Printing Adhesives

Build plate adhesives I have tried...

• ABS Juice/Slurry

  • Made by dissolving ABS plastic bits in liquid Acetone
    
  • No hard rules here, some folks prefer theirs thicker, some thinner, both worked for me
  • Works perfect for ABS, ASA, and HIPS, but no other materials seemed to like it in my tests
  • Best on glass but also worked on shiny carbon fiber sheet print surfaces without issue
  • Often left ugly "brim or elephants foot like" bottom edges which added post processing time
  • Never use on print surfaces made from PEI, PEX, Ultem, etc. since those materials are sensitive to Acetone and could be destroyed permanently
  • Use - Spread as even a coat of adhesive as possible over the area to be printed on and wait until the liquid is ENTIRELY dry before heating the build plate...Acetone is nasty stuff!
  • My Opinion - Not a favorite but mostly because I like textured PEI print surfaces

• Aqua Net Unscented Extra Super Hold Hairspray

  • Worked for most materials, but some Polycarbonates didn't stick for me
    • This was probably just me
  • Worked erratically on all materials until I let the hairspray dry entirely before heating the build plate
    • Not sure why this helped...
  • Use 1 - Spray an even coat on the print surface and allow to dry before heating the bed and beginning the print
  • Use 2 - Spray on hairspray as above, let it dry, razor blade scrape it off the glass, Spray another coat of hairspray, let it dry, razor scrape if off the glass before heating the bed and beginning the print
  • My Opinion - Not a fan if I have other choices but it definitely works (I don't like overspray on stuff)

• Glue Sticks

  • Worked for almost all materials, except PolyEthylene and PolyPropylene didn't stick at all
    • A few PolyCarbonates and PolyAmides wouldn't stick for me
      • Could be me, but might also be those specific brand/model/lot# rolls I tried
  • If the build plate is not cleaned or scrapped fairly regularly (maybe 5-10 prints) with soap & water or a razor blade, the bottom surface of prints can begin to elephants foot and look fairly uneven in places
    • The glue layer builds up thicker in some places because bits of glue often peel away with prints irregularly
    • I use water and a piece of paper towel to dilute and spread the glue into a uniform coat every few prints
      • This doesn't FIX the problem, but can extend the mean time between washes for a given print surface
  • BEST VALUE of all 3D printing adhesives
    • I paid about $20 for 60 glue sticks like 5 years ago...and still have more than half the box!
  • All brands I tried worked identically well for me; cheaper is apparently fine?
  • Use 1 - Rub on as even a coat as possible on the print surface in a single orientation (all swipes line up like stair steps), wait a few minutes for the glue to dry, then rotate the bed (or your hand) and repeat at a 90 degree angle to ensure a uniform and even coat 
  • Use 2 - Rub on glue as above, let it dry thoroughly, razor blade scrape it off the glass, rub on another couple coats of glue stick, let it dry, and razor scrape if off the glass again before beginning the print (recommended technique by Vision Miner)
  • My Opinion - I like glue stick...but I like other adhesives more.(happy face) Works for nearly everything except not working AT ALL for PolyEthylene or PolyPropylene

• MagiGoo (Regular/Original)

  • Worked for most materials, but a few types of PLA I had wouldn't stick to this stuff (Probably just me)
    
  • Did not last as long as other adhesives; after maybe 2 or 3 prints it tends to peel up with the print
  • It leaves no visible artifacts on the bottom of the prints(even after dozens of re-applications)
  • Sticky to the touch if left on the part, but rinses off the bottom of prints with cool running water
  • Use - Press the sponge applicator down onto a cool bed, and swipe one way to coat then swipe perpendicular for a second coat to ensure an even and complete coat...and add another perpendicular coat if 2 wasn't enough
    • Shiny build surfaces will show the swipe marks from the adhesive on the bottom of the finished part
  • My Opinion - I use this for PETG, and it works great for that

• MagiGoo (PP)

   
  • Works better than anything else I have tried for Polypropylene
    
  • Did not last as long as other adhesives; after maybe 1 or 2 prints it seems to stop working
    • Looks like something is still there but doesn't stick, have to wash and reapply
  • It leaves no visible artifacts on the bottom of the prints, but I wash the surface with dish soap and water before reapplying
  • Sticky to the touch if left on the part, but rinses off the bottom of prints with hand soap and water
  • Use - Press the sponge applicator down onto a cool bed, and swipe one way to coat then swipe perpendicular for a second coat to ensure an even and complete coat...and add another perpendicular coat if 2 wasn't enough
    • Shiny build surfaces will show the swipe marks from the adhesive in the bottom of the finished part
  • My Opinion - I always use this for PolyPropylene filaments

• MagiGoo (PC) 

  • Works as well as anything else I have tried for Polycarbonate
    
  • Did not last as long as other adhesives; after maybe 2 or 3 prints it tends to peel up with the print
  • It leaves no visible artifacts on the bottom of the prints(even after dozens of re-applications)
  • Sticky to the touch if left on the part, but rinses off the bottom of prints with hand soap and water
  • Use - Press the sponge applicator down onto a cool bed, and swipe one way to coat then swipe perpendicular for a second coat to ensure an even and complete coat...and add another perpendicular coat if 2 wasn't enough
    • Shiny build surfaces will show the swipe marks from the adhesive in the bottom of the finished part
  • My Opinion - I use this for PolyCarbonates most of the time
    

• MagiGoo (PA)

   
  • Works as well as anything else I have tried for PolyAmide filaments (Think Nylons)
    
  • Did not last as long as other adhesives; after maybe 1 or 2 prints it tends to peel up with the print
  • It leaves no visible artifacts on the bottom of the prints(even after dozens of re-applications)
  • Sticky to the touch if left on the part, but rinses off the bottom of prints with hand soap and water
  • Use - Press the sponge applicator down onto a cool bed, and swipe one way to coat then swipe perpendicular for a second coat to ensure an even and complete coat...and add another perpendicular coat if 2 wasn't enough
    • Shiny build surfaces will show the swipe marks from the adhesive in the bottom of the finished part
  • My Opinion - I use this for Polyamides most of the time

• Vision Miner

  • Worked as well as anything I have tried for PLA and PC, worked for ABS also
  • Did NOT work for me on PETG, several brands same problems (Probably just me)
  • It leaves no visible artifacts on the bottom of the prints(even after dozens of re-applications)
    
  • Sticky to the touch if left on the part, but rinses off the bottom of prints with just running water
    
  • Use - Dribble a ring of drips around the area to be printed on, then smear as even a coat as possible before it dries
  • Dries SUPER Fast as it thins out
    • Hardens the included brush, I have better luck using a small sponge to spread the adhesive
  • Shiny build surfaces can sometimes show some swipe marks from the adhesive on the bottom of the finished part, but only on very shiny surfaces
  • My Opinion - Probably my favorite overall adhesive to date, Works great for me