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BuildTak findings

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by KTMDirtFace, May 30, 2015.

  1. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    I bought some of the BuildTak for both my Robo3d and my replicator 2.

    Quick mini review of it after using it.

    For ABS it works amazing, prints are stuck to it do not warp( much if at a ll ) and are hard to get off, but not impossible.

    For PLA, lol way too sticky. I had to remove my replicator2's bed( its modded with bottleworks heated bed and glass plate ) and jam the paint scraper under my print and then slam the handle of my paint scraper into my desk over and over and over. The print would not release from the build tak until every portion of it had the scraper go under it. Even the last little bit was holding it on there for dear life. Tried removing pla from it hot and cold without much diffrence. Smaller prints seemed to fair better and I could just whack them good once with the scraper and they would go flying off. Eventually i tried leveling my print bed with 2 buisness cards instead of a sheet of paper. Funny thing was the print still stuck. though the first layer looked terrible because the print lines were not touching at all.

    I still need to try PLA on it with No heat at all on the bed. I was running 55C bed heat.. maybe with no heat they wont be fused to it.

    I really like the stuff but i removed it from one of my printers for now until i figure out how to get PLA to not be fused to it.
     
    #1 KTMDirtFace, May 30, 2015
    Last edited: May 30, 2015
  2. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    I just printed a this on my rep2 with build tak and no bed heat this time.

    It was still really tough to get off but a hell of a lot easier than when there was bed heat.

    I guess my suggestion would be use buildTak for ABS.. and if your using PLA NO HEAT.. unless extremely necessary.
    [​IMG]

    I'll do more testing.
     
  3. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    This is a print on my rep2 on the buildTak

    LOL Note how far my stock robo paint scraper is pressed through/under it and its still not releasing the print LOL.

    [​IMG]

    If that's what your after this stuff is amazing.

    Edit: this was ABS.

    Even after this much what would seem as damage to the build surface...it comes out no worse for the ware.. may be marked up dinged or smoothed a bit up but the next print goes on fine.

    I did gouge the buildTak up with my scraper when i caught one of the sharp corners of the scraper on the surface.
     
    #3 KTMDirtFace, May 30, 2015
    Last edited: May 30, 2015
  4. Stephen Capistron

    Stephen Capistron Active Member

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    Nice review. Corvallis is a fun town.
     
  5. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    One more thing, the buildTak comes off without leaving a bunch of sticky residue which is nice. I just pulled a sheet off the glass ( cold ) and it came off without too much trouble and no goo everywhere on the glass to try to clean off.
     
    mark tomlinson likes this.
  6. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    So it doesn't come off to well from a modded replicator 2 with the bottleworks heated bed and glass plate upgrade. This will be the second $30 + $16 shipping peice of glass I have broke on it.. Nothing to do with the robo, but the glass on this replicator update is way too thin and shatters very easy.

    It came off fine on the robo. but on my R2 it couldnt take the stress. launched glass into my hand and face. luckily I wasn't really hurt other than my hand...and a bandaid and adult beverage took are of the hand.
     
    Printed Solid likes this.
  7. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    I bought 3 sheets of the glass from Cincinnati gasket and industrial glass. Came out to about $33/ea shipped and they're 4mm thick instead of the stock 3.
     
  8. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    Nice I thought about that, but
    I emailed PrintinZ http://printinz.com/ and asked them if they had anything that would fit my bottleworks plate.
    Wayne replied said lots of people use them on the rep2 with bottleworks heated bed.

    There is a new version called the Zebra coming out later this month but he sold one to me now it was $38 shipped. He said its black on one side and white on the other and 4mm thick.
    FYI Size needed for bottleworks rep2 plate is 155mm x 286mm and medium binder clips to clip it on.

    So i'll give that a whirl.

    My Robo3D is doing fine with glue-stick on the glass bed but I quit printing ABS on it just PLA now. ( BuildTak too sticky )
     
  9. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    I got the Printinz Zebra plate on now. it works great for PLA and Colorfabb XT.

    Works ok for ABS if the print is small. if its large the abs will warp the plate itself up. Currently have it on my replicator2 and will stick with it I like it a lot.

    Might get one for the Robo. Its nice to be able to remove it and bend it to help crack a print off of it without it breaking or deforming.
     
    #9 KTMDirtFace, Jun 14, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2015
  10. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    For my next test I will put BuilTak onto one side of the Zebra Printinz plate!

    PS, the owner of http://printinz.com/ is named Wayne I think, i'm not going to lie he is the BEST 3d printing accessory or whatever owner I have ever seen ever. The guy emails me constantly asking how my prints are going and wants status updates, on what worked and what didn't work. That alone makes it worth the under $40 I paid. Its crazy I stopped asking questions a week ago and got an email today asking how my prints were going. He even dug through old emails and facebook posts ( I don't facebook ) and sent me pictures and settings for people with my setup

    They make a plate for the robo3d
    from Wayne's service alone i'm gonna have to order that too.

    PS ( PrintedSolid ) I told him i'm using colorfabb xt that you sell and he said he would be contacting you to order some.
     
    #10 KTMDirtFace, Jun 17, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2015
    Mike Kelly likes this.
  11. The Meek

    The Meek New Member

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    I bought BuildTak for my Robo3D R1, and have good luck getting things printed in PLA off using a long stiff shim about the height of a wooden meter stick to put perpendicularly under the scrapper to use as a lever and distribute the force across the glass plate. Pry downward slow and steady until you just start to hear it crackle, and then as you work the blade inward you can try prying upward. Avoid twisting the blade as the sharp corners can gouge the surface. For really large prints it will still be a bit of work getting an edge going and you may have to work your way around the base to reduce contact strength for that final separation. I have heard some people design themselves a beveled edge at the base of their prints to allow access to the scrapper while minimizing effort and possible damage to the print.
     
  12. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    What is the difference between BuildTak and Zebra? Do you recommend one over the other, or can/are both used at the same time? Also, Is there any difference in thermals with using it on the heated bed?

    For instance, you need to have the bed higher or lower than you normally would have it.
     
  13. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    BuildTak vs. a PrintinZ plate is like this guy below.

    Pick one or the other and learn to use one or the other.

    If you try to use both, you'll be feeling like this:

    [​IMG]
     
  14. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Yeah, that looks a tad uncomfortable. :)

    I am still curious about the thermal difference between the two. Above it is mentioned that the Zplate tends to bend when used with ABS, would I be correct in assuming that the same problem does not apply to the Buildtak?
     
  15. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    Buildtak is adhered to the bed so no it won't bend. Just much more fragile and meant to be replaced
     
  16. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Ok, cool, thank you. :)
     

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