Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]  

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Hmm, I hope someone can explain, in my head mixing oil and detergent makes no sense - it's kind of like all those recipes you find around that tell you to mix baking soda and vinegar...

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Hmm, I hope someone can explain, in my head mixing oil and detergent makes no sense - it's kind of like all those recipes you find around that tell you to mix baking soda and vinegar...

which works surprisingly well for certain applications. That's how i get rid of nasty calcification in pipes or sinks where vinegar by itself has little effect.

I know Jeffs recipe works for removing paper stickers/labels from various surfaces like the the glas jars used for preserving pickles and homemade fruit stuff. It's been used in my family for exactly this purpose at least for the last 2 generations. I am not sure if my great grandmother used it as well 😉

I never tried it on the MK2 heated bed though.

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

which works surprisingly well for certain applications. That's how i get rid of nasty calcification in pipes or sinks where vinegar by itself has little effect.

Right, IF you pour the vinegar in the pipe and then add the baking soda, or vice-versa. Because then they react in there and the bubbles help mechanically bring the dirt out.

But if you mix them in a jar and then pour it in, either you have more baking soda than vinegar (then it's the same as pouring just a baking soda solution), or you have more vinegar than baking soda (then it's the same as pouring just vinegar), or you have more or less the same amount (then it's basically doing nothing).

Now, again, I don't claim much knowledge on this stuff, so I'll be happy to be corrected by someone that knows better and can explain why I'm wrong, but aside from missing some subtlety I think I can trust that the laws of physics kind of work the same everywhere. 🙂

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Right, IF you pour the vinegar in the pipe and then add the baking soda, or vice-versa. Because then they react in there and the bubbles help mechanically bring the dirt out.

Yup. Fully agree.

Now, again, I don't claim much knowledge on this stuff, so I'll be happy to be corrected by someone that knows better and can explain why I'm wrong, but aside from missing some subtlety I think I can trust that the laws of physics kind of work the same everywhere. 🙂

Granted, it does sounds counter productive to mix the two.. All i can say it does remove labels from glas jar. There is a slight suspicion that using either oil or dishwashing liquid *separately* might have better results and this is a case of the popular belief "2 good things mixed together will make it twice as good".. which works in some cases like Cheetos & SprayCheese or beer & sausage, but not necessarily with everything else.

I personally will stick to d-limonene for the PEI when i have to replace it. I found a not so expensive source where if you buy 2 * 1kg rolls of HIPS at 31,- Euros each, you get a 500ml bottle of d-limonene for free. (Shipping to DE & AT only unfortunately, google Trijexx if interested)

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

I can confirm that using Turpentine (White Spirits) works to remove the glue. Cost me £1.50 for a large bottle.

Just changed my PEI sheet using the method above with it still installed on the printer. Worked great.

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

@stephen.e3 I'm glad Turpentine worked for you, it will also work for others. Limonene is a rarer liquid and a member of the cyclic terpene group along with turpentine (white spirit) < very common 🙂

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Hi - I can also confirm this method works. Just replaced sheet without removing the bed. Excited to print without having a huge hole in the middle of the bed! I heated the bed, used a metal spudger tool and starting at the corner the film peeled right off with a bit of effort. I then I used Paint Thinner (Mineral Spirts) and paper towel to soak the bed. Exactly has described and worked perfectly. Thanks!

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Honestly I feel pretty stupid. I used paint thinner for my first attempt and it did almost nothing. Then I remembered I have a can of 3M Adhesive Remover, it worked like a charm. So just use that, it's handy to have around for other things as well.

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Hi Gents,

As a real noob i have been looking at the video's and browsing the internet on how to approach this the best way. I saw all the materials used putting the bed in the freezer and was really horrified by having to do all this stuff. I have removed stickers and stuff in the past and learned that with patience you can come far so i thought let's try it my way and if it fails i can always try other methods. What i used was 1 the detached bed with the PEI damaged sheet 2 a pair of hands 3 a bit to long fingernails which i really need to clip 4 a pair of scissors and last but not least a little bit of acetone to wipe down the little bit's left.

The method i used was i started in the corner and really gently pulled the sheet with the 3m layer loose.
Make sure you have both the PEI and the sticking layer so you only see the matt layer.
Than pull free the whole side really gently millimeter by millimeter.
To remove the whole sheet took me approx 15 minutes (not including the removal of the bed from the printer).
Sometime when you see the layer of sticking tape come loose you can try to push it with your fingernail toward the PEI so it will come with it again.
If that doesn't work or you already have a piece of it stuck to the plate just stick back the PEI rub it so it sticks to the sticky layer and even more slowly pull the PEI of once more.
when you have the side fully loose you can work your way over the whole buildplate.
What i did to prevent the PEI being in the way and to prevent over pulling it was that when it was about 5 cm long just cut a 3 cm strip of and continue.
That way you can see what you are doing and like i said you can't over pull.
The Final result was a 98% clean bed without any use of solvents alcohols acetone's or anything i had only 2 small spots which i rubbed of with my thumb easily.
I have cleaned the bed with some acetone and i awaits my new sheet i ordered yesterday.

Here is what it looked like after is was ready to clean it.

The strips of sheet i cut just to show what i mean.

As a sidenote i do have to say my printer is only 2 months old so maybe that is one of the reasons it came of so easilly.
Now my biggest worry will be applying the new sheet.

Maybe this helps for some people it worked for me so i thought i cold at least share it as i have learned useful things from the tips i have seen from other users. Sorry i din't make a movie or some pictures during the process but i only thought it might be worth sharing when i was doen it all went that quickly.

Kind regards,

Sergio

Re: Replacing Damaged PEI Sheet - Prusa i3 MK2 [Video]

Hi All

I had to replace my PEI sheet late last year (2017) and followed the instructions on Prusa site http://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/Replacing+the+PEI+sheet/133 the only exception was that I was unable to get any d-limonene but was able to buy Citristrip paint stripper gel that contains d-limonene. It took 2 applications of Citripstrip and very long soaks, 3 hrs each soak. I scraped the mess off with a plastic spatula and all went well. All up I used about quarter of a litre of stripper so plenty left for next time.

Being a gel I was able to get a good thick layer on the bed without it running everywhere. Slow but it worked well. 😀