bed adhesion problem
Hi all, first post here.
I have a mk3 that I have had for about 6 months. Its been working great with no issues. I have been using the glue stick that comes with the kit (built the kit) and have had no problems with bed adhesion. Hundreds of prints without issue on that front. Now I am down to the last bit of that glue stick and all of the sudden I am getting some curling on the ends of the first layer. Looks like retraction problem.
I upgraded slic3r PE edition to latest version (1.41.3+win64). I upgraded to latest firmware as of this morning (3.6.0...) made sure to reset all of my print and printer settings.
I have been using octoprint, but thinking the issue might be in there somewhere, I unplugged it and printed straight from SD card.
I cleaned the bed sheet with ISO and reapplied the glue stick.
I tried the print in between each of those changes, and the outcome is the same.
Finally, I tried printing with NO GLUE STICK straight on an ISO cleaned bed sheet and it works!
Why all of the sudden would the glue stick thats worked all this time stop working? Has anyone else had issues with the END of a glue stick?
Thanks,
-Kaleb
Re: bed adhesion problem
if printing with PLA on a properly clean sheet no gluestick is required. for PETG, use windex instead of IPA to clean the sheet.
I only used the gluestick once in my own kit as a troubleshooting test; but I also haven't printed the more tricky materials like flex/PC/etc that need extra separation from the bed.
Re: bed adhesion problem
For PLA and PETG, wash the bed with detergent and water to make it completely clean. Only ISO cannot clean a dirty bed.
For PLA you can use ISO between the prints (only if needed).
For PETG, you most preferably use Windex or similar, which @vintagepc also mentions.
Bear MK3 with Bondtech extruder
Re: bed adhesion problem
Hot Water wash: as needed
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, rince a bit longer.
Dry the bed with a fresh paper towel.
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Place bed on printer.
Alcohol rinse: every few prints
Once in a while, an alcohol rinse is helpful.
Pour a 5 cm puddle of 91%+ alcohol in the middle of the bed, use a fresh paper towel to scrub the bed. Wipe up all the alcohol.
Streak test: when contamination is suspected and after a wash
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.
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.