[Solved] Not the average "ABS won't stick" thread :D

[devdeque]

Greetings,

A few weeks ago, I took a week long vacation trip. When I came back and tried to 3D print a model in ABS, using my previously proven print methods and settings, the filament just refused to stick to the print bed. I mean, no adhesion at all. Previous to my trip, I was pumping out model easy! I have been printing for years now. I know how to calibrate the printer and get a good first layer. But this one has myself stumped … Since that week off, I have been fighting this issue tooth and nail. I wish I didn’t have to use ABS. But I have a project going where I really need to use ABS specifically and have processes developed around using it.

I’ll explain all the info and steps I’ve tried below. But first, here is a video which should explain the adhesion issue. The left side of the bed has extra strength hair spray. The right side has ABS glue applied. It was printing at 235/105 temps. I know its a bit excessive … but I was trying to provide a good example.

I’m using the Creality Ender 3. I have 2 spools of ABS: SolutechReal Grey and HatchBox White. I have tried printing at anywhere from 200-245 for the hotend, and 105-110 for the bed with both filaments. (My Ender 3 can’t really manage more than 110 constantly.) So when I got back from my trip, the filament was treating the ABS glue like ice. Just sliding across it at 30 mm/s speed. At at loss given all my calibration attempts were not working, I tried drying my filament. I baked both spools in the oven at 150 F for 4 hours and left them in bags with rice to dry overnight. When I tried printing again, to my delight there was some adhesion as shown in the video. But its not exactly viable. There is little to no adhesion between the ABS glue and the filament…

I haven’t been able to print anything in like a week. I wanted to ask if anyone had any idea what could be the culprit here?

[TruNorth]

A couple things worth trying. Start over with the bed. Take the bed off the printer and wash with Dawn dish soap (the standard plain kind without hand lotion in it). Dry with a clean paper towel, and do not touch the build surface with your hands. After the bed is back on the printer, give it a wipe down with 91+% rubbing alcohol on a clean paper towel. Try a print out. If it doesn’t help, then try re-applying the glue stick and try again.

If that doesn’t help at all, rule out that old filament isn’t your problem with a brand new spool. ABS isn’t super sensitive to moisture, but it’s not impossible for things to go bad.

Also worth noting, ABS printing is super sensitive to the environment temperature. Maybe it’s colder or warmer now than it was when you were last printing fine with ABS, who knows. So putting an enclosure around it, something simple for now, might just give you the edge you need.

Best of luck!

[devdeque]

Are you familiar with ABS glue? … Because you certainly would not want to apply it with your hands. lol That would be very painful and it would be very messy. I don’t use glue sticks for ABS as they’re not strong enough to prevent warping and don’t offer anything with ABS that hairspray or ABS glue doesn’t. Well… used to. But hairspray won’t hold either in terms of warping late in a print.

But I always hold my glass plate from the bottom and never touch the top with my hands.

Watch the video. The printer is in an enclosure.

I titled this thread as “not your average bed adhesion” because the usual practices and solutions aren’t working. I’m really out of options here. What would be your suggestions if a new spool of filament produced the same results?

[cobnut]

Hi @devdeque I’d probably try printing with another material - PLA, for example. I know you need to print in ABS but printing with another material and seeing how that behaves may give you more clues to solve the problem. For example, if PLA isn’t sticking either you can probably rule out the bed temperature.

One other quick thought - what slicer are you using? Is it possible that the slicer auto-updated while you were away (or immediately when you came back) and the profile settings have changed? For example, is there now a bizarre z-lift in the profile so the printer is trying to lay down the first layer in mid air?

Jon

[TruNorth]

Yeh, ABS juice (ABS filament dissolved in acetone) is far better than a glue stick for ABS. You could always try Kapton tape, but your problem will move to the other side; it will be nearly impossible to remove your parts without destroying the Kapton layer you just put down. Make sure your Z height is normal for that first layer, squishing down pretty tight. The culprits I look at with adhesion issues are always in this order:

1. Z layer height first layer (Live Z)
2. Temps - Print and Bed
3. Temps - Ambient
4. Bed preparation

[devdeque]

Turned out the be a 3d printed air duct hitting the filament. Don’t ask me but after removing it, all is well. https://i.imgur.com/HlgYL9c.jpg