Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I'm completely at a loss here. I built the printer a few months ago. No issues. Original calibration went fine. First few prints were flawless. Then, I had a run of bad prints where filament seemed more attracted to the nozzle than the bed. The textured bed was working perfectly before this. I've run through every possible troubleshooting step I can think of:
I can't even get a complete Z layer calibration to adhere to the bed. (Pictures to below) The only adhesion I can get is by practically scraping the bed, which seems way off to me. That is the best I've got after working in 0.050 increments.
Let me know if you need any additional information. I've been staring at this for a bit too long today.
Am I missing something obvious?
Thanks,
Tim
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
try washing your sheet with dish soap and water in the sink. I use a paper towel for using the soap.
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
Assuming you are talking about PLA, then I can confirm that I had nightmarish experience trying to get PLA to stick in a consistent way, and probably damaged my sheet with endless acetone and alcohol treatments. Using soap, however, suddenly fixed my issues entirely. A soap wash, then dry wipe with tissue, then alcohol wipe, afford perfectly predictable adhesion for my environment, and must be repeated often.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
Thanks for the responses. I tried washing the bed with soap and water. I'm not really seeing much of an improvement. I have gone through a couple dozen more calibration prints using the PLA from the printer kit with similar results. I'm either too close to the bed or globbing on the nozzle.
Interestingly, I'm starting to see a pattern. I seem to get better adhesion on the right side of the bed. The left side never seems to adhere. The 9 point leveling check hasn't complained, so I'm not sure if the bed might be just slightly off.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
Don't use soap you want to use dish washing up detergent such as dawn in the US or Fairy liquid in the Uk I am sure many other washing up detergents will be fine I use one called Myers for example in a nice lavender scent 😉 Soap is quite different from detergent.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I have been using Dawn dish soap.
I gave it a second try essentially coating the entire bed in soap and drying with a paper towel. Careful to not let my fingers touch the bed surface. I guess there was some improvement, but I'm still having major adhesion issues.
I've busted out the glue stick, which is helping a lot more. I never had to use that with my MK3, so that was a little upsetting. Granted, that isn't producing perfect results either.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
just to make sure, you did wash it like a dish. you don't want the soap on it when trying to print. soap, rinse and dry. I use a new paper towel each time.
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I have been using use either a new clean sponge or a wad of clean paper towel, then in a soup bowl a good squirt of washing up liquid fill half full with warm water, dampen the wad of kitchen paper towel and scrub until I see some suds flip and the same for the other side. the holding by the edge I rinse in the faucet spray and wave it about till dry... that holds the PC sheet for about a week of printing till it gets the same treatment again My sticker steel sheet arrived yesterday but as I have been printing PETG I have stuck with the PowderCoated sheet this weekend.. I will give the sticker sheet a try on some PLA tomorrow
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
you have powder coated, lucky.. the sticker sheet is allot better then I thought it would be. you should like it.
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I started looking more into the head assembly. After lowering the PINDA probe a bit, I'm not having any issues at all. Printing as well as when I first assembled it.
Thanks for all the advice! I'll definitely keep this in mind if I encounter adhesion problems in the future.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I actually have been having a hard time getting the sticker sheet dialed in today I made the transfer harder on myself by inputing my corrections going from the thicker Powder Coated to the smooth sticker in the wrong direction this gave me an ironed on 75 x 75 so thin in the middle of the plate I can't get it off or even feel it. about to try the dry sponge rub as the next step. I thought once I printed a proper first level test over it i would get it off when I removed the proper one ... no such luck... so I am printing my lipstick red prusament on the other side...
you have powder coated, lucky.. the sticker sheet is allot better then I thought it would be. you should like it.
it was a facepalm moment
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
wrong way Is always "face palm" no one can blame a wrong way issue. was it wrong thinking or turning the knob the wrong way 😀
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
one of the best things about the gang of guys and gals we have here is that we all seem to be able to share not just the things we do right but the stuff we mess up as well; that lack of ego in the way we help or ask for help from each other is very refreshing in this day and age.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
when I get my MMU every mistake, im chopping a head off a gummy. and only eating the head.
ya our group is good.
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I actually have been having a hard time getting the sticker sheet dialed in today I made the transfer harder on myself by inputing my corrections going from the thicker Powder Coated to the smooth sticker in the wrong direction this gave me an ironed on 75 x 75 so thin in the middle of the plate I can't get it off or even feel it. about to try the dry sponge rub as the next step. I thought once I printed a proper first level test over it i would get it off when I removed the proper one ... no such luck... so I am printing my lipstick red prusament on the other side...
you have powder coated, lucky.. the sticker sheet is allot better then I thought it would be. you should like it.
it was a facepalm moment
i went the other way... I have 4 plates and from the original sticker sheet to theking v2 i did this as well. I measured and then moved it the whole difference rather than half. nice thing was... at least it didn't scrub it in like you have it was just loose printing in mid air.
Theking v2 and v3 sheets were apparently the same because there was no mess up on my part there. but did the whole difference of the plate rather than 1/2 the differnce going to the prusa powdercoated sheet. so again printing in air.
I made a 9 20x20 squares test print to run and it makes it pretty easy to get dialed in. usually i am done by 3rd square. but i do know they are tough to get off.
try putting your sheet in the freezer and then see if that thin layer will come off. just DO NOT peel the PEI sticker in the meantime.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
I actually have been having a hard time getting the sticker sheet dialed in today I made the transfer harder on myself by inputing my corrections going from the thicker Powder Coated to the smooth sticker in the wrong direction this gave me an ironed on 75 x 75 so thin in the middle of the plate I can't get it off or even feel it. about to try the dry sponge rub as the next step. I thought once I printed a proper first level test over it i would get it off when I removed the proper one ... no such luck... so I am printing my lipstick red prusament on the other side...
you have powder coated, lucky.. the sticker sheet is allot better then I thought it would be. you should like it.
it was a facepalm moment
i went the other way... I have 4 plates and from the original sticker sheet to theking v2 i did this as well. I measured and then moved it the whole difference rather than half. nice thing was... at least it didn't scrub it in like you have it was just loose printing in mid air.
Theking v2 and v3 sheets were apparently the same because there was no mess up on my part there. but did the whole difference of the plate rather than 1/2 the differnce going to the prusa powdercoated sheet. so again printing in air.
I made a 9 20x20 squares test print to run and it makes it pretty easy to get dialed in. usually i am done by 3rd square. but i do know they are tough to get off.
try putting your sheet in the freezer and then see if that thin layer will come off. just DO NOT peel the PEI sticker in the meantime.
Re: Mind Lost - Bed Adhesion / Z Calibration Issue
try putting your sheet in the freezer and then see if that thin layer will come off. just DO NOT peel the PEI sticker in the meantime.
if you have a can of dustoff squirt it at the corner of something (like the live test 75 x 75) sheets and give it a squirt with the can tilted enough to put a tiny squirt of the Ethane they use on that spot as it instantly evaporates it will lift the corner for easy peel off removal.