Removing PETG from PEI heatbed  

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Wash the bed with soap and water, dry it, and apply a coating of glue stick. That's what I do. After each print, I refresh areas that were under the print, and the "intro line" with fresh glue stick. Eventually the bed gets so messy I put it under running water and wash off all the glue stick to start over.
If the first layer is not sticking, adjust your Live Z offset until it does stick. The setting may be different from what you used with PLA.

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

To avoid the mess of glue stick (and a better solution for PETG) after you clean your bed with dishwashing soap and a little water, dry it off, then use Windex or Hair Spray - spray it on the cold bed and let it dry - don't wipe it off. This leaves a small film which stops the PETG sticking too hard.

Don't wipe with IPA between PETG prints, just reapply your Windex/Hairspray and let it dry again.

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Thanks Jay - is the soap and water (rather than IPA) to avoid making the bed too clean and to leave some residue?

Bill - is any window cleaner and hairspray good enough? I'm in the UK and I don't know if we have Windex but I'm sure there's some equivalent.

My printer is tied up with some PLA parts for the next day or so but I'm looking forward to trying your suggestions with the PET soon. Cheers.

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Washing with soap removes stuff that IPA does not dissolve. Also if helps to get rid of that layer of glue from previous prints.

My PETG runs started with glue stick layer. It all worked fine. Did have to trim in the nozzle height, but it comes with higher temps than PLA.
After some prints and adding glue on printed surfaces things turned worse. The first layer became too thin and would not stick anymore. Any bigger surface got nasty wave if it stuck at all. Just my guess but i think the glue layer was too thick.

We dont have windex as a brand around here. But i got the gist of it. Cleaning with IPA leaves clean surface with very little residue. Cleaning with some window cleaning solution leaves some additional layer of chemicals on surface after water and alcohol evaporates. Used some stuff meant for car windows (whatever happened to be in the shed). It worked out nicely. After dialing in the nozzle hight all prints had decent first layer and came off without problems. between prints squirted healthy dose on paper towel. Gave surface a semidirty whipe ( so some residue is left on surface) and it was good to go for new round.

It would be good idea to start with small testprint when testing new ideas. Lot less hassle if the idea is good, but result stick to bed too well.

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Windex is an ammonia based window cleaner, it has a transparent blue color to it.
In the United Kingdom a comparable product is Windolene.
In the Netherlands and in Portugal the equivalent of Windex is Glassex.

source http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

If the bed has cooled, that's when the PEI really grabs hold of the PETG. Try reheating bed to around 60c and it should be easier to pop the print off.

Also on a cold bed, you can try spraying/splashing some IPA around the print and let it sit for a bit...seems that the IPA will work itself under the print and help release it. The IPA trick works really well on my MK3 with the removable sheet when I print with ASA, which I want it to really stick to the PEI due to some corner lift and warping on larger items.

I don't like glue stick (just too messy and a clean up pain). However, the Windex solution works pretty good, but I always seem to forget about it until the print is well underway.

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Windex is an ammonia based window cleaner, it has a transparent blue color to it.
In the United Kingdom a comparable product is Windolene.
In the Netherlands and in Portugal the equivalent of Windex is Glassex.

source http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

does AJAX "multi action glass spay" also work, i'm in denmark and have none of the above

Re: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

A few minutes in a freezer usually helps.

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Posted by: shane.b4

Thanks Jay - is the soap and water (rather than IPA) to avoid making the bed too clean and to leave some residue?

Soap and water is the best clean you can get.  Finger prints don't come off with alcohol, and you can actually transfer more oil from fingers to the bed when you are wiping with an alcohol towelette. 

Soap and water is best on the simple fact you can rinse better. A swab of alcohol does not compare with gallons of hot water.

Here's my bed maintenance recipe:

Alcohol rinse: every few prints

• Gloves recommended.
• Once in a while, an alcohol rinse is helpful to remove PLA residue. It does not remove finger oils well.
• Pour a 5 cm puddle of 91%+ alcohol in the middle of the bed, with clean hands use a fresh paper towel to scrub the bed. Wipe up all the alcohol.

Acetone wash: infrequent

• Pour a 2 cm puddle of acetone on the bed, scrub it around with a fresh paper towel. It will evaporate fast as you clean. This step removes PEI oxides that form over time and with heat, and improves PLA adhesion to a like new state.

Hot Water wash: often, as needed, and after any of the above

• Handle the bed only by the edges.
• Wash the bed in hot water, use a fresh paper towel as a wash cloth, with a few drops of plain dish soap (Dawn, unscented, no anti-bacterial, etc.).
• Rinse well in hot water - if you have very soft water, rinse a bit longer.
• Dry the bed with a fresh paper towel.
• Handle the bed only by the edges.
• Place bed on printer.

Streak test: when contamination is suspected

• With a fresh piece of paper towel, and very clean fingers, dampen the towel with 91%+ alcohol, and wipe the bed side to side moving back to front, like you're painting it with alcohol. The alcohol should be thin enough on the towel it quickly evaporates. If you see any streaks, the bed is dirty and needs a wash.

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

wipe down the bed with Windex before starting the print dont dry it let the bed heating dry it. print as normal once its finished it should pop of fairly easy works on glass as well.

Posted by: @shane-b4

I've recently tried printing with Prusa PETG for the first time. My printer works perfectly with PLA. I've given up with ABS for now because of horrible warping and first layer problems. As well as the stink.

My first two prints with PET came out great. Print quality very nearly as good as PLA. Problem is it will NOT come off the PEI heatbed. I've tried letting the print fully cool. I've tried overheating the bed. Tried introducing temperature differentials with ice packs on the print. It just sticks too well and I've caused minor damage to the PEI in order to remove those first two prints.

I've tried using glue stick, and blue painter's tape as well as a combination of the two. I've even tried degreasing blue printer's tape with IPA. All of these have led to a messy first layer. Now the PET doesn't want to stick!

Any tips and tricks?

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

I print PETG on the textured bed, I find that satisfactory.  However, there was a trick I used in the past before I upgraded my MK2 to MK2.5s and removable print plates.  Pour alcohol on the bed around the print, capillary action will draw the alcohol under the print.  If it doesn't come loose after a couple of minutes try a heat and cool cycle with more alcohol.

Cheers

-Bob

RE:

I know there are already a lot of answers but what I tried worked really well.

PROBLEM: broke off the 3d print supports but the first layer didn't came off with it. I've tried a lot of thing and a knife was really the only thing that worked until this point.

SOLUTION: Print something on top of IT to make IT stick to IT and then remove IT.

1) Print about 4-layer sheet of PETG on top of the remaining sticked filament (use some ugly one as it's going to be thrown away)

2) Let it cool off.

3) Remove the 4-layer printed sheet from the PEI and enjoy the maginc.

 - the sheet removes about 95% of it thought.

4) Even thought it was breaking my hearth I had to scrap off the remaining filament with a knife...

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

I use a little windex or hairspray as indicated above.  Both will allow a release layer.  You do not need this with the textured sheet but with some filaments, it is essential on the smooth PEI sheets.  

Posted by: @billc

Don't wipe with IPA between PETG prints, just reapply your Windex/Hairspray and let it dry again.

RE:

The product I like for both an adhesion booster and a release agent is Layerneer.

A little goes a long way and it goes on with a much thinner layer than does glue stick and does not leave an impression on the bottom of the print.  Amazon usually has it, or you can order directly from the company.  Another similar product is Magigoo.

I use this, with very rare exception, for all PETg and ABS prints, on the smooth and textured Prusa plates, and on the glass plate with the Ultimaker.

I have never tried using alcohol to release a stuck print.  If one does not seem to budge, I'll place it, plate and all, in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour or so, or in a worst case, in the freezer.

I've had two cases in the past 2 1/2 years where I've ruined the PEI coating when removing stuck prints.  The first was soon after I got the Prusa, did not use a release agent for an ABS print and got impatient and used a kitchen implement to pry the print off.  Along with it came a few pieces of PEI coating.  🙁

More recently I had a larger ABS print (see bottom image below) where I *DID* use Layerneer but it was still stuck.  I put it in the refrigerator and then in the freezer, and when it released, a fairly large piece of the PEI came with it.

I also learned the hard way that it's not worth the effort to re-skin the damaged plates.  I tried it and wrote it up here, with photos:

https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-mk3-hardware-firmware-and-software-help/re-skinning-a-prusa-steel-build-plate/

It's a very sloppy and tedious process.  A true exercise in masochism!

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

This is not a suggestion for the smooth bed.. but if you are printing a lot of PETG, get the rough sheet. It is a dead easy and requires almost zero prep. I clean with IPA occasionally. I find PETG on the rough sheet prints better for me than most PLA on the smooth. Sticks well and slides off once the sheet cools.  But the rough, satin and smooth sheets all are different thicknesses so you need a different Z height for all.. That is the downside.. you can program in 3 sheets into the LCD menu so you set the Z once per sheet and it remembers.. You just need to remember to select the right sheet. You wouldn't do if you are only doing occasional PETG, but if you do a significant amount, for me, a separate sheet is much less fuss.

Posted by: @shane-b4

I've recently tried printing with Prusa PETG for the first time. My printer works perfectly with PLA. I've given up with ABS for now because of horrible warping and first layer problems. As well as the stink.

My first two prints with PET came out great. Print quality very nearly as good as PLA. Problem is it will NOT come off the PEI heatbed. I've tried letting the print fully cool. I've tried overheating the bed. Tried introducing temperature differentials with ice packs on the print. It just sticks too well and I've caused minor damage to the PEI in order to remove those first two prints.

I've tried using glue stick, and blue painter's tape as well as a combination of the two. I've even tried degreasing blue printer's tape with IPA. All of these have led to a messy first layer. Now the PET doesn't want to stick!

Any tips and tricks?

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

I know this is an older thread, but I've just done my first PETG print and found this when I was searching for how to remove PETG from my print bed.

1. By "rough sheet," is that a reference to this kind of textured sheet?
2. I'm a bit confused about using any kind of glue or products like Layerneer for PETG. If it is so hard to get off, why use something that makes it more adhesive?
3. Unrelated to this (or maybe it is), I just printed my upgrade parts to go from a 3 to a 3.5 and some of the panels it printed are flat, but the bottom layer (now the face of the part) looks uneven. I don't mean it's not level or flat. I mean uneven as a bit splotchy or something like that. Is there a way to wipe that off or something I can do for that?

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

When I bought my Mk2 it came with a glue stick.  The interesting thing about glue stick is the glue has a wax like component which while it has adhesive properties it also creates a removable layer between the print and the bed surface.  I can't speak to other adhesives, but in my experience glue stick can both improve adhesion and make it worse if you use too much.  Angus of Maker's Muse has a good video on bed surface preparation if you're having issues.  I find that the smooth sheet works well for PLA and the textured for PETG and a clean bed works for me, YMMV.

Cheers

-Bob

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

I find that the smooth sheet works well for PLA and the textured for PETG and a clean bed works for me, YMMV.

So when people are talking about a "rough" sheet they mean the textured one?

(And thanks for the background on the glue stick.)

RE: Removing PETG from PEI heatbed

Posted by: @tango

I find that the smooth sheet works well for PLA and the textured for PETG and a clean bed works for me, YMMV.

So when people are talking about a "rough" sheet they mean the textured one?

(And thanks for the background on the glue stick.)

Yes, I would expect the "rough" sheet is the textured sheet.  Prusa calls it textured so I do too.

Cheers

-Bob