SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (solijohn) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:00:29 +0000

cmetzel wrote:

Another idea that is working well for me
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/1211/bed … ith-proof/

Great idea!

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (cmetzel) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:18:20 +0000

Another idea that is working well for me

http://www.soliforum.com/topic/1211/bed … ith-proof/

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (solijohn) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:01:22 +0000

IanJohnson wrote:

Another suggestion I've seen, but not tried is a square cut from a welding blanket.

I'm told this works very well.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (tealvince) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:37:56 +0000

pcpoirier wrote:

Oven Hot Pad
Safe and will get shoved aside if forgotten.

I think this is the best idea. I came to the same conclusion last night. I figure I can tie it to the bottom rail and flip it onto the bed with the bed fully lowered (and safely away from the extruder). When the bed raises to print the pad should automatically be pulled off, though I'll have to double check to see if the bed has enough z-movement to do that.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (pcpoirier) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:36:47 +0000

Oven Hot Pad
Safe and will get shoved aside if forgotten.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (ysb) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:02:14 +0000

cardboard do the trick also

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (IanJohnson) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:23:59 +0000

Another suggestion I've seen, but not tried is a square cut from a welding blanket.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (ronsii) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:18:53 +0000

i have used a piece of paper(first) then a piece of sponge foam, but don't leave it unattended !! just in case the foam you find is easier to melt than mine... hasn't stuck to the paper yet but I don't leave it there once the bed hits the target temp.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (cmetzel) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:52:44 +0000

I've suggested those microwave heating pads with rice or whatnot in them. I think ian tried it but I dont remwmber his feedback. You can zap it for a minute in the microwave and transfer the heat to you bed.

Re: Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (elmoret) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:34:50 +0000

I use a folded washcloth or rag. Way less meltable/flammable.

Crazy Idea - Foam bed insulator?

null@example.com (tealvince) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:19:32 +0000

I seem to get a new crazy idea every day since getting my Solidoodle, but I think this one might have a little more merit than some of the others.

One of the things I find most frustrating is waiting for the print bed to come up to temperature when starting a print. Today, in frustration, I ended up putting a block of styrofoam on the bed while it warmed, and I guesstimate that this speeded up the process at least 4x. The foam didn't stick to the kapton, so I'm tempted to do this every time.

It occurred to me I could automate this process by having the start code wait for the bed to come up to temperature, then have it push the foam off the bed prior to printing.

Of course, the foam might melt if it touched the extruder head unless some kind of guard were added around it, or the foam might rotate and jam against the printer frame. So the second idea was to attach the block to the top front bar of the frame with a spring loaded hinge, and have the start gcode lower the bed to allow the foam to swing free.

Is this crazy? Anybody do something similar? What is the melting point of styrofoam anyway?