Newbie, well... Sort of. (ON, Can)

Hey there folks, another newbie here.  Well, let me clarify that.  I'm new here, and I'm inexperienced with 3D printing, though I have had one for quite some time now.    About a year and a half ago I bought a kit for the Prusa Mendel and spend a few months putting it together and calibrating it.  I made a few prints (not the best of quality) and then summer time came so it went on the shelf as there were many other projects on the go.  Well, winter is back in full force here in the great white north, so I'm not doing much outside - time to pull the printer back out again. 

I've been having a lot of problems getting the first layer to stick.  I've tried a bunch of remedies found on here, but no luck as of yet.  Using ABS - I have the heated bed, glass on it, cardboard under it (that made a huge difference to be able to get higher bed temps!), cardboard over it to speed up the initial heating time (also a huge difference) I've turned off the ceiling fan, wood stove fan, tried blue tape, tried glue stick, sugar water, added a 3 ring skirt/brim, slowed down the first layer to 20% of the speed, varied the bed temps from 85-115 (budaschnozzle extruder is at 220).  The most frustrating part of all of it, is that when I first started (a year or so ago) it stuck fine.  My Z is set to "paper" thickness at 9 locations, but the ABS just seems to roll off the back side of the nozzle and curl up.   Yet to build a box around it, and perhaps try some white glue or acetone slurry..

Anyway, I'm here to search out answers and get this thing running, (not expecting answers in this thread, I'm sure it's been covered multiple times).

Aside from that - I work for an aluminum boat building company, as Quality Manager - so I am around fabrication a lot.  I'm a Marine Electrician, a half decent welder, and I've always got a few projects on the go at home.  Currently restoring a 1977 Toyota LandCruiser FJ40 (when it's not so cold out).  Some day (sooner than later) I hope to be able to move south where winter does not exist - I've had my eye on Panama for a few years, and have been there enough to know I could be happy living there.

So that's me, here I am....