Heatbed vs no heatbed for PLA

Hi,

I was thinking of buying a heatbed for the printer I'm building, but because I won't do ABS (or not in the beginning anyway) is it really needed? Can't I just print on a glass plate with blue painters tape, or is there a real improvement? If it would be, what is the difference between an MK2B and an MK3?

Thanks,
Andreas

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2015 10:15AM by Andreas15.

If you want to mess around with hairspray / gluestick etc. you can print on glass without heated bed.

I use 75°C on glass without adding anything ( beside lemon juice to wipe off fingerprints occasionally)
Today I tried 65°C, but the part lifted the edges.

MK3 has a solid aluminum plate.
MK2B not sure, but it´s more like a PCB

I print on a MK3 flipped upside down, with painter tape directly on the aluminum at 45°C.
-Olaf
PS: Today I printed a few different clarinet reeds and I found one that sounds even better than a 20€ professional reed. This wouldn´t be possible with the wrong bed.

So do you actually don't need a glass plate on an MK3? What do you prefer? On an MK2 you can print directly onto the glass, but with the MK3 you still have to mess with painters tape?

Get a heated bed. You'll regret it if you don't.

You may or may not need to use painter's tape, glue stick, etc., but a heated bed just makes it all easier.

Both mk2 and mk3 heaters are just PCBs, you'll want a borosilicate glass plate on top.

Quote
epicepee
Both mk2 and mk3 heaters are just PCBs, you'll want a borosilicate glass plate on top.

At PLA bed temperatures, ordinary float glass will do, you don't need borosilicate. At ABS bed temperatures, float glass is entirely satisfactory if you use an aluminium heat spreader between the PCB heater and the glass. Maybe it would crack if you threw cold water on it, but I don't do that.

As for painters tape vs. heated bed, an advantage of using a heated bed is that when the bed cools, the print comes off it easily. I have read tales of PLA prints sticking too well to painter's tape.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2015 01:45PM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Thanks I'll get a heatbed with glass then, it isn't that exspensive

Quote
dc42
I have read tales of PLA prints sticking too well to painter's tape.

That´s right.
I print on painter tape at 45°C, I have to wait until it cools down 10-15°C until I can peel it off easily.

Printing at room temp wouldn´t give me this option, unless I put the hole printer in a fridge

@Andreas
Get a MK3 heatbed, turn it around and countersink the four mounting holes. That adds some stability and centers the bed better.
Make sure, you use nylon washers or other nonconductive stuff between the PCB and the springs.
My springs are 8mm diameter, wide enough to eventually short out some traces without insulation.

-Olaf

I bought the MK2B with a glass plate, too late :/, but I can probably still cancle it, is it worth the extra 10$?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2015 06:55AM by Andreas15.

/wiki/pcbheatbed

A good read
-Olaf

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2015 01:54PM by o_lampe.

Thanks, I read that fully.

Now, after reading, I noticed that the MK3 from Reprap.me looks different than the one I ordered.

I ordered this one [www.aliexpress.com]

It has a hole in the center but not a hole in the center on top. The reprap.me one has no hole in the center, but it has a hole in the center on top for easier bed levelling.

Is it another version and could I better buy the one from reprap.me?

Thanks,
Andreas

Quote
Andreas15
Thanks, I read that fully.

Now, after reading, I noticed that the MK3 from Reprap.me looks different than the one I ordered.

I ordered this one [www.aliexpress.com]

It has a hole in the center but not a hole in the center on top. The reprap.me one has no hole in the center, but it has a hole in the center on top for easier bed levelling.

Is it another version and could I better buy the one from reprap.me?

Thanks,
Andreas

Is this one good?

Three holes for bed leveling is sure a helpful thing.
I had to level my bed two or three times in the beginning, but never again. It took 5-10min. each time with four springs
I think, having a hole in the middle for the tempsensor is more important in the long run..
-Olaf