PEI bed cleaning methods  

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

I escaped one cult early on. Never going back.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

I would say that all methods could be helpful, however it would just distinguish between regular cleaning and "emergency" cleaning.

I use paper towel with IPA 99,9% before every print, just very fast, 10 seconds. This works for months. Once per couple of months when the adhesion is starting to be poor, I use Aceton or hot water and make the PEI bit rougher with kitchen sponge . Never had a need of using anything else. I can not imagine making regular cleaning with Aceton, the smell in the flat is not worthy. Unless you start to enjoy it 😉 

For IPA cleaning with paper towel you do not need gloves, opening window, going to bathroom. It is just fast and working. 

But it seems, not in all countries Isopropanol is available in form of 99%. Not sure why, I can easily buy a liter bottle and put a bit to the small spray bottle. It last for years and costs 5$.

Milos

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

The weird part is that with the pei on my mk2s I never had any issue. Just wipe it down with alcohol and it would stick always. With the smooth pei sheet on the mk3s I always have sticking issues. Something is different.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

The weird part is that with the pei on my mk2s I never had any issue. Just wipe it down with alcohol and it would stick always. With the smooth pei sheet on the mk3s I always have sticking issues. Something is different.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

The weird part is that with the pei on my mk2s I never had any issue. Just wipe it down with alcohol and it would stick always. With the smooth pei sheet on the mk3s I always have sticking issues. Something is different.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

I use Dawn and water: Dawn Dishwashing liquid.  

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

@vojtech-3

I have always used 99% pure IPA to clean my sheets and seemed to work fine up until today. I was trying to print PLA - which is something I don't use that often these days (normally PETG).

I could not get it to stick properly on either the powder coated sheet or even PEI which drove me crazy for few hours after re-levelling my bed manually, trying different temperatures (from my normal go-to custom presets) and running first layer CALs repeatedly...

THEN... I tried wiping the PEI with tap water, BINGO! The PLA stuck like a dream - I thought I (almost) knew everything about printing - until today.

So for anyone else out there, plain water or slightly soapy water (with a good rinse and dry) is absolutely worth a try for prints that won't stick. This issue drove me nuts for several hours! In future I will try water first and IPA second! LOL

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

My bed became really gunked up. I went to the sink put Goop on it and took the Goop off with a mild Scotch-Brite pad. Cleaned it right up in a couple of minutes.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

Posted by: @cotton

My bed became really gunked up. I went to the sink put Goop on it and took the Goop off with a mild Scotch-Brite pad. Cleaned it right up in a couple of minutes.

A wash under the sink will usually be most effective. Most soaps/detergents act as surfactants, binding to grease and water. The rinsing action washes the crud away instead of just breaking it down and moving it around like a solvent such as alcohol or acetone does. If you're just wiping stuff around, some will be wicked away by the paper towel, but some is left behind. The more solvent, and the more concentrated the solvent, the better there result, but some gunk remains. A rinse under the sink has many times the volume. I always do the "Dunk with Dawn" before critical prints or when adhesion starts to slip.

I've really come to appreciate this since acquiring a printer with a non-removable bed. I wish I could haul the whole think to the sink sometimes. So much easier to wash a removable sheet.

RE: PEI bed cleaning methods

I tried all non abrasive methods to clean the smooth PEI bed. At one point I bought a new one. But also with my new printbed i had after a long time (1.5 years) more and more adhesive problems (particularly with PLA). After a long research (again) I talked somehow with my mother and she had something different for me. Something called Universalstein, which is used to clean the ceran hob. It's a mineral based polish I guess.

For me the best result i ever had! But there is one thing to consider, the finish is no longer super shiny.

My theory: 

From time to time remains from the different filaments stick to the PEI and the only way to remove them is an mechanical process. Polishing is therefore the process with the lowest removal and best surface finish. Works more or less like Sandpaper or the abrasive sponges.

I used this: https://universalstein.com/products/universal-stein-650g