I kept hearing good things about printing on G10 so I ordered a 12"x12"x1/16" sheet and put it on the SV04. The width is ok but the length is a tad. short, the binder clips still will hold it down. So far the only thing I have printed on it was a TPU cover for the wheel on an RC transmitter I used Prusaslicers texture feature so keep it from being to smooth. Using the defaults I thing it came out great. I didn’t wait until until it completely cooled, I was in a hurry so when the bed temp was 43c I ran a little alcohol waited a few seconds and it popped off when I squeezed it. This is the easiest time I’ve had getting TPU off the build plate.
All I did to the G10 was clean it with alcohol after I installed it. I have seen some recommending sanding it with [NODE=“400”]front of 5.9in aborted owl[/NODE] grit sandpaper and also steel wool before using. At this point I don’t see a need for that. The 1/16" is thin enough that it still has a little flex in it so if need be you and take it off and flex it to pop a print off.
I printed the legs for the kid workbench I am working on using the SV04 with the G10 build plate. Normally after the prime line is put down I peel it off and get it out of the way, not this time it wouldn’t come off. After the print was done. I took the print and shook it pretty hard and it stayed stuck to the bed. After it cooled I just lifted the parts off. This was using Coex PLA.
The 12"x12" sheet I have is just a little samiil for the 300x300mm bed on the SV04 so I bought a 12’x24’x1/16" sheet which is enough to make a build plate for both printers and have a small piece left which I think will work for spacers for the Creality clips I use to hold my Crealty glass bed on. Now I need to find the best way to cut it.
That’s the way some recommend, scoring on both side and snapping it like glass. I’m considering trying to score it with a glass cuter.There is enough extra I can experiment a little to find the best way.
My 1st thought was to use a carbide-tipped scoring knife. I’ve used them for decades, starting out with scoring and snapping Formica laminate so it would fit kitchen counter tops.
Like this: [U]https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Scoring-Tool/3030695[/U]. Look at the magnified view. Notice how the tip is a welded on piece of carbide. What it does is cut a V shaped groove into the material being cut. Depending on the material, it can be cut by only scoring 1 side then snapping, or it might require scoring both sides before snapping.
Interesting topic. I am expecting an Ender 2 S1 Pro for review and since it can print at 300c I want to test printing nylon. Many people recommend using Garolite for these prints. I know you can purchase it at MatterHackers but they may be expensive because they are selling it as a print bed surface.
I bought mine off Amazon Amazon.com Another source is McMaster-Carr McMaster-Carr end up being about the same price with shipping.
I bought a 12x24x1/16" sheet at McMaster-Carr for $38 shipped which is enough to make one for both printers with a little left over. The 12x12x1/16" I bought off Amazon was $25
Don’t know yet how hard it’s going to be to cut. Many suggest scoring which is what I’m going to try 1st when my tool arrives.
Hah! I just looked up what Garolite is. Turns out, it’s something with which I am very familiar. It’s the same stuff most circuit boards are made of: 1/16 (0.0625) inch fiberglass-epoxy. Back in the 70’s, for about 5 years, I worked in a circuit board factory, the last 2 years as plant manager. We used what we called “copper clad”. This is fiberglass-epoxy sheeting coated with copper foil on 1 or both sides. The copper thickness was 1 or 2 ounces per sq. ft., depending on how thick the customer wanted the copper. Boards used for higher power applications would use the 2 oz/sq.ft. material.
We cut the material by using a power shear. Our main shear could handle 4 ft. wide panels of copper clad and must have weighed close to 1,000 lbs.
I bring this up because it might affect how you cut the garolite. If you have access to a shear, that would be the way to go. If not, the fiberglass could well affect the process. It might be necessary to score the epoxy with a scoring tool and then cut the fiberglass with a utility knife. The good news? If it’s like circuit board copper clad it can be edge sanded quite easily. So, after getting it cut to size, you should be able to sand it to a nice, smooth edge.
Oh, another great way to cut garolite should be with a router equipped with a 1/8" or 1/4" carbide diamond pattern bit. That’s what we used in the factory to profile the boards to final size. Be aware, the material is pretty abrasive; ordinary steel router bits won’t last long. If you have a choice, go with the 1/4" bit; 1/8" bits have a tendency to snap.
Well, that video was informative. Based on what I saw, I think I would use a jig saw. It was so quick, and I think it can cut straight enough for this purpose. After all, dimensional accuracy isn’t critical.
I did get a kick out of him calling it FR4 all the time. In fact, FR4 isn’t the name of a material, it’s a fire standard. It stands for Fire Rating 4. Basically, that means it’s fairly fire resistant. For example, it could be used in elevator shafts, which have restrictions on the materials permitted because the shafts act as chimneys in fires. When I was doing Ethernet wiring in the 80s, I had to make sure the cable was rated FR4.
I agree jig saw seemed the easiest. I bought a carbide blade for my jig saw to give it a try. Strap down a straight edge and go at it. The Brits get confused at times. Never ran ethernet cabling in an elevator but remember having a special putty that had to be used when running cable through a firewall. I do remember having a special rated cable for use in some places.
1 of the main differences between FR4 and lower rated cables is that FR4 cable is typically coated in silicon rubber, because silicon can withstand higher temps.
I remember the fire-stop putty. We also used fiberglass or Roxul insulation for larger cavities.
I scored a line with an awl using the glass build plate off the printers. It was pretty easy cutting, I wavered a little here and there but can’t blame the G10 for that it was all on me. I think the best way to cut it would be on a router table with carbide blade. I hate those binder clips for holding glass plates on the bed seems they are always in the way. The G10 being thinner the Creality clips wouldn’t work or will they? I cut some small strips of G10 from the left over stock. Bent the reality clips a little and use the small strips as spacers. The would work better it the were on the bottom. I may try gluing them to the bottom of the clips then trim them the same length as the clips. Right now I have them on top which is not the idea place but working for now.
The black sheet I bought from McMaster-Carr doesn’t look as nice as the piece I bought from Amazon but I think it’s the color. The black makes it show it and the glass green sheet from Amazon hides the imperfections. The surface is smooth to it’s all in the resin.
