Removing the blue 3M platform stickers

My FlashForge Creator Pro came with some of these platform stickers (http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/p...rint-tape.html) and the first one worked pretty well for a while, but eventually it tore while I was removing a print. So I removed the sticker (which was quite difficult), and now my print bed is covered in sticky residue. I've spent about an hour using elbow grease and acetone to try to clean it, and I'm about 1/3 done at best. :( Any suggestions for how to get it clean? This is not a process I want to repeat.

It's a pain, a rag wet with acetone and a plastic scrapper will do get it all off with some effort. I went with a glass plate after removing it.

Thanks, DJ. I'm thinking the same thing. Does the glass plate work well for ABS? One source I saw said that for ABS printing, a thin layer of ABS dissolved in acetone should be placed on the glass, which is, itself, difficult to clean and restore.

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Originally Posted by dommer2029

Thanks, DJ. I'm thinking the same thing. Does the glass plate work well for ABS? One source I saw said that for ABS printing, a thin layer of ABS dissolved in acetone should be placed on the glass, which is, itself, difficult to clean and restore.

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Printing ABS on glass is really simple, I use "abs juice" which is just abs dissolved in acetone to about the consistency of milk. I apply it by dampening a paper towel with a little acetone and then dropping about 5-6 drops of the juice onto the rag and wiping it down--couldn't be simpler. ABS sticks to it VERY well, sometimes too well, but since the glass bed is removable I just pop it in the freezer for a couple minutes and the parts come right off.

There's really no need to clean the abs juice off the glass, just wipe it down with more acetone and it just respreads the juice, I usually get about 5 prints before I have to add more.

Some people use hairspray instead, but I hate spaying that stuff in my shop.

One thing I highly recommend when using glass is to use some 0.5mm thermal padding (the kind that people use to hold heatsinks to cpus) to keep it on the build plate, instead of metal clips which could be hit by the extruder, or the printed corner clips which come loose and ruin prints (in my experience). Thermal padding holds the plate securely but allows it to easily be removed and replaced.

I use this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

I cut it into 5 2" squares, one for each corner and one in the middle. You could cover the entire build plate which would give you more even heating, but I suspect that would be hard to remove. These pads don't have adhesive but they physical bond they have with flat materials like glass and the build plate is pretty strong.

Hi Mate,
I heated the bed up to about 90-100C and then peeled it off, whilst it was at that temp, WEAR GLOVES!
there was no real residue left and the using a scraper I cleaned any adhesive off, ,
I also brought it up to about 70C when I applied the new sticker

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Hi Mate,
I heated the bed up to about 90-100C and then peeled it off, whilst it was at that temp, WEAR GLOVES!
there was no real residue left and the using a scraper I cleaned any adhesive off, ,
I also brought it up to about 70C when I applied the new sticker

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Thanks, Anthony. The FlashForge rep got back to me and recommended the same thing.

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I use this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

I cut it into 5 2" squares, one for each corner and one in the middle. You could cover the entire build plate which would give you more even heating, but I suspect that would be hard to remove. These pads don't have adhesive but they physical bond they have with flat materials like glass and the build plate is pretty strong.

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Thanks, DJ. I went ahead and ordered a borosilicate plate and the pads you recommended. Unfortunately, it looks like I need to print a shim before I can install the plate, so I'll need to put on another printing surface first. Hopefully Anthony's (and FlashForge's) comments are right, so removal is easier next time. Also, this way I won't have a week's downtime while I wait for the part to arrive.

Instead of messing with the build-tack just use some blue painters tape on the bare platform.

Also, it should be trivial to make a temporary shim the thickness of your glass, just find something that's close and add layers of tape until it's the right thickness, and tape it down so it hits the vertical limit switch.

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Originally Posted by dommer2029

My FlashForge Creator Pro came with some of these platform stickers (http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/p...rint-tape.html) and the first one worked pretty well for a while, but eventually it tore while I was removing a print. So I removed the sticker (which was quite difficult), and now my print bed is covered in sticky residue. I've spent about an hour using elbow grease and acetone to try to clean it, and I'm about 1/3 done at best. :( Any suggestions for how to get it clean? This is not a process I want to repeat.

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I use 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner 08984 which I obtained at the local auto store, that and a razor blade scraper. Soak the adhesive and immediately scrape with the scraper. Remove the gum from the scraper and repeat. 10 minute job max.

acetone works quite well too.

I heat up the platform to about 70 deg and peal it off,
Than I use acetone with strong paper towel and just rub it off ,
Takes 5 min max to complete.

I use Citrus cleaner, works much better than acetone (seriously, try it - get a citrus concentrate cleaner) turns the gunk into liquid and you wipe it off. Unless you like getting high off acetone, by all means then use acetone.

I will look this one up , you are right the fumes are terrible =)

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Originally Posted by galangel

I will look this one up , you are right the fumes are terrible =)

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just drop some onto the bed, let it sit there for about 30 seconds while it dissolves it and then wipe away, you won't even need elbow grease.

A metal razor blade will scratch the plate and create uneven heat distribution. Chipping away at the powder coat can also lead to rust. If you need a scraper, try using a plastic edge from a card instead. Turpenoid is odorless and will dry quickly without leaving any oily residue or citrusy smells. The magic eraser works great for cleaning off impossible dried up grease off pots and pans, and works just as good in cleaning up leftover 3M adhesive with some Turpenoid. While the instructions suggests to use water with the magic eraser, it's not what you want evaporating inside your 3D printer. There are tons of exposed wires and circuits that can easily short circuit. The problem with using acetone other than its heavy toxic odor is that you may inadvertently create an acetone bath inside the printer, melting the ABS or PLA already loaded in the extruder. 100% isopropyl alcohol would be a better option as its recommended to safely clean electronics. :)

Hi there,

After following some of your advice, I've heated up the print bed to 100°C, unstick the 3D bed sticker easily and ended up having a bit of leftover glue. My first though was to try different solvent to see what would dissolve the glue. The first one I've tried and end up working was isopropyl alcohol. It easily dissolves the glue to a slimy mess that you can scrap off softly with a plastic or metal scrapper. I would recommend using paper towel soaked in alcohol or any clean rag you wouldn't mind throwing away after to soften and start diluting the glue, scrap it off when it's soaked and clean off the leftovers with a clean rag soaked in alcohol. Make sure you wear protective gloves, do it in a well ventilated area and of course, if you plan on doing this without removing the print bed assembly, make sure that you turn off the power and unplug the power cord from your flashforge. Isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable and its fumes may explode with an electrical spark or any flame source.

Regards,

This thread helped me heaps. Thank you all for your ideas. Here's what I did:

1. Heat the bed to around 100 degrees C and carefully (wear gloves or avoid touching the bed) peel off the old sticker (by lifting, not by rolling it back). This should leave only a minimum of adhesive behind. My first mistake was taking the sticker off when cold. I suspect that if I had tried it when hot, a lot more adhesive would have come off.
2. Turn off the printer entirely, unplug it, and let it cool down. Put a bit of tape over the exposed electronics if you don't have a cover already in place.
3. Liberally apply "Goof Off" (available from Bunnings if you're in Australia) all over the bed wherever there is adhesive. Be very careful not to get any drips on the electronics. Wait a minute or so.
4. Wipe off with a "Chux" wipe or strong paper towel. If it doesn't wipe right off just add more liquid and rub it round a bit. The glue will come up in clumps. Keep going until completely clean and dry.
5. Flatten any imperfections in the surface. In my case the aluminium (yes, that's how we spell it here!) had a gouge out of it (an altercation with a scraper) which left a ridge. A few seconds with a Dremel and the ridge was filed flat.
6. Apply new sticker.
7. Profit.

Cheers

Geoff.

Tried Acetone but Goo Gone works best by far. Takes about 1 minute. Can get at any hardware store.

I Heat the bed to 96C and lift the old bed surface, though this method almost always leaves some of sticky glue surface.
Then using a spatula on my Aluminum hotbed, I lightly scrape the glue from the bed and then using Goof Off non scented remove the remaining adhesive.

I too have Tried Acetone and Goo Gone!

Goo Gone is an oily solvent which in turn must also be removed before you can apply the new bed surface.
It does not dissolve as many things, but is effective on most glues. Then would use Rubbing Alcohol to remove the oil residue.