You are not logged in. Please login or register.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → Glass Bed Pyrex or Ceramic?
All,
I've read lots of posts on the use of glass print beds. From an engineering standpoint it makes sense. I noticed that McMaster Carr sells Borosilicate (pyrex) in a 6"x6" sheet for $13. Seems pretty good. They also sell a Ceramic glass that's even higher rated. Has anyone ordered glass from McMaster?
For those who have used glass beds, do you just clip the glass to the existing bed?
Has anyone further insulated the sides and bottom of the bed?
Just go to Ace Hardware and have them cut you some pieces to size. I got 3 pieces cut for $2.70. Can't go wrong there. No other insulation is needed, and at the moment you just use small binder clips in 3 or 4 spots depending on how flat your alum bed is.
Recommend that you also either grind the edges of the glass down or do as I did and use painters tape on the edges (I lack proper glass tools). Binder clips work best, but I've had success with pinch-type clothes pins (as this is what I had before the binder clips). Some have tried hair pins with some success as well.
Sidenote: I noticed the mcmaster glass too. But, I decided it was a bit pricey.
In the end, I've used cheap 6x8, 2mm picture frame glass for 15+ prints without a problem (cycling from 0-96 celsius each time).
Time will tell ultimately if pyrex is necessary?
By the way, you have a few extra mm on the left and a few more on the right. I'd go with a 6.5x6.5 piece and then you have the little extra to play with and don't have to fret about printing off the edge on those 6" prints. I've been using glass since Ian? Suggested with hairspray and haven't had a problem yet. When they get a little gummed up I go buy 3 or 4 more for $5 total. Hard to beat.
Thanks for the tip on the size. I have a couple sheets of glass that came from old scanner beds. I wonder what type of glass they are. I can tell they are a higher quality.
I also ordered the ceramic glass from McMaster. I figured it was worth a shot.
By the way, you have a few extra mm on the left and a few more on the right. I'd go with a 6.5x6.5 piece and then you have the little extra to play with and don't have to fret about printing off the edge on those 6" prints. I've been using glass since Ian? Suggested with hairspray and haven't had a problem yet. When they get a little gummed up I go buy 3 or 4 more for $5 total. Hard to beat.
couldn't you just soak the glass in some hot water, or rub it down with something like acetone? I'd imagine hairspray / ABS is cleanable off of glass.
I literally have a bottle of hand sanitizer and I put a little dab on the glass and rub it around with a cotton ball to clean it. It leaves streaks but I'm not making photo frames. I spray some more hairspray and put it back in rotation. Gets the job done, and kills germs on contact!
I just pop mine in the dishwasher 80)...easy to do with multiple plates.
Well.. I tried the ceramic glass. It's not very good. I much prefer some recovered from an old scanner. The ceramic never heats up, it's too much of an insulator.
Well.. I tried the ceramic glass. It's not very good. I much prefer some recovered from an old scanner. The ceramic never heats up, it's too much of an insulator.
Did your bed any heat up faster by chance?
We went with Mcmaster 8476K18, expensive but works great.
I had also looked at the ceramic glass but the thickness tolerance was double that of the borosilicate so I passed on it.
I just wash my glass in the so k with soap and water
Why wash off the hairspray if you are just going to put it back on? Better to build up layers of hairspray and ABS residue to enhance the stickiness of the plate.
Mine has about 6 months of crud built up on it. Both abs and pla stick quite well to it.
What Ian said. I use glass mirror I got from Joann's. Personally, I think the mirror is cool. You can actually watch the filament come out of the nozzle....for the first layer. Aquanet.
Next time I start a new piece of glass I'm thinking I will print a cube that covers the entire plate, but just run the first layer a couple of times. That might have a similar effect to painting ABS slurry, but a lot neater and cleaner. I like to think of it as seasoning the glass, the way you season an iron skillet by cooking bacon in it first.
hard to beat the ABS slurry for warping...kicks hairsprays a$$
if it warps, not enough slurry 
hard to beat the ABS slurry for warping...kicks hairsprays a$$
if it warps, not enough slurry
Hairspray is so much easier to clean.
Hairspray is good for stick, not for warping. Warping has everything to do with heat. As Adrian has said, the heatbed is key, and the more solid the bed (as in holds the heat longer) the better. Glass works great, tile better. But you must heat them up enough (do not go by thermistor, let the glass/tile soak for longer than the thermistor says it is at temp). That has been my experience.
Oh, with glass, I use a razor blade to clean it (I dont remove my glass ever, trying to keep level for as long as possible). Its faster than acetone.
Mine has about 6 months of crud built up on it. Both abs and pla stick quite well to it.
Does your first layer look like hell with all sorts of high spots/ bad surface quality? If i dont clean mine every couple of days it kills the quality of the first layer
For those who have used glass beds, do you just clip the glass to the existing bed?
Has anyone further insulated the sides and bottom of the bed?
1. Yes. Plain old metal binder clips. 3 of them (can't have one at the origin).
2. Not here.
Also: Hairspray and ABS slurry using ABS pipe cement solvent instead of straight acetone. The pipe cement solvent has some MEK in it which also solvents the hairspray (acetone does not do that very well). Super duper stick. We run most parts without a brim/flange. Less trimming.
I use a cut piece of silicone baking mat under the glass. My bed is a bit bent so the clips tend to pull the glass down on the back end, so I used additional pieces of mat for shims and this straightened it up.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → Glass Bed Pyrex or Ceramic?
Powered by PunBB, supported by Informer Technologies, Inc.
