Author Topic: Printing to glass  (Read 9656 times)

paulo

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Printing to glass
« on: April 10, 2017, 06:00:46 PM »
Hi guys

I need some tips for printing to glass. I'm now using z sense which is working out pretty well but the bracket is a little flexy. I could do with the model so I could reprint with some stiffening ribs.

Anyway I'm trying to print raffless with pla onto glass so I can get a near perfect hi gloss base.
I've tried a lot of things and have managed one decent print but it's too inconsistent and risky.

I'm normally printing pla with abs profile at -60/-70 with z temp, slowing the print down by 50%, over filling the first layer by 300 and constantly tweaking the z sense height.

Cheers paul

Julia Truchsess

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Re: Printing to glass
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2017, 10:04:31 PM »
The Z-Sense bracket STL can be found here: http://www.z-temp.co/support/part-files.html

Make sure the screws that hold the bracket to the printer frame are good and tight. I find that once I get it dialed in I don't have to touch the adjustment for weeks or months on end.

I spray the glass with Aquanet extra-hold hair spray. Apparently not all hairsprays are created equal, it has to have some kind of acrylic ingredient to work well; there are lists of products that work around the web. I find that I can easily do 4 - 6 prints without re-spraying, and I usually spray right over the old spray without bothering to wash it off (not that it's difficult to wash off if you want to).

I print PLA at 200 - 205ยบ, Z-ABS profile, with the bed heat switch on position 2 (the next-to-highest), speed at 80 - 100%, and 150% initial layer extrusion. The initial height does need to be pretty close to the glass - much closer than you'd use when printing with a raft on perfboard.

It's pretty much "hit-print-and-walk-away" once things are adjusted and set up right. A lot of Z-Temp production parts are done with this method.
"Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." - JC Watts Jr

paulo

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Re: Printing to glass
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2017, 03:22:51 AM »
Brilliant thanks. Off to the shops to buy some hairspray and get funny looks from the shop staff.  ;)