Perfect Build Surface For PLA?

Quote
frankenfrankenstuff
He used a vinyl sticker, not real carbon fiber. That would be another test.

I know. That's why I asked if anyone had tried a CF sheet.

---

greghoge.com

HUGE 3D PRINTER PARTS SALE!!!

People have printed on Carbon Fiber before and I'm sure still do. That's just one example, I've seen a few over the past year.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

Got my CF vinyl DI-NOC today, hour of recalibrating my bed level and height and it prints without heat quite well. I might do heat just to get some extra tack, the starts and sharp corners don't like the new surface, but everything else works well without heat. Makes my printer look better too.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

the heat might damage the vinyl.. strangely it works well only on a glass surface below it.. it failed for me on a aluminum and a acrylic sheet below .. ( why i am avoiding glass is because i cant get anybody to cut 4mm glass in a 170mm hexagon shape for my 3dr ) I think the problem with a cold bed is that it is affected by ambient temperature. So on a warm/hot day the prints come out great but on a cold night without heating they fail...

I dont know how people print with cold beds...

Quote
gmh39
Since CF vinyl seems to work nicely for a no-heat bed, has anyone tried a whole sheet of carbon fiber? If it works it would make your bed super light.

I'm new to 3d printing, but I have a full carbon fiber bed. I made it because that's my profession. It has a release agent on it, the same that I use when I make molds so I have yet to experience printing on bare carbon. I most likely will not because I found a method that makes the first layer of PLA on a cold bed sticks every time, has great hold, and releases easy by hand: I make double sided tape with the blue painters tape.

Using the blue tape as described by others-- everywhere in the 3d printed world--where you only let the surface texture of the non adhesive side of the tape provide enough grip for the pla was hit and miss for me. One print held, but in most instances the first layer would not stick and the print would be aborted. I tried it with a spray on adhesive that we use for carbon: 3m super 77, but the results were inconsistent because when just applied as a top layer it's effective hold time only last for minutes. The key I found was to lay on layer of blue tape, then to spray the super 77 (or any other spray adhesive-loctite, etc), and then lay a second layer of blue tape down with the adhesive side of the tape sticking up, thereby making double sided tape. I lay the second layer 90 degrees from the first layer. Since using this method, I have not had any prints first layer fail to stick. After the print, I peel the layers up and gently try to release the part from the bed. It sticks so well that sometimes you have to work it a bit, but once up you simply pull the edges of the tape, until the separation between the part and the tape is large enough that you can just remove it.

For me the benefit of the carbon fiber is the fact that I do not have to worry about bed crashes. The hotend has hit the bed many times at force at it leaves no scratches, dents , or marks. Versus the glass I had broke just by the pressure of toggle clamps. If I was still using glass, I would have broken multiple beds. Since I use multiple all metal hotends that I change out regularly the z height is always changing so when I adjust it, I have don't have to worry about bed crashes because the carbon effectively laughs at the steppers running a pointy metal object full force into it. Carbon fiber being 10 times stronger than aluminum and 5 times stronger than steel of the same thickness, it is the perfect surface for a bed in a delta. Although, the carbon bed I made is pretty thick and made of prepreg carbon. A very thin piece of carbon would be bent or pitted, so carbon fiber that is just a veneer would not work as protection against bed crashes.

So anyways, I hope that my method might work for someone because I really like the pla, and even though I made a heated build chamber for my printer so that I can print abs, I see no use in me switching to ABS because the PLA has blown me away with the easy in the way that I can print it. For my needs: printing 3d plugs for my composites business, the PLA meets my needs perfectly.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2014 04:54AM by Wildcard.

i have has success with printing on bare cast acrylic lately on a cold bed. It is just that the first layer temperature has to be right or it glues like hell to it. For the filament i have 190 -195 degrees works okay . Just need a spatula to pull the part out.

Blue tape wiped down with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol with no heat gives a ridiculously reliable "stick" for me.

In fact, it's probably too much stick-- the tape usually comes up with the print. But at least it's cheap and easy to replace.

Blue tape and 45C always perfect for me, even if my bed is both too high or too low it sticks well. I often take up tape when I pull up the print, having to replace tape about every fifth print.
Just thought I'd add since it was brought up. I haven't gone with cold as corners and starts didn't appear the best no matter what I tried. Heat is where it's at for me. All I have to do is make sure there is tape.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus