# 3D Printing > General 3D Printing Discussion >  Free build plate!!!!

## diamond black

hey guys. i am a developer of "Diamond Black Build Plates"
we specialise in warp free build plates for pla printing.
we are trying to expand our market by developing build plates for a wider range of 3d printers.
all you need to do is reply back with the printer model you have and the exact size of build plate required to fit your printer.
the build plate is 3mm thick and designed to sit on top of your existing plate. 
small office binders will help on the larger builds.
here are links to our other build plates on ebay with youtube videos just to give you the idea
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2217809348...84.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2217853467...84.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2217969885...84.m1555.l2649

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all i need is the exact size that you think will fit good in millimeters of the build plate.
if i think that your printer is popular enough then i will send you a custom made plate for you to keep, in exchange for
honest feedback on this forum  :Smile: 

a raft is advisable when printing on this plate but we have had success without.

we have had some success with abs using 10% infill and as long as the part is small.

other materials untested


diamond black build plate.jpg

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## Mjolinor

I've been trying to find one of these but at 1/5 what I paid for the printer it is way too much, I'll stick with polycarbonate until I land on one cheap  :Smile:

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## diamond black

well this one is free lol and usualy retails at only £20

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## Mjolinor

Well it's a Wanhao Duplicator 3 and it is 230 X 150.

But do they work with a heated chamber? When I am printing I have a heated chamber that sits at between 50 and 70 c depending on what I am doing.

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## Wolfie

Sure, I will bite.  LulzBot Taz 5.  I believe its build plate is 300mm x 300mm borosilicate with a PEI sheet but let me verify it tonight with a measure.

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## diamond black

well its untested in those conditions so im am very interested to see the results

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## Mjolinor

> well its untested in those conditions so im am very interested to see the results


The problem I have is not one of sticking, it is sticking too much. I do not suffer form warp at all ever but I break a lot of stuff getting it off the build plate. I currently use polycarbonate but have to replace it regularly, once it gets scratched you cannot get stuff off it.

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## soofle616

Flashforge Creator Pro, 225x145mm build plate. I've got glass on it now so it's already set up for a taller than stock build plate.

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## diamond black

i was hoping someone would have this 1.
as the machine is a lot like the makerbot replicator 2.

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## diamond black

when you finish your print, remove the whole bed and put into freezer for 30 minutes, that should shrink the print faster than the bed and therefore it should just pop right off on its own.

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## diamond black

ok if soofle616 mjolinor and wolfie could pm me a name and address to send to i will get them shipped out in a day or 2  :Smile: 
the 300mm x 300mm will take a little longer to make but should only be delayed by a few more days

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## soofle616

> when you finish your print, remove the whole bed and put into freezer for 30 minutes, that should shrink the print faster than the bed and therefore it should just pop right off on its own.


This is what I do with my glass plate now. Works a treat.




> ok if soofle616 mjolinor and wolfie could pm me a name and address to send to i will get them shipped out in a day or 2 
> the 300mm x 300mm will take a little longer to make but should only be delayed by a few more days


Done.

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## Bassna

I have a Flashforge creator pro, Build envelope: 225 x 145 x 150 mm, I would gladly test it out and review. I currently just use the stock built plate with kapton.

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## diamond black

> I have a Flashforge creator pro, Build envelope: 225 x 145 x 150 mm, I would gladly test it out and review. I currently just use the stock built plate with kapton.


sorry i have already shipped a build plate to a user with that same printer. he should have it in a few days maybe you could wait for the results of that and make a decision on whether to buy one  :Smile: 

still looking for a couple more printers to try on. if you have a printer not already mentioned please post  :Smile:

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## diamond black

i have posted this also in pp3dp.com but the thread was denied  :Frown: 
they must think i am unworthy. does anybody here own an "up" 3d printer that wants a free build plate  :Smile:

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## jefish

I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.

Rapide Lite 200 from Rapide3D
The whole bed is 215mm x 215mm, I'm assuming I can nip off the corners of your plate to allow for the small corner screws. If not, accounting for the screws, the bed is 215mm x 202mm.

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## diamond black

> I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.
> 
> Rapide Lite 200 from Rapide3D
> The whole bed is 215mm x 215mm, I'm assuming I can nip off the corners of your plate to allow for the small corner screws. If not, accounting for the screws, the bed is 215mm x 202mm.


we actualy have plates at 215mm x 205mm if your happy trying that i can ship that this week  :Smile:

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## jefish

That'd be great. I'll PM you ...

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## Mjolinor

Arrived this morning, cheers.

At the risk of sounding stupid do I print on the sandpaper side or remove the protective sheet and print on the smooth side?

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## diamond black

you print on the grainy side, be sure to keep the nozzle close but not touching to avoid filing the tip down.

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## DrBoost

Makerfarm Prusa 10 iV3. 254 mm squared

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## diamond black

ok lets make this the last one then  :Smile: 
pm me an address

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## Mjolinor

You got the size exactly right. No filing or anything, exactly the size of the aluminium plate so it slotted into the existing corners.

I need to pair the top off the corners as they are slightly proud of the bed.

Not tried it yet, other things on my plate right now.

20150616_205955.jpg

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## diamond black

> You got the size exactly right. No filing or anything, exactly the size of the aluminium plate so it slotted into the existing corners.
> 
> I need to pair the top off the corners as they are slightly proud of the bed.
> 
> Not tried it yet, other things on my plate right now.
> 
> 20150616_205955.jpg


no rush
got a few things going on my end at the moment also. wife went into labour 7 weeks early 2 days ago so im up the hospital a lot, so there is a little delay on other build plates but i will get around to it  :Smile:

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## Malakian

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Was just looking over the threads and noticed this, Am I to late? I have a Rigidbot Regular 260mmx280mm

Edit: No hurry, just read the labor part and all. Congrats!

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## diamond black

no worries, i will see what i can do. pm me your address  :Smile:

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## Mjolinor

Hmm, tried it today and I am going to have to do some serious mods to use it. The expansion rate of the platform seems to be very high, much higher than the aluminium bed and because I have it held in by brackets at the corners the only place it can expand is upwards so I end up with a convex build plate with the middle about 3 mm high. This is really effective and sanding the end off the nozzles.

What it did print stuck well and more importantly came off easily it just didn't resemble the thing I gave it very much and at a set of nozzles per print it probably isn't really viable.

I shall peruse this and have another go when time permits but for now it's back to polycarbonate.  :Frown: 

Grateful for it but gese am I glad I didn't buy one.  :Smile:

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## diamond black

a little disappointing but sounds like you gave it a good try. maybe others will have better luck  :Smile:

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## Mjolinor

So I modded the printer to take the plate. Printed fine, no problem or warping, stuck well.

It stuck so well that I snapped it in two trying to get the print off.

I have peeled the diamond black top off the broken acrylic and stuck it to the polycarbonate that I normally use, I can't physically break that no matter how hard things are stuck so maybe it will be OK.

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## diamond black

i am glad to hear you did not give up on it lol.
maybe instead of acrylic i should be using polycarbonate.
if you are interested i would happily make you a polycarbonate version just for you to try  :Smile: 
apologies on late posting of other build plates. i can confirm that 
jetfish and soofle616 build plates have been sent friday.

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## Mjolinor

Grateful for the offer but it seems that with the heated cabinet it is not going to work.

I am sure that for normal non-sticking ABS problems it is an ideal solution but I never had that problem, my problem has always been getting the prints off the bed. This is what happened after I stuck the gritty sheet to polycarbonate.

20150626_205520.jpg

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## diamond black

oh wow.
what temp was the print and was this pla or abs
and did you use a heated bed

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## soofle616

> i am glad to hear you did not give up on it lol.
> maybe instead of acrylic i should be using polycarbonate.
> if you are interested i would happily make you a polycarbonate version just for you to try 
> apologies on late posting of other build plates. i can confirm that 
> jetfish and soofle616 build plates have been sent friday.


I was actually just about to post to say I hadn't posted a review because it hadn't arrived yet. I'll keep my eyes on my mailbox.

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## Mjolinor

ABS
No heated bed. 
Chamber temperature 50 C.
Print temperature 225 C

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## curious aardvark

wow !
thought I had excess sticking problems.

But so far I've managed to remove things either by hitting them with a hammer or heating the bed and hitting them with a hammer.  

I will have to add: hammer to crucial 3d printer kit :-)

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## DrBoost

Did I get in on time?  I replied in post #21.  Just checking.

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## diamond black

yes you did. your address is on the list of "ToDo"  :Smile: 
might be a couple weeks before you receive the build plate though

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## Don_FG

Hello,  I have a MakerTrack with a 304mm X 304mm bed. I'm willing to pay for one if not overly expensive. 

Thank you

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## diamond black

the maximum we can do is 300mm x 300mm
they will be available on the ebay listing within a couple weeks hopefully.  :Smile: 
we sell them at £19.99 or $31.24
we are still pending some reviews on here, and we only recommend using PLA for printing as the ABS still seems to be very tricky to use. untested is the pva and nylon

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## Don_FG

300mm will work.  Thanks for the info.  What about PETG?

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## diamond black

> 300mm will work.  Thanks for the info.  What about PETG?


that is also untested. i think i should do some testing on these soon  :Smile:

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## STRYKR

Craftbot 250 x 200 mm build plate.  More than happy to give one of these a try!

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## BradR97

Da Vinci 1.0A with a 200x200mm bed

I'l leave honest feedback and I wont waste your time, I'm appreciative of these opportunities to help others.

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## diamond black

ok if the last 3 guys could pm me there address then i will send out some more  :Smile:

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## Mjolinor

Time we got some more feedback in here from this. Surely other people received them by now.

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## diamond black

most was sent to US so delivery may take a while

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## diamond black

> 300mm will work.  Thanks for the info.  What about PETG?


pm me your address details and i will send you a free build plate to try  :Smile:

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## diamond black

ok i have managed to send a bunch more plates today.
Wolfie
DBFIU
malakian
DrBoost

not sure how long the delivery will take from the united kingdom but you should receive them soon enough  :Smile:

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## DrBoost

> ok i have managed to send a bunch more plates today.
> Wolfie
> DBFIU
> malakian
> DrBoost
> 
> not sure how long the delivery will take from the united kingdom but you should receive them soon enough



Thank you very much.

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## diamond black

has anybody received there build plate yet

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## DrBoost

I just got mine yesterday.  I came here to ask, for sure, what side is the build side?  I assume its the smooth side?  Why is one side soo textured?  I plan on printing on it tomorrow.    

Thanks again!  I can read back through the thread, but I guess I'll just ask here.  Where and in what form would you like your feedback?

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## Mjolinor

Textured side

I asked the same question a few pages back.  :Smile:

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## diamond black

> I just got mine yesterday.  I came here to ask, for sure, what side is the build side?  I assume its the smooth side?  Why is one side soo textured?  I plan on printing on it tomorrow.    
> 
> Thanks again!  I can read back through the thread, but I guess I'll just ask here.  Where and in what form would you like your feedback?


use the textured side with pla a raft and no heated bed or chamber  :Smile:

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## diamond black

also the feedback can be posted here as honest as you can. 
how you got on with it
how simple was it to use
and the results of the finished print

 :Smile:

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## Nicos.s

the principle should be similar as the plate of UP printer with many holes to fix the models while printing, am I right?
How is the thermal conductivity if adding this plate?

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## diamond black

Not sure i understand what you mean.

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## diamond black

> Craftbot 250 x 200 mm build plate.  More than happy to give one of these a try!


posted your plate this morning  :Smile:

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## Malakian

Just received my Build plate. Tried a small PLA print on it. First thing I noticed, it was a little hard to get level, since you can't really get a good feel with the "paper" method. After awhile a managed to get it relatively level with corner clamps, little high in the middle. Print sticks well, and comes off easy. But unfortunately there seems to be some productions flaws (air bubbles trapped under what seems to be Skateboard grip-tape?) tried to get most off it out by poking holes and trying to press down the tape again. All in all, nice product if you don't have a heated bed. But if you have a heated bed, I would still just stick to glass. Great customer service though, which is a biiiiiiiiig bonus!

Thanks
Ole

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## diamond black

i have noticed some air bubbles forming on some plates, we think its because the printed section gets so hot then expands the air that might be trapped inside.
we are thinking that maybe if we heat the top layer slightly before binding to the acrylic then maybe it will overcome that issue.
thank you for the review  :Smile:

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## DrBoost

I had a computer got DOA on me so life has been busy.  I plan on printing something this weekend, and more thereafter.  I usually don't print with a raft because I've found them impossible to remove from the print without destroying the print.  I'll try it both ways.

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## Wolfie

> ok i have managed to send a bunch more plates today.
> Wolfie
> DBFIU
> malakian
> DrBoost
> 
> not sure how long the delivery will take from the united kingdom but you should receive them soon enough


Got mine a several days ago but I am in Florida right now so I cant get to it to try for a couple more weeks.

Once I get home I can get some quality time with it and see how it plays.  Wasn't looking forward to going home.  Now I am  :Wink:

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## DrBoost

I finally had the time to give it a go.  I wasn't able to use it.  The center was too high, I couldn't level the bed.  I've put the plate on some spacers with weight on the middle, hoping to remove, or reverse the bow.  If it's high on the edges I can clamp it down, but high in the middle, I can't do anything about that.  I'm printing on glass right now.

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## diamond black

this issue did not happen on the smaller plates. 
i am experimenting with stickyback magnetic film for the underside of the plates and for the printer bed.
im hoping this will fix that issue

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## DrBoost

Thanks for the reply diamond black.  Here's my thoughts on the magnetic film.    
1.  Would the adhesive release due to heat?
2.  That wouldn't help those with wood or plastic platforms.   
Not criticisms at all, just thinking out loud.  I'm looking forward to trying it, and I'll let you know my results if I can print on it.

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## diamond black

if you have any issues in printing on it then i could send out a magnetic bottom version if ok

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## gooshpoo

im using a fabrikator id love to try one 150mm x 150mm

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## STRYKR

Sorry for the delay!  I've been enjoying my Diamond Black build plate on my CraftBot.  While I was skeptical of not using my bed heater I did not have bonding issues.  The coarse texture allows the raft to dig in yet release with ease, far better than using Kapton or blue tape.  With its flexibility, Diamond Black actually allows my prints to be removed easier than on my perforated build plate on my Zortrax M200.  Attached are a few pictures of my first sample test.  I will be testing Ninjaflex this evening and will follow up with my perceived pros and cons of the build plate.
11703432_526940260789310_314174905560566299_o.jpg11807594_526940267455976_2985169761556307723_o.jpg11834840_526940264122643_7489387240688067056_o.jpg

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## diamond black

thats great news. we are currently experimenting with magnetic bottoms and sticky back ferras sheet to eliminate the need for clamps or "screws" lol and to also fix the issue with larger plates slightly warping in the center. our first few tries look good. it will ad to the expense of the build plate and also add to the thickness, but it does make it really easy to use. just remove plate from bed then bend plate/remove part and place build plate back on bed. simples  :Smile: 
also there is an issue with the material bubbling on the acrylic build plate. that is due to the heat which i believe expands any air underneath, we are using 3m adhesive now so that should eliminate that issue  :Smile: 
if anyone could point out any other issue that would be helpfull thanx

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## diamond black

can i ask what filament you are using, pla,abs,pla

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## STRYKR

So far I have printed with PLA and Ninjaflex.  Pictures coming soon.

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## TehStranger

Not sure if this is still going but if so then I would like one for my Makerfarm Prusa i3v  :Smile:  If you feel that isn't popular enough I also have a Rostock Delta.

Cheers.

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## diamond black

i thought i would update everyone on the build plates.
we have been experimenting with magnetic bottoms with great success.
we simply purchased some 1mm stickyback magnetic sheet and adhered it to the bottom of the build plate and purchased some stickyback
ferras paper and adhered it to the top of the bed.
the result is it pulls the plate to the bed perfectly and comes off easily, i think this will solve the issue with the larger plates slightly warping in the middle where no clamps can help.
i now have no need for clamps  :Smile: 

the downside is it makes the build plate 1mm thicker, but we think the best way would be to use 2mm acrylic instead of 3mm to overcome that problem.

with the issue of the build plate material unsticking and sometimes bubbling we have decided to us 3m double sided sticky sheets between the layers and that seems to make the top layer adhere much better and should overcome any bubbling.

any thoughts!

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## STRYKR

Any chance you will start selling these soon?  Magnetic attachment sounds pretty awesome.  At first your build plate started off as a testing ground for me but I'm finding it to be more reliable than the one that came with my Craftbot!  Also, updating from whenever I last posted, the only material I have had problems with printing on Diamondblack is woodfill.  That being said, this was not an issue of the print becoming unstuck from the bed, rather it was difficult to completely remove the raft.

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## LambdaFF

> Any chance you will start selling these soon? Magnetic attachment sounds pretty awesome.


Yeah, might be interested too.

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