Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep  

Re: Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep

Hi Randy,

for TPU and PETG, windex should do the job,
Alternatives,
1, Talcum Powder, rubbed well in and surplus removed.
2, Finger grease/ forehead grease, rubbed well in..
3, Gluestick, rubbed in with moist cloth to prevent clumping, and visible streaks.

regards Joan

Re: Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep

Glue stick: I found an interesting technique. I have a small container of 1.4 ounces of glue stick mixed with a cup was water. I brush it on with a dip brush and let dry on the bed. It would well with PETG and prevent over adhesion.

Re: Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep

Thanks for the tips! If Windex works, I am sticking with that. One half spray, buffed on with a Kleenex tissue, works great. PETG sticks and releases perfectly for every print I've tried, I actually have more success than with the Prusa PLA that came with the printer!

Re: Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep

I have been all over the forum, and Reddit, and other resources and can't seem to find an answer to this specific question.

I have PLA (90+ IPA), ABS (90+ IPA), PETG (Windex) all down, printing very reliably. Mastered PETG to print the new extruder so that I could eventually print TPU, which I just got my first spool of. I would like not to screw anything up. Since it's super sticky, is Windex enough like it is for PETG, or should I do something else to prep my sheet?

not sure about tpu but i use nothing but alcohol. even petg releases fine. that was, i believe, supposed to be the advantage of powdercoating, that it would not loosen like the PEI sheet adhesive and would not pull up. since about the middle of december I have printed 2.25 KG of pet-g some of it non-stop without even waiting for cooldown. The pet-g released every time. Some of that was with theking v3 sheet which is similar (i think better) that prusa powdercoat. but lately i haven't felt like dealing with the live z adjustments each print. I am using Esun Pet-g. it sticks wonderfully. and releases with more work when hot but as soon as it cools off you can hear it breaking free and once the pieces and the plate are fully cool you can just dump the parts off without even needing to flex.

in the pix you can see both plates and the result in the second pix. THe blue PLA is theking v3 and the black PLA is prusa. Prusa seems more matte and theking a bit more glossy. both do a good job of hiding the first layer lines. but i do prefer theking sheet printed part appearance.

Re: Powdercoated PEI Sheet Surface Prep

I will not disagree, the surface of the downside of the prints is fantastic on the TXT plate as long as you do not want to be smooth.