PrintBite vs Filaprint vs Mirror and aquanet

[Lee]

So, like most of us makers, I have a tendency to be suckered in to buying the latest and greatest invention when it comes to bed surfaces.

I've tried them all from painter tape to most recently removable magnetic bed plates. I always end up going back to mirrors and aquanet. 2 options I haven't tried are

PrintBite and Filaprint.

Before I sink more money into testing these 2 options, has anyone ever bought either and thought, that's it! the perfect bed surface!!!

PrintBite looks like it will behave like mirror/aquanet but seems less durable, so not really sure I will end up buying that.

Filafarm Filaprint also looks the same but is mega expensive. Never the less it seems to get good reviews. Is it just a case of people convincing themselves the investment was worth it?

Honest options please.

Lee

[John Griffin]

I am curious, what did you think of magnetic print beds? I was about to drop $90 on one for my printer because it seems a lot better than prying prints off. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricks...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

[Lee]

Well the one I had was basically a glorified fridge magnet with a buildtak surface. 

1) I don't like buildtak for numerous reasons

2) Difficult to remove the sheet with large surface area prints as it becomes hard to break the magnetic seal.

3) Difficult to remove low layer height prints <1mm in thickness as the print needs to have some sort of rigidity to peel away from the flexible material.

4) Not very durable, the backing sheet is quite soft and dents over time

Of course the ones with metal backing sheets might better but they all seems to come with PEI or builtak, neither of which are very durable, so I won't personally be going down that route.

[Enginwiz]

My Robox has a heated sanded PEI build plate that works reliably for PETG and TitanX ABS.
It requires no maintenance and seems to be a permanent solution. The parts self-release
when the build plate cools down after the print job has finished.

On my Replicator 2 I still use Aquanet on a heated glass plate. I tried PEI and PET surfaces
with different surface finishes and always had problems to remove printed parts.

[Edward Simpson]

Let me guess, you were using one of the Creality style ones with magnetic sheets on both the heat bed and surface sticker? I'm using one of those and the Wanhao version that uses a sheet of thin steel on the heat-bed for the magnet sheet to stick to and I've found it doesn't exhibit the same 'stuck in place' issue after printing large objects. I think the underlying issue might be that the magnet adhered to the heat-bed might be interacting with the electromagnetic field of the heater coils and repolarizing when the nozzle is printing the first layer or something, but I'm not an expert on magnets so I can only speculate as to the cause. 

Hope that helps with sorting out your decision,

Edward

[Lee]

It was indeed a creality one! 

--

[Derek Schalk]

I too have tried a painters tape, FLEKS3D, glass and aquanet, and a sanded lexan sheet. I had the best results with the glass and aquanet. Then I tried the lexan sheet, and that works great for me. I do occasionally have to resand it, but it works. I really don't see any difference in it from the FLEKS3D, but I never could get the FLEkS to work for me. It also wanted to keep warping, and the way it was cut it was hard to tack it down.  I've only printed with ABS and PLA, so I don't know how well it will work with other materials.

Take care

Derek

[Ray Price]

Is the lexan thin enough to flex the print off, or do you just wait for it to cool, assuming you use a heated bed.  Also is the latest the lexan removable?

I've had great success with straight glass, wiped down with isopropyl, but scratches and pits develop in the glass over time.

--

[Lee]

This stuff?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clear-Protected-Polycarbonate-Sheet-420mm/dp/B071CNS1FC/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1549649204&sr=8-1&keywords=lexan&refinements=p_76%3A419158031

Does it scratch easily? Do prints release when cooled?

Don't make me buy another product lol

[Derek Schalk]

Ray & Lee,

I've gotten my lexan at Home Depot. Link I just cut it to the size of my print bed. It does flex, but if I have something that has a large base, I sometimes do have to work a spatula or something under it. It will release if I just let the heated bed cool. But you do have to re-sand the surface every so often. If it becomes smooth, the print doesn't adhere to it well.  I learned that by having prints that would stick well in some spots by not others. Where it wasn't, were spots that had been printed on a few times. 

On Friday, February 8, 2019 at 1:08:46 PM UTC-5, Lee wrote:

This stuff?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clear-Protected-Polycarbonate-Sheet-420mm/dp/B071CNS1FC/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1549649204&sr=8-1&keywords=lexan&refinements=p_76%3A419158031

Does it scratch easily? Do prints release when cooled?

Don't make me buy another product lol

On Thu, Feb 7, 2019 at 11:01 PM Ray Price <web...@gmail.com> wrote:

Is the lexan thin enough to flex the print off, or do you just wait for it to cool, assuming you use a heated bed.  Also is the latest the lexan removable?

I've had great success with straight glass, wiped down with isopropyl, but scratches and pits develop in the glass over time.

On Thu, Feb 7, 2019, 4:33 PM Derek Schalk <dtige...@gmail.com wrote:

I too have tried a painters tape, FLEKS3D, glass and aquanet, and a sanded lexan sheet. I had the best results with the glass and aquanet. Then I tried the lexan sheet, and that works great for me. I do occasionally have to resand it, but it works. I really don't see any difference in it from the FLEKS3D, but I never could get the FLEkS to work for me. It also wanted to keep warping, and the way it was cut it was hard to tack it down.  I've only printed with ABS and PLA, so I don't know how well it will work with other materials.

Take care

Derek

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 1:14:38 PM UTC-5, Lee wrote:

So, like most of us makers, I have a tendency to be suckered in to buying the latest and greatest invention when it comes to bed surfaces.

I've tried them all from painter tape to most recently removable magnetic bed plates. I always end up going back to mirrors and aquanet. 2 options I haven't tried are

PrintBite and Filaprint.

Before I sink more money into testing these 2 options, has anyone ever bought either and thought, that's it! the perfect bed surface!!!

PrintBite looks like it will behave like mirror/aquanet but seems less durable, so not really sure I will end up buying that.

Filafarm Filaprint also looks the same but is mega expensive. Never the less it seems to get good reviews. Is it just a case of people convincing themselves the investment was worth it?

Honest options please.

Lee

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

[Ray Price]

Thanks!  I'll have to run down to HD tomorrow and check it out.  I like printing on glass, in general.  The mirror like finish is really nice most of the time.   It just gets a little touchy when I'm printing something for an order which is face down.  If there is a little scratch or nick in the glass it jumps out at you.  I was thinking of going to something that would have more of a matte finish, and my thought is a sanded piece of lexan would do that.  They are cheap enough that I could have a couple on hand to swap back and forth while one was cooling.  If I get a scratch, I can just sand it out.

Thanks for the tips.

Ray

Ray & Lee,

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricks...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricks...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricks...@googlegroups.com.

[Rich Webb]

You may also want to give good ol' blue painter's tape a try on the glass. The glass still gives you that same great flat surface and the tape lends a bit of texture to the face of the print.

Usual tape rules apply: butt joints, don't overlap; and give it a good wipedown with isopropyl before printing on it.

Ray & Lee,

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

[scienteer]

I use a magnetic sheet with a spring steel and PEI sheet. Works really well. Whambam now sell an improved version that can tollerate more heat without degrading the magnet. That said, mine still works well after many many prints at 80 to 85c.

[Ray Price]

Is yours a wham bam system? They are a good bit cheaper than the buildtak flexplate system.  I really like the spring steel/PEI combo on my prusa. Might just spring for the wham bam

On Sat, Feb 9, 2019, 10:37 AM 'scienteer' via 3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews <3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com wrote:

I use a magnetic sheet with a spring steel and PEI sheet. Works really well. Whambam now sell an improved version that can tollerate more heat without degrading the magnet. That said, mine still works well after many many prints at 80 to 85c.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricks...@googlegroups.com.

[scienteer]

No I got my parts from Aliexpress. The magnetic sheet actually came with a buildtak like sheet, but I just use the base magnet with the spring steel and PEI sheet I purchased seperately. Works well though.

[Lee]

Just about to try the same myself!

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 2:20 PM 'scienteer' via 3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews <3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

No I got my parts from Aliexpress. The magnetic sheet actually came with a buildtak like sheet, but I just use the base magnet with the spring steel and PEI sheet I purchased seperately. Works well though.

[Ray Price]

The Wham Bam system looks nice.  Just ordered one, should be here in a couple weeks, since it looks like they are waiting for another production shipment to arrive.  Was a little concerned about durability, but they've got a video on refurbing the surface, and I can always drop back from their PEX surface to PEI.  

[Lee]

How is it different from regular spring steel / pei / and the fridge magnet type base?

[Ray Price]

Lifted from their site:

Wham Bam PEX Polymer Build Surface which surpasses PEI in temperature resistance, performance, and material ‘stickability”.  It sticks so well you would have a heck of a time getting the print off the bed without our Wham Bam Flexi Build Plate. Simply remove the Wham Bam Flexi Build Plate from the Wham Bam Flexi Magnetic Base on your 3D printer when the print is finished and flex slightly to pop your print right off! See our demo video below. 

Additionally, they have evidently improved their magnet as well.

We'll see. 

[Derek Schalk]

I just read this in my head in the style of an infomercial.

On Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 10:12:46 AM UTC-5, Ray Price wrote:

Lifted from their site:

Wham Bam PEX Polymer Build Surface which surpasses PEI in temperature resistance, performance, and material ‘stickability”.  It sticks so well you would have a heck of a time getting the print off the bed without our Wham Bam Flexi Build Plate. Simply remove the Wham Bam Flexi Build Plate from the Wham Bam Flexi Magnetic Base on your 3D printer when the print is finished and flex slightly to pop your print right off! See our demo video below. 

Additionally, they have evidently improved their magnet as well.

We'll see. 

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:06 AM Lee <l.fi...@gmail.com> wrote:

How is it different from regular spring steel / pei / and the fridge magnet type base?

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 2:54 PM Ray Price <r...@theraypriceshow.com> wrote:

The Wham Bam system looks nice.  Just ordered one, should be here in a couple weeks, since it looks like they are waiting for another production shipment to arrive.  Was a little concerned about durability, but they've got a video on refurbing the surface, and I can always drop back from their PEX surface to PEI.  

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 8:47 AM Lee <l.fi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Just about to try the same myself!

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 2:20 PM 'scienteer' via 3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews <3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

No I got my parts from Aliexpress. The magnetic sheet actually came with a buildtak like sheet, but I just use the base magnet with the spring steel and PEI sheet I purchased seperately. Works well though.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to 3dprintertips...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printer Tips, Tricks and Reviews" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3dprintertipstricksreviews+unsub...@googlegroups.com.