I’m printing PETG on the textured plate, and I’m having an issue with the first layer of the support structure adhering a little too well to the plate. When I remove the print some of the first layer of the support structure stays stuck to the plate and it is very difficult to remove because it is so thin.
Is there a way to maybe raise the z-height just a bit for the the support first layer alone, or other strategies to help the support structure come off the plate well?
Yes, there is. You can set the layer height for just the first layer on the “quality” tab of your process settings.
Just wanted to update this thread with a solution that worked for me. Changing the first layer height didn’t really change anything. I noticed that the bits that were welding to the plate were basically the “brim” around the support structure. So one thing I did was change Support tab/Initial Layer Expansion to 0mm instead of 2mm. This eliminated the “brim” around the support structure, but it actually caused the support to lift off the plate in the middle of the print. So next I changed Support tab/Initial Layer Density from 90% to 100% and this made the initial layer support stick well to the plate without coming off, but easily removes when the plate is cool after the print.
Without pictures to illustrate what you mean, it’s hard for me to follow along. If you are so inclined to share your learning, though, I’m sure others would be interested also. We all learn from each other.
Maybe this will help. The circled parts of the support would also weld to the textured plate. The new support settings eliminate this “brim” around the support and the support structure lifts off the plate without leaving anything behind.
Oh, I see. So you’ve found a way to make the support serve double duty as support and also a brim in that particular area.
Have you tried using trees as support? I’ve moved over to those whenever I can because, as default settings go, they provide the minimum needed support and are easier to detach and clean off the from the model.
That said, I received my AMS just recently, and I look forward to using different filament types in the interface layer. That should make cleanup even easier.
No, you’ve got it backwards. The brim area was getting stuck on the plate and it was very hard to remove. So I first changed “Initial layer expansion” from 2mm to 0 and that got rid of the brim. However, I found that without it the support structure would sometimes come off the plate during the print. So then I changed “Initial layer density” from 90% to 100% so it filled in the first layer of the support structure more (more contact area with the plate). Since doing those two things I no longer get welded plastic onto the plate, the support structure stays put during the print, and it easily comes off after the print.
When I print skirts I do them 3 layers high, but only because they come off so much easier than if I were to leave them at 1 layer high.
I wish there were a similar thing for brims, where the first layer could be hugging against your model but then subsequent brim layers pushed back away from the model to make removal easier, including easier to remove layer 1. It sounds as though you are getting that kind of benefit from your method of using the support (in addition to nailing down the support to the build plate in the first place).
I would choose to run cold water down the board. It falls off easily when the temperature drops.
Sure, for PLA. But if you’re bringing out all the big guns and strong adhesive to hold a long ABS print against the bed against all odds to keep it from warping, maybe not then.
Actually, for the first time it just occured to me that I could surround a model with little “handles” that could get embedded in the brim and that would provide something to grip onto after cool down. If you can get a good enough grip on it, then you can use lots of leverage to get it off. When there’s nothing to grip, though, it gets harder in such a scenario.
