What build surface for PETG?

BotLawson

@zapta I store and print out of "dry cartridges" with A4 Molecular sieve desiccant. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3225037 I've made 8 so far.

They're a one time cost as the desiccant generally lasts years and can be recharged if needed. (rapid temperature cycling will pump air into the cartridge and saturate the desiccant)

A Former User

@BotLawson said in What build surface for PETG?:

I also run the hot end <230C on the first layer to avoid damaging the PEI, then ramp up the temperature for the rest of the print. I typically run 245-265C with fan for speed, overhangs, and layer adhesion. Then keep stringing in check with aggressive filament drying.

All well and good but sometimes, just sometimes depending on the brand of PETG, Colour & Other variables, set in stone Temperatures all go out the window.

You only need to look at a few threads on this forum for confirmation of what I am saying, you should never (even with a known brand of filament) rely on a set printing Temp, you should always print a temp tower at the start of a new roll and work from the "look" and print at the arbitrary number that the temp tower shows to be the best.

Corexy

Thank you all very much for your assistance.

Stumbled onto a funny trick that gave me perfect adhesion, found it in the Prusa forum.

I was really wondering what the hell was going on...I was heating my flexible magnetic mat so hot I couldn't remove the thin brims, yet the print was still lifting.

What really go me thinking was when I tried wiping some metho on the mat (because you can't use acetone with it) and the problem got way worse, almost un useable. I was noticing it dragging up the first couple of mm of a layer despite my level/height/retraction being checked and good.

Then I found a post that said that PETG hates being printed on a surface that has been used for PLA, as it leaves a sugary residue of some sort, and that dishwashing soap was the magic cure.

I took the plate into the kitchen, put some soap on it and swirled/foamed it around with a really soft brush rinsed in warm/hot water, then rinsed it off in the same water. It came up really clean. Patted it dry with kitchen paper and heated it up to 80 degC (I was up to 90 in the end). It was clean as, and a lot of residue was gone.

Perfect adhesion! I'll do this every time I swap to a different material.

Hope that helps someone.

dc42

I find printing PLA on plain glass much the same. If I clean the glass with IPA then it won't stick. If I wash the glass in hot soapy water and dry it with a paper towel, it sticks well when heated and releases when cooled.

Corexy

@dc42 said in What build surface for PETG?:

I find printing PLA on plain glass much the same. If I clean the glass with IPA then it won't stick. If I wash the glass in hot soapy water and dry it with a paper towel, it sticks well when heated and releases when cooled.

It's all about those fine traces of oil or whatever I guess.

I'm going to try it on my Printbite surface, as it's about 4yo and been troublesome recently

A Former User

I knew there was a reason I have specific printers set up to only print specific materials.............

arhi

@dc42 IPA leaves some residue, locally ethil alcohol is easier to get (98% one) and it works much better, but yes, dishwasher rules

deckingman

@CaLviNx said in What build surface for PETG?:

All well and good but sometimes, just sometimes depending on the brand of PETG, Colour & Other variables, set in stone Temperatures all go out the window.

You only need to look at a few threads on this forum for confirmation of what I am saying, you should never (even with a known brand of filament) rely on a set printing Temp, you should always print a temp tower at the start of a new roll and work from the "look" and print at the arbitrary number that the temp tower shows to be the best.

I guess we can now also add that one should repeat that temperature tower when changing nozzles made from different materails.

A Former User

@deckingman

I agree 100%