7

I printed a model and now I can't remove it.

I have been chiselling away with a putty knife and made little or no progress. I even heated the bed up to 70 °C. That really didn't seem to help.

Last time, I put it in vice, and tried to free it that way, but instead I broke the glass.

Suggestion?

0scar
  • 32,029
  • 10
  • 59
  • 135
cybernard
  • 265
  • 1
  • 3
  • 8
  • Use a stick/release agent (glue stick or hair spray or a dedicated print spray) or let it cool e.g. put everything in the freezer or refrigerator, it will pop off. There are multiple questions here that will hint to these solutions. Good luck! – 0scar Dec 29 '19 at 21:06
  • Look into the WhamBam System for future prints. Basically: a magnet is stuck on the aluminum bed. A print surface of PEX is stuck to a flex steel sheet. The sheet is then place on the magnet. When the print is done, the flex steet sheet is lifted off, after maybe 30 seconds, the flex steel is flexed, parts pop right off. Print surface is very smooth, like glass. I have previously posted videos of if working. We changed over after having to chisel a PLA box off of blue tape on the aluminum print bed. – CrossRoads Jan 02 '20 at 12:28

2 Answers2

5

It's useful to know what material you used for the print. Also, you've referenced the glass that broke in the vise, which implies a glass bed, but did you use any adhesive spray or other application?

Allowing for all of this unknown information, there may be a solution for your release. Our library makerspace has a small bottle of 50-50 water/denatured alcohol, although isopropyl alcohol should also work if your glass is not coated with a special film such as PEI. Heat up the surface of the glass to your usual temperature (50-60°C) and apply a few drops of the mixture to the edge of the print.

It will evaporate pretty quickly, but some of it will work under the glass/model interface. Apply a bit more while the glass is still warm. Continue to apply until the the evaporation is no longer accelerated.

Considering the difficulty you are experiencing, it may be necessary to repeat the heating sequence multiple times in order to get enough wicking of the liquid to effect a release.

fred_dot_u
  • 10,532
  • 1
  • 10
  • 24
  • I am using PLA. I did not use any spray of any kind adhesive or not. The binding force seems to increase with printed surface area. Objects of greater than 1-2 sq inches seem to bond impossibly with the surface. Its bonding force is so great I would not even consider adhesive. – cybernard Dec 29 '19 at 17:33
  • 1
    I had to use a lot more than a few drops, but it works. Thanks. – cybernard Dec 29 '19 at 18:02
  • 1
    In the future print at 60 °C and try to see if by cooling it will pop out by itself – FarO Dec 30 '19 at 08:15
  • i'm in a similar boat, but i've got the creality ender 3 tempered glass bed. would you recommend the same method, or a different method? this one: https://www.amazon.com/Creality-3D-Platform-Tempered-235x235x3mm/dp/B07FSM8DK9/ref=sr_1_5?crid=5Z96VKXLZTEF&keywords=ender+3+glass+bed&qid=1577808496&sprefix=ender+3+glass%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-5 – DForck42 Dec 31 '19 at 16:09
  • @DForck42 I found a local vendor who made me a custom sized sheet of glass. As long as it is tempered glass you should be fine. – cybernard Dec 31 '19 at 17:38
1

I don't have a glass bed, but I've had a lot of luck with using dental floss to get stuck prints loose.

If you can get the floss under the edge of the print, then you just pull it through to the other side.

This technique takes some practice but works really well once you get the hang of it.

0scar
  • 32,029
  • 10
  • 59
  • 135
linuxdan
  • 1,289
  • 11
  • 27
  • I tried yesterday with an ABS print stuck to blue tape. It cut the tape. I ended up removing the print with the tape. – FarO Jan 10 '20 at 09:33