I know some get annoyed with kapton but the stuff got from banggood was cheap enough to allow you to replace it as often as you want http://www.banggood.com/200mm-x-100ft-H … 11890.html $23 for 200mmx100ft. I see you can get it from ebay cheaper these days which is nice.
]]>has anyone ever found any extruded aluminum with angled tracks on sides to hold glass plate edges so you could make a piece of it into the bed and just add back stop plate and a front hinged gate so we could just slide glass plates in like a snug drawer and not have to use clips that restrict print area?
would need extruded part in 6 inch and 8 inch for both style beds
To your exact question, no, haven't done the aluminum track thing that you describe, but do something similar using printed parts, not manufactured tracks.
I print on 8x8 mirrors (on a Solidoodle 2 6x6 bed) that were originally meant as decorative candle platforms. To hold them, I designed and printed a friction held registration corner (presenting just a vertical wall on the back and right side of the plate) at the back right rear corner. I slip the plate onto the bed and then slip the front left corner under a diagonally biased (toward the registration edge) printed corner clip with vertical left and front edges and a slight overhang to vertically position the glass corner and push it into the registration corner. My particular design is dependent on the design of the center biasing spring system I use on the front of the bed, and is not necessarily a design I would necessarily recommend repeating.
My purpose is to say that the idea of securing a plate on the heated bed using a corner register piece, combined with an opposite corner minimal clip, has worked for me and provides quick and easy plate removal and placement, without the stresses or limitations of some of the other mounting ideas that have been shown.
I hope I've described the concept well enough to be useful.
]]>what will take the sharp edges off glass plate so it dont cut me?
]]>Keep the kapton on if it still has a smooth surface. Generously spray Aqua Net Extra Super Hold on the bottom of the glass/mirror. Slap it on the aluminum bed without using any binders. Then cycle the heat on the bed a couple times and you will not need any binders. Seriously....you will need a putty knife to get it loose. This is perfect if you have a wapred/warping bed. It helps adhesion issues as well negates the warping of the aluminum bed.
]]>getting sick of the crappy Kaptan tape only done 1 print on fresh application of it and just pulling it loose it ripped a 1 inch patch out of the cheap Octave Kaptan tape from Amazon.
]]>Claghorn wrote:n2ri wrote:what type glass do most use?
standard picture frame glass 3/16" thick seems way thin and fragile besides using it on hot surface which can crack regular glass just from expansion/contraction. what about tempered and thicker double strength or better?
I use standard window glass - got a huge sheet of it at home depot for about $5 and it is plenty big enough to cut several bed-sized pieces from, so even if it happens to crack, I can always just cut a new one (and I've been using the first one for a year or so now with no problems).
I have used standard window glass as well. My SD2 has a 6"x6" piece that is only 2mm thick (.080") that I have been running hard for almost 6 months with no issues.
I also have been using the cheap hardware store glass 8"x8" that is 2.3mm's thick for over a year and a half with no issues.
And with a bed heater as big and fast as mine I was concerned with it cracking. I bough several pieces and have never had a reason to unwrap them.
n2ri wrote:what type glass do most use?
standard picture frame glass 3/16" thick seems way thin and fragile besides using it on hot surface which can crack regular glass just from expansion/contraction. what about tempered and thicker double strength or better?
I use standard window glass - got a huge sheet of it at home depot for about $5 and it is plenty big enough to cut several bed-sized pieces from, so even if it happens to crack, I can always just cut a new one (and I've been using the first one for a year or so now with no problems).
I have used standard window glass as well. My SD2 has a 6"x6" piece that is only 2mm thick (.080") that I have been running hard for almost 6 months with no issues.
]]>what type glass do most use?
standard picture frame glass 3/16" thick seems way thin and fragile besides using it on hot surface which can crack regular glass just from expansion/contraction. what about tempered and thicker double strength or better?
I use standard window glass - got a huge sheet of it at home depot for about $5 and it is plenty big enough to cut several bed-sized pieces from, so even if it happens to crack, I can always just cut a new one (and I've been using the first one for a year or so now with no problems).
]]>standard picture frame glass 3/16" thick seems way thin and fragile besides using it on hot surface which can crack regular glass just from expansion/contraction. what about tempered and thicker double strength or better?
]]>Personally I like just using hairspray as there is nothing pulling the glass out of level. I can image in some of the worst cases that a warped bed with binders pulling the glass down will only make a minor improvement. Letting the glass sit seems like it will lay flat, but I know we're talking about small amounts at this point.
Now you mention making a slot in the bottom of the leveling screws I'll be doing that as it's a great idea. I'll probably just just a needle file though.
Personally I want to get the bed screws protruding as little as possible to maximize the print volume, as I want to get at least 7x7x7 out of my original SD2.