Glass bed protection from clips

[JimG]

After about a week of printing, I broke my bed plate. No big deal as it was inexpensive plate glass. The break was entirely my fault and resulted from applying prying force to remove a printed object. Don't think it was related to the heat at all.

What caught my attention, though, was that the crack initiated at the edge of the glass, under a corner of one of the bulldog clips (is that really what they are called??) holding the bed plate to the heater.

In addition to learning not to pry objects from the bed, I added a small piece of silicone self fusing tape below each clip. I already had a roll that I bought for another project. The tape protects the glass from the sharp edges of the hard steel in the clips. When I need to remove the glass, or adjust the clip positions, the pieces of tape easily peel off and then stick again when reapplied.

http://www.amazon.com/F4-Tape-Self-f...ne+fusion+tape

YMMV.

Jim

[old man emu]

Ahh! Disaster Tape! Got a roll of that somewhere in the workshop.

This is a handy tip.

What is the thickness of the glass you are using? Has it got any special features in its composition? A lot of us simply use window glass or the glass from a cheap picture frame bought from a Two Dollar shop.

I see from your posts that you are having lots of fun ... not ... getting things up and running.

OME

[AbuMaia]

The only time I've ever had a glass plate break was the time I used blue painter's tape, hairspray, and ABS juice to try to keep a print from warping. The resulting bond was so strong as the ABS cooled and flexed, it broke the plate itself.

[JimG]

What is the thickness of the glass you are using? Has it got any special features in its composition? A lot of us simply use window glass or the glass from a cheap picture frame bought from a Two Dollar shop.

I see from your posts that you are having lots of fun ... not ... getting things up and running.

Using 3mm window glass from big box store. Around 2 bucks a pane. I also have a piece of boro that I'll start using once I have the process down a little better.

I actually am getting very good results and have printed dozens of useful objects so far. But I want to improve my prints wherever feasible!

Jim

[JimG]

The only time I've ever had a glass plate break was the time I used blue painter's tape, hairspray, and ABS juice to try to keep a print from warping. The resulting bond was so strong as the ABS cooled and flexed, it broke the plate itself.

I'm using a glue stick on glass. Experience has taught me a) don't put too thick a layer of glue on or the print is very hard to remove, and b) don't let the bed cool while printing ABS. I was having major lift problems with ABS when I set slic3r to lower the bed temp after the first layer. Doh!

Jim

[gmay3]

Hi Jim,

I'm also using the same glass from box store. Due to the frequent bed crashes, removing the stuck on prints with all American Muscle, etc... I haven't had a break yet but I'm surprised I haven't to be honest!

My only guess is that maybe the "bulldawg" clips you are using are a little too small and put too much force on the glass? Are they opened at their maximum?

[JimG]

Yes...but have you tapped a putty knife into the crease at the edge of a print and then given it a good strong pry? For breaking glass I found that to be very effective ;-) Worked every time I tried it.

I think the bulldog clips are large enough. There is still some squeeze left in them, even with the added thickness of the silicone tape.

Jim

[gmay3]

Yes...but have you tapped a putty knife into the crease at the edge of a print and then given it a good strong pry? For breaking glass I found that to be very effective ;-) Worked every time I tried it.
Jim

Haha I haven't but I'll have to try that one!

That's a mystery then. I don't think your doing anything wrong with your tape and clip setup. Probably due to normal (or not normal) wear and tear.

[JimG]

I wasn't so much asking a question here (for a change). I'm pretty sure I know what caused my glass to break

Just passing along something I think is a good idea, is pretty cheap, and has worked well for me.

Jim

[gmay3]

Ah apologies for misinterpreting this as a question!

Thanks for the tip! I definitely was not aware of the silicon tape before!