What sheet to print on?
Powder coated vs smooth vs ??? Has anybody done any sheet hacking?
Basically I printed ~10 months on the smooth sheet before getting the powder coated sheet, and... I am underwhelmed. The two issues I have are:
1. The texture is much coarser than I'd expected. My original MK3 printed parts have a fine, rough texture from the powder coated beds they were printed on: a texture that I was looking forward to duplicating. But the texture on my powder coated sheet has much larger features, resulting in printed parts with a rough surface on the bottom with bigger features. Did something change? Here's a photos of the original (left) and replacement (right) idler doors, mid-swap.
2. The sheet is thinner by ~.29mm, so I have to adjust the Z when I change sheets. That's not as big a deal, but it's another step I'd rather not have to make.
I wonder about printing on tape to get a fine texture like I was hoping for. Any ideas on getting a finer texture would be appreciated.
Re: What sheet to print on?
People are happy if they are getting this sheet. I think nobody is thinking of damaging it.
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Re: What sheet to print on?
Powder coated vs smooth vs ??? Has anybody done any sheet hacking? [...]
Charles.H has done some testing of various surfaces.
So far, I've only got 2 of the double-side PEI sticker sheets, but I'm not in any real hurry to change. I lurk in various 3D printing reddit groups, and I'm astounded at how much heartbreak users experience with other printers. The PEI flex steel sheets have really spoiled me.
I'd like to try the texture out of curiosity, but it's not a must-have for me at this point. I'm still awaiting my voucher to purchase one.
I did recently order a BuildTak sheet and surfaces during their combo sale. I'm still trying to decide if I want to go with 2 sides of BuildTak, or 1 BT and one PEI. I've read it has a very fine texture. We shall see. PrintedSolid is now offering their Gecko Tek EZPrint sheet for the Mk3 which would also be interesting to try.
After reading Charles' results, I popped for a cheap sheet and some surfaces off AliExpress. I'm going to give blue painter's tape a try. Again, am only expecting modest texture. The bare Mk3 sheets being sold by PrintedSolid aren't that much more than some of the AliExpress sheets if you want to experiment.
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Re: What sheet to print on?
I will post more on my testing soon. I can tell you that you can not go wrong with the PEI. IT is less durable, but has excellent adhesion. After 4 months of continuous printing I am just starting to get marks.
I still use the powder coated but have switched to the smooth PEI for most prints.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog