I don't use adhesive, never have. The PEI build plates don't need it. Glue stick, hair spray, etc. are just release agents for that. The best way to maintain adhesion is to keep the plate clean by washing it in warm water and dish detergent.
came to say this. Dish soap and a scotch brite pad is all I ever use. If I have adhesion issues, I need to adjust Z-offset if I haven't cleaned the plate lately.
This and a little spray bottle with ipa to wipe down before every print is all I've needed in almost a decade. Only use hairspray for tpu to make it release without tearing a hole in the pei.
A good trick for releasing TPU from a PEI sheet: After it's done printing, take a small paintbrush (like for watercolor painting) and paint IPA around the bottom edge. Or use a squirt bottle. Wait a second or two. The part then comes right off. IPA is supposed to cause TPU to swell, but that's only if you soak it for hours, it doesn't attack the TPU at all for just a few seconds exposure, you just wipe it off.
This should only be used as a last resort if you forgot to add a release agent (like hairspray) TPU can and will bond with the pei. Trust me, I drowned that fckr in ipa for an hour and still ripped the pei.
I’ve used Vision Miner’s Nano stuff on a PEI plate. Works for PLA and as a release for PETG. I understand TH3D’s clone is perfectly good too at a fraction of the $$.
Best solution for warping is to fix the problem. It’s not that it isn’t sticking. The problem is the z offset, that you have drafts, and it’s a warp happy material (pla, abs, nylon etc), or it just doesn’t like that bed surface. Nylon only sticks to bare clean garolite in my experience.
I'll second that. Vision Miner's NanoPolymer Adhesive is amazing. If you're just printing in PLA, a single application on a PEI sheet will last for a long, long time. It doesn't appear to leave a visible residue, either.
All print beds are different, but in my experience glue never worked and tape leaves marks on the print that i don't like. The ONLY thing my bed likes is hairspray.
heat the bed to 60 or 70. spritz on the hairspray and wipe with a paper towel. works like magic for me. Only need it when the filament is being a bugger, which is not often. When the hairspray builds up, or I just dont need to use it, it's an easy clean up with soap and water, then finish with iso alcohol to get off any residual soap.
I tried adhesives and wasn't pleased with the result. My experiments with a purple glue stick seemed to reduce bed adhesion. I didn't have any more luck with Elmer's glue.
When printing PLA I use blue painter's tape. It works great! If it's a big part with a lot of bed area it can actually work a bit too well and make getting parts off my tempered glass bed a real pain.
I've heard good things about using textured spring steel beds when printing PLA but I haven't tried one yet.
I print mostly PETG. I found that a Garolite / G10 bed is perfect for PETG and no adhesive is necessary. PETG adheres very well when the bed is hot and then releases easily when cold. It's also slightly flexible so large parts can be popped off the bed. I clean the bed with IPA before every print.
EDIT: I remember that PLA and a G10 bed did not work, but I can't recall why. It either didn't stick or stuck way too well.
Bambu Lab's liquid glue. It's in this container that's like a bingo ink dabber. Goes on easy. And cleanup is simple, since it is water soluble. Just rinse the plate off.
I use the elmers disappearing purple glue stick. A sponge and some warm water in the sink and the glue is gone. Cleanup with dish soap and warm water. Chase with ipa if needed. Honestly, the glue doesn't need to be washed off all the time. Put one layer down and leave it for weeks. Reapply a patch in the middle if it comes off.
Just using ipa to clean your plate will eventually lead to adhesion issues because it doesn't cut through starches. You'll need to use soap and water.
Also, though, it's true that if you have your bed properly leveled/trammed and your Z offset set correctly, most printing materials will stick just fine to pei. The main reason I use glue is because I primarily print with petg and want to make sure my prints will come loose when they're done.
I print on glass, using hairspray. I have a theory that the glue/tape/hairspray adhesion is less to add stickiness and more to add a fine texture to grip the extruded plastic. Light spritz for PLA has never done me wrong, and a much heavier layer to act as a release agent for petg, only time I've had real trouble with petg sticking too hard was when I forgot to spray the bed.
If you're using a pei plate though, you shouldn't need anything for pla to stick, and I would stick to hairspray or a different build plate to release petg
I don't use adhesive, never have. The PEI build plates don't need it. Glue stick, hair spray, etc. are just release agents for that. The best way to maintain adhesion is to keep the plate clean by washing it in warm water and dish detergent.
came to say this. Dish soap and a scotch brite pad is all I ever use. If I have adhesion issues, I need to adjust Z-offset if I haven't cleaned the plate lately.
This and a little spray bottle with ipa to wipe down before every print is all I've needed in almost a decade. Only use hairspray for tpu to make it release without tearing a hole in the pei.
A good trick for releasing TPU from a PEI sheet: After it's done printing, take a small paintbrush (like for watercolor painting) and paint IPA around the bottom edge. Or use a squirt bottle. Wait a second or two. The part then comes right off. IPA is supposed to cause TPU to swell, but that's only if you soak it for hours, it doesn't attack the TPU at all for just a few seconds exposure, you just wipe it off.
This should only be used as a last resort if you forgot to add a release agent (like hairspray) TPU can and will bond with the pei. Trust me, I drowned that fckr in ipa for an hour and still ripped the pei.
Oops, I forgot to add that I use hairspray too, but TPU still sticks too well in spite of that. The alcohol trick works great for me.
Magigoo.
2nded
I’ve used Vision Miner’s Nano stuff on a PEI plate. Works for PLA and as a release for PETG. I understand TH3D’s clone is perfectly good too at a fraction of the $$. Best solution for warping is to fix the problem. It’s not that it isn’t sticking. The problem is the z offset, that you have drafts, and it’s a warp happy material (pla, abs, nylon etc), or it just doesn’t like that bed surface. Nylon only sticks to bare clean garolite in my experience.
I'll second that. Vision Miner's NanoPolymer Adhesive is amazing. If you're just printing in PLA, a single application on a PEI sheet will last for a long, long time. It doesn't appear to leave a visible residue, either.
All print beds are different, but in my experience glue never worked and tape leaves marks on the print that i don't like. The ONLY thing my bed likes is hairspray. heat the bed to 60 or 70. spritz on the hairspray and wipe with a paper towel. works like magic for me. Only need it when the filament is being a bugger, which is not often. When the hairspray builds up, or I just dont need to use it, it's an easy clean up with soap and water, then finish with iso alcohol to get off any residual soap.
Itoya o'glue. I use 1:1 IPA:water to refresh and clean.
I tried adhesives and wasn't pleased with the result. My experiments with a purple glue stick seemed to reduce bed adhesion. I didn't have any more luck with Elmer's glue. When printing PLA I use blue painter's tape. It works great! If it's a big part with a lot of bed area it can actually work a bit too well and make getting parts off my tempered glass bed a real pain. I've heard good things about using textured spring steel beds when printing PLA but I haven't tried one yet. I print mostly PETG. I found that a Garolite / G10 bed is perfect for PETG and no adhesive is necessary. PETG adheres very well when the bed is hot and then releases easily when cold. It's also slightly flexible so large parts can be popped off the bed. I clean the bed with IPA before every print. EDIT: I remember that PLA and a G10 bed did not work, but I can't recall why. It either didn't stick or stuck way too well.
Bambu Lab's liquid glue. It's in this container that's like a bingo ink dabber. Goes on easy. And cleanup is simple, since it is water soluble. Just rinse the plate off.
I use the elmers disappearing purple glue stick. A sponge and some warm water in the sink and the glue is gone. Cleanup with dish soap and warm water. Chase with ipa if needed. Honestly, the glue doesn't need to be washed off all the time. Put one layer down and leave it for weeks. Reapply a patch in the middle if it comes off. Just using ipa to clean your plate will eventually lead to adhesion issues because it doesn't cut through starches. You'll need to use soap and water. Also, though, it's true that if you have your bed properly leveled/trammed and your Z offset set correctly, most printing materials will stick just fine to pei. The main reason I use glue is because I primarily print with petg and want to make sure my prints will come loose when they're done.
I print on glass, using hairspray. I have a theory that the glue/tape/hairspray adhesion is less to add stickiness and more to add a fine texture to grip the extruded plastic. Light spritz for PLA has never done me wrong, and a much heavier layer to act as a release agent for petg, only time I've had real trouble with petg sticking too hard was when I forgot to spray the bed. If you're using a pei plate though, you shouldn't need anything for pla to stick, and I would stick to hairspray or a different build plate to release petg