Print Wont stick to bed? curling sometimes
Hey Everyone! I'm hoping to get some advice on something ive been trying to print lately. its this thing https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/drink-trailer-for-transformers-earthrise-optimus-prime. Heres the story..
I was printing something and it became unstuck from the printbed overnight and i ended up with a massive blob of death which resulted in my hot end wires breaking, so i went out and got a new stock hotend and popped it back on. i re calibrated everything but now i cant seem to get anything on the larger side to stick to the bed anymore. I printed test objects and they come out fine but when i start printing anything bigger then that i get curling, or things just not adhering to the bed. i cleaned with warm soapy water first, then acetone but nothing seems to fix the problem. would anyone have any insight on why this is happening? i have a brand new roll of duramic 3d PLA filament im using. so no old filament. Ive tried using a brim, less infill, more infill, adjusting the temps and distances but nothing so far has worked well. I could really use some advice.
RE:
Not enough info.. so I'll make some assumptions.. You are printing PLA on a textured PEI sheet. This is a bad idea as you should use a smooth sheet. Rough PEI sheets are designed for PETG and the like .. and they are designed to REDUCE grip. You don't need a raft, but if you use PLA on a textured sheet you likely will need gluestick. Elmer's All purpose Glue Stick or equiv.. nothing fancy. If it's PLA make sure the bed temp is at least 60C.. 65 if you are having issues. Soap & water is a good cleaner.. you shouldn't need acetone.. and too much can damage your PEI sheet.
It's hard to tell if your Z layer is really low enough.. I suspect maybe it could go a bit lower, but using a rough sheet is tough with PLA. Keeping your bed temp 60-65 will help and nozzle to at least 210-215C. Apply a light coating of gluestick and then let it dry well then print. This will make a more even surface for the print to stick. You should not need a raft on larger parts. With me.. I've only gotten curling if my nozzle is too hot and my bed temp is too low .. certainly brim will help with curling but the parts I see there shouldn't need a brim. That's my 2c
RE: Print Wont stick to bed? curling sometimes
whilst what Crab says, is generally true,
PLA can be printed on scrupulously clean textured build plates.
I find washing with dish soap, rinsing well, and drying with paper towels works well for me...
I Have 99.9% IPA, and similar strength Acetone, available but I don't use them.
Nor do I use hairspray, Magigoo, Gluestick, Painters tape, or other adhesion aids...
BUT I do keep my fingers off the build surface, and do my best not to contaminate the build surface between prints...
Also I print PLA with 70C on the bed... 
As you can see these parts were printed on textured build plate, they were PLA with less than 1mm contact width on the build plate
I actually print a lot of PLA on textured plates, but you have to be more careful, than when using smooth build plates...
In time, good results become easier...
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Print Wont stick to bed? curling sometimes
Ok, ill save the PLA for some other day when i get a smooth sheet. I do have PETG as well so ill give that another shot and report back with the results. Thanks alot~
RE: Print Wont stick to bed? curling sometimes
Good Luck!
Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Print Wont stick to bed? curling sometimes
well, I gave those a try and still no dice. I tried printing some other things and re cleaning the sheet as well as doing the leveling thing again. but the problem persists. I'm worried I did something horribly wrong or something when I replaced the hot end but I dunno. sorry about all this guys. 
RE:
I routinely print PLA on the Prusa textured build plate and have had consistently good results using it for PLA over the past three years or so.
A few comments:
1. Your Z calibration for the textured plate must be spot on! Far less wiggle room than for the smooth plates. The textured plate is thinner than the smooth one, and yes, your Z calibration value will be more negative. I've found that the sweet spot is to 'tune' the Z to the point that the 'brush strokes' just disappear into the textured pattern on the 'flag' of the internal calibration print or of those 3x3 calibration prints.
2. The textured build plate must be spotlessly clean! It can't take a joke. Again, this is more critical than with the smooth plates. I'm not gonna admonish you to 'clean your plate and clean it my way', just be sure that it's Really Most Sincerely Clean using the method you prefer.
3. Don't be afraid to use an adhesion booster such as Layerneer if you have an issue getting things to stick. It also works as a release agent. This is particularly useful for prints that have a small footprint on the build plate and those small 'square wave' support footings for break-away supports. (Use it, Rosie, that's what it's there for!) 😉
4. There was/is some anectdotal evidence that there are 'good' and 'bad' textured build plates, meaning some runs perform better in terms of prints, particularly PLA, sticking. Mine has the code WA 15 in the upper right and it's apparently one of the 'good' ones.
5. There's also some anecdotal evidence that some/most/all textured build plates work better after some use, as in 'seasoning' like a griddle needs to be 'seasoned' by use when it is new. I did not notice any improvement or dis-improvement after many, many prints, however, I've heard that it may sometimes be the case.
I can assure you that you can indeed do PLA prints on the textured build plate if you want to. I like the result very much. The roof on the model Tudor house flat below is PLA and as you can see, is printed quite nicely with the textured plate.
As an aside, I am STILL looking for a similar textured build plate for my 'other' printer, Ultimaker S5. I have yet to find one that is truly a drop-in product.
