I am thinking about getting the Snapmaker 2.0 F350, and would like to know if there is a glass build plate available. I have only had one previous 3D printer (which I got about 1 year ago), so I am somewhat of a newbie when it comes to hardware, but a friend of mine said that glass is often the best. I will be using PLA as my material, and the main determinant as to what build plate I want is the build plate adhesion. The reason for this is that a large number of my models often have a large number of small areas touching the build plate (usually supports), so adhesion is sometimes more challenging. Is there a glass build plate available for the Snapmaker 2.0 F350?
I tried it some time ago but I could not get a glass plate with the exact dimensions of my A350. Instead I got a 310x310mm bed (āIdeaFormer 310x310x4mmā, from Amazon).
Note that with a glass bed, your auto leveling procedure with the proximity sensor will no longer work. I modded the firmware so that the dual extruder module would level the bed with the nozzle instead of the proximity sensor so it would work on glass (Dual Extruder: bed leveling with nozzle i.s.o. proximity sensor - #6 by Mayco).
Eventually I switched back to the default Snapmaker bed. I actually got more adhesion problems on small parts with the glass bed, but that could be due to the coating applied by the manufacturer. Of course, YMMV, especially if you use another brand.
Ideally I would look into a textured PEI plate for your Snapmaker instead. I donāt have one for mine, but I have one for my X1C and both the adhesion and the quality of the first layer are excellent.
Yes, there is; specifically sized for the 350-series machines.
However, be aware that as @Mayco said, with a glass build plate the stock auto bed mesh leveling probe will not work (inductive probe, must use magnetic surface), so you will have to either use manual bed leveling, or modify the print head with a different sensor. You will also have to devise a way to secure the glass to the heated bed, as there are no standard provisions for it; most people use binder clips with the wires removed, or even just painterās tape.
The stock build plate provides perfectly adequate adhesion for most filaments, including PLA.
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Some may laugh but I used a sheet of glass from a picture frame, just to experiment, when I was having issues with adhesion using the stock plate.
It is not necessary to cover the whole 300x300 floor, just need a piece big enough for the print you are planning. I used blue painterās tape to secure it and you must manually, and carefully, level it. Too much pressure and it will crack. I was able to get decent adhesion with PLA, TPU, PETG and ABS. The bottom surface was super smooth and clean, printed many things inverted for this.
I eventually purchased a new stock plate and went back to auto leveling.
As a crutch you can spray the plate with some super hold hairspray, like Aqua-net. Fairly cheap and it does make a difference. Remove the build plate from the machine and spray a light coat.
As I got better at identifying what a good bead of material being laid down looks like I stopped using the hairspray, except for really tricky prints. Even then I should probably change orientation or adjust other settings but I can be lazy sometimes.
Thank you for that info. One of the reasons I was hesitant to buy the one at the link you mention is because even though they have the same size build area, it only mentions the A350 but not the F350. I am new to Snapmaker, so this probably does work for both. But as you say, if auto leveling will not work, it probably is not worth it, so Iāll probably hold off on glass for now (itās not like I canāt add it later if I change my mind). Thank you all for your input and info!
The A350, A350T, and F350 are all the same machine. The F350 is just a 3D printer only and does not come with the laser and CNC components. The F350 and A350T also have internally updated linear rail modules and power supply, but otherwise the 3 machines are the exact same size and operate exactly the same.