1. Got a question or need help troubleshooting? Post to the troubleshooting forum or Search the forums!

Solved Print Bed "Upgrade"

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by BenMac, Dec 13, 2015.

?

What alternate build plate would be better? (Post an explination below)

  1. Zebra Plate

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  2. GeckoTek Build Plate

    1 vote(s)
    50.0%
  3. Some other company's solution

    1 vote(s)
    50.0%
  4. Jury-rig something

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. BenMac

    BenMac Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2015
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    4
    Hi guys,
    Last Thursday I was printing a cookie cutter. After it finished printing, I did my usual routine of letting the print bed cool, then using the putty knife to get the part off. PETG can be a tad stubborn for removal. I did nothing out of the ordinary, so I was surprised to find a bit of a bump on the bottom of the print.

    I didn't think much of it until Saturday, while I was cleaning my bed in order to get started on some Christmas gifts for my family. As I was clearing some left over material, I found a particularly stubborn part that was a bit rough. I turned on my light, and discovered that there was a rather nasty gouge out of my print bed.

    Well, first thing I did was contact Robo about it. It is the weekend, so I don't expect to hear anything until some time after Monday. Second thing I did was look around on the forums for this problem. Silly me, I didn't know that this problem is completely possible. I also discovered that it is likely that Robo won't cover this with their "warrantee".

    Ok, long wind up to the question. Basically, I am curious what you guys would suggest. Do I pay the $100 to get a new one of these print beds? Or skip buying a new print bed from Robo, and find some other solution.

    I am leaning toward the latter, since I don't want to pay Robo for not to covering this in their warrantee.

    My current thoughts are to use a Zebra Plate, a GeckoTek build plate, or some other solution that I am not aware of yet. What are your opinions of the three options above? These would be long term solutions, I am open to anything that will work with PLA and PETG (My main two filaments).
    What do you think would be a good short term solution? Basically, I want to get back up again so that I can print the gifts for my family, before Christmas.

    Thank you for your patience with such a lengthy post. I hope that you can provide some suggestions that will help me get moving again, and that you guys have a great day. :)
    ~Ben

    Edit 12/13/2015: Added Photos
     

    Attached Files:

  2. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Messages:
    5,905
    Likes Received:
    3,593
    @BenMac this is one of those things that is known about Borosilicate glass that nobody mentions, since it doesn't happen to everyone but it does happen more often than people care to admit. While borosilicate glass (what Pyrex* used to be) can withstand temperature extremes better than say tempered soda glass (what Pyrex** is now), it does display a slight tendency to chip. I have a very small chip in my glass bed but it is only about 1 mm x 2 mm x 0.5 mm so I ignore it.

    So I didn't actually answer your poll since ignore it wasn't a choice, I still don't use one of those bed addons and likely won't in the future. If my bed chips more or breaks I am probably going to upgrade the whole bed to something more durable like a cast and milled aluminum plate.

    Sorry to hear that your plate chipped, and Robo charges a lot for a replacement and it is not a warranty item. They also seem to be perpetually out-of-stock.

    *Trademark of Corning Glass Works
    **Trademark World Kitchens, LLC
     
  3. BenMac

    BenMac Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2015
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    4
    That is a bummer. Thank you for the information, and your feedback. Wayne, from PRINTinZ said that Mike Kelly has at least tried the Zebra Plate, and maybe the GeckoTek build plate.

    @Mike Kelly Would you be able to provide some advice or suggestions?

    Edit: Oh, Bryan from Robo said that they would sell a new build plate to me for $40 + shipping. I wanted to share that to correct my earlier statement of it being $100. It is far less than I had expected it to be, still a bummer, but not as much of one.
     
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    That is a good price.
    Replacement glass can be had for about that, but the online ones often have a minimum $ (last one I looked at I would have needed two replacement plates).

    Advantage with Robo is that it is already sized correctly :)
     
  5. BenMac

    BenMac Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2015
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    4
    Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. It takes some of the sting out of this issue. I should probably remove some of the venom from my Amazon review, I can be a bit excitable when miffed.

    Having the build plate be one piece is definitely good. :)

    Any suggestions for limiting, or avoiding this issue in the future?
    I am still hoping someone can provide some feedback for the alternative or additive build plates. But, I am happy to hear suggestions for avoiding this issue in the future. Perhaps some blue painter's tape?
    Scotch
    GizmoDorks
    BuildTak
     
  6. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Messages:
    5,905
    Likes Received:
    3,593
    I think @KTMDirtFace uses BuildTak

    No way to avoid this phenomenon, it just happens. For some it will never happen. A lot of people swear by just plain old window glass (soda glass), that you can pick up at Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, etc. I have never found it in those home centers to be thick enough to be stiff. But is is cheap and readily available. Do not use tempered glass, the tempering process makes the glass wavy, so it won't be flat enough to be useful.
     
  7. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2013
    Messages:
    6,967
    Likes Received:
    2,276
    Lately I've gone back to enjoying just hairspray on borosilicate. I was using an earlier model of the printinz plate so I don't feel comfortable responding to the quality of the zebra plate. It seems pretty good but I'm not sure it's worth the price since it can't handle nozzle temperatures so you need to do autoleveling cold.

    Lately I've been thinking PEI sheets are the way to go.
     
  8. BenMac

    BenMac Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2015
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    4
    Cool, thank you both for your advice. I have not tried hair spray, I was using glue sticks, but that was a bit tiring to keep fiddling with. My printer is in a kinda odd place, so hair spray would take a bit of figuring. I will check out the PEI sheets.

    It sounds like taking advantage of the $40 replacement bed is a good way to go. Then figure out what to do from there. The two alternative build plates both seem to have a problem with the pre-heated extruder tip for auto leveling. Though, it seems that there may be ways to get around this issue. Am I correct in that assumption? Or was that not such an effective solution?

    Edit 12/15/2015:
    Apparently the 6 month warrantee discounts $50 from the replacement print bed. So, I decided to move my rating back up on Amazon. If you are still within the warrantee when this happens, make sure to get the part replaced. It may not be free, but it will be discounted. You have to talk to tech support about it in order to get the discount.
     
    #8 BenMac, Dec 14, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2015
  9. JoshYourITGuy

    JoshYourITGuy Active Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2015
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    33
    I just put a GeckoTek bed and plate on mine after chipping the 2nd glass bed (PolyMax PLA sticks too well....)

    Install on a stock RoBo would probably be easier than my clone, the Y-axis ends with the magnets did not line up perfectly, so I had to modify them a bit.

    They warn you that the RoBo has limited power, so the heater takes a long time to get up to temp, supposedly they will offer a 24V upgrade kit soon. I have a feeling I can just wire a 24V power supply to the bed via an SCR on the RAMPS.

    The plate system is pretty neat, I like that I can flex the plate to pop the print off, no scraper needed.
    The only modification I needed to do was set S3D to print the brim (purge) to a few layers tall so it pops off too, the first one stuck too well and my fingernail took damage.

    MicroCenter locally carries the replacement plates for $15 each, so if I do mess one up, I am only out $15 versus the $60 plus I was paying for replacement glass.
     
  10. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2015
    Messages:
    1,322
    Likes Received:
    510
    I've been using LokBuild for a few weeks now with better success than the Buildtak material my printer came with (still on the first sheet of 10 that I got).

    Did anybody else back that kickstarter?
     
  11. BenMac

    BenMac Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2015
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    4
    Thank you for your suggestions everyone I purchased a replacement a while ago, and it has been working great for the last year or so. Apparently PETG is not good for direct contact to glass beds. PLA works just fine. Along with glue sticks and blue tape. That said, I will look into these potential solutions.
     
  12. Jay312

    Jay312 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2017
    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    10
    Ive been trying to find one for sale online, they are sold out on GeckoTek
     
  13. JoshYourITGuy

    JoshYourITGuy Active Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2015
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    33
  14. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2015
    Messages:
    1,322
    Likes Received:
    510
    Sold Out at every source, both at the link you provided and the actual Geckotek store.

    The installation instructions are worth reading while waiting on them to restock though.

    https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...6982188/Robo3D+R1+Base+Installation+Guide.pdf

    EDIT: Only bad thing is it warns you not to heat the bed above 75C or the frame will warp because of how it has to be mounted.

    Kind of defeats the purpose.
     
  15. JoshYourITGuy

    JoshYourITGuy Active Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2015
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    33
    My local MicroCenter has them, so thats a bummer for your location :(
    Install was easy (minus finding a cracked Y-Axis end and having to print a new one)

    I can get to about 70C on mine, I am going to get a 24V PSU and SSR soon.
     
  16. Jay312

    Jay312 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2017
    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    10
    Which Micro center has them?
     
  17. JoshYourITGuy

    JoshYourITGuy Active Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2015
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    33
    Columbus OH had 1 when I sent you that link this morning, but looks like it is sold out now?
     

Share This Page