Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

swsch
Posts: 15
Joined: 29 Jan 2015, 16:57

Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by swsch »

I have tried out quite a few things:
  • carefully cleaned glass before printing
  • thin layer of glue spray
  • thin layer of glue stick
While clean glass was not that impressive, the glue attempts worked too well. I had serious problems removing things without cooling the glass plate way down. Also spots of glue were sticking to the printed objects, which were hard to remove.

What worked best: Sugarwater.

Wipe half a teaspoon with a quarter of a paper tissue over the preheated glass plate, until it starts getting sticky, then print on it.

It's a very thin and uniform adhesive layer that is easily cleaned off and has just the right amount of stickiness to hold things while printing and to easily pluck them off afterwards. If necessary, the bottom of the printed object can be easily and quickly cleaned with a wet tissue.
626Pilot
Posts: 33
Joined: 28 Jan 2015, 22:24

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by 626Pilot »

What sort of objects have you printed? Anything with sharp corners or long, narrow projections? Those are usually the ones that tax the adhesive the most.

I also find disabling the layer fan below 1mm can make a big difference. Overcooling the bottom layers can lead to unwanted effects.
swsch
Posts: 15
Joined: 29 Jan 2015, 16:57

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by swsch »

All kinds, large and small, round and edgy.

One thing that was quite difficult was a very large thing (about 12cm diameter), where the perimeter got very lonely before the next loop came around again...

It stuck very well to glue, but getting the thing off afterwards was a nightmare.

No such problems with sugar.

Of course, we'll see what happens during the summer, with ants and bees and what not ...
Epop
Posts: 38
Joined: 23 Jan 2015, 00:48
Location: South Ogden, Utah(USA)

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by Epop »

3D Systems uses a water based glue with a foam applicator bottle... same issues though, some prints go VERY light or you tear your part to pieces to get it off. other parts go heavy and let it set up a min or your part curls... definitely some technique involved. But it might be worth trying for some people. :)
3D Systems - CubePro Trio (triple head printer)
--Modified to RepRap standards using Duet and the x4 expansion
-e3d Kraken, heated bed added.
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Ros
Posts: 42
Joined: 06 Dec 2014, 10:50
Location: Sabadell, Catalunya

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by Ros »

I'm using a CubeX Trio and using also the CubeX Glue, it works fine, but some times it's dries to quick and sometimes dries to fast, that depends on room temp and how it is ventilated.
But I admit, I'm tired of it... I'm in the mid time of upgrading my CubeX with a hotbed.
satgod
Posts: 3
Joined: 06 Mar 2015, 23:27

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by satgod »

I have been using buildtak and I love it
there are some things that need a little extra even with buildtak and for those I put on a little elmers gluestick and the part is there for sure
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PenskeGuy
Posts: 98
Joined: 08 Nov 2014, 18:04

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by PenskeGuy »

Even dusting of Aqua Net on the glass before each print. Perfect. Windex it off after 15-20 prints and start over fresh.
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plexus
Site Admin
Posts: 114
Joined: 02 Sep 2014, 21:39

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by plexus »

I had been using blue tape with a thin layer of hairspray for PLA. for ABS, juice directly on the heated metal bed. for nylon, canvas. but now I am using a lexan sheet on the bed. so far all materials print well on it and all stick the right amount without additional application.
Yellowshark
Posts: 6
Joined: 04 May 2015, 10:39

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by Yellowshark »

I have been using, for 18 month past, ordinary extra strength hairspray on my glass bed for PLA. Easy, no mixing, just push the button to spray. Effective, works every time for me and one coating will last a number of days to maybe two or more weeks depending on the volume of printing and/or the layer 1 surface area. Cheap and available from any supermarket/chemist. Very cheap if you have a partner who uses it :lol:
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plexus
Site Admin
Posts: 114
Joined: 02 Sep 2014, 21:39

Re: Adhesive for PLA on glass bed

Post by plexus »

plexus wrote:I had been using blue tape with a thin layer of hairspray for PLA. for ABS, juice directly on the heated metal bed. for nylon, canvas. but now I am using a lexan sheet on the bed. so far all materials print well on it and all stick the right amount without additional application.
I've stopped using the Lexan sheet. I needed to remove it to print on the metal bed for a big ABS job that came through. lexan, which is polycarbonate, warps a lot with changes in temperature. this is why its such a challenge to print with it. anyway, the lexan sheet seriously warps when it cools. I suppose I could use it on a cold bed for PLA, but in the end I find it easier to just use tape. so it was a good experiment but lexan, for me, is not suitable for all materials and so needs to be changed out on the bed which is too much of a pain. hairspray and tape for PLA and ABS juice for ABS, for me. :)
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