Smooth PEI sheet for XL?  

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Posted by: @gm-2

Hi, the standard print sheet is a satin textured one?

What type will the extra sheet be that is delivered for the early customers?

And more important: I didn't see the option for a smooth PEI sheet.

Will there be one for the XL in the near future?

The emails on the extra sheet said:

Therefore all preorders will receive two gifts. The first one is an extra print sheet - a double-sided textured sheet, so you can hot-swap it with the default satin sheet.

On the smooth PEI sheet.  I have not seen any indication.  It is not listed on their store.  You could always make your own.  I am sure blank sheets will pop up soon.  

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Make your own smooth PEI sheet? How would one go about doing that?

RE:

Just purchase a blank flexible steel plate plus a PEI smooth sheet and stick it to the plate. Else you can get a ready made PEI smooth plate from a third party vendor. The only problem I see is that probably they still don’t make them for the XL bed size (36x36cm). I guess that a plate for a Voron 350  (35x35cm) would be OK, if you’re willing to give up 1 cm at both sides.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

That is easy.  Companies like Buildtak make sheets.  They will eventually offer a steel sheet for the XL.  Now, the Voron 2 is the only sheet available near this size - 13.98" is close.  I would still wait for an XL sheet.  I am sure they will do it.  

Then you buy a PEI sticker sheet and apply it.  You should add one to both sides.  

Posted by: @chimeric

Make your own smooth PEI sheet? How would one go about doing that?

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Hopefully a smooth sheet comes sooner rather than later - the satin sheet has pretty atrocious adhesion issues with PLA and is souring me on the XL.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Really? At least on my XL, every PLA print has stuck perfectly with the included Satin sheet. If your experience is from the MK3, I believe the loadcell auto z-adjust has made it more reliable.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

I have seen nothing to indicate they plan one.  Putting a sheet on is not hard.  I plan to add one the back on one of my textured sheets.  

Hopefully, they do.  

Posted by: @abruno

Hopefully a smooth sheet comes sooner rather than later - the satin sheet has pretty atrocious adhesion issues with PLA and is souring me on the XL.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Just received my smooth PEI sheet for XL today.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

What PLA print and bed terms are you using for PLA. I can't get prints to stay on my XL with the satin sheet for more than a few layers before they warp and loose adhesion. 

I love the smooth PEI on my MK3 and MK4. 

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Prusament PLA, Das Filament PLA, Overture Matte PLA. All of them with the provided profiles. I’m pretty sure that I mismatched the profiles by accident a few times (e.g. overture printed with Prusament profile) without ill effect. No problems sticking to the satin sheet.

I had a few occasions where stuff came loose, but that was quickly resolved with a more thorough cleaning (only use ipa at the moment) and brim for smaller parts. I wouldn’t really attribute those occurrences to the satin sheet. Had the same happen on the smooth sheets on my i3s. Irregularities in filament feed, cleaning or slicer edge cases etc.

hope this helps.

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

One thing I found, and I don't know why this has been true for me, but washing the smooth PEI with IPA has caused adhesion problems for me in the past.  Dish soap and clean water rinse is my process now and I have no more adhesion issues on smooth PEI.

We always assume that fingerprint grease is the main culprit when print sheets get dirty.  If other contaminents are common in your workshop then different solvents may work better. Eg. Children often deposit sugars, smokers deposit nicotine and ash, people spray painting, welding, candlemaking and cooking all put different contaminents into the work environment.

You may need different strategies to keep it clean but to print well, keep it clean you must.

Cheerio,

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Those are some good assumptions, but for me the printer is 5 days old, I don't have kids, don't smoke, don't use scented products, and the printers are in their own room away from the kitchen. I'm using 99% IPA on a microfiber cloth on the sheet before every print. 

I'm excellent about preserving the sanctity of the build plate, and my original MK3 smooth sheet that's 2 years old is still going strong. I'm just on the struggle bus with this satin sheet. It's as bad as the textured sheet is for PLA adhesion, at least for me. I guess I just looooove the smooth PEI, and have everything super dialed in for that. This satin sheet might as well be a satan sheet. 

About the only thing I can suggest is a precautionary desperation clean - rub neat dishwashing detergent (Dawn/Fairy) into the plate, wait 5 minutes then rinse it clean with very *HOT* water.

Cheerio,

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

Hey I am also having unexpected adhesion issues on the satin plate for XL.

I'm having warping and also small items just dislodge off the bed really easily. One theory I'm working on is that the part cooling fan, while being only one sided (which has it's own issues) is maybe cooling things to a point where it may affect adhesion. You could try turning it off for a few more initial layers and see if that helps? (report back if you do!)

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

What type of filament?

Posted by: @urbanvanilla

Hey I am also having unexpected adhesion issues on the satin plate for XL.

I'm having warping and also small items just dislodge off the bed really easily. One theory I'm working on is that the part cooling fan, while being only one sided (which has it's own issues) is maybe cooling things to a point where it may affect adhesion. You could try turning it off for a few more initial layers and see if that helps? (report back if you do!)

RE: Smooth PEI sheet for XL?

just plain old PLA 🤐