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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → Glass bed options?
Greetings
So I want to change to a glass bed but I cant seem to find glass sheets at any hardware stores near me (home depot, lowes, etc)
I know I can use a mirror bed, but first I must ask, would it be possible to use the glass from a picture frame? I hear 3mm is a good thickness which I have, but Im no glass expert and just want to know if its good enough?
It doesn't take any special glass so your picture frame glass is fine. Most ACE Hardware stores will cut glass to size for a few bucks.
I'm using glass that was cut for me at a picture frame store. Can't remember the price but it was trivially cheap.
Greetings
So I want to change to a glass bed but I cant seem to find glass sheets at any hardware stores near me (home depot, lowes, etc)
I know I can use a mirror bed, but first I must ask, would it be possible to use the glass from a picture frame? I hear 3mm is a good thickness which I have, but Im no glass expert and just want to know if its good enough?
Press glass is 2 mm. If the thicnkess is good for you, any glass will do the job. I payed 45 cents per piece. At this price I bought 5 and I still havent "manage" to crack anyone of them. If you want better adhesion, make sure you have a "dirty" glass.. (this means dont clean it between prints).
I guess I went overboard. I had a local glass shop cut and edge polish two pieces of 3mm tempered glass for 16 bucks each. Actually had one side of it chip already so even tempered is not safe.
I'm using a heat-resistant ceramic glass like the kind used for fireplace windows. It works okay, but I'm starting to wonder if it's perhaps too insulating. I may switch over to a cheaper glass and see what comes of it.
Greetings
So I want to change to a glass bed but I cant seem to find glass sheets at any hardware stores near me (home depot, lowes, etc)
That's weird, my home depot had a big rack of window glass in lots of different sizes. I got a fairly big piece and cut off some heatbed size pieces so I'd have a replacement if it cracked, but the first piece is still going strong - I've never had a problem with it.
Yesterday I went to HD and purchased a sheet of glass large enough to make two plates, $4...
A little hairspray and everything stays in place. This was my second day owning a printer, why did I wait so long to upgrade?
Yesterday I went to HD and purchased a sheet of glass large enough to make two plates, $4...
A little hairspray and everything stays in place. This was my second day owning a printer, why did I wait so long to upgrade?
Yesterday I went to HD and purchased a sheet of glass large enough to make two plates, $4...
A little hairspray and everything stays in place. This was my second day owning a printer, why did I wait so long to upgrade?
Nice. I've said it before but if I had to deal with kapton and fixing/ replacing it every time it gets damaged while removing a print, I would probably sell the printer and find another hobby. That level of frustration is not worth it. IMO, glass bed is the single best mod you can make to any printer.
^Yep!!!
I went to a local goodwill store and got a big vanity mirror for $5. Between plates I broke scoring and cracked pieces while trying to break out the plates, I got 8 6x6 good mirror plates out of it.
Yesterday I went to HD and purchased a sheet of glass large enough to make two plates, $4...
A little hairspray and everything stays in place. This was my second day owning a printer, why did I wait so long to upgrade?
Why indeed ? LOL seriously though I purchased a used solidoodle almost a year ago. It came with a tear in the Kaplon tape. I though about a replacement (for a few seconds). That said before i started printing it was off to the hardware store for a piece of glass and walmart for a box of binder clips and a can of aqua net hair spray.
Tin
cheap mirror tiles here - box of six 12" x 12" from local home improvement store for under $15, cheap glass cutter, and I have plenty of replacements... cost was even less for me since I already had a box of the tiles & a glass cutter on hand from another project! 
I am going to have a fun time trying to cut glass circles for my rostock Maybe I should put a mirror on the top and bottom so it looks like the prints are replicating into infinity....
I am going to have a fun time trying to cut glass circles for my rostock
that would be cool, baron! LOL
I would think a simple octagon shape would work for the Kossel - just make sure you can get to the bed leveling screws...
I thought about doing an octagon, but I really want it to look nice so I might get a circle cutter and see what I can do. Otherwise there are a couple local glass companies that might be able to do it for me. I'll have to check prices.
if you really want the nice circles, then yeah, talk to your local glass shops - I have not had good experience with circle cutters, and I have some experience with stained glass and the cutting of - curves rarely come out nice and typically need grinding to clean up rough edges.
For me it's more of a time thing. My preferred printing medium is ABS (because I like to stick stuff on my dashboard) and I don't want to have to wait for glass cutters and such to come in, then spend 20 minutes at the sander getting a nice finish on it.
Though now I have to wonder... if I sandblasted the glass bed would it give better or worse adhesion? I may have to get a couple pieces and blast one to see.
http://www.dullesglassandmirror.com/sto … Hwod8l0AIQ
8" round mirror polished edges $ 10.50
4-5 at hobby /craft shops.
tin
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Wedding-Ban … und+mirror here's $25 for a 10 pack. At that price, I could afford to do all sorts of terrible things to them!
For those of you who have gotten glass cut at Home Depot or Ace Hardware, do they sand the edges at all or do they leave them sharp?
The quality of the edges on the glass will depend on the sharpness of their cutting blade. Honestly, it's a gamble, but 100 grit sandpaper will take care of anything that may cut you. They won't smooth it for you, I've asked. I have however refused to accept terrible cuts, and they do a better job the second time.
For those of you who have gotten glass cut at Home Depot or Ace Hardware, do they sand the edges at all or do they leave them sharp?
They do not process the edges, you would need to do that if necessary.
The quality of the edges on the glass will depend on the sharpness of their cutting blade.
+1 I've never had the edges smoothed on the ones cut at ACE. I've also never had to sand them as they just aren't sharp. They've also been perfectly square.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → Glass bed options?
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