Hi Guys,
Can anyone tell me if it is recommended to put slight oil layer on the magnetic bed of the Snapmaker 2 while using it with PET-G so that the print can be easily removed ?
Any negative effects of doing it ?
Thanks
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I personally have never heard of using oil, nor would I do that as oil would be really hard to remove and would hinder bed adhesion for every other type of filament. Try blue painters tape or a glue stick first.
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NOOOOOO!!!
You donât want any type of oil or grease on your print bed. Youâll have problems with adhesion. Some lubes with silicone or teflon additives can be a nightmare to remove.
You want it to be completely clean. Use rubbing/isopropyl alcohol (some people like using dish soap first) and then if you find you need to you can add one of the recommended treatments: glue stick (my preferred) blue tape or hairspray. Some people recommend windex, but Iâve never tried it. There are also specialty products but I feel like theyâre overpriced. Perhaps if youâre using some really difficult filament like nylon theyâre worth it.
While some people say using something is a crutch and you shouldnât need it if your settings are correct, I say whatever makes it easier and not to worry about it. For me itâs just an extra margin of safety.
-S
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I usually raise the nozzle height a little when using PET-G, it doesnât need the same âsquishâ as PLA. Use a large brim or skirt and tune the height while printing.
Do you guys suppose oil using oil will also lead to a âbuildupâ (due to it getting heated at 230 C) on the head ?
Or will it have no impact on the head and only on the printing base ? (Apart from adhesion problem as you guys pointed out)
I really donât know, I have never heard of people using it. In fact most of the time I hear people trying to get rid of it (such as skin oil from touching the buildplate)
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If anything it would probably burn off, but if your nozzle is touching the bed youâve got bigger problems.
Not sure why you seem determined to use it.
-S
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I just spent a few minutes googling, trying to find some discussion regarding oil on the print bed in a context that isnât âhow do I clean it offâ. Didnât find anything - would love to see something if anyone else can find anything.
At this point @gb.123 the oil isnât going to react with plastic, put some down and report how it goes. I think you could be the first person to do this. If itâs terrible, clean with IPA.
I personally use a hazy IPA from the local brewery, makes all my print problems better.
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@brent113 Iâm with you there, Brent! 
@sdj544 - I am not determined to use it, one of my uncles used it and I am only trying to access if any damage is done.
But it seems he used soybean oil which has a smoke point at 230C and I think by the time the petg falls on the bed, it cools a bit so there should be no âsmoking pointâ and the printer should be okay.
@brent113 - Since I did test it, Iâll post the results : I had no problems with adhesion and the plastic did come off easily. I had no problems washing the oil either. My only concern would be that if the oil âsmokesâ it might ruin the head.
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Awesome, thanks for the update!
A food type oil is completely different from a petroleum product.
Easy to remove with soap and water or IPA.
But still not sure why anyone would bother.
There are plenty of proven ways to insure adhesion and release of print without using something that can have negative consequences.
-S
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Oil is bad for adhesion. I have had great success with PET-G adhesion using a layer of blue painter tape on the bed with a thin layer of Elmerâs washable glue stick (the disappearing purple kind) on top of the tape. Let the glue dry before heating up the bed.
Also remember to increase the z-offset when using painters tape. Iâve had success with both 0.5mm and 1mm z-offset depending on what I use for the initial layer height.
Good luck.
You shouldnât need to use both tape and gluestick. One or the other should suffice. I find by the time the bed is done heating up itâs dry.
-S
Iâve done that before on a glass bed - the glue was easy to reapply, unless I had to damage the tape removing the model. Glue directly on the glass worked OK, but some things were too hard to remove - the tape was a nice consumable layer, acting a bit like a raft.
Iâve experimented with just blue tape, just glue & both tape & glue. In my experience both blue tape & glue worked best with both 1st layer adhesion and final print removal. Others may have different processes but that worked best for me.
Is this on an SM2 bed?
-S
Yes. Snap Maker 2 A350 magnetic bed
Well I had a problem with âtoo muchâ adhesion, now I am able to solve the problem without applying anything at all !
My settings:
Nozzle Temp : 235
Bed Temp : 70
Offset : + 0.1 mm
Now, the print comes off using the provided scalpel without residue.
Still figuring out how to solve the stringing problem with PETG.