Printing with Nylon

[Davo]

Excellent, thanks for sharing. Topics like these will make it less annoying for the next wave of people to get up to speed.

[ldabkey]

rkopf-

Thank you for the temps. My nylon spool is due to arrive today. Can't wait to give it a try.

I found the same trick of using a glue stick (Elmer's purple) on glass to be most effective. Bought a 5-pack for $4.99 at Staples. In fact, I have found it more effective over kapton tape or painter's tape even when using ABS or PLA. The trick is a thin layer (as you said) but you must put it on when the glass is cool if using a heated plate. I'm surprised more people aren't using this method over kapton or tape.

[ldabkey]

Got my Nylon 618 and printed some gears for a test with good results. Printed at 245° C with an unheated build plate. My build plate is a glass plate coated with Elmer's purple glue sticks (rkopf-worked like a charm). I did find that even using an unheated build plate that I was getting some curling/rounding of my gear on the bottom. I solved that by using a raft. At first, I thought using a raft with Nylon might be difficult to separate but it was easy as pie. Also no difficulty popping off my build after the glass plate cooled. I think I'm now off and running with printing Nylon.

[Davo]

Glad to hear it, Idabkey. Congrats!

[RobH2]

I've been trying to print 618 nylon for a month now. If I print anything over an inch wide I get wicked warping. Everything I've tried to get it to stick fails. I have not tried sandpaper yet. 'jimc' mentioned psa adhesive. What is that? My concern is about gluing sandpaper to the glass. Are you able to get the sandpaper and adhesive off easily?

Here's a list of what I've tried. All failed to hold the corners down. I even used a skirt of 20 lines and the part just rips away from the skirt.

1. Glass with purple Elmers with non heated bed.
2. Glass with purple Elmers with 40c, 50c, 60c and 70c bed.
3. Glass with blue take. The part ripped the tape off of the glass.
4. Glass with Kapton tape.
5. Garolite with Purple Elmers with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.
6. Garolite with Aquanet with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.
7. Garolite scratched with steel wool with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.
8. Garolite scratched with 80grit sandpaper with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.
9. Garolite+Aquanet scratched with 80grit sandpaper with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.
10. Garolite+Purple Elmers scratched with 80grit sandpaper with no heat, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c.


I have not tried wood. I see a few posts about that. I'm afraid that maintaining a supply of adequate wood to print on is going to be very tedious.

Some people report hit and miss with Garolite. I've never had a hit.

I really like the integrity and feel of the the parts. I just wish I could get it to stick.

Edit: My 6-hour print was running as I was posting. It finally finished. This one was on garolite+Elmers at 240c with the bed at 60c. Get a look that that warp. I hope I can solve this.
NylonWarp.jpg

[beerdart]

Have you tried glass with ABS juice @ 90c?

[jimc]

rob. as soon as you put something on garolite your not printing on garolite anymore, your printing on whatever you put down. garolite i have had as you say hit or miss. it needs to be absolutely squeaky clean and try to not use it scratched. heat the garolite to about 50c. you should atleast be able to get a good print once in awhile. another thing i know of is people are printing it on nylon itself. get yourself a 1/4" think nylon sheet. in your pic though that is a fairly large piece. i think your going to have trouble with that. once my 618 ran out i ordered the bridge. i have not tried it yet but is supposed to have way less warp. psa = pressure sensitive adhesive. basically anything self adhesive, tape, etc. i get sandpaper in rolls with psa adhesive so i can stick it down on the bed easily just like i was putting kapton down.

[RobH2]

Thanks jim. My list includes everything that I'd read in posts that people said worked. If they had said peanut butter on silk at 300C I would have tried that...lol...
'
I see your logic about "anything" on garolite. I did clean it twice with acetone and used the new side. I then read several posts where people had scratched it and sanded it. One sanded it to expose the cotton fiber and that worked for him. I was just trying anything that someone else had reported results from.

I have not tried abs juice at 90C. I'll do that. I have read that 618 was the hardest to use but only read that after I had ordered it. I'll look into the bridge too. PSA, ah yes, makes sense. My son laughs at me when he throws abbreviations at me in emails and then I have to write and ask what he's saying. Pretty funny.

I'm going to try sandpaper, nylon sheet and abs juice next. My very first experiment was actually with abs juice at 40C. I forgot to list that. Thanks for the input Jim. That gives me a few more options so I can use up this 618. I still have 1/2 a roll left and I rather not have it all be wasted on warps.

Last thing, you said, "in your pic though that is a fairly large piece. i think your going to have trouble..." What specifically are you saying: the piece it too thick (to heat properly?), too large dimensionally (but how do I clip it to the bed if it's smaller?), or what exactly?

[jimc]

rob just meant its a little large dimensionally to make an easy nylon print. just like abs, the bigger and more hard corners the more difficult

[RobH2]

rob. as soon as you put something on garolite your not printing on garolite anymore, your printing on whatever you put down. garolite i have had as you say hit or miss. it needs to be absolutely squeaky clean and try to not use it scratched. heat the garolite to about 50c. you should atleast be able to get a good print once in awhile. another thing i know of is people are printing it on nylon itself. get yourself a 1/4" think nylon sheet. in your pic though that is a fairly large piece. i think your going to have trouble with that. once my 618 ran out i ordered the bridge. i have not tried it yet but is supposed to have way less warp. psa = pressure sensitive adhesive. basically anything self adhesive, tape, etc. i get sandpaper in rolls with psa adhesive so i can stick it down on the bed easily just like i was putting kapton down.

Hi Jim,

What brand of psa sandpaper rolls to you get? There are a bunch out there and if you've found one you like can you share? I'm about to throw my 618 away. I just tried a bunch of ABS slurry on glass and that didn't work well. I spray mounted some 120 grit sandpaper to glass and that pulled the grit off of the paper backing. More failure...lol... Maybe it was old sandpaper. Anyway, I want to order some and thought that if you've found some you like I'd get the same thing.