Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Any idea when we'll be able to order spare PEI coated spring steel sheets?
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I asked the support two days ago. Yes, will be available in the future. And maybe in different PEI-coats.
Thomas
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Does anyone have a preference for the advertised "grained" surface that the MK3 seems to ship with over the smoother surface like the PEI sheet surface?
It that surface more for printed part mechanical grip to the build plate as opposed to aesthetics? If we are to speculate?
I hope we get an option for a smooth surface soon, assuming it will have the same parts holding ability the "powder coated" with PEI has as with the sheet PEI.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I would like two different surfaces, one of them smooth
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: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I hope there would be just a metalversion without anything. So i can test different things on it.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I hope there would be just a metalversion without anything. So i can test different things on it.
I think we will see that plus it's just a sheet of metal, I suspect we'll start see compatible options from 3rd party vendors including rusted deformed ones from China 🙂
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Can't the spring steel sheet just be turned over? I think that they have mentioned something like this in an interview (don't know which one)
The sheet is rough on one side and smooth flat on the other
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I'm pretty sure one could use a 9-inch x 10-inch BuildTak FlexPlate, which is available separately from BuildTak, without BuildTak's magnetic mounting plate or BuildTak sheet. It appears to be just a spring steel sheet of an appropriate size to which you could attach a BuildTak sheet or any other material.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Has anyone thought about constructing their own Spring Steel build plate and simply adding PEI?
There are places that can supply relatively inexpensive "flat" sheet spring steel in appropriate sizing.
Yet flat may be a relative term...
But certainly with some looking a source for quality material could certainly be found.
Construction wouldn't take much even for those with very limited resources to facilitate the alignment pins.
Would it be a appropriate request to ask for availability of a "blank" spring steel build plate directly from Prusa considering the build surface is of a rough texture with seemingly no way currently to have a smooth build plate?
A smooth build plate to work from is VERY important to me! While we were never promised one, I certainly hope we get a solution to this specific issue fairly close to release!
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Has anyone thought about constructing their own Spring Steel build plate and simply adding PEI?
There are places that can supply relatively inexpensive "flat" sheet spring steel in appropriate sizing.
Yet flat may be a relative term...
But certainly with some looking a source for quality material could certainly be found.
Construction wouldn't take much even for those with very limited resources to facilitate the alignment pins.
Would it be a appropriate request to ask for availability of a "blank" spring steel build plate directly from Prusa considering the build surface is of a rough texture with seemingly no way currently to have a smooth build plate?
A smooth build plate to work from is VERY important to me! While we were never promised one, I certainly hope we get a solution to this specific issue fairly close to release!
Please read faq section first and be a little more patient ... those things just doesn't happen over night
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Has anyone thought about constructing their own Spring Steel build plate and simply adding PEI?
A smooth build plate to work from is VERY important to me! While we were never promised one, I certainly hope we get a solution to this specific issue fairly close to release!
probably just use a piece of sheet steel, or glass. worst case scenario just take the plate off and tape the heated bed itself
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Has anyone thought about constructing their own Spring Steel build plate and simply adding PEI?
A smooth build plate to work from is VERY important to me! While we were never promised one, I certainly hope we get a solution to this specific issue fairly close to release!
probably just use a piece of sheet steel, or glass. worst case scenario just take the plate off and tape the heated bed itself
The idea being to utilize the magnetic properties of the build plate for attachment, as well as the flexibility to eject freshly printed parts.
Having a second plate seems like a pleasant nicety, as it would allow us to pull the current print, immediately place the second plate and start printing immediately.
Leaving the first plate and print able to cool and set to minimize any distortion before release.
Or even allowing the user to work the current print off carefully while the printer is already back on task while patiently taking time to release the finished print.
Having two beds sounds like a really nice feature, and TBH, I kind of wish it just came with two 😁
Having availability or some word on when/if they will become avalible and in what flavors would be fantastic!
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
yea I asked customer support in chat the same question when I ordered and they said it was not available at this time. I agree with all your points. I am hoping it is a possibility of just popping the current print off by flexing the sheet as shown in the preview videos and being able to print immediately
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Has anyone thought about constructing their own Spring Steel build plate and simply adding PEI?
There are places that can supply relatively inexpensive "flat" sheet spring steel in appropriate sizing.
Yet flat may be a relative term...
But certainly with some looking a source for quality material could certainly be found.
Construction wouldn't take much even for those with very limited resources to facilitate the alignment pins.
Would it be a appropriate request to ask for availability of a "blank" spring steel build plate directly from Prusa considering the build surface is of a rough texture with seemingly no way currently to have a smooth build plate?
A smooth build plate to work from is VERY important to me! While we were never promised one, I certainly hope we get a solution to this specific issue fairly close to release!
Actually I've been thinking about this quite a bit. It's my understanding that powder coat doesn't hold up well to solvents. (Don't know first hand but that's what I was told.) I plan on getting my hands on a spare sheet and have it Cerakoted. Cerakote is about 2mils thick so it's much thinner than powder coat, It's chemical resistant and much more durable. It's also heat resistant to very high temps and should be no issue getting even, solid, consistent coats. The icing on the cake is that a good friend of mine is one of the largest volume coaters on the East Coast 😀
Wont know if it's any good though till I can run it though some tests.
https://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/testing/
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Actually I've been thinking about this quite a bit. It's my understanding that powder coat doesn't hold up well to solvents. (Don't know first hand but that's what I was told.) I plan on getting my hands on a spare sheet and have it Cerakoted. Cerakote is about 2mils thick so it's much thinner than powder coat, It's chemical resistant and much more durable. It's also heat resistant to very high temps and should be no issue getting even, solid, consistent coats. The icing on the cake is that a good friend of mine is one of the largest volume coaters on the East Coast 😀
Wont know if it's any good though till I can run it though some tests.
https://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/testing/
I’m just speculating from what I read, but it seems to me that stuff would make for a horrible print surface. The coating isn’t there to protect the plate; it’s there to hold the print while it’s printing and then NOT hold the print once it’s done. Cerakote claims to be as slick as Teflon, which means you’d have a real challenge getting a print to stick.
Now if the coat is thin enough not to throw off tolerances, it might be an interesting addition to the linear rods. On a black printer, it would give the total stealth look; the opposite extreme from the orange-on-black.
When someone asks you if you're a god, you say, "YES!"
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Exactly, the coating isnt there to protect anything.
The more resistant and slick you make the surface, the worse it is for bed adhesion.
I mean, you will have a nice builtplate, as a wallhanger at least.
Its functionality will be null.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
I’m just speculating from what I read, but it seems to me that stuff would make for a horrible print surface. The coating isn’t there to protect the plate; it’s there to hold the print while it’s printing and then NOT hold the print once it’s done. Cerakote claims to be as slick as Teflon, which means you’d have a real challenge getting a print to stick.
Good point. I know the coating is not there to protect. I don't know if it will make a good adhesion surface till I try it and I can't do that till I can get my hands on a spare sheet to send up.
Now if the coat is thin enough not to throw off tolerances, it might be an interesting addition to the linear rods. On a black printer, it would give the total stealth look; the opposite extreme from the orange-on-black.
I don't know if Cerakote will withstand such a high traffic area but that's an interesting thought. If I ever change out the rods I'll consider sending them up.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
Is there any reason not to use a cheap sheet of galvanized steel sheet? Hardware stores sell 12x12 28 guage sheet for a few dollars, and they don't rust. Works great (on my other printer with a BuildTak magnetic print bed). I have a half dozen print beds prepped, some with Kapton tape, some with hair spray, some with PEI. The only hard part, and it wasn't that hard, was cutting them to fit the print bed.
On the Mk3, the only tricky bit is that it'd be nice to fit the pins which really prevent the bed from sliding around. Nice touch, but it requires fairly precise drilling.
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
The pins are more of a guide to make it easier to lay the sheet in and not pinch your fingers. It really doesn't matter if the build sheet is fully in the pins as the magnets give all the hold that's needed in my opinion.
I've done a number of prints with the sheet off one pin or the other a bit and had no issues.
YMMV
Re: Spare Spring Steel Sheet Availability?
@laird.p
I am using normal galvanized steel sheets with Buildtak and Printbite. No Problems so far.