5 from a hobbyist system (Creality Cr-10S Pro V2).  I love the S5 but one thing I did like about the CR-10S Pro was that their glass build plate had a textured and a smooth side.  There are times when I want the bottom to be slightly textured, which occurred naturally with the pebbled glass bed I had before on the CR-10S.

 

I can't seem to find a borosilicate glass bed for the S5 that is textured on one side.  If one doesn't exist, I might try to have one custom cut to size.  I can take the glass off and measure it, of course, but I assumed that somewhere I would easily be able to find the official size of the S5 glass bed.  No luck so far.  Anyone off the top of their head know the exact size of the glass bed or better yet, where I can find a textured replacement bed to use when I don't want the smooth bottom?  I could certainly print on a raft, but why waste perfectly good filament.

 

Thanks.

[gr5 2,234]

Just take it off and measure it.  It's probably an exact distance in cm.

 

An alternative is to use painters tape.  It gives a nice textured bottom.  Before we had heated beds we used painters tape.  You can buy it cheap on the internet in very wide (e.g. 4 inch) rolls.  I recommend washing the tape using IPA (isopropyl alcohol).  Otherwise parts wont stick to it great.  The IPA removes that waxy layer that keeps the tape from sticking to itself.  It's very thin so it just takes a few seconds of IPA and tissue to clean.  Also realize you don't need heated bed but I still recommend it.  but maybe a bit cooler.  Maybe 50C for PLA.  Depending how big your part is.  Parts that use more than half the length of the bed I'd stick with 60C.

 

 

[jsw 19]

I'm new to the S5.  I have a Prusa Mk3S and I've also used the Taz 5 and the U-print.

 

I love the textured bottom surface that the Prusa textured sheet gives.  I'm wondering if there would be any factors precluding somehow tacking a Prusa textured sheet onto the S5 glass plate.  I've measured, and although the Prusa plate is smaller, it seems to be within the area of the 'probes' that the S5 makes for bed distance when starting a print.

 

Likewise, is there anything to preclude/prevent using those semi-reusable stick-on sheets, such as those commercially available or those that you get for free in some brands of filament?

 

Any thoughts about alternative build surfaces?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Carla_Birch 116]

Ultimaker have adhesion sheet's for the S5 that stick onto the glass, so using other sheets and that should not be a problem. I know some have swapped to magnetic build plates for the S5 that also have textured sheets on them.

 

Buildtak make a magnetic system for the S5 that comes with PEI sheets: https://www.buildtak.eu/product/buildtak-flexplate-system/

[jsw 19]

Thanks.

 

I've seen that on the Stateside Buildtak site.  IIRC it's a bit spendy and they do not offer a textured sheet for theS5 size, is that correct?  Where do you get a textured sheet for the magnetic mounts for the S5?

[Carla_Birch 116]

They don't seem to sell one thats the same size (260 x 354) but you could buy one that is a bit bigger and cut it down to size, would be easy to stick on the build plate or even the glass and then just cut around the edge with a shape craft knife (cutting away from self as prints i dont think would stick to blood well).

 

Never personally used them myself because i like the smooth underside that glass gives.

[Choclit99 0]

I should have my custom cut pebbled tempered glass bed here in a day or two.  Total cost was $40, including shipping.  I will let you know how it works after I try it.

[jsw 19]

I'm interested in hearing how it works, also about availability.

[LePaul 331]

We tried the Buildtak sheet/spring steel and magnetic bed on our two Ultimaker S5's at work.  

We found we had to add a little z offset (0.1) so the filament wasn't mashed too hard into the surface and for a while, they worked really well.

 

Then, despite being in a clean enclosure environment and cleaned with rubbing alcohol before each print, filament stopped sticking to the bed.  Its quite odd.

 

So, for now, we have returned to glass prints and spatulas.

 

However, I see that Wham Bam offers painted PEI spring steel surfaces.  I don't know if they have the S5 dimensions yet...but I would like to try it when they do.

 

(I have several machines at home using WhamBam PEX and they have been an excellent surface to print on)

 

[Choclit99 0]

The pebbled glass bed is a bit too thin for the UM glass bed clips to hold in.  I am going to design some shims to solve this problem the next time I am printing something that needs the textured surface.  But, if it doesn’t shift around, it works great.