Thought I'd share this small discovery with my fellow BigBoxers. I clean my build plate after every print, and I've found that glue stick (I prefer Elmer's Xtreme to UHU) gives me the most reliable adhesion with the least hassle. A few days ago I needed to print an object 158 X 254mm by only 4mm tall, and had some serious doubts about getting it off the plate after it was done. I tried to get a scraper (I use palette knives: they're thin, springy, and don't have sharp edges or corners) under it, but no dice. Thought about using a heat gun, even if it meant sacrificing the print, but then hit on the idea of tossing it in the freezer instead. After about 10 minutes I pulled it out and heard crackling noises as the print began to release. It slid right off without any effort on my part. Feel free to tell me if absolutely everyone already knows this trick, OK?
Actually, it IS an old trick but it needs a warm-up now and then. I used it more than once when experimenting with different combinations of material and surfaces. The only combination where it failed was a large, flat, brisk structure printed on blue painters tape. Even -30°C didn't help. The object did not survive it, it was an easier sacrifice than the glass plate carrying the sandwich. Another trick that _sometimes_ works for me: Put the plate on an oscillating sander (bottom up, no sand paper, just a rubber or soft plastic surface). Be quick to catch the object when it transits into freedom, before it enters the free fall state. Cheers, U.
I have a bed scraper made with a razor blade. I can usually slide the blade under an edge and then feed an oil painting palette knife between the blade and the glass. Palette knives like these: http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neilsen-5pc...il-Acrylic-Paint-Artist-Set-Knife-1-2-3-4-5-/ The no.5 is long and very flexible so works well.
