Hairspray Won't Hold

Hi all,

I've been using a Replicator 2X for over a year, and until recently everything worked well, but now it seems that the hairspray adhesion trick is no longer working. I was using Aquanet Extra Super Hold with no problems - I'd spray down a layer, let it dry for a minute or two, and the ABS would hold fast.

I used up the can I'd had, and went out and bought the exact same type, but the prints wouldn't stick. Even worse, the hairspray would dry up and become slippery making the prints slide even worse than with no hairspray. I figured that I'd just gotten a punk can of hairspray, so I tried Aussie Instant Freeze, but had the same results. I even tried some of my wife's expensive salon spray, but the same thing would happen - it would stay tacky for a few minutes then dry out and get slippery.

Has anyone else had this problem? Have the hairspray companies perhaps changed their formulation since I bought that first can of Aquanet? It's perplexing, and frustrating.

-Crawford

This might sound a bit twee, but perhaps you have hairspray build-up. The fresh applications cannot stick to the earlier layers. As a first step, try washing your print bed with water and use a razor blade in a safety holder to scrape the glass clean. I'd even give acetone a try as a cleaner, too.

Old Man Emu

Anything's worth a shot. Thanks for the tip!

-C

So I gave the old layers of hairspray a scrubbing - and it took some effort to get it off, too. However, upon laying down more hairspray, the same thing happened: it stayed tacky for only a minute or two, then dried to a hard-slick finish. That sort of suggests that there's some sort of environmental issue, but I'd been using hairspray over the last year in all sorts of typical Oregon weather, so that really hasn't changed. It makes me think that they've changed the hairspray formula in some fashion.

-Crawford

I still use aquanet with no issue. If i want a stronger bond then the garnier fructise #5 is the stuff to use. Another note is that if your first layer gap is too big it wont stick.

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Originally Posted by jimc

I still use aquanet with no issue. If i want a stronger bond then the garnier fructise #5 is the stuff to use.

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Oooo, ducks! I simply deplooore using product. I'm just au naturel and let the feathers fly where they will.

OME

I've had moderate success with a purple gluestick. It still doesn't hold like the Aquanet used to, but at least the prints aren't sliding all over the place now.

-Crawford

I'm a fan of the gluestick so far (well, I have nothing to compare it to, but I haven't felt the need to change yet). The purple is nice since when you wet it down to clean up, it turns purple again, and lets you know where you missed. I also found that you can wet your fingers a bit, and spread around the old glue over your last print area, and it refreshes that area some.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TesseractDzyn

I've had moderate success with a purple gluestick. It still doesn't hold like the Aquanet used to, but at least the prints aren't sliding all over the place now.

-Crawford

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Use hot water to get rid of the glue on your glass from the spray,

I would say try it again with some decent amount, i find it better to spray when my heated bed is already on temp aka 70c and print after a few seconds when you can feel that it isnt liquidish but just sticky.
Hair spray has never failed on me, so it shouldnt for you, used it for PLA, ABS, PET+, woodfill.

- If you have some painters tape around you can try a combo. I found that sealing painters tape down and then giving it a light coat of purple glue stick works great. I have some pics, video, and an article HERE that shows it in action.

2nd the vote purple glue stick and it cleans off easy.