I’ve been trying to get a first print to work on a prusa i3 machine i’ve built. I’ve calibrated it, set the z offset properly however when it goes to print, the filament does not stick to the masking tape on the heated bed. Both the hot end and bed are heated appropriately. It appears that while the bed level test lowers the hot end nozzle to the right place down on the bed (1 sheet of paper distance), the filament does not stick and instead curls up on itself around the nozzle. The hot end nozzle does not appear to try to start printing at the bed level height.
Any ideas on what is happening and what to do so I can get a first print? Brand new to 3d printing and have no guidance to help understand what’s going on to troubleshoot and resolve properly. Thanks in advance
Get a regular glue stick and apply a thin layer to the cold bed. You also might need to lower you nozzle(.05mm at a time) to squish that first layer down.
-Jesse
PeteD
3
What type of plastic are you trying to print? Different plastics often require different strategies for bed adhesion. What is the brand of plastic you are using? The quality also makes a big difference.
PLA. I have the hot end and bed set to appropriate temperatures. I got the prusa i3 as a kit, the filament was sent from the kit maker. I understand there are differences in quality, but it should still work
Thanks, I have read about the glue stick, but i wasn’t informed i’d need it for this prusa i3 kit. I will definitely do this as my next step when i go at it again. Does the glue simply raise the bed just enough while maintaining integrity at 60c and offer a stickier substrate? Getting that first layer is pretty important, obviously or it tries to draw the PLA on the air…
appreciate the reminder, i hope it works
PeteD
6
There are several bed adhesives you can try for PLA. Glue stick as suggested by an earlier poster is popular, just make sure it is Elmer’s Disappearing Purple glue stick. (Any other brand/type doesn’t seem to work.) I have had very good success with Elmer’s white school glue diluted in water and painted onto the glass bed with a sponge. I can usually run 10 to 15 prints before a new coat is needed.
I was serious about the quality of the plastic having a big effect. When I first started 3D printing I went with the cheapest PLA I could find on Amazon, and I could not get the stuff to stick to anything. It wasn’t until I moved to higher quality plastic that I began to have reliable success.
The purpose is not to raise the bed.
I use a glue stick for just about any material whether I’m printing on painters tape, kapton, wood, bare metal, etc. It’s just tacky enough to overcome the warping of most materials without “welding” the print to bed(unless you use too much), it’s non toxic, it’s cheap, and washes off the bottom of your print with just water. Everyone has preferences and there are many variables involved so I can just tell you what works for me. I only use the standard “Elmer’s All Purpose”.
I print over 30 different materials and have tried countless brands of PLA. The quality of your material is definitely important but in my opinion/experience you are correct that even if it’s the cheapest crap you should still be able to get the first layer to stick.
-Jesse
Oh, one more really important factor is ambient temperature! I keep my lab AC at about 78F which makes an enclosure unnecessary for most materials. I live in Miami so this is something I take for granted but for the month or two a year(if we are lucky) that the outside temp gets down to the mid 70s or below, getting prints to stick is more difficult without an enclosure.
-Jesse
