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3D Printing
3D Printing Forum 3D Printers - First Layer Adhesion Using PLA
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  • Replies 11 replies
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  • pla
  • 3d printers
  • print_adhesion
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3D Printers - First Layer Adhesion Using PLA

14rhb
14rhb over 5 years ago

I have successfully printed out many things using PLA, including one last night.

 

Today I tried to speed the production up and cloned my article several times but it was soon apparent the first layer had roughed up, the head caught and other layers failed until two of the clones came away completely....I stopped the print.

image

I cleaned the bed, trying several things like pure spirit and washing up detergent. Still the print failed to stick. Bed temperature was 60 degrees C. I tried to slow the initial layer down but again it failed to stick on the initial run leaving a trail that snagged and ruined the later layers.

 

At this point I had a read online and there were solutions and glue sticks suggested. Not wanting to wait I decided to try something different. I taped a piece of plain printer paper to the bed and it appears to have accepted the first layer very well: no snags and the pattern looks great.

image

 

My question for discussion is, what could go wrong with this approach and why is this not a more generally used technique?

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  • ralphjy
    ralphjy over 5 years ago +5
    I used to have adhesion problems with larger parts with edges lifting off the heated bed. I solved the problem by using blue painters tape but then it was difficult to remove the part. I ended up using…
  • luislabmo
    luislabmo over 5 years ago in reply to 14rhb +4
    Hello Rod, I use pure Isopropyl alcohol on mine and it works really well (btw, farmacy alcohol is kinda greasy/leaves residue, it doesn't work well). The trick for me is finding good paper napkins that…
  • dougw
    dougw over 5 years ago +3
    What material is your bed made of?
Parents
  • 14rhb
    14rhb over 5 years ago

    It has finished printing and I can answer my own question. It looked great at the start and the end of printing:

    image

    But as soon as I started to remove it from the paper I realised it wasn't right. The disc is warped as there is nothing to hold the paper down to the bed and restrain the cooling plastic image. Maybe I need some glue as suggested. I'm going to try a thin layer of PVA/water to see what that achieves.

     

    Actually for the intended purpose it will still be OK to use.

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  • 14rhb
    14rhb over 5 years ago in reply to 14rhb

    Painting the bed with PLA glue and water worked really well image and didn't cause lots of noxious evaporation.

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  • 14rhb
    14rhb over 5 years ago in reply to 14rhb

    Painting the bed with PLA glue and water worked really well image and didn't cause lots of noxious evaporation.

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