There is a much easier way to remove prints from the print bed...
And I don't mean buying an MK3 or a MK2.5 kit! Sure, I imagine the flexible magnetic build surface works a treat for removing prints, but for those of us with an MK2/s (or still waiting on our MK2.5 kit... *nudges Mr. Prusa*), there is an easier way. And you already have everything you need to do it.
So, some of you might be familiar with this trick in the context of hot glue/ hot melt glue. You know, the stuff that comes in sticks and you load into a glue gun. That stuff can be a real pain to get off unaided.
Fortunately, you can literally just pull it off of whatever it is adhered to using nothing but your fingers if you swab (or just spray generally with a spray bottle) a bit of good ol isopropyl alcohol/isopropanol/rubbing alcohol around the edges of the hot glue where it is adhered. Once you peel up a corner and keep spraying the gap with a bit more rubbing alcohol, the entire mass of glue will pull off quite easily. If you don't know about this trick, seriously, give it try - you'll be dumbfounded at how well this actually works.
I couldn't tell you the actual chemical mechanism behind this, but the important thing is it works, and really well. Here is the thing: hot melt glue comes in several varieties, but they're all some kind of thermoplastic polymer. In other words, hot glue is only achieving adhesion for the same reason plastic sticks to our print beds: because its some hot, melty plastic doing it's thing.
Anyway, long story short, rubbing alcohol does whatever it is doing to disrupt hot glue adhesion just as well (if not better) to also disrupt plastic adhesion to the print bed.
If you have, say, some PETG prints that are stuck on your print bed with that PEI-print-surface-damaging force we all know and fear, don't worry. Spray some rubbing alcohol generously on to your print, and around the edges where it meets the print bed. Be patient, sometimes it can take 15-20 seconds to work it's magic. But without fail, those prints will suddenly be easily dislodged with a firm but relatively effortless nudge.
It also works on PLA, and I suspect it will work on almost anything that is a plastic and adhered to PEI, but I am not sure.
As a bonus, you're also getting a head start on cleaning the print bed for your next print! Just be sure the print bed is nice and dry - people tend to mistakingly think 70% IPA isn't strong enough to clean their print bed, but usually its just because there is still some IPA that hasn't evaporated. Stronger IPA, like 91% will evaporate more quickly, but 70% can still leave an 'essence' that can be difficult to detect visually, but will not pass the sniff test. When in doubt, sniff your print ped =P. It tends to stick around long enough to sometimes screw up the adhesion of a print, but if you wait a little bit and try again, things will work perfectly.
Oh, 70% IPA works for this trick, as does stronger stuff. Stronger is probably better, but no worries either way - just keep in mind you should let the print bed rest a few minutes before starting another print (so it has time to evaporate).
Re: There is a much easier way to remove prints from the print bed...
Interesting, will it work for larger prints too?
Re: There is a much easier way to remove prints from the print bed...
I would caution you on this method. PEI is fragile when cold, particularly fragile when hot here and cold there. I abandoned this method a month into MK2 ownership. If you are careful and patient it will work out, but if you are, you don't need the stink and waste of it anyway. The chance of damage is far worst if there is large thermal mass and or contact surface. Nothing wrong with this method except Prusa's choice of super thin PEI and a 3M adhesive with thermal range incorrect for MK2's performance range. I've lost a PEI sheet thinking this would be OK so I put this in the category of "at your own risk".
MK2S kit owner since 8/15/2017