How can i get a large print to stick???

[PrintGuy]

I couldn't find any at Home Depot so I'll have to order online... but I bought some contact cement.. maybe that will work?

[PrintGuy]

my other thought, I noticed that the ABS raft stuck to the ABS part really well... but the raft would not stick to the print bed even with the hairspray and after adjusting the print bed temp.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried something other than hair spray? There are plenty of industrial strength adhesives out there.

[LambdaFF]

I'm wondering if anyone has tried something other than hair spray? There are plenty of industrial strength adhesives out there.

Yes, but then you end up at the other extreme : how do you remove this from the printbed without shattering it.. ?

[Davo]

Buildtak works well for ABS... perhaps too well.

You should try it before abandoning ABS.

[PrintGuy]

Buildtak works well for ABS... perhaps too well.

You should try it before abandoning ABS.

I actually tried buildtak per a suggestion in this thread. it did not work either

[PrintGuy]

Yes, but then you end up at the other extreme : how do you remove this from the printbed without shattering it.. ?

I hear what you're saying... i'm wondering if there is some adhesive that is not gonna superglue my build but will still work better than hairspray... also, if it is just gluing to kapon tape maybe that can just be pealed off the plate? ...


my other thought, I'm wondering what other plastic will keep its shape as good as PLA but is stronger like ABS? I'm thinking of getting a second printer to fill this need and also i need a printer with a larger build plate.

[LuckyImperial]

I actually tried buildtak per a suggestion in this thread. it did not work either

Okay...lets establish some photo proof. Something doesn't seem right. BuildTak is essentially the best adhesive you can get.

Please post pictures of your print when using BuildTak. If you are using BuildTak with a 100C build plate, and a properly calibrated Z0 gap (paper test) then you are going to have to use a putty knife to remove the print. Even if the edges curl.

Also, "Not Sticking" is different from "Edges Curling".

Have you tried using a Brim? You can brim the bottom later which will significantly improve edge adhesion at the part.

[JasmineJasmine]

I remember reading illuminati talking about how he uses a wet paper towel to dissolve the glue a bit and then lets it all dry up. I don't know if this would help your specific adherence problem; what I'm imagining is that by actively dissolving the glue to the glass you get better adhesion of the glue to the glass, this substrate layer also provides good adherence to the extruded plastic effectively coupling the two. Anyway just a thought, illuminati will likely shed more light on the subject.

[PrintGuy]

to those who may be following this thread the problem has been solved and this is what it is:

Simply a design limitation/problem with my existing 3D printer. I'm guessing something to do with the heat bed. I have a FlashForge Creator Pro. It does PLA and small ABS parts well but large ABS parts will simply not stick to the bed. Even the seller of this printer acknowledges it except they said it was because of the shrinking nature of ABS. Too bad cuz the flashforge people have excellent customer support but not the best designed printer sad to say.

I purchased another 3D printer and the exact same large ABS part came out near perfect and with no lifting from the heat bed what so ever. I did not need to apply hairspray. The new printer is a 3Dwox made by a Korean Company. For the record, no i don't work for them. But so far i'm super stoked with the new printer. It is clearly very well designed and was only $1,300. I paid $1,200 for the flashforge and there is no comparison. you're welcome in advance to anyone who buys the 3Dwox based on this input.


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[djprinter]

Printing something that large in ABS without a heated chamber is very tough, even if you get it to stick to the bed it will probably split between the layers.

The best solution is to find some way to get your build chamber up to 120-130 degrees, on my flashforge I did this by cutting a hole in the side and attaching a low-power hair dryer. Now I can print ABS parts the size of the entire build area and not get any warping or splitting.

You do need to be careful not to get the chamber too hot or you may fry your electronics, 120 degrees seems to be enough.

Keep in mind that the ONLY reason FDM printers don't come with heated chambers by default is due to a patent.