Getting prints to stick to print bed

those were my thoughts exactly bare pbc board not a good idea at all

 

Here's a post from the makerbot users group that I thought sums it up really well. Usually this particular member has tons of great advice, but is a tad abrasive. This post is just a great response that really sums things up from a really experienced perspective.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/makerbot/ogWODYHSFDE[76-100-false]
"I think what some of us are getting at is that it's just an alternative.
To date we have several alternatives to printing on Kapton.
glass+ hairspray (my new default)
etched glass
glass+ ABS slurry melted with acetone
Aluminum with ABS slury
etched aluminum (never heard of that working but heck, they tried everything else)
garolite (mostly for nylon)
garolite + hairspray
PET film over glass http://airwolf3d.com/faq/#pet-film-applied-to-3d-printer-glass
PET film over aluminum

The key here is COST, ease of access, user preference, does it work with multiple print materials (say ABS, PLA, and Nylon being most common)

I'm not knocking it but everyone, including me, thinks their method is best and everyone else's method suck. That's human nature.
To me, I have a laser cutter and cutting Lexan sucks from the most awful fumes I can remember. Well, maybe a close cousin to Delrin fumes.
So this is experience talking, the primary problem I experience with any build surface is damage from removing parts. Because we often use metal tools, the surface must be harder than metal.
So glass+ hairspray works for me, because I cannot scratch the glass normally with a standard broad knife like this http://www.lowes.com/pd_278712-995-3410372_4294857639__?productId=3120601&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=
With any plastic build surface, eventually, I will damage the surface. With glass, I could potentially use it a million times and every parts looks like the first one.
I don't understand the hate on hairspray, it's pretty easy to control and multiple cheap glass plates make sparing it externally a complete non issue.
I use unscented so there is no smell at all. Being that glass is costing me around $3-5 for 5 build plates cut from scrap glass at Lowes, no way am I going to spend the money on lexan, even a small piece and then have to laser cut it to size for the build platform. Buying one is more insane IMO for me (may not be true for your) , because it's mail order VS local. In other words, I have a laser cutter and could make the exact copy of this magical build plate. But, and this is huge, I can also go to Lowes on Sunday, or any day of the week, even late and get a glass plate for about $2. So A person buying this magic plate mail order is SOL on a weekend if they mess it up and don't have a spare.
We are talking about going from a common material like glass, that you can buy anywhere and cut easily and just about any day of the week for less than $5, and then this new offering of a custom plate that is more expensive, yes it's tough but not as hard as glass, and has some finite time before the build surface is scratched up from use.

And then there are diehards who refuse to switch from Kapton. That's OK, it's their machine, their preference and their money. It works for them and that's what matters.

All I'm trying to do is lay out pros and cons as I see it. Glass is the hardest substance on the list (hardness = scratch resistance). Everything else can and will get scratched by metal tools at some point.
So if it take a little bit of occasional hairspray to keep the glass working, to me, the minor extra task it totally worth it. For those unwilling to try, well you are missing a good thing, but the important part is not to make a heated debate about this and just tke it at face value. I presented some ideas and thoughts and you do not have to agree with me, nor anyone else here."

 

If you can't find borosilicate glass, just use regular plate glass (like for windows).

This is probably pretty obvious, but be careful. Glass is sharp when it breaks.

 

yes glass and hair spray give it a shot it is cheap normally for PLA though

 

Not sure exactly what you asked but I think you wanted more information.
All I can say is that normally borosilicate glass is used because it remains fairly thermally stable without warping so the print bed remains flat and tha tis the key it is normally used along with an aluminum plate that is used tohelp spread out the heat even under the boro glass. Heated beds are usualy used when printing with ABS and other materials.

PLA is normally used without heat and in this case normal glass can be used to help with bed leveling. There are several methods for getting prints to stick to the beds among them PVA solution (white 10% water 90% one recipe) another is blue tape and another is hairspray all applied to the glass. Ihave used the tape and the hairspray and find the hairspray is much more efficient and easy to use. It is fast normally a quick spray just as you start your print and by the time the extruder heats up the hairspray is dry enough for print and the prints sticks amazingly well and seem to pop off afterward just as easily. I have not tried teh PVA yet so can not comment but the hairspray seems to be easier.

 

But are called Binder clips ahhaha

 

1" should work fine if you plan on using something ontop of the heated bed. If nothing ontop of the heated bed, then it comes with clips. If you got the PLA only version, you don't need this.