Broken Print Bed
I have a Robo 3D. However A while ago, the print bed was fractured, and now it has a long crack cutting it in half. The bed still works because it is held together, by the screws holding the bed to the tracks. So I want to continue using it, because it still is fairly good, the heating element works fine, and a replacement bed is 80$, and I am unsure if the one sold on the RoBo 3D website will be compatible with my printer as I don't have the R1, but a version before that.
So my question is:
How can I best align the two glass fragments, to provide as flat a print surface as possible, and two how to best hold these two pieces in place, or if it would be best to invest in a new print bed?EDIT:
Here is a image of the heating element as well to explain the situation with how it is attached
EDIT:
The RoBo 3D team have said that I just need to upgrade my y-axis with a object on thingiverse and then buy their new build plate. So I am going to experiment with a glass replacement, and if that fails to succeed then I will go along with their suggestion, and buy the upgrade. Thanks everyone for their help.It appears that on this model, the heating element is part of some adhesive that is attached straight to the glass printing bed. There is a possibility that I might be able to remove it, but not a chance that I want to take
A little chip is fine, but I wouldn't print with that big of a crack. However, that doesn't mean you need to spend $80 on a new sheet of glass.
Option #1- If you want borosilicate glass, you can get a sheet from either McMaster (about $40+shipping for a 10"x10" piece, less for smaller) or from a local glass maker (the price varies a lot, so you should check that also if you want to go that route). However, you won't be able to drill holes (tempered glass will break of you drill a hole). Borosilicate glass has the advantage of being extremely heat-resistant, so it won't break from thermal expansion. If you go this route, you should pick up a few binder clips also to attach the sheet to the heated bed.
Option #2- You might be able to get picture frame glass from a hardware store. It's super cheap (mine was $3 or something from lowes) and they'll often cut it to exact size. You might be able to drill this, but you have to be extremely careful. Sometimes, the hardware store can drill holes in the sheet for you if needed. If you don't want to drill, a few binder clips will work just as well.
Just a note for if you are using binder clips: you might need to (depending on how your hbp is set up) get a piece of glass that is slightly smaller to allow for any bed leveling screws to have room. If you're going with the picture frame glass, you should make sure that the glass will be entirely within the heated part so that there isn't any heat gradient (that's how glass cracks/shatters).
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Content dated before 7/24/2021 11:53 AM
Tormod Haugene 7 years ago
Hi, Arden. Does the glass stick to the heated bed somehow, or could you potentially replace the broken glass without also replacing the heated bed?