99 cent store picture frame for me. 4x6, in side by side portrait orientation results in a glass sheet just about 9 inches long.
I’ve had best luck with glue stick, which for me sticks stronger than hairspray so you lose fewer large prints. I also use a car windshield cleaner that targets bug splatter to clean the glue afterwards; it cleans gluestick better than hairspray.
You can certainly use glass, I prefer using 6 inch wide tape to avoid lines and avoid glue / hairspray. I suppose its all personal preference. I don’t like the “clips” people use to attach a sheet of glass to the build plate though, I’ve got a purpose built solution on the way, let me know if you’re interested.
Feel free to use code EAF9B700D3B4E18 on my site for 10% off at checkout. I’ve got some great 6 inch tape, both standard and high temp / performance tape.
Yeah the hairspray thing… apparently it needs to be a very specific brand of hairspray which isn’t available here in South Africa. I have tried the ones that are available and none of them work. Plus the hairspray option is expensive. I can get 5 litres of acetone for about R100 (approx $9) and that last about a year. I make about 100ml slurry at a time in a jar. This takes a few minutes, then I apply it to the glass with a brush before the print starts. Not exactly work… YMMV.
I have 3mm mirror glass with hairspray and it works well. I don’t use clips, but little corner pieces that attach to the heatbed posts underneath. I modified them so that they come out level with the print surface of the mirror.
As far as printing with PLA, I imagine if you heat it even just a little bit (50 deg C), then put the mirror/glass in the refridgerator/freezer, the parts will pop off fairly easily.
If that doesn’t work, a razor blade should be able to get the part off with little to no damage to the part.
I did, and dude: no adhesion problem since then ! I mostly use PLA in my FFCP, and use hairspray (strong hairspray). Works wonders to adhere several prints in a row.
If I need traditional strength (maybe because a big part has only little contact surface with the build plate), then I use gluestick, and the problem is gone.
Just beware that my laser thermometer registers only a glass temperature comprised between 65 and 68 degrees when I ask for a build plate at 70 degrees, sot there’s a small temperature drop.
The most challenging part of the glass mod is to offset the home of the Z axis by putting a bit of plastic inf front of the home Z interrupter and to correctly fasten the glass on the bed so it does not slide during the printing.
