The PLA sticks too well to the blue tape!

[jwatte]

I'm using blue tape (I found a roll of 1.5" in the garage.)
I tape it to the bed, and then I wipe it clean with a bit of isopropyl alcohol 91% on a paper towel (not bathing in it!)
The initial layers stick very well, and I have the nozzle at a height where it smooshes the extruded plastic, like I've heard it should.

However, when the print is done, it's really hard to get the tape off the bed, and it's *impossible* to get the tape off the bottom of the print.
Is that's really how it should be?
Am I doing something wrong?
I'm using 200 degree hotend (according to the controller -- don't know how precise the thermistor is.)

Is there a better option for prints without blue-tape bottoms? Would a sheet of glass without heat, just wiped clean, work?

[mrsamnc]

I have struggled with this as well (and with new filament colors, still do at first). It's a fine line of having your nozzle "just right" above your bed. I use paper and have learned the "feeling" of it being right by the amount of resistance. My OCD tendencies keep telling me to get the feeler gauges out and quit using the paper, but I haven't... yet.

[ahaer]

Some things to try:
- lower the heat of the 1st layer - I'm using 195 but some parts still stick well
- experiment with first layer height - use whatever works best for you
- Try skipping alcohol wipe down. I've never done that myself so I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes one way or the other.

For parts with a large contact area I use a mini crowbar to lever up a corner, then use a small spatula (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000V ... UTF8&psc=1) to lift up the rest.

I also read another post where someone used a air can upside down to hit the part with some freon to cool it down. Never tried it myself - not sure about fumes either

[Mochaboy]

I had this happen. It got so bad, I had to remove my bed to pull the part off so I wouldn't damage the rest of the printer.

What I found handy is having a set of needle nose pliers, and I will gently lift a corner. Just enough to lever it off at which point I'll move on to another corner.

I ditched the wood printing plate for an aluminum one specifically because of how hard it gets beats on. I added a heatbed I got off ebay and can print directly to the aluminum plate with just a few swipes of a glue stick.

[mrsamnc]

[jwatte]

I do have some 6"x1/4" 6061T6 stock laying around, so making an aluminum bed would be pretty simple. Perhaps I should book some time on the CNC mill...
I wonder, if I sandblast the bed, maybe I won't even need a glue stick -- it may be naturally "grippy" enough for the bottom layer.

To be clear: The main problem I'm having is getting the tape off the plastic piece. Getting the tape off the wooder print board works.
I use a wide chisel to pry in under the piece and then lift off all the tape from the bed.

[Mochaboy]

[RetireeJay]

[m0j01]

Hey bud, Have you tried using Acetone on the bottom of the prints, specifically where the tape is, and slowly rubbing the tape off?

I am not sure if this will help or exacerbate the problem. Also, soap and water can cause glue to dissolve. I am curious what mechanisms are making the tape stick to the ABS. They might have diffused into each other a bit.

Soap and Water
or
Acetone

Those would be my suggestions.

[IB3D]

[DavidTheNerd C]

I do have this issue, but you should remember that it is usually better to have adhesion overkill rather thatn very little adhesion. I like tons of adhesion so i replace my bed tape every 2 or 3 full area prints.

[frankv]

So, don't use blue tape. And/or don't use IPA to wipe it clean.

FWIW, I had the over-sticky blue tape problem. I just use ordinary white masking tape (painters tape), wiped down with methylated spirits (methyl/ethyl alcohol mix). Cheaper than blue, cheaper than IPA, and I can print a dozen times on the tape before it needs replacing.

[eckerput]

Adhesion is a balancing act of enough to stick during the print and not too much that you can't unstick it. You are obviously at the too much sticking mode. Try less IPA, faster wipe, or none at all. Less heat on the bed will help too. Note you may have to adjust the amount of sticking depending on the print (more bed contact means you can get away with less adhesion), filament, batch of blue tape, print speed, etc. It's a constant balancing act and never perfect.

[jwatte]

Ha! I come back to complain that my Simple (with home-cut wood kit!) finally died (vibrated itself off the table during a print and killed itself.)
And this old thread of mine is tops of the forum. Funny.

So, "don't use IPA" doesn't quite work for me, because then the filament doesn't stick at all.
I found that a quick wipe with a light touch, leaves enough release agent on the top of the tape, while taking off enough that the print sticks.
It's more an art than a science, though...

I got a Simple Metal as a replacement, and it came with the Z probe calibrated 1/4" off and gouged the bed.
After that, and a necessary firmware update (the board as shipped could basically not print at all) it's actually working fine!

[bbrown64]

I use a feel gauge to set the gap for the nozzle. I use .13mm as the thickness. I never could get the feel of using paper as a thickness gauge. Then I use the 1mm plastic gauge to set up the Z-Probe. Then go into the software to adjust the Z-Probe offset. I had problems with prints sticking to blue tape as well. It stuck so well that it would peal up the kapton tape. I solved the problem by purchasing a Zebra Plate. Now I have no problems what so ever, with prints sticking. I print with PLA and the temps are 200/ 60. My layer height is .2064 with a .8 shell thickness.

[Mooselake]