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Unanswered I'M BACK(With a broken heated bed) Upgrade recomendations?

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by Electonic, Dec 13, 2016.

  1. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    Hey guys! I recently had a big crack in my heated bed(from using too much hairyspray, then removing the print badly. Anyway, I submitted a ticket to robo, and was wondering if it was worth it to just get a replacement. I've heard that the cost is like $90, which seems way too much(I could be wrong). I was wondering if there is an upgrade to the heated bed.

    According to http://www.sd3d.com/not-all-heated-beds-are-created-equal/ the R1 doesn't have the greatest heated bed. I print PLA exclusively, but I am looking into ABS and HIPS(yeah, my HIPS don't lie). I was having issues getting larger PLA prints to stay down anyways, so I figure moving towards larger ABS prints would be very difficult with the current bed.

    Anyway, my printer is a refurbished R1. I am getting the leadscrew upgrade here soon. This leads me to another point. I'm on a robotics team and we are in a very time sensitive place right now. Robo, as I know from ordering the leadscrew upgrade, is in the middle of the move. I need to be able to print soon, hopefully within a week. I haven't received the leadscrew upgrade yet, so I'm a little scared of ordering a bed from them and not getting it soon enough. If anyone has ideas on either getting the printer running temporarily, or upgrades for the heated bed, I'm all ears.


    Thanks you all for being a great community!
    -Eric

    P.S. In the picture its hard to see, but the crack goes all the way from bottom center, to around 3/4 up on the left side.

    P.P.S. The 6 month warranty expired Nov 3rd.
     

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  2. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Hi. Moving to ABS without a heated enclosure is very difficult and yes the stock heater does not keep up. I believe @WheresWaldo has a very detailed thread in the mods and upgrades section with a new heater (so you'd just need a piece of glass, aluminum, etc) that may serve you better. I still use the original heatbed so I cannot comment on how well it works .
     
  3. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    I found the thread. I'm a little cost shy though. Plus, the Robo3D bed is made for the Robo 3D, so it should be relatively easy to install, right? As I said, times an issue, so I don't want to have ot figure things out. I know I'm being a little stubborn or something, but time is a factor. Thanks!
     
  4. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    The robo bed comes with the glass and heater. You have to remove your old magnets and reinstall on the new bed then off to the races (hopefully)
     
  5. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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  6. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    @WheresWaldo Do you recommend the bed you upgraded to? Also, would it be possible to take the hearing element off the bottom and just get a new piece of glass?
     
  7. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    I get more consistant temps and the heater is bigger so the whole build area (vs. ~67%) is now heated and it heats faster, but I would ask @Nathanfish about using an aluminum bed instead. You will get better heat distribution and even faster heating. Aluminum is a conductor of heat and glass is an insulator. My next upgrade would be to an aluminum bed, If my glass were broken I might have done the upgrade then, but I was also trying to reign in the costs.
     
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  8. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    Thanks for you replies!

    I would like to just stick with the OEM bed, but as they are moving, I'm worried about the time. I can't find anything where it says when they'll be done moving. If anyone can confirm/report, that would be amazing.

    So, in the interest of being able to print tomorrow, what if I go get a 10"x15"x3mm piece of aluminum cut, then use either binder clips, or drill holes, or make some way of holding it on the build plate.(I know this probably not what you meant when you said aluminum bed, but hey) One small detail. Since the beds in half, is the heater thing still able to work? That is one thing I'm not clear on. Whether or not the heater itself is broken, or just the bed. I'm a little hesitant to just plug it in and hope it doesn't burst into flames.

    Thanks,
    Eric
     
  9. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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  10. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    AWESOME! It looks like I can replace the bed with that. I guess he just wanted a more even heated bed? Anyway, could I take the heating thing off my bed, tape it(is it tape?) to the alum plate, and be set? I'm just confused on how the heated bed works/what it looks like.

    Thanks for being patient with me, and thanks for the link @mark tomlinson
     
    #10 Electonic, Dec 13, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2016
  11. Nathanfish

    Nathanfish Active Member

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    i used a .250" Mic 6 aluminum plate and the stock heater worked pretty well with it, just take your time removing the stock heater so you don't tear it. Much better heat transfer to the edges of the plate with the aluminum plate so a larger heater wasn't necessary. I ended up installing my custom silicon heater anyways because i had already ordered it. Just make sure you use heat resistant double sided tape on the stock heater if you do decide to reuse it. I've upgraded both of my printers with aluminum beds with PEI and have been very happy.
     
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  12. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Just so you know, using MIC6 (also known as Jig or Tool plate) over 6xxx/7xxx series aluminum. all 6 / 7xxx aluminum sheets are cut from extruded rolls that are flattened out, so there is no guarantee of them being flat or perfectly even in thickness. They actually can show considerable warping even over short distances. MIC6, on the other hand, is cast then machined to be flat. It may cost a few dollars more, but I consider it a worthwhile investment. There are other brand names for MIC6 (a trademark of Alcoa Inc) such as Alpase K100-S (a registered trademark of TST, Inc), Alca 5 (a trademark of PCP Canada), Vista Metals ATP 5 (a trademark of Vista Metals Corp.) and Alimex 5083 (a trademark of Alimax Ltd).

    This information is provided just to give you a bit of context in aluminum plate. Most people, since printer beds are so small, might opt for the cheaper extruded aluminum plate. Many have done so with no adverse affects on print quality or leveling accuracy. If you are looking for just a bit more precision, a cast/machined plate might be your choice.

    On a personal note, I generally choose MIC6 plate when I need to have something I know is flat. ATP 5 (MIC6) plate is readily available and generally better priced than Amazon through Midwest Steel and Aluminum located in MN, USA.
     
    #12 WheresWaldo, Dec 14, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2016
  13. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    Awesome! Thanks for the info!
     
  14. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    From what I could see, I could only get the Cast Aluminum Tool and Jig in 1/4 inch. Making the bed weigh over 2 pounds. I was hoping to find something on amazon, as I have prime, but I could get it from somewhere else.
     
  15. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Yea, most of the time when we need materials (aluminum plate, glass plate, etc) amazon is not the win.
    Local or someone like @WheresWaldo suggested.
     
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  16. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Again, ask @Nathanfish if he has had any detrimental effects from a heavier bed. I am sure he will likely answer, NO!

    Also @KTMDirtFace has done the Aluminum bed upgrade, but he used 6061 instead of the MIC6 @Nathanfish used. I think he bought it from Amazon.
     
  17. Nathanfish

    Nathanfish Active Member

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    I purchased mine from Midwest steel supply. I would recommend adjusting the acceleration and jerk settings but other than that the extra weight hasn't been a problem for me. On the machine i put the 10"x19" plate on i upgraded to 10mm Y axis Rods but if you're staying with the stock bed length then you'll be fine.



    Cast Aluminum Tool & Jig Plate (ALI14)
    Size: 1/4
    Quantity: 1
    Width: 10.0000
    Length: 19.0000
    Price: $21.60
    Item Total: $21.60
    Cast Aluminum Tool & Jig Plate (ALI14)
    Size: 1/4
    Quantity: 1
    Width: 10.0000
    Length: 15.0000
    Price: $18.11
    Item Total: $18.11

    Order Totals
    ====================
    Subtotal: $39.71

    Shipping (UPS Ground): $18.11
    ORDER TOTAL: $57.82
     
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  18. Electonic

    Electonic Member

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    ORDER NUMBER: --------- CONFIRMATION
    Item Cut Fee Price Quantity Total
    Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare
    Sheet
    PVC 1 side
    0.125"
    Cut to: 10" x 15"

    TADA! Should be here within a week! Thanks all!
     
  19. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    And he only has one robo, so 10 x 15.
     
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  20. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    @Electonic since you went the 6061 route, if your piece is warped a bit, just remember a rubber mallet and a couple of wood blocks and you can probably make it less warped. Otherwise switching to the new Marlin 1.1.0 firmware using a better method of leveling might eliminate any concerns of a warped bed.
     
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