Printing large parts in PETG (Coreboxx, Warping, Adhesion)
Hi everyone,
I'm new to 3D printing, so I might be missing something here. I'm currently struggling with printing larger parts in PETG—specifically Voxel3D’s CoreBoxx—using the pre-sliced G-code files provided.
I'm using Prusament PETG Galaxy Black. The filament was dried in a food dehydrator at 55°C for 6 hours and is stored airtight with silica gel. My storage humidity stays around 10–12%.
The print sheet was thoroughly cleaned with warm water and plenty of dish soap before printing, so I don't think it's an adhesion issue caused by surface contamination.
The problem I’m facing is consistent warping around the edges of the print bed. In some cases, the corners lift enough for the part to be pushed loose mid-print. Interestingly, adhesion seems fine in the center of the bed.
Could this be caused by the textured build plate, or is it possibly due to uneven heat distribution across the heatbed?
Since I'm still new to this, I'm not sure where to begin troubleshooting. Would it make sense to try a different print surface? Maybe use something like 3Dlac? Or should I dive into slicer settings and experiment with things like bed temperature or cooling?
Any suggestions or guidance would be super helpful—thanks a lot in advance!
Regards,
Julian
Best Answer by Ckobar:
Hi, maybe you did the same mistake like me. (The textured plate didn't work for me for a long time. Until i read, that i have to clean it really good with hot water, soap and , most important : scrub it with a scotchbright or similar.)
After that PETG sticks perfekt without any glue.
RE: Printing large parts in PETG (Coreboxx, Warping, Adhesion)
Honestly, for large and long prints I use glue (like Magigoo) to be sure not wasting time and filament.
That may not be the universal fix, but it will help.
But, make sure that:
- You preheat the bed at the right temperature 10 minutes before starting the print
- You don't cool down your print too much (check cooling settings of material, for PETG I'm going with 30% maximum of the cooling fan)
- Your plate is clean (it looks like it was the case here)
You can also try another print sheet like Satin that is really great for (almost) any filament.
RE:
Hi, maybe you did the same mistake like me. (The textured plate didn't work for me for a long time. Until i read, that i have to clean it really good with hot water, soap and , most important : scrub it with a scotchbright or similar.)
After that PETG sticks perfekt without any glue.
RE: Printing large parts in PETG (Coreboxx, Warping, Adhesion)
The satin buildplate is the solution for this problem.
RE: Printing large parts in PETG (Coreboxx, Warping, Adhesion)
Hi, maybe you did the same mistake like me. (The textured plate didn't work for me for a long time. Until i read, that i have to clean it really good with hot water, soap and , most important : scrub it with a scotchbright or similar.)
After that PETG sticks perfekt without any glue.
Thank you so much for your replies—this really did the trick! I actually came across this tip a couple of days ago (possibly on Reddit), and since then, two 14-hour prints have completed without any issues. The third one is currently 8 hours in and going strong. Just out of curiosity and to dig a bit deeper: is there really that much production residue on the build plate that IPA alone isn’t effective? Or does the green Scotch-Brite pad actually roughen the surface to improve grip? Also, how often should I refresh the plate like this, considering Prusa advises against doing it too frequently? Is this more of a one-time prep step, after which IPA cleaning is sufficient? Either way—I'm thrilled to report that PETG is printing flawlessly for me now!
Greetings,
Julian
RE: Printing large parts in PETG (Coreboxx, Warping, Adhesion)
Just out of curiosity and to dig a bit deeper: is there really that much production residue on the build plate that IPA alone isn’t effective? Or does the green Scotch-Brite pad actually roughen the surface to improve grip?
Yes!
Just kidding, but it's really both. Micro-scratches work very well in my experience. My most sticky build plate is a smooth sheet from my mk3s, made rough with 400 grit wet sandpaper. A smooth smooth sheet will either stick way too much or randomly not at all (for me).
The textured sheets are usually quite smooth on the bumpy texture, so making them a tiny bit rough can help a lot.
IPA works very well, if you let the build plate soak a few seconds and then doing a "wipe off the plate" movements after doing circles etc. It's important to actually wipe "the stuff" off, instead of smearing it all over the build plate, hoping it will evaporate like the IPA.
Also, how often should I refresh the plate like this, considering Prusa advises against doing it too frequently? Is this more of a one-time prep step, after which IPA cleaning is sufficient?
For me, I can do 10-30 prints with IPA cleaning and then have to use dish soap. It depends on the parts though.. You can do 200 easy to print parts with just IPA, but have to clean it thoroughly with dish soap, before every really difficult part.