I'd like to share how I got PLA to stick to the glass on my heated bed. I was experimenting with different cleaners and nothing was working. I tried white vineger, mineral spirits, nail polish remover, straight acetone, windex, lemon, running the plate through the dishwasher, and scrubbing with a sponge and soap. No matter what I tried the parts refused to stick like before.
After much frustration I was looking online and found an article on cleaning microscope slides. This got me thinking that maybe the paper towels or rags used to clean the glass are reason the parts wont stick. My theory is that the cloth leaves a layer of lint / dust behind when you clean it and that is was prevents the plastic from sticking to the glass. No matter cleaner I used, the surface of the glass felt kind of slick.
So to test this I wanted to thoroughly clean the glass without using any paper towels or rags. I took the glass plate to the kitchen sink and placed it on a plastic cutting board about the size of the glass. I soaked a paper tower with white vinegar and poured a nice splash onto the glass. I scrubbed both sides of the glass while it lays flat on the cutting board, and even wiped along the sides of the glass (the cutting board just keeps the glass from flexing when you scrub it). Then I rinsed the plate under fresh tap water to remove the vinegar. After that I gave the glass a good rinse with 97% rubbing alcohol on both sides. Lastly I placed the glass on its side, on a paper tower and leaned it against my printer to dry for about 15-30 minutes. The glass was very clean at this point and had no smudges or water marks. It also has that squeaky clean feel. So far my prints are sticking very well to my newly cleaned glass.
This also got me thinking that the reason stuff like PVA glue and the abs/acetone coctail work is because you brush them on and let them dry up. I guess the plastic forms a mechanical bond, but maybe they work because they are never wiped off with a rag or paper towel.
A couple of notes / common sense:
-Be very careful when handling your glass. If the edges aren't polished then they are very sharp and will cut you.
-Try to avoid touching the glass during and after cleaning with your bare fingers. The oils on your hands will keep your parts from sticking.
-Don't hold the glass while you scrub it- lay it flat onto a cutting board or something else flat.
-Don't use the bottom of your sink because that probably is not flat.
After much frustration I was looking online and found an article on cleaning microscope slides. This got me thinking that maybe the paper towels or rags used to clean the glass are reason the parts wont stick. My theory is that the cloth leaves a layer of lint / dust behind when you clean it and that is was prevents the plastic from sticking to the glass. No matter cleaner I used, the surface of the glass felt kind of slick.
So to test this I wanted to thoroughly clean the glass without using any paper towels or rags. I took the glass plate to the kitchen sink and placed it on a plastic cutting board about the size of the glass. I soaked a paper tower with white vinegar and poured a nice splash onto the glass. I scrubbed both sides of the glass while it lays flat on the cutting board, and even wiped along the sides of the glass (the cutting board just keeps the glass from flexing when you scrub it). Then I rinsed the plate under fresh tap water to remove the vinegar. After that I gave the glass a good rinse with 97% rubbing alcohol on both sides. Lastly I placed the glass on its side, on a paper tower and leaned it against my printer to dry for about 15-30 minutes. The glass was very clean at this point and had no smudges or water marks. It also has that squeaky clean feel. So far my prints are sticking very well to my newly cleaned glass.
This also got me thinking that the reason stuff like PVA glue and the abs/acetone coctail work is because you brush them on and let them dry up. I guess the plastic forms a mechanical bond, but maybe they work because they are never wiped off with a rag or paper towel.
A couple of notes / common sense:
-Be very careful when handling your glass. If the edges aren't polished then they are very sharp and will cut you.
-Try to avoid touching the glass during and after cleaning with your bare fingers. The oils on your hands will keep your parts from sticking.
-Don't hold the glass while you scrub it- lay it flat onto a cutting board or something else flat.
-Don't use the bottom of your sink because that probably is not flat.