1

anyone ever tried to fit a glass sheet to the mk42 bed?

i have no issue with changing the PEI sheet once in a while, but either the prints stick to well or they come loose during print

and yes i have tried glue stick etc as a release agent but then the print does not stick

and if i use a spatula it will either make a mark/dent in the PEI or it will scratch the surface

and the only other surface i can think of it glass

btw… its a mk42 from orballoprinting.com so nope i cant ask prusa

2

Hi @Odense3DPrint the problem with glass is (for me at least) that it’s really only PLA that you can print directly, everything else will still need some sort of adhesive help - tape, glue, etc., so you’re back to square one. I’ve been looking at PrintBite, or how about a BuildTak surface instead?

3

i do PLA only, i did have ABS on my hub but it was troublesome for larger prints, it warped even with abs juice on the bed. it was a shame as it one material that gave super nice prints. and then there was the stink and fumes… even if it was in the livingroom i could smell it all over the flat

and it was in a chamber so it was not cold air getting to it.

so yeah… either glass or another surface…

i have seen a few recommend using a can of air and turning it upside down to use it as a freeze spray, maybe that could do the trick. of course only a very short burst is needed, but if the PEI will crack i dont know

4

I gave up on ABS about 8 months ago, just too many failures, warping, splitting, etc. I use PETG mostly now for parts where PLA isn’t suitable, and Filamentum CPE is a nice product as well.

I’ve just ordered a Printbite surface for my FF Pro, it’ll be a week or so before it arrives (and I have time to fit it), but I’ll let you know how that works out!

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i’m looking at it also… reading reviews and comments. and its not bad priced about ~75% more than i give for a PEI sheet

6

My major problem with PEI is that it’s such a pain to remove a sheet. Freezing the bed (which, on a Prusa, means partial disassembly), then soaking in D-Limonene (everything smells of oranges for days) and the whole gooey mess that needs to be scraped away.

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last time ( a few days ago ) i had to replace the PEI

i simply put on a bag of frozen vegetables and moved the bag arround to evenly cool it down

that did the trick to get it off, but i agree on the rest of the process… i only had acetone but it works the same.

but the worst part is the gooey mess that sticks everywhere… there are still small balls of it in the printer :-/

a smell of oranges would not be bad, but then again not all like that :smiley:

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btw… D-Limonene

where do i find that inside the EU, i have a hard time finding it

while it will stink of oranges i thinks a better pick over acetone

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so far i found:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MG-Chemicals-d-Limonene-Industrial-Container/dp/B071CWPC5Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534329239&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=D-limonene+Adhesive+Remover

but to expensive and i would only need 1-2 liters, maybe even less as i’m not sure how much is needed

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:smiley:

1 Liter, but is that to much? how long will it last me is another way to ask the same question

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I got mine from Amazon UK, the orange smell is OK (there are a lot worse scents) but it’s darn powerful. It’s the goo that’s the worst, as you say. A year or so ago I fitted a new sheet then immediately destroyed it (screwed up the z calibration and burned a hole right in the centre) so had to go through the whole process again the same day. Not happy.

It’s really quite amazing that after so many years now of domestic 3D printing that there’s no absolute best print bed solution. I like the idea of magnetic attachment, but that’s not easy to find for all printers, and there’s dozens of print surface providers. Hopefully one day soon someone will invent something that is just the total answer and we’ll all end up using it.

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agreed on that we need to something that is good for all materials

i wonder how ultimaker gets abs to stick or their bed, all i know is that they use glass

btw… how many replacements do to you get from 1 liter of D-LIMONENE?

and would you mind posting an amazon link? no rush

i also found it at rs components: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/3d-printing-parts-accessories/9181091

its listed as a hips solvent but should it not be the same thing?

13

Changing the PEI sheet on a MK2 is a breeze. Heat it and peel it off. For the glue that remains I fold paper towels and moisten with acetone and let sit on the bed a few minutes and scrap off (plastic spatula of course) repeat.
I have tried printbite a few times, on the MK2 and on a Creator Pro, and never got it to work ok. Finally got to where I could get PLA or ABS first layer to actually lay down and print but even PLA would start to lift at the corners after time.
Once support got to the point of things like add corner ears to the print, use ABS slurry etc. to get the plastic to stick and not warp I was like why? What’s the point? Buy your expensive product just so I can use the traditional methods of adhesion anyway.

On the creator Pro’s I am working with the BuildTak Flex system. So far it is pretty good. Great for PLA and ABS works well but messes with the BuildTak sheet. They are addressing this.
I have applied a PEI sheet to their spring steel flex plate and this is working nicely.
After the ABS part cools I can flex it and it really help the release.

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well orballoprinting.com have also released the mk52 bed but funny enough no flex plates

i do have their “clone” of the mk42 and it has been a dream to deal with

but well there are now 2 alternatives, printbite and buildtak

15

Personally on a MK42 for a Mk2(s) printer with the PINDA I’d stick with PEI, pun intended!
Learn how it works and what temps etc. it likes for your situation (not implying you don’t know your stuff) and it will serve you well as a straight forward bed material.
I ran PEI on glass on my Creator Pro style printers and it worked great.
I have converted 3 of them to the BuildTak flex system and I am using PEI now on one mainly with ABS and the results have been very good.
Being able to flex it a bit to help the ABS print release has been a joy!

16

i dont have a problem with PEI as such, its more getting the parts off without making marks or scratches on the surface

I print PLA only, no ABS, its stinks, gives me a day long hangover etc.

PETG for some reason covers the silicone sock rather quickly, not sure why. and i have to clean it off after each print… But yes its an alternative

My first test for getting parts off without making marks etc will be to get a frezze spray and give it an ultra short burst, its said that it should be enough to release without the need for tools

if that does not work i will try printbite… some might not be lucky but well it might be that i’m lucky

experimenting is what you gain knowledge from :smiley:

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I never have issues with PLA on PEI and getting the prints off. It is pretty easy to mark up the sheet though if not really careful.
One thing is that the live Z could be just a bit low and squishing the first layer a little too much.

If PETG is accumulating on the nozzle while printing then that is usually that the extrusion multiplier is a tad to high. Example … go from 0.97 to 0.96 and see how it does.

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@cobnut

any chance you got and tested the printbite yet?

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Hi @Odense3DPrint no, it’s not arrived yet, annoyingly. Their website did say there’d be some delay, but it’s been a couple of weeks now. I’ll chase them!

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at least they are honest… “some delay” :smiley: