Damaged bed removing PET  

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

You've dinged it up pretty badly, but it may be OK for general printing if you're not worried about finish.

If your ersatz-Windex isn't working, try giving the PEI a few wipes with your fingers -- wipe your forehead beforehand -- to loosen PETG grip. It should hold well but still pop off when the sheet is flexed. If that is not enough, you can apply some gluestick to the bed (messy) or something like MagiGoo. If find this is important when printing at 250C and above.

You might raise your Live-Z 0.02-0.2 for PETG versus PLA printing. PETG needs less squish.

You can order replacement PEI sheets from a variety of suppliers. Getting the old PEI off is messy, and depending on your level of patience, just replacing the full sheet might be worthwhile. You could try a textured sheet for variety.

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

@bobstro

Thanks for the reply. I'll try printing with PLA and see how it works.

I knew PETG was harder to use. I'll keep trying and decide if I need a new bed.

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

Some PETGs are tough to get off the bed.  I started using Windex with every print to lower adhesion.  

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

Yours looks similar to the sheet I ruined by getting impatient and using a metal instrument to remove one of my first ABS prints on the new machine.  The print pulled off a few chunks of the PEI coating.  I had never used the Prusa metal sheets before and it was a definite stumble on the climb up the learning curve.

The plate I was familiar with was a glass plate, which I now understand had a PEI coating, which did not flex and sometimes required (and could take) some 'gentle persuasion' to remove a print.

I now understand that if I had simply allowed the print and plate to cool to room temperature, it probably would have popped right off with some flexing.

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

Windex Brand works great for PETG, so does Elmer's disappearing purple glue stick it goes on clean & easy, make sure to fully cover the area that will be printed on, I usually do a layer in the X and Y. Also you can do multiple prints with one application, after removing the first print just rub your fingers over it until the white residue looks clear-ish again. . I normally get 5 or 6 prints out of one application then rinse with warm water and repeat.

Works for TPU,ABS and PETG, possibly some others but I've only tried it with those three. I haven't been brave enough to try Windex with TPU or ABS yet, I don't know if that works.

RE: Damaged bed removing PET

@jsw

I had a similar experience, I was actually expecting to have problems with poor adhesion the first time printing ABS on my smooth PEI sheet, boy was I wrong. I thought to let it cool to room temp and see if I could remove it, I could not. So I put the sheet with print in the freezer for 20min. and that worked great with no damage to the sheet. ( the print lived too)   ; )