plastic won't stay put!

Here is a photo of what is happening with my printer. It is printing a few concentric squares, which are great other than the fact that one edge got sort of lifted off the kapton tape and dragged around a bit. I have the heat on the bed at 72C, and some people are telling me "you don't need to heat the bed with PLA!" is that true?

Extruder is 190.

Attachment 1121

Code:

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; layer_height = 0.3
; perimeters = 3
; top_solid_layers = 3
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0.4
; perimeter_speed = 20
; infill_speed = 60
; travel_speed = 130
; nozzle_diameter = 0.4
; filament_diameter = 1.72
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.42mm
; infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; solid infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; top infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; first layer extrusion width = 0.60mm

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Try leveling the plate if you can.
That's usually the problem when I have issues like that when using the tape. The bed needs to be so much more leveled then when printing on another surface. Things just slide right off the tape...

I took your advice in a different way and used blue masking tape--works much better for that print. I wanted to try something more advanced so I loaded up an octopus. I'm getting a new problem in which some of the plastic sort of flicks upwards
Attachment 1126

your first layer is too far from the bed. adjust your z-home height just a little tighter.

Definitely get your first layer height set correctly. I also find using dilute PVA glue on the bed works better than blue tape. Sticks like glue (please, please, please excuse the pun) and pops off nicely when the bed cools.

It's true about not needing a heated bed for PLA btw, I don't have one and I print on a plate of acrylic that works really well.
I'm experimenting with printing on a mirror covered with cheap hairspray and had some good results but also some bad ones.

If the bed isn't level, you're asking for trouble regardless of the tape or goop you use to help it stick.

Normally, I'd say that if you can't level your bed to +/- .001" (one mil, or about 25 microns), lay down a raft first.

Since you are using 300 micron layers, when you slice, just set the first layer height to 250 microns - this will cause a little overfill, and the material will be forced more firmly onto the build surface. This should be enough to overcome a small variance in the build surface.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Davo

If the bed isn't level, you're asking for trouble regardless of the tape or goop you use to help it stick.

Normally, I'd say that if you can't level your bed to +/- .001" (one mil, or about 13 microns), lay down a raft first.

Since you are using 300 micron layers, when you slice, just set the first layer height to 250 microns - this will cause a little overfill, and the material will be forced more firmly onto the build surface. This should be enough to overcome a small variance in the build surface.

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This is excellent advice. I also suggest using a piece of paper to judge how close your nozzle is to the board. Getting that homed in and using this above tip will overcome some slight leveling issues and allow you to get adhesion. That and blue painters tape.

Oops, I meant 25 microns, not 13 microns. Sorry.