Answered To use a raft or not - opinions please

I have been recently printing using the raft option and getting some nice results.
I'm also not using heat.

I'm finding the prints are much easier to remove from the bed and the prints are coming out nice and reliable (not failing as often).

I'm using my 5 month old Robo 3D R1 Plus and Cura.

Other than the wasted material what do you think of printing with or with a raft?

 

I used a raft for the first time the other day when I printed a Millennium Falcon that prints standing up on the backside. So very tall and narrow. It did a great job keeping it from falling over and was easily removed. That type of scenario I think would be ok using a raft, but day to day printing shouldn't need a raft for bed adhesion. It might be helping you, but it might also be covering up a possible issue with your bed adhesion in that case. Nothing wrong with using it as needed.

 

The Falcon is exactly why I tried the raft!

I don't have any issues that I'm solving with the raft, just tried it with the tall Falcon and just kept trying it with other things for kicks.

I usually have a tough time getting my prints to COME OFF the bed!!! Adhesion is not an issue over here.

In fact I have a small chip that the wife says she did scraping a print off a few weeks ago. The raft covers that flaw perfectly. And using a raft eliminates my need for the scrapper.

I don't have any issue one way or the other, just interested in others' experiences and opinions on it.

 

That's great! How did your Falcon come out? Mine suffered a fail because the cheap filament I used had a bulge in it. Somewhere around 18 hours into it. Made me sad.

Covering up a blemish in the glass bed is another use for a raft I guess. The raft did come off nice and easy from the bed.

 

@Geof = Raftism LOL

 

@danzca6,

I've printed a couple now and they've been good enough that people are asking for them. Not... paying for them... but it's a start I guess.

I'll post a picture.

 

Scaled down 50%


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That would be nice to recoup some of the cost that's for sure.
Imagine if I could sell enough to pay for that Prusa Mk3 kit I've got my eye one.

Ok, $1,000.00 each. I'll give a 5% discount on the first one bought.
(I only have to sell one right?)

Regarding rafts, I'll probably move away from the casual raft printing I've been doing this past week, right now it's a novelty and I'm learning something.

 

That's small. Mine is about 8 inches from back to front. Did the round radar disc print ok without supports? I printed the one with the new radar dish that is rectangular. Not sure how it would stand up printing on a moving bed without the raft. With an Ultimaker style printer I could see maybe getting away without a raft. Nice looking in orange.

 

Bingo...that it was. It was my 3rd bulge in the filament and it twisted up on me once as well.

 

Personal opinion:
I will always try to get away with a brim before a raft.

 

My Falcon was scaled down by 50%.
Using Matter Control the supports were awful, with Cura it was perfect. Light supports were just barely enough to allow the round dish to print nicely.

I'm sure S3D will be even better.

As for Brims vs rafts, I haven't tried them in Cura yet and MC was hit or miss on how well they came off. I'll try brims in Cura soon.


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I use raft as a last option. When everything is working fine, no need to use it. In your case, you got good results. I suggest to use it for printing light weight objects only.

 

Rigmarol, I found that allowing the bed to cool, the prints come right off......