A Note About Gluing Print Bed

warped corner

Summary: Use glue to prevent warping. Smooth glue out with water to thin the glue layer.

I just finished a marathon 11 hour print for the MakerBot tractor. (I will write up the whole build when it is finished.) I was printing two pieces of the grille. The quality of the prints was perfect, but the corner of one of the pieces warped. I didn't expect this since I was using a heated bed with PLA. I guess using some glue to help with adhesion on large prints is a good idea.

When I used the glue stick on past prints, occasionally I could see some of the layers of glue on the bottom of the print. Usually it is not a big deal because you don't see the bottom of the print. But I came across some good advice on 3D Verkstan regarding gluing. After you apply the glue stick to the build platform, use a damp lint-free cloth to smooth the glue out. As the bed heats up, the water evaporates. The glue layer left behind is very thin and will not leave any trace on your print.

no warping

I reprinted the part with the glue and no more warping. So while the heated print bed helps to prevent warping, gluing down that bottom layer gives you just a little more insurance.