but then the smell of abs started to give me headaches so ... PLA is what i use now
much happier with the results

http://hackaday.com/2011/11/15/a-techni … 3d-prints/

I've realized the core problem with print curling is that the infill creates these lines connecting opposite sides of the printed perimeter.  After each layer of infill cools it basically "pulls" the extremities of the print in and this puts tremendous pressure on the bottom edges until they end up lifting off the print bed whether you have something that is holding it or not.  Using a heat box basically drastically reduces the effect of infill pulling on the perimeter by preventing such a high level of contraction due to cooling.

I think the degree of "differences" of opinion you see on forums about how well one print curling solution works vs. another is due to subtle variations in print settings and mechanical tolerances that creates a very very wide range of how each line/string/portion of infill actually bonds to the print perimeter.  Hence, the level of differences in suitability of each "hack".

Theres also a post I did about a week ago showing the different impacts of the different bed options using a thermal camera. Glass+Hairspray is good, but the outright winner is a Ceramic Tile+Hairspray as the Tile holds heat better and also has a much larger and even heat foot print due to its greater thermal mass.

http://www.soliforum.com/topic/2230/the … ed-setups/

A friend of mine though went to an extreme and did on his glass sheet an acid etch surface and then rubs that down with acetone before a print, and that seems to work for him and I have wanted to try it, but have yet to do so.

I tried that (wiping the bed with acetone)  but, for me, it didn't make any difference in keeping the print down.

Different people have different experiences.  In my case I agree, I didn't have much luck with kapton so I went to hairspray+glass.  But you will get the full spectrum of opinions on here.  For some, it works great, or they don't fully test it.  Some people swear by ABS glue, others say it doesn't work well at all.  The point is people should try a few options and stick with what works best for them.

you're still using hairspray.  It seems to me that almost no one here can actually print without some kind of additive (hairspray, glue, acetone). 

Has anyone managed to print  stuff by using the stock (Kapton) surface and just heating the bed?  I mean printing something with more than a 4-5 layers.

I don't generally, but it just so happens that I removed the glass to get my print off last night and was called away. I came back and went to start another print. I was surprised when the printer started printing in the air, what now I thought. Keep in mind it was about 1in the morning. I couldn't figure out how my z home had changed by about 2 mm. I reset it to .3mm and started a 4.5 hour 200 layer print. It finished up over night, this morning I sat down and said "what's this piece of glass doing on my desk?" Sure enough, I had reset the Z height and printed on the kapton. It worked, but I find the glass/hairspray combo to work well and is more reliable. The print came off the kapton quite easily, much more so than it would have come off the glass.
As for what kind, I bought the cheapest unscented brand that they had at the grocery store, Aquanet. I only reapply it every 8 or 9 prints and I tend to move the objects around on the print bed a bit to cover different areas of the bed as I print.

TiM

Yes, printing with stock Kapton works fine for some people.  This is what Solidoodle recommends.  Also, acetone is not an additive that you apply.  It is only used to clean the surface of oils, etc.  It has very high volatility, so it evaporates almost instantly.

I tried that (wiping the bed with acetone)  but, for me, it didn't make any difference in keeping the print down.

Im using glass and hairspray at 100c and still have issues with sticking. I was wondering what hairspray works best? and also if there is anything else that may help.

I 'm using the first bottle my wife had laying around, Ion Anti-Frizz Hard-to-Hold hair spray and it works quite well.  I also cleans up very easy with rubbing alcohol.

http://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-spray/S … lt,pd.html

So far I've used it directly on the Kapton and it works well at 100°C, but I have to spray it on when the bed is relatively cold, and wait about 5 minutes before starting to heat the bed.  The models come off pretty easy once the printbed cools off.  I stick a credit card underneath and pop it off.

Oh, I also found that printing a 4-5mm brim around the model prevents the corners from lifting and curling up during long prints.

I was thinking of etching the glass so I wouldn't have to use hair spray.

This has been tried before, and it doesn't work, unfortunately.

Yes, printing with stock Kapton works fine for some people.  This is what Solidoodle recommends.  Also, acetone is not an additive that you apply.  It is only used to clean the surface of oils, etc.  It has very high volatility, so it evaporates almost instantly.

The only time I've had problems with parts sticking to hairspray coated glass on my SD3 is when the Z-stop is set too low, or high depending on how you look at it. I was actually having trouble getting parts off the glass. Now I take the hot glass with the part on it and place it on a 3" X 4" block of aluminium that I had laying about. After a minute or two you can hear a cracking sound and the part actually breaks free from the glass.

TiM

But you're still using hairspray.  It seems to me that almost no one here can actually print without some kind of additive (hairspray, glue, acetone). 

Has anyone managed to print  stuff by using the stock (Kapton) surface and just heating the bed?  I mean printing something with more than a 4-5 layers.