ABS Glue

[mhackney]

I just posted a blog entry titled Home-brew ABS Glue. Lot's more detail in the post but basically:

Clip your ABS filament scraps into small (5 to 10mm) segments. Put these in a small glass jar. Old fingernail polish jars with a brush-in-cap are great for this (and I now sell new, empty and big brush-in-cap bottles). Fill the jar about 1/2 full with scrap ABS then add Acetone or fingernail polish remover (the type that includes Acetone) to fill the bottle to the 3/4 mark. Please read the warnings on the Acetone or polish remover! Cap the jar and wait. An occasional shake can speed things up. It can take a day for the ABS to dissolve but with this recipe it usually takes a couple of hours.

Thin the glue to the consistency of light cream if you plan to use it on your print surface. You can also make it thicker to use for painting you prints, coating prints and then texturing them, or gluing broken or delaminated pieces back together.

Cheers,
Michael

[foshon]

I just posted a blog entry titled Home-brew ABS Glue. Lot's more detail in the post but basically:

Clip your ABS filament scraps into small (5 to 10mm) segments. Put these in a small glass jar. Old fingernail polish jars with a brush-in-cap are great for this (and I now sell new, empty and big brush-in-cap bottles). Fill the jar about 1/2 full with scrap ABS then add Acetone or fingernail polish remover (the type that includes Acetone) to fill the bottle to the 3/4 mark. Please read the warnings on the Acetone or polish remover! Cap the jar and wait. An occasional shake can speed things up. It can take a day for the ABS to dissolve but with this recipe it usually takes a couple of hours.

Thin the glue to the consistency of light cream if you plan to use it on your print surface. You can also make it thicker to use for painting you prints, coating prints and then texturing them, or gluing broken or delaminated pieces back together.

Cheers,
Michael

There was a fella that was using Ace hardware ABS glue (cement I imagine, for plumbing, conduit?) I mave meant to stop by and check that out as well. IIRC he had fairly good results with it. Ahh found it. http://reprap-art.blogspot.com/2012/05/ ... rints.html

[mhackney]

Yes, off the shelf ABS glue is fine. However, making the glue with the same color that you print has advantages - no visible glue lines, etc. They both work!

[foshon]

Yes, off the shelf ABS glue is fine. However, making the glue with the same color that you print has advantages - no visible glue lines, etc. They both work!

I agree completely, I just thought the warp testing was interesting. My favorite part is where it lifts the tape off the bed, amazing!

[mhackney]

He never shows his entire hot end so I don't know if he has a cooling fan directed at the print. What I can say is, for larger prints, if you have a fan directed at the print until it reaches about 8mm thick or more, you WILL get warping. I have done a series of tests on a 4" x 4" by 3/4" tall part to test the effect of heated bed temperature and fan on warping. I can print quite cool (65°C) without a fan and get good stick and no warp. Introduce a fan, and warping immediately occurs. Elevate the bed temperature with the fan and warping decreases. Depending on how much air you have blowing and the temperature of the heated bed, you can have both but why? I simply leave the fan off for large parts until I get to the 8mm mark and then turn on the fan if needed. I do think people "over fan" their prints, leading to warping and sticking problems.

[foshon]

He never shows his entire hot end so I don't know if he has a cooling fan directed at the print. What I can say is, for larger prints, if you have a fan directed at the print until it reaches about 8mm thick or more, you WILL get warping. I have done a series of tests on a 4" x 4" by 3/4" tall part to test the effect of heated bed temperature and fan on warping. I can print quite cool (65°C) without a fan and get good stick and no warp. Introduce a fan, and warping immediately occurs. Elevate the bed temperature with the fan and warping decreases. Depending on how much air you have blowing and the temperature of the heated bed, you can have both but why? I simply leave the fan off for large parts until I get to the 8mm mark and then turn on the fan if needed. I do think people "over fan" their prints, leading to warping and sticking problems.

That is very good to know. I have a couple of gear replacements I'll need to make up pretty soon here. I use ABS for the most parts these days. PLA and me have a love hate relationship. On my Mendelmax I can't seem to get it to stick well, accept on cleaned painters tape. I got some ABS from Ultibots and I am in love with it. Sticky, forgiving just easy!

[harley573]

You guys are making this stuff about the consistency of sour cream and brushing it onto your beds?

[mhackney]

I make mine a little thinner, the consistency of cream - a little thicker than thicker than milk.