5 3D Printing Tips the ELITES don't want you to know...

Don't waste time and money on 3D Printing gimmicks! These are pro 3D Printing tips that I've picked up and want to share.
The Ultimate Book of 3D Printing Tips and Tricks (FDM/FFF) - www.makersmuse.com/3dprinting...
G10 / Garolite - • G10 - The best print s...
Join the Maker's Muse Community - www.makersmuse.com/maker-s-mu...
3D Printing Quick Start Guide - www.makersmuse.com/fdm-fff-3d...
3D Printer Buyers Guide - www.makersmuse.com/purchasing...
3D Printing Essentials - www.amazon.com/shop/makersmuse

[@albertpolak786]

I've worked at Prusa and can confirm we use the hole bringing trick everywhere all the time and it works really well. When modelling just offset each extrusion by your layer height (worth putting that in your variables for convenience). Also make little circular cutouts (dia cca 0.5mm) on each vertex of the hex pocket, ensures the corners of the hexnut fit in perfectly every time. Nose around some of the part files to see for yourself, there's a lot of these little tricks that will help you out!

[@MakersMuse]

The circular cut-outs on the corners are a great idea! I've been doing that for laser-cut and CNC parts for some time.

[@charliebowen4232]

So, how does one add that into their files? Is that on the CAD side or slicer?

[@albertpolak786]

@@charliebowen4232 CAD. It's actually not too much of a hassle, when you draw the hexagon and the circle, just add a few lines tangent to the circle as you see done, circles in the corners, then make your extrusions. *OR* you could draw the negative of the hole and save it as a separate model, then put it into your slicer and cut it away from your existing part. Much more of a hassle, but may be useful if you can't edit the original.

[@martylawson1638]

I've also done something similar for bridging the top of boxes. I'll make "roof joists" to bridge the full gap, then a few layers up I'll bridge the whole area between the joists. Ends up a lot cleaner.

[@licensetodrive9930]

That hole bridging trick is awesome, I've used the first style of just creating an 0.2mm layer at the bottom of the screw hole for one of my designs on Thingiplace and that works well, but bridging the sides of the hexagonal hole like that = genius! Will definitely remember that one once I get back into designing after upgrading my 3D software, RS is forcing everyone using DesignSpark Mechanical to upgrade to V6.0, I've been using V2.0 for nearly 5 years until it stopped working a week ago.

[@tinkerersagar]

0:13 1. The prusa research hole bridging trick 1:29 2. 3D print on G10 (Garolite) 2:30 3. Bed adhesion with glue stick + IPA 3:19 4. Drying filament with food dehydrator 4:40 5. Slice using STEP files 5:51 Bonus

[@PeterPetermann]

thank you

[@D4RKFiB3R]

Do any of those relate to the thumbnail?

[@robin_fpv]

​@@D4RKFiB3R dry Filament

[@notmyname9062]

@@D4RKFiB3R Same here, also clicked the video because of the thumbnail and then wondered why there isn't even a single word about what the thumbnail shows.

[@enzoscalone7929]

best tip: Level your bed looking at the skirt. I barely level my bed, but when I have to, I simply print with a 15 lines skirt and I just simply levelemy bed looking how the skirt is being printed.

[@MakersMuse]

It takes a bit of practice but that's a really fast way of dialing in a great first layer!

[@retromodernart4426]

@@MakersMuse It's not just a fast way of doing it, it's potentially the most accurate way without some kind of smart automated electromechanical method.

[@H31MU7]

@@retromodernart4426 I have a CRtouch with 144 point levelling and I still twist the dials while the skirt prints once you have it down you can get it levelled within the default 3 lines

[@retromodernart4426]

@@H31MU7 I meant a more sophisticated system than a CRtouch, but your point is valid, at the every least one reduces the errors that the mesh-leveling needs to compensate for by adjusting it manually too.

[@meisievannancy]

I print four 0.2mm prints . One on each corner of the bed. Circles 10~15mm in diameter is ok. Then peel them off one by one and measure them with a vernier. Adjust the bed level thumb wheels which can be printed in Petg for the 3mm nuts to make adjustment easier.

[@cleyfaye]

Lots of modern "file formats" are just zip files. An interesting use is to embed the original source, for example your raw model design inside the 3mf in this case, or the ODT in a generated PDF, this kind of things. There's also ways to alter a zip file slightly so that it would still be a valid zip file when opened as such, but it can also act as another file format, like mixing a picture with a zip that would open as a picture with an image editor, and as a zip with an archive tool.

[@NickSpirov]

Micro$oft Office files (docx, xlsx) are also zip files. If you have a document with pictures inside, you can just open the archive and inside you can find the original images.

[@Rocknoob49]

could also use it as a crude watermark in case of redistribution

[@i_might_be_lying]

Great tips! Glue stick and IPA was too much work and too inconsistent for me, so I've mixed PVP-K30 powder (which is main "glue" part of glue sticks) and clean IPA and put it in a small spray bottle. I use it on glass and it works amazing! Super high adhesion when bed is hot and prints pop off when bed comes to room temperature. Works very consistently - haven't failed even once. The mixing ratio is 1:18 by weight, PVP-K30 powder to 99% IPA. It doesn't mix instantly, so it needs about 5 min constant stirring (I use wooden stick in a drill press for that))). Again, can't recommend this enough. Edit: changed PVP-30 to more correct PVP-K30

[@VigiHunter]

Thanks for the tip!

[@DanielColson]

I got a G10 print surface after watching your video on that. Cheap and works great! Also, it might be useful to see a tutorial or something for creating those "prusa bridges" for supporting holes.

[@meosalami5180]

G10 has been a game changer for me as well. And I second the bridging tutorial - it was just too fast in this video ... I get the point, but I don't get the process yet.

[@badjackjack9473]

lets say you have a 10mm deep hex hole going into a 10mm deep circular hole, after the 10mm of hex, make a .2mm rectangle that is the width of the circular hole in one direction, but all the way across the hex in the other, .2 above that make it a square with sides the size of the hole. by the 3rd layer you should be able to make a 9.4mm hole, for a total of 10mm including the supporting layers

[@specialingu]

i picked up a sheet for my ender 3 but had some trouble with it warping abit, and i needed to run 70c instead of 60 for prints to stick well :/

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

There is a way that works for smaller holes as well. Just use enough perimeters for the bridging layer, and it will fill inn one circle at a time. That trick effects the entire layer tough.

[@anthonyrich1592]

I've found that the glue stick you use does actually matter. In the case of the UHU Stics, for example, I avoid the blue or purple "magic" versions because they use different formulas, break down under heat and just won't hold the prints down... use only the original white-capped version.

[@MakersMuse]

Solid advice. I've only ever used cheap white ones, so the basic formulations seem to be the way to go.

[@oldmanbluntz]

@@MakersMuse Good ol' Elmer's all purpose glue stick has been the best glue I've used yet. But any non-dyed ASTM rated gluestick works good.

[@TheButchersbLock]

Completely agree, the purple stuff hasn’t worked well for me in the past

[@gardnertreneman3008]

I just make a thin slurry of water and Elmer's white glue. To me it's easier to apply than glue stick + iso/water.

[@DragnDon]

I’ve been using the Purple ones with no issues for regular PLA prints on my Ender 5 Plus. I suspect that your application of it’s use was likely to be off.

[@GSprengt]

You can dry your filament even cheaper: use your printer bed. 60°C, filament spool on top, cardboard box and if you want ventilation, use the part cooling fan.

[@DoubsGaming]

I need more details

[@bartybum]

@@DoubsGaming He means put your printer and spool into a cardboard box so that they stay dry

[@deadly_dave]

@@bartybum I don't think so. I think he means put your filament into an upside down open box on top of your print bed. Then set your print bed to 60°C and let the heat in the box dry out the filament. I'm not to sure what he means by the part cooling fan as ventilation. Perhaps take off the fan and put it in the box or build the box around the fan or something like that.

[@iulianhagea5815]

Or just use your Oven maybe?

[@deadly_dave]

@@iulianhagea5815 Probably best to keep some filaments away from the oven you cook food in.

[@hapklaar]

Another tip for printing material that warps easily is to use some basic white wood glue and spread it very thin and evenly on your print bed. Works wonders for me printing large ABS and Nylon prints on printers without enclosures.

[@Ashgar225]

The Voron project also uses the hole bridging trick, and Prusa is where they got the idea. It gives very good results.

[@LonghornTexasFan]

The G10 bed was the best advice you taught me about. I did have to prep the bed with wet sanding the gloss surface to a dull finish. Adhesion and finish is amazing. I wasn’t having a problem with PEI adhesion but didn’t care for the rough texture it left on the print. Thank you for your videos.

[@myfelipe95]

what grit of sandpaper did you use? I'm' interested in this dull finish you've talked about.

[@D-Vinko]

@@myfelipe95 Try 200-400# Just be aware of what finish you want, and remember that scratches are more visible on deeper cuts like those offered by lower grits

[@qlum]

Another benefit from using step files in your slicer is that they are generally smaller and easier to edit later if you happened to lose the source file.

[@GeneDascher]

G10 is an AMAZING print surface. After seeing your original video on G10, I ordered some from McMaster-Carr. The ONLY issue I have with it is that It has to cool down a bit before pulling prints off, especially thin prints, or they can warp as the adhesion is so strong while it's hot. Once it cools down completely, my prints come off with NO force whatsoever. I can just pick them up, as they've already released. I don't use glue sticks or anything else.

[@Zewwy_ca]

❤ your videos, love how you share open ideas, and love your passion for 3D printing. 😊

[@ivovass195]

Straight and simple yet powerful tips. Awesome

[@kellyjean4981]

Great tips. Thank you! I always appreciate your videos

[@stevehazim5823]

Always amazing content! You've really upped my 3D printing game over the years. I'm going to look into that Garolite print surface, I have a WhamBam print surface, but getting Carbon Fiber reinforced Nylon to stick to the PEX required a thick layer of glue stick.

[@fheral]

Loved all the tips, specially the STEP one, ty for sharing 🙂

[@ailivac]

I came up with that same hole bridging trick a while ago. It seems like something slicers should be able to figure out how to do by themselves, by something like ordering the different parts of a bridge so that nothing is printed before being attached to existing material (the root of the problem is that normally all perimeters get printed first, even the ones "in the air"). SuperSlicer does have some experimental bridge perimeter options that seem tangentially related to this problem but it doesn't do quite the right thing yet. Also a way to get curves to print better (at least in the XY plane) with a traditional mesh workflow before STEP support gets better is to run Arc Welder on the G-code. I have this integrated into OctoPrint and use it on pretty much everything.

[@jeffharrison5265]

Great tips, especially the G10. Thanks!

[@tomaszkarwik6357]

Thank you for the g10 recomendation. I love it

[@mikecrane2782]

I used the STEP file import feature in Bambu Studio and the SoftFever (Orca) fork too, and it does makes a visible difference to circular lathed model parts, as well as overhangs. I could see artefacts in the STLs previously with other printers replicating the CAD mesh structure, and used to change the mesh properties in the CAD file export to try and reduce them. There was a bug in the STEP file import in Bambu Studio, not sure if Prusaslicer has captured this when they copied/forked from Bambu Studio.

[@hanslain9729]

Great work, Angus! Thank you!

[@goatmodegaming]

Here’s another great tip Solutions to problems are usually way more simpler than you may think

[@MakersMuse]

Very true, but it often takes some time to arrive at those simple solutions :)

[@chilllytube]

I think you were cleaning the bed with a paper towel. I used to do this and got variable adhesion. I changed to using a cotton cloth and the adhesion got MUCH better. I clean the bed with IPA using a cotton cloth. I discovered that paper towels leave a lot of very fine fibres on the bed which, I think, can disrupt the adhesion. Cotton cloth doesn't seem to. HTH

[@bradmontgomery7363]

I use glue sticks also, but I just use warm water to wash off the glue stick residue and it works faster and easier than using isopropyl alcohol or window cleaner. I use the purple Elmers washable School Glue sticks and have never had a problem with large flat prints staying stuck.

[@cidrjbr]

Ilove the last tip. Awesome tip about vulnerability on that kind of files. Thx bro, nice vídeos

[@dkronst]

I have to say that I've been doing this for a while, and the IPA/gluestick trick, although trivial in hind-sight, is AWESOME! This is the best time (and probably money too) saver I've had in a loooong time. Thanks!

[@koolkevin2357]

Totally Awesome DUDE!!! Thank You so much!.. Just another great reason I subscribed a couple years ago, Just WoW!

[@therealtiamat]

good research on 3D printing and a really interesting extra information in additon to this on 3mf... top top top!

[@stefanandersson7519]

I think Bambu Lab at some point mentioned that they wanted people to move towards sharing 3MF-files over stls because that would mean you could embed all these extra things for the project, like a cover image, text description, settings, etc

[@Doogleraia]

Tested out step vs stl in flashprint, stl gave odd layers not aligning as you would expect, but the step file gave nicely aligned patterns in the slice with spiraling curves rather than slightly in some layers then moving the seam etc further up

[@rossmarzano]

I have a G11 sheet. It transformed my prints and even allows ABS to be printed with very good quality. Big fan

[@dog3y3]

All very helpful tips. Thank you. The G10 is definitely a plus. We use glass on our Ultimaker, but G10 would definitely be a neat alternative we could use on some of our other hobby printers. And the dehydrator is a great idea.

[@Promethium666]

The glue stick + ipa trick is new to me, ive seen countless failures from caked beds where it looks like the entire bed is caked in the glue and it dries hard, when ive tried a glue stick i put a small circle of glue down and used a drop of water to make it into a fine solution that i spread around with a fan brush. Brilliant video as always sir, thank you! :)

[@martyb3783]

Great information! Thanks!

[@mikibish]

I've been looking for a sheet of G10 to fit my Anycubic Mega X ever since your first video about it but I've never found one at this mythical cheap price you claim, even sheets closer to standard bed sizes seem to be vastly more expensive than their official counterparts, and I'm talking like up to 10x more expensive sort of thing.

[@paulhaddon7113]

In Australia Artisan Supplies has G10 Liner Material (300mx300mm) for $8. In the US knifemaking suppliers stock it - for example trugrit abrasives has a 12x12" .062" sheet for $18 (sku: G10-RR-12X12X.062)

[@redkingrauri3769]

For an additional tip for drying your filament, if you can't find a food dryer then what you can do is set your printer bed to 70 degrees C, then take the box that your filament came in and cut off the lid and punch a 3x3 grid of holes in the bottom with a pencil. Put your spool on the heated bed and put the box on top of it. It should dry your filament within about 5 hours. I've tried it. It dried out some bad PETG I had to be like new.

[@Truth12345]

Instead of running your printer you could use a inexpensive 15W reptile heating pad.

[@fernandezvonschwephausen1979]

I did buy a bottle of the Vision Miner Nano Coating a while back and it has been great on glass. I won't say it is better than a glue stick for adhesion necessarily, but it is less messy, doesn't need to be applied very often, and my bottle is still 3/4 full several years later. Releases like a dream once the bed cools, almost feels like static is all that is holding it. Still haven't tried the G10 yet, but it is on my list. Really excited about the hole bridging trick, can't wait to give that a shot! Great video as always!

[@Mr_Jimbo]

Cura used to have a solidworks integration plugin which stopped working around 5.0 introduction - the extra steps this leads to has really made me appreciate how much I relied on it

[@Inventorsquare]

It’s important you have arc movements enabled in your firmware. If you can’t obtain a STP file, there are also tools to process Gcode to convert your G1 movements to G2 and G3 arc movements if curvatures are detected, with adjustable sensitivity.

[@paradiselost9946]

mmmmm, IJK coordinates...

[@travistucker7317]

@@paradiselost9946 there we g0

[@tsikada]

Arcwelder?

[@travistucker7317]

@@tsikada multiple linear moves into arcs

[@Opa_Andre]

I discovered this hole bridging trick by accident two weeks ago when I downloaded a printable measurement device from Printables which had a hex hole at the bottom for an M3 nut. Since my slicer, contrary to my expectation, did not inform me to activate support structures and the print ran without problems, I then took a closer look at the model in Blender. I discovered this trick with exactly one layer height for partial bridging in one direction, a second layer with further bridging in both directions and subsequent layers for the round hole and saved it in my mind as a clever idea for future models.

[@DangitBob]

finally picked up some G10 last week and i love it so much, feels like a bit of a waste though having to cut down a 12x12 to fit the bed.

[@3DIYOriginal]

Awesome tutorial !! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@IrocZIV]

Picked up some G10 after your first video, its been working great.

[@ChrisHalden007]

Great video. Thanks

[@hats_umei]

Thanks for the informations on .3MF. I gonna be aware now !

[@charlesorevkin7842]

Thank you for your money saving suggestions! For drying filaments, it’s worth noting that the BambuLab X1C includes a filament drying menu function as standard…! You simply put the filament reel onto the print bed and tap on the « filament drying » function with the temperature desired, close the door, and voila! No extra cost.

[@partsdave8943]

Thanks for sharing!

[@oorderr]

You ve got a new subscriber ! Thanks for sharing.

[@jordangage3677]

Great job, Angus! As a semi-noob this is awesome!

[@kenstone5479]

Great info, Thanks!

[@ryanlillie8469]

Well, Ive been having first layer troubles with my anycubic vyper, I finally just gave up today. Decided I would just flip the removable bed over and try your glue and IP trick. Its not perfect but its going 500% better. Thanks!

[@dim1723]

Great tips and I'd suggest them. I use them when I have time to print these days.

[@mickeyfilmer5551]

Silica gel cat litter is a fantastic dessicant and very cheap. AND... you can dry it in the microwave so it's reusable over and over again so you dont need an expensive food dehydrator either ! I use it all the time as the UK is quite wet most of the time.

[@MakersMuse]

Nice trick! Yeah it's crazy wet here too and it really does affect filament.

[@msytdc1577]

Both silica beads and molecular sieve material is reusable by drying them out in a dehydrator or an oven.

[@kenisthistoo7499]

Happy printing 😊

[@nickanon329]

I flipped my bed upside down and used the stainless steel side, isopropyl alcohol and gluestick, no more PINTA removal and no damage to the bed. I even went so far as to scuff up the surface on another one (upside down) with sand paper with iso and gluestick and adhesion is even better. Worked mint on PLA, PETG, and TPU.

[@extectic]

I run Arc Welder in my Octoprint to convert steps to arcs. On round prints especially it looks way better. I have seen some artifacts I can't really pinpoint but overall it does well (with regards to the bit about STEP files).

[@meganut7970]

Thanks for the tip on the 3mf files!

[@dinosoarskill17]

Vision miner makes an adhesive which works amazing and lasts a while. dont have much time to deal with prints failing, especially for prototyping stuff and this has saved me many times

[@beatadalhagen]

I regularly use food dehydrator with my filament rolls. I made one of the trays into a container full of desiccant that fits into the storage bucket I use. It even has a section filled with color-change. Good point about keeping the bed clean. I have a spray bottle with a mix of 70% IPA and dissolved glue stick that I use before printing.

[@thek3743]

you have the best tips!

[@ericzwirnmann8151]

Love the tips. Can you talk more about the bridging trick? Is this all done in fusion 360? If so, need to watch for tolerances, otherwise screw heads might stick up over services and issues like that.

[@victor08111]

I was looking for a steel spring bed for my ender 3 max. I'm glad this video reminded me of the g10, because I really want to test it before buying something expensive.

[@yannickpreault]

Another one I used: put a small triangle cutout to guide the slicer for the start/end of the perimeter. So the junction is in the triangle tip and doesn't make a bump in a surface that should be smooth

[@carlbeech6155]

Great stuff - useful practical information, as always :-D

[@dim1723]

Keep up the great work!

[@franzschmidt7621]

So you convinced me finally to buy a sheet of g10 to try.

[@jumhig]

Thanks for the info about .3mf files, pretty interesting.

[@filamentalprintworks4598]

Love the Prusa gradual support trick and will definitely try to incorporate that into future designs. Also, the glue with ISO alcohol is the truth! I just make an X across the bed with the glue stick and give it a couple sprays of IPA then schmear it on nice and thin with a paper towel. Perfect every time! 👍

[@SpinStar1956]

Great Video! ❤

[@petermead7510]

Hey just as a further tip on that food dehydrator.... I actually got one off a local internet site but I got a tall one. I cut out the bottom of each tray to make the inside open so I can stack 3 rolls of filament at a time.

[@marcfruchtman9473]

G10 is amazing! Thanks for the tip re: High Temp G11... too.

[@timreeves]

One thing that I have never seen mentioned as a bed adhesive, which worked much better than any gluestick or hairspray for me on a glass bed, is a salt solution! Just mix loads of salt into some warm water, heat up your glass bed, then wipe the mix on lightly with some paper towel, it will quickly frost over as the water evaporates and it works fantastically. The best thing about this is for old/cheap printers where the beds warped, a $5 sheet of glass and $1 in salt and you've got a perfect performing bed again. If you read this angus, give it a go, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised. heck, i've even been known to do this on my voron!

[@anon_y_mousse]

Interesting. Do you save the left over salt water in jar?

[@timreeves]

@@anon_y_mousse yep, just keep a little mason jar of it and it lasts forever

[@frankdearr2772]

great topic , thanks 👍

[@amberjohnston586]

Yup!! Cheap glue stick works great! When I want to rewet the glue stick, I just spray my bed surface with 90+ isopropyl alcohol while the bed and extruder are preheating. It dries fast and gives a little extra grip without adding more glue stick!! Wink!

[@sgsax]

I've had 90% success rate with my coated glass Creality bed, but I really want to try PEI because I think it's a cool finish. I also want to try G10 to see if it's any better than what I'm getting now. Thanks for the great tips!

[@SM3DCreations]

use a filament box upside down on a heat bed to dry filament ;)

[@JustMeKenny]

I've been preaching your gluestick/isopropyl alcohol method far and wide. Every time I see a messy glued up bed I link to your original video.

[@receiving9067]

Glue sticks is what saved me. I had loads of failures because of bed adhesion.

[@DennisMurphey]

A good friend, when i suggested a new mother board, asked me if Maker's Muse has done it yet!!!! I started watching your channel and see why he asked me that. On the G10. I was shocked to see you recommend what I had stumbled onto. I went to Garolite several years ago, still have the same plate. I used Glue stick a lot. Then last fall I ran out glue Stick, and had read about cleaning with IPA. I scrubbed and scuffed up my Garolite cleaned it well and left it bare. Prints stuck just fine. Then i changed filament and found a thin layer of glue helped. The I used a cotton cloth soaked in IPA to smear the think glue layer around, it sticks better. So now, I have a thin layer of glue and smear it around with IPA after each PRINT! Just like you described. But now I want to replace the big heavy Aluminum bed frame with something much lighter. Any thoughts on a PETG CF Plate???? Dennis a Maker's Muse Believer

[@yzkn8848]

5:42 pro tip: Creality Slicer also has addons for solidworks and blender parts that you can directly open on.

[@orionmec]

Thanks Angus. Do you have a video on the bridging technique for the example?

[@shibbypoopalot]

You did a vide on G10 like a year ago, and I've switched to that 100%. I have multiple sheets of G10 I bought cheap from McMaster Carr, and I have one surface roughed up with sandpaper for printing PLA on a non-heated bed, another sheet with the glue/alcohol slurry for TPU, and another sheet that's smooth as a baby's bottom for the other 90% of things I print.

[@Jim-xh7hi]

Would you happen to have a McMaster Carr # for the item? Thanks

[@paulhaddon7113]

@@Jim-xh7hi "Multipurpose Flame-Retardant Garolite G-10/FR4 Sheets and Bars" - 12x12" size Beige 1/16th inch would be MC # 85345K211. They have other sizes & thicknesses as well.

[@desiv1170]

Great tips... I remember after getting my start with my Monoprice mini using painters tape and sometimes gluestick, that when I got my CR-10 Mini and glass bad, I spent a lot time time working on getting it dialed in so I didn't need anything... When I needed a print to stick for sure (was showing it to friends, etc), I'd use some glue stick, but I was working on getting it dialed in and mostly had it to where the prints almost always stuck... Then it hit me... They always stuck with glue stick... They almost always stick without... So now, I just always use glue stick... ;-)

[@ignaztulpenstengle5092]

1000x 👍🏻 cause 1 is not enough 👍🏻👍🏻 thank you ... great video and cool tips 👍🏻

[@MikeRankinGrandPappy]

Brilliant!

[@diannafiredal]

Hi Angus, I tried STEP export from Fusion 360 and imported into PrusaSlicer 2.5.0 and it actually created a more faceted-looking version of the model in some curved areas compared to when imported as an STL from Fusion 360 (both when looking at the model on the plate and the shape of the print moves in the print preview), which looks nice and smoothly curved. Only a single data point, I may need to play more with it.

[@gordonwong2260]

I've been using arc welder addon plugin on Octoprint and Cura to bring back arc movements and that seem to work well as well

[@M3KPRO]

I have a spool of bridge nylon and I haven't printed with it yet but it does not have any noticeable kinks after bending even though it has been out of the box and has not been dehydrated for a year!

[@saddle1940]

Just a thought about drying the filament. When you dry plastic like PLA, the water leaves, but now the plastic is full of voids that can be focus points for cracks and it's still brittle. Consider replacing the air in the voids with a hydrocarbon (like ethanol, turpentine or something) to soften the plastic cracks a bit. After drying, place it in a container full of those fumes for an hour.

[@jokerace8227]

I also find PrusaSlicer does well with bridging. Garolite as a bed sheet works great, and heats up very fast compared to glass.

[@MLFranklin]

This is great.

[@RichardFoleher]

Forget special build plates, forget IPA, forget glue sticks. Simply wash your removable build plate in warm water with a degreasing dish soap (I use Fairy liquid here in the UK). Dry with a paper towel and I've not had a print fail due to bed adhesion since. 👍

[@retro_boy_advance]

Damn you elites! Always saving the best tips for yourselves!

[@sleepib]

The biggest advantage of slicing from a step file is the file size. In the cases where the default STL export wasn't satisfactory, a custom mesh tolerance gave best results.

[@haydnbao4219]

Nice tips. Do you have any recommendations for distributing print files with modifier geometry in place?

[@bellofbelmont]

Thank you. Very useful info. Jim Bell (Australia)

[@brandonrice2435]

BRAND-NEW surface on your build plate, well like brand-new. 3 factors combined will get you there 1) cover bed with 3-4 sprays of Spray Dawn Platinum Power Wash 2) really wash it with the paper towel, and really wash it again 3) rinsing with the more powerful jet or the kitchen sprayer. The rinsing might be the key but so is the Dawn and you really gotta wash it good, so all 3! You may want to do a wash/rinse before the wash/rinse to get all the gluestick, hairspray, etc off and then do a second wash/rinse. Plus the Dawn sprayer thing is pretty cool and reduces waste. Wish I got paid by Dawn, but no.

[@alang6402]

I have been using liquid PVA - the cheap craft glue sort - and I just dab a bit of it onto the bed and spread it with a quite damp piece of kitchen roll and wipe it until there is no visible residue leaving a very thin film. It lasts more than ten prints and leaves the contact surface clean of the clumps that gluestick leaves. I have been on the same 150 ml bottle for over three years and less than 10% is used up.