Another new user, trying to print with PETG  

RE:

Let's look at the sunny side. You were able to print a couple of pieces right out of the bottle! Many of us (including me) have worse trackroads. 
- I see three issues: 
1. first layer, howto. 
2. difference between PLA en PETG. 
3. how to get it off the sheet (I did not work on that untill after 2-3 weeks 😉 ) 

Let's start with the second:
- PLA is a material that easily sticks to the sheet, and not to the hot nozzle. So you can go rather deep with the nozzle and kind of "iron" the PLA onto the sheet. 
- PETG is a material that likes the nozzle better then the sheet (as you have noticed, when it is really on the sheet it is hard to remove). So when printing this, it cannot be pushed on the sheet like PLA, because the nozzle, will collect all in a big clog. So the nozzle has to be higher then with PLA (about 0,2 mm) that way the nozzle makes as nice string what is laid on the sheet. So you can imagine that the temp of the sheet and the temp of the PETG is important, so the layers will stick together. (Also important that the PETG is dry (goes for all filaments) but PETG more then PLA). 
Because of these differences, there is possibility to save more then one sheet in the printer, with different Z-heights. 

2. first layer. 
The firstlayer from the menu is not perfect. It is good enough to see if the filament sticks to the sheet (corners are round or square). 
For the real work, this is my favorite: https://www.printables.com/model/251587-stress-free-first-layer-calibration-in-less-than-5/files

3. Have it more/less stick to the plate: 
- clean the sheet with dish-washing-soap. That is the best you can do. (sometimes I sand the sheet very light with a fine sandpaper. just to get the fine partikels of durt off). 
- for PLA this should be best. 
- for PETG (because it sticks to much, use glue-stick, hairspray or with glasscleaner. Just very lightly is enough. If the print sticks then the layer glue, hairspray etc will break and the rest can be washed off (with the dishwashingsoap). 

(sometimes I sand the sheet very light with a fine sandpaper.

- but don't do this during your first year of ownership, we see too many ruined print sheets ... print yourself a *plastic* scraper and use that even though it can take more effort.  With experience you can try other methods.

Cheerio,

RE:

Eef, thanks for the detailed reply!

Good news though.  Before getting your note, I decided to try again, doing another First Layer calibration with the satin (rough) sheet.

I lowered the extruder by an additional .25 mm, and then compared the "flags" printed by the calibration routines.  The first one still looked OK, but the second, printed with the lower extruder, was clearly better .. perfect, in fact to my inexperienced eye.

So I risked another six hour PETG print, and it turned out GREAT!  Not only better than expected, better than hoped for.  Frankly, I was astonished at how good it turned out.

Now, I'm not a total rookie when it comes to 3d printing .. I have two cheaper ones on the bench.  But neither have ever consistently turned out even acceptable parts.  Not once have I gotten a "good" part.

And that's why I bought a Prusa.  I just got TIRED of failure failure failure crappy part failure ... 

I decided to buy myself a "good" printer, and a bit of research suggested that Prusa were the best of the good.  They're certainly the most expensive of these home/hobby printers, but I felt that if they could actually produce good parts, it would be money well spent.

Well, it was absolutely money well spent.  I am quite simply delighted.

Thanks again for your note.  I've printed it off and added it to "my book" of 3d printing info.

Alan

RE: Another new user, trying to print with PETG

print yourself a *plastic* scraper and use that even though it can take more effort. 

Agree, that comes first. The sandpaper is only used when "I cannot see the partikels on the plate, but feel them when lightly moving with my fingertips + visible as little spots on a next print" And only very lightly!

RE: Another new user, trying to print with PETG

I'm going to try another print and see if I can replicate it.  Will just the right nozzle height, just the right bed and nozzle temp, and just the right cooling strategy give me a good print?  We'll see.

I will say that last time, the textured plate worked spectacularly well.  The previous print did not want to remove from the plate, until it was flexed.  Then it popped right off.

RE: Another new user, trying to print with PETG

With Petg the plate needs to fully cool down before trying to remove.