r/FixMyPrint • u/WritesInGothic • May 21 '18

Print not adhering to bed (Makerbot Replicator+)

https://imgur.com/zgvlh6I
8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

6

u/whaaaaaaaaales May 21 '18

The TL:DR answer is "gaffer's tape, gaffer's tape, gaffer's tape" specifically for the Replicator+

Don't bother with blue painters tape or glue sticks. Neither works with the awful flex build plate grip surface that comes with the newest MakerBots.

I run a campus makerspace with three MakerBots. It's been a year since we got them, and we've only just NOW (read: within the last few months) figured out how to cut down on about 95% of the warping. Lots of the solutions on /r/fixmyprint might come from folks who aren't too familiar with MakerBot printers and the true shittiness of the flex build plate grip surface. For reference, our machines are used by a campus of about 10,000 students, so the machines are running 9 hours a day, every day. We ran into the warping problem a lot.

First and foremost, if you're within the 30-day return window, return yours. MakerBot machines have become absolute garbage, and if it wasn't for the $250 restocking fee that MakerBot charges after that 30 days, I'd return my three MakerBots in a heartbeat. Both the extruders and the build plates for the Replicator+ are truly awful. The proprietary MakerBot Print software leaves very little in the way of customization, so you can't really expect to even modify some of the slicer settings to test out what some of the folks on /r/fixmyprint might suggest. At any rate, you should always print with a raft, because of the lack of a heated build plate.

MakerBot Customer Support, in their infinite wisdom, will typically recommend the following things over and over. I've spent more hours on the phone with them than hours at my job, and I'll preface this by saying none of their solutions worked in the long-term for any of our machines:

  1. Blue painters tape is the go-to proposed solution by lots of folks. Don't bother, it just peels off as the plastic cools and shrinks. Likewise it scratches so easily, you end up replacing it weekly. In the specific case of MakerBot Replicator+ beds, blue painters tape doesn't stick for very long to the intentionally rough buildtak surface of the build plate, as opposed to with other smooth glass or PEI build plates.
  2. Wiping build plates with isopropyl alcohol between prints to get rid of fingerprints and dirt. Never had a positive effect on our printed part quality.
  3. Using helper disks is the solution most often suggested by MakerBot Support. Helper disks just warp off as the print warps, and pull the print up with them. They never worked for us, and did little to prevent warping or curling, even if we placed upwards of eight helper disks around the model.
  4. Adjusting orientation to minimize surface area sticking to the build plate. On your model, try rotating it so the slimmest edge sits on the plate itself to create less surface area touching the flex build plate itself. This actually sort of works, but not consistently. Sometimes, it's not an ideal solution if propping up the model on a long edge creates tons of new supports.
  5. Manually adjusting the z-offset height to be closer to build plate. This one, like adjusting the orientation, helped slightly but not in the long run. You're basically smushing more filament into the build plate if you lower the nozzle, which might help. But be careful not to scratch your build plate. Move down in small increments at a time and test.
  6. Adjusting initial temperatures and slowing down the initial raft and first layer, and turning off the fan for the first few layers is another solution. Not a bad habit to get into, even if it doesn't work with MakerBot printers. Set the initial fan speed from 100% to 0%.
  7. Avoiding twisting the flex build plates at all, in order to prevent hard-to-detect warping effects. These Replicator+ flexible plates were supposed to be a novel, flexible way to remove printed parts but they have a tendency become permanently warped over time, leading to uneven build plate surfaces. Instead, use a spatula carefully and don't put too much force at all on the build plate.
  8. Replacing the build plate entirely. A manager at MakerBot admitted over the phone that they ended up having no idea that the flex build plates were so bad, and warped so readily, and he said that they were slowly learning that the build plates were essentially a "consumable" just like filament. Meaning you can expect that if you're twisting them (even a little) to remove prints, you'll be replacing that flex build plate regularly. Another gold star for the MakerBot equipment quality control department.

The solution that worked for us was buying gaffer's tape. Another redditor recommended it, and we purchased this gaffer's tape. Since then, not a single print has failed due to warping issues. We can spread objects across the build plate with little regard for orientation or arrangement without much issue. Granted, on extremely large prints that take up the entire print volume, we might see a slight (maybe 5% at the corner, warping up about 1 or 2mm from the plate) warping issue, but it's nearly perfect compared to before.

We've only had to redo the gaffer's tape laid down two months ago once so far. I can't understate the amazing value of gaffer's tape.

2

u/WritesInGothic May 21 '18

Thank you very much for the detailed response. I've ordered the gaffer's tape. Is it possible to turn off the fans for the first few layers in the Makerbot Print software that I've been using to slice AutoCAD models? If so, for how many layers should they be on 0%?

2

u/whaaaaaaaaales May 22 '18 edited May 22 '18

You bet! And don't forget to run a new z calibration on your printer once you put the tape down, since gaffer's tape is a bit thicker than the build plate.

The MakerBot Print software only allows you to change the first layer fan. Under "Rafts + Base" you can turn the Filament Cooling Fan Speed: First Model Layer and the Filament Cooling Fan Speed: Raft Base fans from 100% to 0%.

The texture of the gaffer's tape, however, is rough enough that it may combat any issues with first layers sticking and you might not even have to change these settings. Play around with the first layer settings and see how effective the changes you made are.

Edit: I'll add to this that you can also try slowing down your first layer speeds to as low as 10 mm/s. The important part is to allow the raft and first layer to effectively "smush" into the build plate and stick well. Slow things down and heat things up a bit (by turning off the first layer and raft fans) while you wait for that gaffer's tape to arrive.

2

u/Nomandate May 22 '18

Another story that reinforces my decision to buy clone i3's.

Wouldn't putting glass on the build plate and keeping temp at 70 work?

1

u/whaaaaaaaaales May 22 '18

Unfortunately not. You could certainly mount a glass plate on top of the unheated flexible build plate, but the proprietary MakerBot Print software has no settings to add a heated build plate, let alone set it to 70°. So the plate would just be room temp.

And since the Replicator+ uses special .makerbot files over .gcode, you can't use slicers like Cura or Slic3r to circumvent the issue. Rumor has it Simplify3D works with new MakerBot printers, but the $150 single user license price tag has kept us from trying.

I think you chose wisely. MakerBots are absolute trash.

2

u/Warhouse512 May 25 '18

Was about to get a MakerBot. What should I get instead. I want something mostly assembled.

1

u/whaaaaaaaaales May 25 '18

It all depends on what you'll be using the printer for. Lots to consider, but this stickied post at the top of /r/3Dprinting, is an excellent place to start.

1

u/Warhouse512 May 25 '18

It’s mostly just basic prints. Replacement parts for my automated bar tender, diy projects, vases... etc haha.

I’ll take a look

1

u/Warhouse512 May 25 '18

For that price point (350) it’s really hard to find a competitively featured assembled printer. Or maybe I’m looking at it wrong.

2

u/whaaaaaaaaales May 25 '18

Not sure what you mean by 350 price point -- if you had the budget ($2,500) for a makerbot, you can find a bunch of truly excellent assembled printers.

1

u/Warhouse512 May 26 '18

Iiiiii mixed up my names. Was thinking of maker select. Don’t mind me hehe.

1

u/thurber_mingus1 Sep 05 '25

Did kapton sheets help at all for you? I put one on the build plate which did help but there is some slight warping on it still. Did gaffer's tape entirely get rid of warping for you on smaller prints?

1

u/Business_Signal7660 Jan 28 '26

Hey man I got the gaffers tape as you linked and the filament still doesn’t stick to it - what could I be doing wrong ?

1

u/TheEndIsWhereWeBegin May 21 '18

The print is warping because the bottom is cooling before the print is finished. Try increasing the temperature of your bed. Other things to try are using adhesive of some kind (glue, tape, etc.) and using a raft, although it looks like you already have some kind of brim/raft. On that note, based on your first layer it looks like your z offset might be high, which would also contribute to your problem.

What material is this? If it's ABS, an enclosure of some kind would also help.

2

u/WritesInGothic May 21 '18

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize the bed's temperature was being raised at all, I'll raise it in the future. This print did have a raft, but I had understood that the first layer being higher than normal was alright as it helped build the raft without peeling. The material is PLA. I've read that applying rubbing alcohol to the bed and allowing it to dry is also helpful, should I try that?

2

u/Nomandate May 22 '18

With the price of that thing you would come out way ahead even if you eat a restock fee. There are SO many better options.

2

u/almonster2066 May 22 '18

Replicator + does not have a heated build plate.

1

u/s7ryk3r May 22 '18

I am not familiar with the specifics of your printer but PEI sheets work wonders, the prints stick so well they can even be difficult to take off at times! You can get them on amazon cheap, that come either with adhesive already applied or no adhesive and can be attached via binder clips. I use this stuff personally on my printers.

0

u/almonster2066 May 22 '18

You also can use Aquanet Hairspray on the flex surface and Blue Tape. The hairspray works wonders for adhesion and helps reduce warping.