Topic: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
Anybody know what kind of cleaning solution will get this gunk off? I think the built up layers are probably becoming detrimental to adhesion and accuracy.
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- brightwing
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- carl_m1968
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
brightwing wrote:
Anybody know what kind of cleaning solution will get this gunk off? I think the built up layers are probably becoming detrimental to adhesion and accuracy.
There is nothing safe that can remove PLA. Hot soapy water, acetone, and alcohol can remove hairspray. For the PLA you will just have to use a razor or something and scrape it. Although it should not actually be stuck to the bed but instead the hairspray.
If you just use clean kapton tape and heat your bed to 90, PLA will stick to it like glue as long as it is hot. The same is true for glass. PLA does not need additional treatment for glass or kapton. Just clean and 90c.
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Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
3 2015-06-22 15:43:10 (edited by heartless 2015-06-22 15:44:33)
- heartless
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
you dont even need 90C, I have good results with PLA on bare glass at 60C bed temp
Good old Windex will also remove hairspray quite well and is less volatile than using the acetone unnecessarily.
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- carl_m1968
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
Honestly you should not print straight to a metal bed.. You should use kapton or painters tape at least. But preferably a glass plate. If something happens with your settings or logic the head can gouge the aluminum which is actually softer that brass. Then you have a permanent mark in your bed that will transfer to all your prints as well.
Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
5 2015-07-23 15:03:09 (edited by gabrielcr78 2015-07-23 15:08:43)
- gabrielcr78
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
I clean it with Thinner solvent, it's cheaper than acetone and works very well.. put a bit on a paper towel and scrub softly... it will soften and come out easy (both, haispray and pla).... just make sure you can ventilate the area or walk away for a while after cleaning... it's pretty volatile and can give you a headache if too long working with it... or.. you might get high (hehe)...
BTW.. I'm with Carl:
carl_m1968 wrote:
Honestly you should not print straight to a metal bed..
I use some hairspray for ABS and but glue stick works better PLA... do not print stright to metal.
Also, you don't need to clean every time.. every 5 prints for hairsray or 4 prints for glue stick (to remove blue stick: put a wet paper towel over the bed and let it soften for a couple of minutes.. then just clean ithe softened glue)
cheers!
6 2015-08-06 06:26:40 (edited by grob 2015-08-06 06:27:18)
- grob
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
Not sure about the PLA, but acetone won't dissolve it. Only pretty wild solvents can, and you don't want to go there.
However, warm water works wonders on hairspray and elmers/similar glue. Use warm water in a bucket and a cloth and see how you go... Note that a bit of patience is good; leaving it wet to soak for a bit might be the trick. Good luck. 
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Re: How to remove built up hairspray/pla from metal bed
I have a glass bed and remove hairspray with denatured alcohol; however, I would not recommend the denatured alcohol on a metal bed. Depending on the type of metal such as steal will rust with denatured alcohol if you let it air dry. I use it to degrease firearms when I am working on them and if I let them air dry they will rust.