1 Topic by cmetzel

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Topic: Glass bed users... questions

I know Ian and some others have been using glass mounted on to the HBP and assisting with hairspray.  I bought some glass last night to do this mod myself.  I have a couple questions.

I forgot to measure the z screw, can someone tell me the diameter and length so I can get a longer one, mine's basically bottomed out already from the factory.  I'm guessing it's M3 by about 20mm?

Since the hairspray is being used to assist the sticking, and some use non heated beds, has anyone experimented with just leaving the HBP off, which leads me to my next question.

What is the maximum size of build if you were to buy your glass oversize and figure a way to mount it to the build platform?  What are the safe travel limits, could you get another inch each way in X and some extra towards the front of the SD2 in Y direction?   Seems to me like I can move at least 1/2" or so for sure off the bed in X before I hit the end stop.

I'm not in front of my machine at the moment, but if you use teks jigsaw replacement can you go even further before hitting the end stop?

If you don't think it would work without the heat, what about making a larger aluminum plate to replace the 150x150mm plate, would enough heat transfer to the outside edges from the heating element to give you a high enough temp for the print to stick?

2 Reply by Diecrusher (edited by Diecrusher 2012-10-30 18:49:47)

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

After using the glass plate I would never go back to the stock kapton taped bed.  It works fantastic.... prints are nice an flat.


****CAUTION: ****  I got lucky and dodged a potential crash - I noticed this a second before I started a print!!  Since the clips I used for the glass are above "Z" zero you have to make sure that your "Z" is ABOVE the tops of the clips when you start a print.  When you start the SD, it homes X and Y first and then starts moving Z.  If your nozzle is not high enough above the bed you will crash and it could be ugly.

3 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

I always keep the back right clip a couple of inches in from the corner to make sure it doesn't get crashed into, if home happens to hit Y before sliding over to X.

4 Reply by macmub

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

@Diecrusher

Are you using hairspray?
What temps are you running? First layer & entire print

What seems to work best? Light spray of hairspray or fairly liberal?

5 Reply by Diecrusher (edited by Diecrusher 2012-10-31 02:49:25)

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

I am consistently using 200 for my extruder temp and start my print with the bed about 90 and then drop it down to 80 once it prints a few layers.  By the time it drops to 80 it is a few more layers up.

I am just lightly misting the glass with the hairspray.... will try sandblasting the glass tomorrow to see if I can eliminate the hairspray completely.


Ian,  What do you do about the glass clips with Lawsy's new firmware?  I just saw his vid and it shows homing x, y and z (the back right corner) and then it rapids to the front left corner while it waits to get to temp.  I like clipping the glass in the corners as that seems to most appropriate place to contribute to flatness but rapids at with Z near the bed sound dangerous to me.

6 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

I move the back right clip a little to the left so it isn't in the way when it homes Y.  Usually X goes first from somewhere in the middle of the bed, so that one isn't a problem.  Then it slides straight back to Y.  I give it enough space with the clip that it won't hit it moving off diagonally.

I had a print with a few STLs on one plate that were big enough that I had to move the clips around to keep them out of the way, but most of the time its fine.

7 Reply by Stoney

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

would a thin silicon sheet between the glass and aluminium/kapton suffice to grip it ?
It would be nice if it could be used with no clips at all.

8 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

Stoney wrote:

would a thin silicon sheet between the glass and aluminium/kapton suffice to grip it ?
It would be nice if it could be used with no clips at all.

The Silicon might singe a bit with the heat. I'd hate to smell that.

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

9 Reply by Kamatari

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

cmetzel wrote:

I forgot to measure the z screw, can someone tell me the diameter and length so I can get a longer one, mine's basically bottomed out already from the factory.  I'm guessing it's M3 by about 20mm?


Although im not using using a glass bed but going to try with ceramic, i need a slightly longer z screw, is an m3 20mm about right?

10 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

Diecrusher wrote:

After using the glass plate I would never go back to the stock kapton taped bed.  It works fantastic.... prints are nice an flat.

Completely agree. Best $4 I've spent.

Get two glass plates, so you can easily swap on and off!

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

11 Reply by cckens

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

Got a 12x12 mirror that was used at my wedding as a centerpiece.  Think I'm going to sacrifice it to get what I need.  Should yield 4 6x6 pieces that should do pretty good.

12 Reply by jefferysanders (edited by jefferysanders 2012-11-05 23:51:05)

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

cckens wrote:

Got a 12x12 mirror that was used at my wedding as a centerpiece.  Think I'm going to sacrifice it to get what I need.  Should yield 4 6x6 pieces that should do pretty good.

How is the weather in Southern Texas?

13 Reply by cckens

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

So Cal, actually and we had an 80-90 degree day today.

14 Reply by Stoney

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

Kamatari wrote:
cmetzel wrote:

I forgot to measure the z screw, can someone tell me the diameter and length so I can get a longer one, mine's basically bottomed out already from the factory.  I'm guessing it's M3 by about 20mm?


Although im not using using a glass bed but going to try with ceramic, i need a slightly longer z screw, is an m3 20mm about right?

The spacers that come with motherboards are ideal, they just screw onto the bottom of the original screw and add about 5mm in length.

15 Reply by Kamatari

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

I brought some new screws but also some nuts and works great smile it feels like a better surface im printing on and intial prints had good quality

16 Reply by Stoney

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Re: Glass bed users... questions

I tried a ceramic? tile tonight and thought it was ok but took too long to heat up, so off to the hardware store and got a 2mm sheet of framing glass cut into 4 6x6 squares and still have a larger piece left, total cost $4.95
This is a great mod I think, I am yet to get the z dialled in correctly, I think its closer to 0.25mm or so, raft seems to be sticking quite well though and comes off easily.
I have only printed a couple of smallish cross sections so far though.