1 Topic by ITman496

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Topic: Ceramic Tile Beds

Okay!

So I got a tile from Lowes and some hairspray and slapped it together.

Despite best efforts, there is still a little warping/lifting of the part from the bed, but it happens about 3/16 - 1/4" up in the print.

The print is about 45mmx45mm,  a fan mount for the X axis stepper motor.

Any advice?

Right now I am spraying the tile with hair spray, its clamped to the bed with binder clips.  A smaller test part printed flawlessly.  This part is bigger and appears to not be so flawless.

Suggestions?

2 Reply by Sparverius

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Hi There.

If the tile has a glossy finish, try scuffing it up a little.
Also, maybe try ABS glue.

3 Reply by ronsii

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Depending on what type of glaze they used when firing the tile could have an impact on sticking, certain ingredients can cause a different microstructure for the surface of the glaze this is how they make a high gloss tile different than a matte tile.

4 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I'll try that.   Unfortunately scuffing a tile seems to be rather hard. Any advice on that? lol

5 Reply by Sparverius

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I am trying out ceramic tile for the first time tonight as well.. and having the same problem.
I'm going to try sanding with an orbital sander and 80 grit paper, re-spray and keep trying until it sticks! smile

6 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Let me know how it works!  I'm very curious.

I just want a nice reliable surface to print on, is all.  How are you holding yours on?

7 Reply by Sparverius

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Just using binder clips too.  I sanded a little it of the finish.
I will try another print, sand a little more, try again...and again...and again!!

Not sure why I'm doing this.  I was getting decent prints on the mirror I was using..

8 Reply by Sparverius

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Sparverius wrote:

Just using binder clips too.  I sanded a little it of the finish.
I will try another print, sand a little more, try again...and again...and again!!

Not sure why I'm doing this.  I was getting decent prints on the mirror I was using..


Okay.  I just did a quick print of a part 50mm x 17mm and it is stuck on to the tile!
I put the tile on the basement floor, sanded with my little palm sander.  I then wiped it clean with acetone, and sprayed with hairspray.

I will try a larger print tomorrow. smile

9 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Awesome!

Do you respray with hairspray before every print?

And let me know how large objects work, I'd love to utilize the full area of the solidoodle.  That is why I got it instead of another unit, after all. lol..

10 Reply by adrian

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I just find hairspray works on my glossy tile - no need to rough up.. but as ronsii said, maybe its the glaze on mine vs others... *shrug*...

11 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I might run to the store and try another tile.

So far it seems that its hit and miss if it wants to stick or not.

What is the procedure to spraying, though?

Is it spray before every print and clean the tile off after every print?  Or spray once and print a few times before it wears out?

Right now it seems I have to put a lot of spray down before even the simplest of objects will stick properly.

And the biggest object that I have tried so far was a 45mm square object and it fell off halfway through the print..

I have adjusted my Z height and leveled my bed.  I'm not sure what causes it to not be happy with me.  I tried upping the bed temp to 105c and it doesn't seem to make a difference either.  I'm not sure what to do.

12 Reply by Sparverius

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I've been spraying before every print so far.  I haven't cleaned as much as did with glass..yet.  The trick so far seems to be to make sure the ceramic is good and hot before you start, and print with a raft really helps.
I've printed a couple of items that are about 100mm and its been sticking!

13 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

How does a raft effect the bottom surface of a part?

14 Reply by Tony Holmes

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

FWIW,I print with a 5mm brim instead of a raft regardless of the print surface on my SD2.

I use hairspray on the standard alum bed,let the printer lay down the brim and the first 2or3 layers of the print then hit "pause".I like to have it pause in the center where it would be doing infill so the restart won't be obvious.

Lower the bed,quickly remove the skirt,take a Q-Tip and go around the brim with acetone repeatedly,melting the brim into the bed.Hit resume and I haven't had a part lift since.

I'm waiting on my clear ceramic which should be here Monday,we'll see how it goes with that.

15 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Huh, that sounds like a really good idea.  I'll have to give that a shot.  So what's the point of the skirt if you're just gonna cut it off?

16 Reply by Tony Holmes

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

The skirt is drawn around the outside of the brim just for the purpose of getting the plastic flowing before the print itself starts.When I remove it it's purpose has already been served.

It sits about 1mm away from the brim and only gets in the way of the Q-Tip,so I remove it.

17 Reply by saymo606

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

i do similar to Tony...

use glass and hairspray,,as soon as the 5mm brim is finished, I dont bother pasuing or removing the brim...I just take a brush with acetone to the corners of the brim... due to the heated bed it doesnt take much for the acetone to melt in and fuse the plastic to the bed,

i dont bother with a skirt and a brim though.... the brim can be used to prime the extruder....no need for both IMO..

Happy weekend all...

no warping so far since doing this.

18 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Ooooh.  I got confused for a moment and thought Skirt and Brim were interchangeable.  I forgot about that, my parts do that too.


Man, I almost want to figure out how you could make an acetone dispenser and have the 3D printer automatically drop bits of acetone into the corners of the brim after printing that layer.  Would be cool!

19 Reply by adrian

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

Never found the need for acetone myself..  Just works for me. Must be lucky....

20 Reply by ITman496

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Re: Ceramic Tile Beds

I had a part that only just barely warped off of the tile.  Any advice for just getting that slightest bit extra adhesion to a bed (without a brim)

I already use hairspray and I think my bed is pretty well adjusted.