Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.  

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

Posted by: @ron-l-2

I am new to 3D printing so i am sorry if this is a super easy question. I am not new to fabrication but i did decide to jump head first into 3d printing "wish me luck". i settled on the mk3s+ and made the purchases but don't have it yet.  there are however two choices of removable plate for this unit. one is the textured powder and the smooth. i was looking and found that most items can be printed on the textured so that was the one i went with. however i plan on printing with ABS. It does show that you cant print ABS on the one i picked, however i had found that there are different coating you can place down before hand so you can print and not mess up the bed.

I perfer the textured but either will work.  I like the textured appearance on the print.  It allows for better gluing.  

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@cwbullet

Wow, thank you! i did not know you could print ABS on the textured powder coated spring steel. I was using this "Materials" to figure out what and how to print. is there any chance there is one out there that is more accurate and/or up to date? Also is there a brand you would suggest for a strong ABS? i plan on using it on gear and or items with mechanical use.

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

For ABS I normally use Hatchbox, and had very good results with it.

For gears, I've had good luck using both PLA and ABS and inferior results trying gears with PETg.  All three of the species of filament I regularly use (PLA ABS PETg) seem to work well on both the smooth and textured sheets.

The 'coating' I use both as an adhesion enhancer and a release agent is the Layerneer Bed Weld.  I would strongly suggest using this when doing ABS prints on the smooth sheet.  I found out the hard way when I first got the Prusa with the PEI sheet.  I ended up ripping a few pieces of the PEI coating right off the sheet.  I later figured out that if I had only had the patience to wait until the print and sheet were close to room temperature, it probably would have popped right off.  I was more used to glass plates at the local 'makerspace' and there it was perfectly acceptable to use kitchen implements, air impact hammers, shovels, rakes, and implements of destruction to free a sticky print from the bed.  😉

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

All I can say is wow and thank you. Was having a problems with pla sticking and worked like a charm! have not used it yet on ABS or ASA but just with how it worked on the pla im sold for life! thank you for the advice!

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@ron-l-2

Have you tried Aquanet hair spray?

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

Posted by: @cwbullet

@ron-l-2

Have you tried Aquanet hair spray?

One opinion on another board a while back was that the Layerneer product may be just that, repackaged hair spray.

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@jsw

I have compared the two.  It is close.  I really like the ability to spray it on.  I don't like the looks I get coming up to pay.  A bald man with 5 cans of hair spray.  One clerk asked if it was for my wife.  I replied no.  I think he might think I am huffing it.  

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

There's a very subtle but distinct odor to the Layerneer.  I think I'm gonna sniff test some of my wife's hair care products (that's test sniff, not huff!)  😉 and see if my 70 year old built-in gas analyzer can detect any similarities.

On a related topic, for those who do not know, I picked up an Ultimaker S5 a few weeks ago and I've been using the Layerneer on the stock glass plate with that machine as well.  It works quite well, and is really more of a release agent, as that plate sticks quite well with PLA.  I'm thinking of adding the Buildtak magnetic plate kit, but they do not (at least as of yet) make a textured sheet in the size I need.  One of those on the Ultimaker forum suggested that I cut down a larger one.

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

As of this moment I have ordered a can for testing "the purple airsal" i'll come back and let you know how it went. One problem I am having is consistent results. It has that is last multiple prints but after the first print, stuff keep coming up. I have used an isopropyl alcohol pad but that does not make it any better. What I have found that work is take the sheet and wash if in a sink and then re apply the layerneer, but I feel that is wasteful and a big pain. do you have any advice?

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@jsw

I may have to try it on my Ender and its glass plate.  I have already ruined a couple by pulling up glass shards with the print.  

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@ron-l-2

Interested in what "purple airsal" is.  

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

@cwbullet - sorry was talkin about the can of hairspray and what it looks like. see picture below.

RE: Prusa i3 Mk3s+ Spring steel bed choice.

On the problem of sticking, anything larger then a quarter seems to have a problem sticking even with the bed weld "way worse without it". Looks like the pla shrinks and warps and pulls up at the edge. Have any advice? I'll post some pictures of the print. I did have ironing on to try and smooth the top and bottom.

This is the bottom there are small gaps along the edge (the strange discoloration is the bed weld).

This is to show the warp of the piece. It looks like I don't have my offset right, however I spend close to 1 hour making sure, if I make it any lower I start to get lines and it gets rough due to the nozzle being to close.