1 Topic by JammerX19

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Topic: Help me understand the glass bed thing

So I've seen people use cheap 6"x6" mirrors to print on.  One video I saw showed that the mirror was covered in kapton tape.  Is kapton tape required?  Could you just print to the heated mirror (maybe with some hairspray on it)?

Also, I've seen people refer to using a piece of borosilicate glass.  Again, if you go this route, do you need kapton tape? 

I would just like to understand the options.  It seems that Solidoodle themselves will sell you a glass bed piece for $12.  Is that borosilicate?  Do you need kapton tape for it?

To sum up:

1. I don't understand why we use kapton tape in the first place.  What problem does it solve?
2. What is the best option?  Regular glass, borosilicate glass, cheap old mirrors?  And by "best", I don't mean cheapest.  What will give me the best possible outcome for my printing, regardless of cost?

Thanks for tolerating a newbie's many questions.

2 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

Quick answer is cheap hardware store glass, mirrors and borosilicate glass all accomplish one thing.  They make the build platform flat when it otherwise was not.  You don't put the Kapton on over the glass but you can leave it under and spray that with hairspray to stick the glass to the platform.  This way you don't risk warping your glass (to match the warp of the platform) with the use of clips nor will your extruder have any clips to bump into.  There are other more expensive materials such as ((Quote from Adrian) "PEI; which is the abbreviation for Polyetherimide . It is sold under the 'Ultem' trade name.")
out there that are a little more user friendly but they really won't yield you better results.  I have been running my original piece of hardware store glass for well over a year now.  I rarely have to spray it with hairspray (only after cleaning of the glass which is almost never).   So it is really your choice, if your bed is nice and flat you should be able to get fine results just on the Kapton tape.  If it isn't flat a piece of glass will fix that problem.  If you are just looking to have the best then go buy a piece of PEI.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

3 Reply by LdyMox

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

I do need to clean my class every few months. Usually it's just very small bits stuck to the glass causing it to be not level. I have a habit of applying hair spray once every few days or more often if I am using ABS or printing items that take up most of my print bed. But generally glass and haorspray works wonderfully. But yea the clips can get in the way but you can follow wards advice and stick it with hairspray or just use small clips as it does not take much to keep it in place.

Tammy
Solidoodle 2
E3Dv6 Hotend, MK5 v6 version, Glass Bed, Anti Z backlash slop nut, SureStepr SD8825 1/32 Extruder Driver, makeshift breakaway plexiglass case; . L-Cheapo 3.8 Watt Laser Attachment w/Custom built enclosure
From Buffalo, NY, USA

4 Reply by wire10ga

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

+1

wardjr wrote:

Quick answer is cheap hardware store glass, mirrors and borosilicate glass all accomplish one thing.  They make the build platform flat when it otherwise was not.  You don't put the Kapton on over the glass but you can leave it under and spray that with hairspray to stick the glass to the platform.  This way you don't risk warping your glass (to match the warp of the platform) with the use of clips nor will your extruder have any clips to bump into.  There are other more expensive materials such as ((Quote from Adrian) "PEI; which is the abbreviation for Polyetherimide . It is sold under the 'Ultem' trade name.")
out there that are a little more user friendly but they really won't yield you better results.  I have been running my original piece of hardware store glass for well over a year now.  I rarely have to spray it with hairspray (only after cleaning of the glass which is almost never).   So it is really your choice, if your bed is nice and flat you should be able to get fine results just on the Kapton tape.  If it isn't flat a piece of glass will fix that problem.  If you are just looking to have the best then go buy a piece of PEI.

SD2 - Glass Bed, Fans on PCB and Y motor, Custom enclosure
Slicer - Simplify3D

wire10ga's Website

5 Reply by IronMan

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

+1

wardjr wrote:

Quick answer is cheap hardware store glass, mirrors and borosilicate glass all accomplish one thing.  They make the build platform flat when it otherwise was not.

I have been running hardware store glass on my SD2 for about a year and a half with great success!  I think perhaps the regular glass has performed well with my Resistor-heated SD2 bed as it takes about 15-20 minutes to come to heat (with soaking time allowed for the glass), thus heating the glass slowly.  The added attributes of Borosilicate are resistance to fast temperature swings without breaking; and anti-warping under heated conditions. 

I just bought a PCB heated platform for another printer build I'm working on...I guess I'll see what going from 25c to 100c in 2 minutes does to my hardware store glass! :-)

SD2 - Stock - Enclosure - Heated Bed - Glass Plate - Auto Fire Extinguisher
Ord Bot Hadron - RAMPS 1.4 - Bulldog XL - E3D v6 - 10" x 10" PCB Heated Build w/SSR - Glass Plate
Thanks for All of Your Help!

6 Reply by wardjr (edited by wardjr 2014-08-05 17:53:30)

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

IronMan wrote:

+1

wardjr wrote:

Quick answer is cheap hardware store glass, mirrors and borosilicate glass all accomplish one thing.  They make the build platform flat when it otherwise was not.

I have been running hardware store glass on my SD2 for about a year and a half with great success!  I think perhaps the regular glass has performed well with my Resistor-heated SD2 bed as it takes about 15-20 minutes to come to heat (with soaking time allowed for the glass), thus heating the glass slowly.  The added attributes of Borosilicate are resistance to fast temperature swings without breaking; and anti-warping under heated conditions. 

I just bought a PCB heated platform for another printer build I'm working on...I guess I'll see what going from 25c to 100c in 2 minutes does to my hardware store glass! :-)

Take a quick look at my signature... I go from 20c to 108c (at the thermistor) in less than 60 seconds.  It still takes another minute or so for the heat to get through the glass.

http://i.imgur.com/3l5iCwP.png

Original piece of hardware store glass for close to a year and a half.
You won't find another heated bed that will do that.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

7 Reply by IronMan

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Re: Help me understand the glass bed thing

Awesome!

Thank you...One less thing to for me worry about!

SD2 - Stock - Enclosure - Heated Bed - Glass Plate - Auto Fire Extinguisher
Ord Bot Hadron - RAMPS 1.4 - Bulldog XL - E3D v6 - 10" x 10" PCB Heated Build w/SSR - Glass Plate
Thanks for All of Your Help!