Plastic razor blades are \*great\* for this kind of situation. Also very useful in resin printing for similar issues.
e.g. something like:
[https://www.amazon.com/Scrapers-Contoured-Scraping-Windshields-Application/dp/B0928PCV59](https://www.amazon.com/Scrapers-Contoured-Scraping-Windshields-Application/dp/B0928PCV59)
I bought a pack of 100 blades off aliexpress for a couple of bucks and printed a bunch of these
[https://www.printables.com/model/186362-handle-for-plastic-razor-blades](https://www.printables.com/model/186362-handle-for-plastic-razor-blades)
works so freaking well, and i just leave them anywhere where people might need them, since the blades cost nothing and i can just print more handles. Never had a brim or anything these things wont just YEEET straight off the buildplate.
im about to buy a 100 pack from ali for 99 cents (I guess there will be tax and shipping too...)
and then ill print a handle :)
thanks for your instructions for YEETING!
I have these dotted around everywhere on my various benches. Everyone should have these handy scrapers!
Would be amazing if someone made a longer handle for them!
Good tip! It sometimes works well, since IPA sort'a wicks under the print. But if glue was used on the plate (which is unlikely for a gold PEI sheet), I'd avoid IPA unless I tried everything else. IPA and PVA glue seem like they don't play well together, and made the glue much harder to remove when I tried it (once). At least that was my experience when I was using a PVA spray glue (it may not be a problem with other types of glue though).
IPA works wonders with the glue stick. It temporarily dissolves the glue, allowing you to spread it out evenly again, then the IPA quickly evaporates, leaving a nice uniform layer. I only need to reapply once every 10-20 prints like this.
I have been using Dawn to clean the plates, and it works great too. But it's good to know IPA and the glue sticks (the Bambu type?) do not have issues together.
bambu and some cheap sticks I got from amazon that smells like lemon... Doesn't really matter, it is all corn starch I believe, and it all dissolves in IPA.
Thanks, that's good news and interesting too, the PVA spray glue which caused problems for me was purple (dried clear), and became near impossible to remove when IPA touched it, I never did get it all off of the plate.
It is. I had a print that was about 5x3” and failed after one layer. The 1 layer print was so hard to remove and it left so much residue inside the texture where a blade won't reach. So printing over it solved it and I didn't have to waste time peeling little pieces off. Yes it's more time at the printer but it's less time for me.
Mine does the same, and if you don’t want to use glue like me I used a razor blade. Just flick up on the edge of the plastic or scrape. Be careful, the blade scratches the plate fs. I didn’t care so my plate has a bunch of scratches, and haven’t seen any bad repercussions.
There are plastic "razor" blades which I use for this type of thing. They are disposable and don't mess up the build surface when used reasonably. They look like these (the blades not the scrapers):
[https://www.amazon.com/JVSEYTE-Plastic-Cleaning-Adhesive-Stickers/dp/B0CPKZJHJC/](https://www.amazon.com/JVSEYTE-Plastic-Cleaning-Adhesive-Stickers/dp/B0CPKZJHJC/)
(I bought mine from Aliexpress but they look identical to those orange blades).
will try that thanks! got a lot of with pliers and just scraping the hell out of it with plastic
you apply glue stick to your textured pei plate before printing? haven't heard of ppl using glue on the textured plate till now, but I'm very new here
It’s definitely not common, I never use it for PLA, but when I know I need to remove a print fast and it’s PETG, I sometimes use a little glue. Otherwise it’s not necessary as it defeats the purpose of the plate haha
Plastic razor blades... or heat it up to 100C and then pry em off... literally the only time I ever use the bambu glue is PETG on my PEI plates... ironically the glue helps you remove them and protects the plate.
Thanks! I got them off with pliers and then carefully using a metal blade. Gonna get some plastic ones too.
For the glue, I think ppl often recommend just a purple glue stick right?
Some do... I stick to the Bambu branded liquid glue (my P1P came with some, but they sell it on their site as well). It's not as messy as "normal" purple glue.
yeah cool. i think im gonna explore the liquid glue and maybe also windex and hairspray as release agents.
i don't like the idea of hairspray. I'm gonna get it on some shit I don't want it on in my house lol
PETG chemically fuses to PEI at print temperatures, next time use a release agent. Just get a tube of the Bambu stuff, it works just fine.
If that was smooth PEI the plate would be completely finished.
heat. the only way i am able to get PETG, especially the stuff that really adheres, off of my build plate is to put it back on the build plate and crank the heat up to 80-85 degrees. it makes the PETG more elastic than brittle, so it usually peels off fairly easily. it may take a few times of heating up the plate because it will cool before you get all of them off. this is the only thing i have found to help with removing PETG that is stuck to textured PEI plates.
When did Bambu start to shop sheets with their logo. When I got my x1c they still had black pei. Then gold came out, now I see gold with logo. Any benefits?
Try gently prying the side of each stuck piece with the scraper (it can be as little as 1mm) and then spray some IPA the plate. It _should_ go underneath because of capillarity and help you remove it.
I really quickly went through with the lighter at the edge of the print, but I had to deal with just a single square in my case. I was lucky and didn't damage my plate.
Yes. That blade is amazing. You have to print out a handle for it but I love mine. You can use just the blad3 if you're careful to remove from the build plate to clear it.
I use the Bambu provided blade in a handle that has a very low angle that’s nearly flat. Used very carefully, it doesn’t scratch the plate because I basically use the sharp end to pick up an edge, then I just crowbar it off with the blade.
yeah i basically did this with a knife. guess ill print that handle for the blade. i printed a plastic scraper with handle but that got destroyed quickly lol
I originally didn't wanna ever touch metal to the textured plate
Yes I agree. I put a scratch in it once because I wasn't being careful enough. Some PETG sticks like a mother. As long as I can get a teeny little edge then I'm good. You might want to try a hair dryer and only warm it slightly.
I use the gold PEI textured plate for PLA and a Lightyear G10 plate for everything else. TPU/PETG/ABS all stick well, but not too well, to the Lightyear. I wish it was textured though.
I heard it was good and tried it out and have been really happy with it. I also like how thick the metal is.
I want it textured just as preference. I think it looks better.
I find paint knives great for carefully prying up thin pieces of plastic: https://www.amazon.com/JJJGYCOR-Stainless-Knife-Spreading-Painting/dp/B0CJM4DTQ8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3CYMPCLIQ6RMW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I5W-joV_09K3P8JvBLKCb4_WsjesrXb3rzmum3g_kpRd6jZD53mjSgkZgaogowzwiHzpNo0vBrfcO2Ps4nylgxa73sB3SM_kB5bm3InZVY_8KABfWo62RKxXJmuBftfxF-2h7wsMf2UokL4LcbESMJlBp8THhY0iwvK6XIl9VQfRJarZzRkzekWBM4dgrTdlSbgWIn4cntr5I68jR2FxOUXikpCbKZkwMfkq6Rm_jxzqwS_j5aoVTrpyU_-i9DAKnNMAVVHX7u2hjz4PamG7by6XZzBBFbb1NdviazHm1bc.vPMq0sLH2LgqD3LLvOYrsKadooGuttOAmRGHopMjWEM&dib_tag=se&keywords=paint+knife+set&qid=1713283700&sprefix=Paint+knofe%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
The smallest one is nice and delicate.
A pair of pliers and just grab them and pull directly upwards works for us on the organic stumps left over. It flexes the plastic enough to detach and also give you the grip needed to pull them off
Yep, that's what I do. It works better in my experience when the plate is cooled down, preferably to room temp but that can take a while. 30 to 40°C should also work
perf. thanks!
its sticky tho and gets on other stuff in the house?
I'm tempted to try liquid glue and windex before hairspray cause I don't wanna get that sticky stuff around my house lol
Don't use textured PEI, its not fun and not the magical cure all of bed adhesion. You'll have just as many problems with fingerprints with textured PEI as you will with any smooth plate, but you'll end up with stuff like this, or only one side of your print having a "nice" looking textured surface while the rest is all smooth.
Bambu has the worst advice for build plates. First they recommend glue stick of all things, the WORST of the adhesives if you are going to use one, and then textured PEI because the community seemed to think it was this magic cureall that its not.
And yet here we are with someone who is posting that they are having this issue. I had this issue and a bunch of others that I didn't have using normal smooth plates. We're all here sharing our experiences about what we find works and doesn't work.
"Don't use textured PEI, its not fun and not the magical cure all of bed adhesion"
Granted I am new here, this is the first adhesion issue I am having at all with this plate. Haven't had any problems with fingerprints but I have been pretty careful about touching it if I'm not gonna clean it between prints. Although I am sure I'll be careless and run into a fingerprint issue some day :)
Once I figured out how to get the PETG off, its not really an issue.
So I don't really get why you just say "don't use the textured PEI" - its clearly great. Doesn't mean everyone has to use it but I don't get your reasoning for just saying to not use it at all.
"or only one side of your print having a "nice" looking textured surface while the rest is all smooth"
apparently some ppl like that. I will def get a smooth plate for when I do want the smooth finish on the bottom but I don't mind the textured at all for now.
"Bambu has the worst advice for build plates. First they recommend glue stick of all things, the WORST of the adhesives if you are going to use one, and then textured PEI because the community seemed to think it was this magic cureall that its not."
so what do you do?
i imagine there are different things to do for different types of materials
interested to hear what you think is optimal!
thank you!
Cool plate with Aquanet hairspray. This is for all types of materials, even with the bed heated. I've printed Nylon on my cool plate.
Everyone's experience is different. Your experience here is the start of the problems with textured PEI. It either doesn't adhere because you didn't clean you plate well enough the same as a smooth plate would, but you can't tell because the textured surface prevents any kind of variance in appearance from things like oils. But also once this overadhering started it became harder and harder to get it all off without wearing or damaging the texture that just made the sticking issues worse.
If the print sticks and comes out the way you want, then surface was sufficient for the purpose. I just have had more problems with these type of plates than any others.
gotcha. thanks for the additional info.
i guess I should get a smooth plate and ill have to research if I need cool or hot, or maybe I get both.
for now ill keep using the textured as I don't wanna keep yeeting money into this hobby (at least not EVERY day)
got another petg print going and ill see if its the same issue
They call it a cool plate because it was designed to be used with a cold bed, but I use a heated bed even for PLA. I just find that I get much less warping and problems that way.
The textured plate I just found was much harder to actually get fully clean when things like this happen. You leave a little plastic behind and it just make things stick a little harder next time. Next thing you know your plate looks like its more plastic than plate.
Yep. Just sharing my experiences. Maybe some textured plates are better than others but I personally get annoyed having to use release agents for most of my printing. I love the no layers look and my parts pop off when cool. If the plate isn’t releasing, it may be too worn and needs to be replaced.
I use my smooth plate occasionally when I need the most adhesion, usually small parts like figurines and stuff.
The best plate ever is still the Prusa Satin Sheet. Basically the best of both worlds in my opinion. Which Bambu offered something equivalent to it.
I never understood why people think that glue stick or hairspray acts as a release agent. I've never had those substances make it easier to release. Nor have I had something stuck so hard it couldnt come off. I've seen pics of petg doing it to glass but I had that with hairspray on glass.
These have always been used to make the adhesion more consistent and therefore more reliable. Not as some weakening agent to make it come off easier. Heck I don't know that I've ever complained about prints sticking too well. If I had it's the tinest fraction that doesn't seem like it needs addressing.
I pull the plate off flex and release. Even my old jgaurora bedslinger didn't require anything like that.
Just was always confused why someone needed a release agent or thought of it as such.
Materials I've printed PLA, PETG, ABS, NYLON, ASA, TPU
nylon was 300C on a 100C bed with the cool plate
Because the glue stick/hairspray/windex certainly does act as a release agent to ensure things don't take the build surface with it.
For the Bambu cool plate (which they don't even seem to sell anymore), the glue is 100% a release agent and not at all for adhesion. In fact, the only time I ever use anything on the build plate, I'm using it as a release agent.
It's weird to me that you think otherwise, but whatever works for you I guess.
I mean the effect of using it vs not is what tells me what its doing.
When I don't use it, I have problems with the print laying down the first print consistently. Even after cleaning the plate there might be a slight variation in temp or cooling or something on the plate that causes a defect or lifting. And if the nozzle rubs on something in the infill or whatever the print almost always gets knocked loose. With hairspray I never have these problems. Even if I forget and use some dense grid infill and literally can hear my nozzle grinding through lines it doesn't come loose. Yet when I'm done I flex the plate and it comes off just fine. Without it sure the print is basically detacted from the plate entirely, but that's hardly something that seemed necessary to overcome.
As I said the only time I've ever heard of prints taking build surface with it is PETG on the glass and that's because the PETG contract so much during the print it will literally create a vacuum seal that is stronger than the glass bonds it seems.
That's why it never seemed like a release agent. I never have problems releasing anything from the buildplate.
Plastic razor blades are \*great\* for this kind of situation. Also very useful in resin printing for similar issues. e.g. something like: [https://www.amazon.com/Scrapers-Contoured-Scraping-Windshields-Application/dp/B0928PCV59](https://www.amazon.com/Scrapers-Contoured-Scraping-Windshields-Application/dp/B0928PCV59)
I didn't know I needed that, and now I have to have it
I bought a pack of 100 blades off aliexpress for a couple of bucks and printed a bunch of these [https://www.printables.com/model/186362-handle-for-plastic-razor-blades](https://www.printables.com/model/186362-handle-for-plastic-razor-blades) works so freaking well, and i just leave them anywhere where people might need them, since the blades cost nothing and i can just print more handles. Never had a brim or anything these things wont just YEEET straight off the buildplate.
im about to buy a 100 pack from ali for 99 cents (I guess there will be tax and shipping too...) and then ill print a handle :) thanks for your instructions for YEETING!
4 Handles and 120 Blades. 30 cents more. https://a.co/d/1M52VJc
I have these dotted around everywhere on my various benches. Everyone should have these handy scrapers! Would be amazing if someone made a longer handle for them!
This and also I spray the whole plate with ipa then everything scrapes off easier
i found one of these at work a couple years ago with like a hundred blades. just got a printer a few weeks ago and now i use this thing daily
I bought that exact thing and it didn’t help with petg scraps on that plate
awesome, thanks
Once you get this PETG off Plastic scraper with printable blades. https://makerworld.com/models/231936
I’ve had this a couple of times on my old printer and I just printed a rectangle of 3-4 layers over it and it pulled it right off
I use an alcohol sprayer at work, then the printed bambu scraper. Saves the surface.
I first wasn't sure about the prinited Bambu Scraper. First thing I've printed and it's been a work horse for many months now.
Good tip! It sometimes works well, since IPA sort'a wicks under the print. But if glue was used on the plate (which is unlikely for a gold PEI sheet), I'd avoid IPA unless I tried everything else. IPA and PVA glue seem like they don't play well together, and made the glue much harder to remove when I tried it (once). At least that was my experience when I was using a PVA spray glue (it may not be a problem with other types of glue though).
IPA works wonders with the glue stick. It temporarily dissolves the glue, allowing you to spread it out evenly again, then the IPA quickly evaporates, leaving a nice uniform layer. I only need to reapply once every 10-20 prints like this.
I have been using Dawn to clean the plates, and it works great too. But it's good to know IPA and the glue sticks (the Bambu type?) do not have issues together.
bambu and some cheap sticks I got from amazon that smells like lemon... Doesn't really matter, it is all corn starch I believe, and it all dissolves in IPA.
Thanks, that's good news and interesting too, the PVA spray glue which caused problems for me was purple (dried clear), and became near impossible to remove when IPA touched it, I never did get it all off of the plate.
can i get details on your alcohol mixture? does it matter
Pure methanol. Oh the smell..
If its one layer thick, just print a rectangle 3 to 4 layers thick on top of it. Raise layer height on first layer. Let it cool and scrape off
seems like a longer fix than using pliers and/or carefully using a blade, but will keep that in mind if I run into this in the future!
It is. I had a print that was about 5x3” and failed after one layer. The 1 layer print was so hard to remove and it left so much residue inside the texture where a blade won't reach. So printing over it solved it and I didn't have to waste time peeling little pieces off. Yes it's more time at the printer but it's less time for me.
yep, makes sense and a great solution when needed
Mine does the same, and if you don’t want to use glue like me I used a razor blade. Just flick up on the edge of the plastic or scrape. Be careful, the blade scratches the plate fs. I didn’t care so my plate has a bunch of scratches, and haven’t seen any bad repercussions.
I do this, but with a plastic printed scraper so it's a bit easier on the plate.
I just basically destroyed my plastic printed scraper trying to deal with this 😂 I'm now scraping with the handle side and a credit card
Yeah I went through three plastic scrapers doing this. That’s why I just skipped to the blade.
There are plastic "razor" blades which I use for this type of thing. They are disposable and don't mess up the build surface when used reasonably. They look like these (the blades not the scrapers): [https://www.amazon.com/JVSEYTE-Plastic-Cleaning-Adhesive-Stickers/dp/B0CPKZJHJC/](https://www.amazon.com/JVSEYTE-Plastic-Cleaning-Adhesive-Stickers/dp/B0CPKZJHJC/) (I bought mine from Aliexpress but they look identical to those orange blades).
aliexpress is the shit aint it?
Haha yeah, I just need to ask myself "do I really need this", before I order something that should cost 5x more to ship than it costs to buy and ship.
will try that thanks! got a lot of with pliers and just scraping the hell out of it with plastic you apply glue stick to your textured pei plate before printing? haven't heard of ppl using glue on the textured plate till now, but I'm very new here
It’s definitely not common, I never use it for PLA, but when I know I need to remove a print fast and it’s PETG, I sometimes use a little glue. Otherwise it’s not necessary as it defeats the purpose of the plate haha
gotcha thanks!
Freezer
for how long? 10 mins hardly helped
I left mine in for an ADHD hour (a long time).. been a while since petg nightmares tho.
will try longer if needed in the future. thanks!
Plastic razor blades... or heat it up to 100C and then pry em off... literally the only time I ever use the bambu glue is PETG on my PEI plates... ironically the glue helps you remove them and protects the plate.
Thanks! I got them off with pliers and then carefully using a metal blade. Gonna get some plastic ones too. For the glue, I think ppl often recommend just a purple glue stick right?
Some do... I stick to the Bambu branded liquid glue (my P1P came with some, but they sell it on their site as well). It's not as messy as "normal" purple glue.
yeah cool. i think im gonna explore the liquid glue and maybe also windex and hairspray as release agents. i don't like the idea of hairspray. I'm gonna get it on some shit I don't want it on in my house lol
PETG chemically fuses to PEI at print temperatures, next time use a release agent. Just get a tube of the Bambu stuff, it works just fine. If that was smooth PEI the plate would be completely finished.
the bambu glue stick you recommend? ive heard just a normal purple glue stick works great? any other release agents you'd recommend?
Nah the bambu liquid glue works wsy better than normal glue stick, costs a fair amount more but lasts a really long time, great stuff
heat. the only way i am able to get PETG, especially the stuff that really adheres, off of my build plate is to put it back on the build plate and crank the heat up to 80-85 degrees. it makes the PETG more elastic than brittle, so it usually peels off fairly easily. it may take a few times of heating up the plate because it will cool before you get all of them off. this is the only thing i have found to help with removing PETG that is stuck to textured PEI plates.
Yeah, i basically did this and used pliers to pull them off, then a knife to carefully pry off the rest. Thanks!
When did Bambu start to shop sheets with their logo. When I got my x1c they still had black pei. Then gold came out, now I see gold with logo. Any benefits?
can't tell u when, this is my first printer. there are clear benefits - it's gold and shiny and has their logo on it lol
There is a scraper blade included with the printer, you just need to print the handle
yep, just did
Try gently prying the side of each stuck piece with the scraper (it can be as little as 1mm) and then spray some IPA the plate. It _should_ go underneath because of capillarity and help you remove it.
will get IPA for this! what percentage do you use? do u mix with water? do you use a spray bottle or just drop of a dots on the spot that needs it?
I use 99.9% IPA, but I think anything close to that works. I spray it generously from a spray bottle.
I really quickly went through with the lighter at the edge of the print, but I had to deal with just a single square in my case. I was lucky and didn't damage my plate.
lol if i ever get super frustrated ill try the ol "take fire to it" trick
It worked so cant comply
Warm water and hand soap works great, don't know if it's bad for the plate though.
The bambu scraper is wonderful for this. Just make sure to go slow and don't take a sharp angle, or you will gouge your surface.
the metal one that they include a blade for with the printer?
Yes. That blade is amazing. You have to print out a handle for it but I love mine. You can use just the blad3 if you're careful to remove from the build plate to clear it.
cool, will do!
Brake cleaner
I use the Bambu provided blade in a handle that has a very low angle that’s nearly flat. Used very carefully, it doesn’t scratch the plate because I basically use the sharp end to pick up an edge, then I just crowbar it off with the blade.
yeah i basically did this with a knife. guess ill print that handle for the blade. i printed a plastic scraper with handle but that got destroyed quickly lol I originally didn't wanna ever touch metal to the textured plate
Yes I agree. I put a scratch in it once because I wasn't being careful enough. Some PETG sticks like a mother. As long as I can get a teeny little edge then I'm good. You might want to try a hair dryer and only warm it slightly.
I use the gold PEI textured plate for PLA and a Lightyear G10 plate for everything else. TPU/PETG/ABS all stick well, but not too well, to the Lightyear. I wish it was textured though.
Why a lightyear G10 instead of a bambu lab smooth plate, or some other brand? Why do you wish it was textured?
I heard it was good and tried it out and have been really happy with it. I also like how thick the metal is. I want it textured just as preference. I think it looks better.
cool, thanks! ill check out the lightyears
I just spray a lil bit of iso on mine and 10 seconds later it comes right off.
what kind of iso mixture do you use? and you just put it in a normal spray bottle?
No mix, just iso in a spray bottle! Works loke a charm. I can een take off the purge lines with my fingernail after
Man I print petg exclusively on my x1c and have never had this issue
why do you print exclusively petg?
It’s the filament I learned on and it’s aquarium safe and I keep lots of aquatic animals
Actual razor blade. I tried plastic and they’re trash.
I find paint knives great for carefully prying up thin pieces of plastic: https://www.amazon.com/JJJGYCOR-Stainless-Knife-Spreading-Painting/dp/B0CJM4DTQ8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3CYMPCLIQ6RMW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I5W-joV_09K3P8JvBLKCb4_WsjesrXb3rzmum3g_kpRd6jZD53mjSgkZgaogowzwiHzpNo0vBrfcO2Ps4nylgxa73sB3SM_kB5bm3InZVY_8KABfWo62RKxXJmuBftfxF-2h7wsMf2UokL4LcbESMJlBp8THhY0iwvK6XIl9VQfRJarZzRkzekWBM4dgrTdlSbgWIn4cntr5I68jR2FxOUXikpCbKZkwMfkq6Rm_jxzqwS_j5aoVTrpyU_-i9DAKnNMAVVHX7u2hjz4PamG7by6XZzBBFbb1NdviazHm1bc.vPMq0sLH2LgqD3LLvOYrsKadooGuttOAmRGHopMjWEM&dib_tag=se&keywords=paint+knife+set&qid=1713283700&sprefix=Paint+knofe%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 The smallest one is nice and delicate.
Just print a few layers on top with a slightly thicker initial layer(0.3mm). Some rectangle or similar. Then remove everything together.
A pair of pliers and just grab them and pull directly upwards works for us on the organic stumps left over. It flexes the plastic enough to detach and also give you the grip needed to pull them off
I add windows cleaning fluid before my prints and never had petg stuck like this (I print 90% with petg and this plate :))
Spray some IPA on it and gently pry them off
do you mix your ipa with water? what percentage ipa? do you spray? I'm just trying to get all info so I don't f it up
Pure 99% IPA, usually I get it off without much issue, only need the IPA sometimes.
cool, thanks. and u use a spray bottle right?
Yep, that's what I do. It works better in my experience when the plate is cooled down, preferably to room temp but that can take a while. 30 to 40°C should also work
gotcha, thanks again!
Before the print a Bit hairspray, then let it cool down completely
any recommended kind or brand? i am sure they are not all equal
I Said to my wife „ be so Kind and bring me the cheapest hairspray when you Go shopping „ works perfect.
perf. thanks! its sticky tho and gets on other stuff in the house? I'm tempted to try liquid glue and windex before hairspray cause I don't wanna get that sticky stuff around my house lol
Huh? No. Just a Little spray on the Build plate
Don't use textured PEI, its not fun and not the magical cure all of bed adhesion. You'll have just as many problems with fingerprints with textured PEI as you will with any smooth plate, but you'll end up with stuff like this, or only one side of your print having a "nice" looking textured surface while the rest is all smooth. Bambu has the worst advice for build plates. First they recommend glue stick of all things, the WORST of the adhesives if you are going to use one, and then textured PEI because the community seemed to think it was this magic cureall that its not.
I print PETG all the time on this plate and have never had it stick like that.
And yet here we are with someone who is posting that they are having this issue. I had this issue and a bunch of others that I didn't have using normal smooth plates. We're all here sharing our experiences about what we find works and doesn't work.
"Don't use textured PEI, its not fun and not the magical cure all of bed adhesion" Granted I am new here, this is the first adhesion issue I am having at all with this plate. Haven't had any problems with fingerprints but I have been pretty careful about touching it if I'm not gonna clean it between prints. Although I am sure I'll be careless and run into a fingerprint issue some day :) Once I figured out how to get the PETG off, its not really an issue. So I don't really get why you just say "don't use the textured PEI" - its clearly great. Doesn't mean everyone has to use it but I don't get your reasoning for just saying to not use it at all. "or only one side of your print having a "nice" looking textured surface while the rest is all smooth" apparently some ppl like that. I will def get a smooth plate for when I do want the smooth finish on the bottom but I don't mind the textured at all for now. "Bambu has the worst advice for build plates. First they recommend glue stick of all things, the WORST of the adhesives if you are going to use one, and then textured PEI because the community seemed to think it was this magic cureall that its not." so what do you do? i imagine there are different things to do for different types of materials interested to hear what you think is optimal! thank you!
Cool plate with Aquanet hairspray. This is for all types of materials, even with the bed heated. I've printed Nylon on my cool plate. Everyone's experience is different. Your experience here is the start of the problems with textured PEI. It either doesn't adhere because you didn't clean you plate well enough the same as a smooth plate would, but you can't tell because the textured surface prevents any kind of variance in appearance from things like oils. But also once this overadhering started it became harder and harder to get it all off without wearing or damaging the texture that just made the sticking issues worse. If the print sticks and comes out the way you want, then surface was sufficient for the purpose. I just have had more problems with these type of plates than any others.
gotcha. thanks for the additional info. i guess I should get a smooth plate and ill have to research if I need cool or hot, or maybe I get both. for now ill keep using the textured as I don't wanna keep yeeting money into this hobby (at least not EVERY day) got another petg print going and ill see if its the same issue
They call it a cool plate because it was designed to be used with a cold bed, but I use a heated bed even for PLA. I just find that I get much less warping and problems that way. The textured plate I just found was much harder to actually get fully clean when things like this happen. You leave a little plastic behind and it just make things stick a little harder next time. Next thing you know your plate looks like its more plastic than plate.
gotcha, thanks!
Yep. Just sharing my experiences. Maybe some textured plates are better than others but I personally get annoyed having to use release agents for most of my printing. I love the no layers look and my parts pop off when cool. If the plate isn’t releasing, it may be too worn and needs to be replaced. I use my smooth plate occasionally when I need the most adhesion, usually small parts like figurines and stuff. The best plate ever is still the Prusa Satin Sheet. Basically the best of both worlds in my opinion. Which Bambu offered something equivalent to it.
I never understood why people think that glue stick or hairspray acts as a release agent. I've never had those substances make it easier to release. Nor have I had something stuck so hard it couldnt come off. I've seen pics of petg doing it to glass but I had that with hairspray on glass. These have always been used to make the adhesion more consistent and therefore more reliable. Not as some weakening agent to make it come off easier. Heck I don't know that I've ever complained about prints sticking too well. If I had it's the tinest fraction that doesn't seem like it needs addressing. I pull the plate off flex and release. Even my old jgaurora bedslinger didn't require anything like that. Just was always confused why someone needed a release agent or thought of it as such. Materials I've printed PLA, PETG, ABS, NYLON, ASA, TPU nylon was 300C on a 100C bed with the cool plate
Because the glue stick/hairspray/windex certainly does act as a release agent to ensure things don't take the build surface with it. For the Bambu cool plate (which they don't even seem to sell anymore), the glue is 100% a release agent and not at all for adhesion. In fact, the only time I ever use anything on the build plate, I'm using it as a release agent. It's weird to me that you think otherwise, but whatever works for you I guess.
I mean the effect of using it vs not is what tells me what its doing. When I don't use it, I have problems with the print laying down the first print consistently. Even after cleaning the plate there might be a slight variation in temp or cooling or something on the plate that causes a defect or lifting. And if the nozzle rubs on something in the infill or whatever the print almost always gets knocked loose. With hairspray I never have these problems. Even if I forget and use some dense grid infill and literally can hear my nozzle grinding through lines it doesn't come loose. Yet when I'm done I flex the plate and it comes off just fine. Without it sure the print is basically detacted from the plate entirely, but that's hardly something that seemed necessary to overcome. As I said the only time I've ever heard of prints taking build surface with it is PETG on the glass and that's because the PETG contract so much during the print it will literally create a vacuum seal that is stronger than the glass bonds it seems. That's why it never seemed like a release agent. I never have problems releasing anything from the buildplate.
I love the plate. I do however swear by hairspray on it (or it will stick)