How To Use Glue Stick for 3D Printer Bed Adhesion

Real life demonstration of how to use Glue Stick for 3D Printing from experts who have printed thousands of hours. While we don’t use gluestick now that we found a better solution, we share our old secrets with you on how you can use gluestick to get your 3D prints to stick. Rob and Cole will walk you through the process and also demonstrate for you our new solution we recommend as an alternative to using Glue Stick. This process works for PLA, ABS, PETG, and so much more.

Nano Polymer Adhesive:
Samples (promotion ended, $5 + shippnig):

At Vision Miner, we specialize in Functional 3D printing, especially high-performance plastics like PEEK, ULTEM, PPSU, PPS, CFPA, and more. We also have extensive experience with 3D scanners, and a whole array of solutions available for purchase. If you're interested in using functional 3D printing and materials in your business, feel free to reach out, and we can help you make the right choice for your application.

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[fluffeyguffey]

Love how humble this is. They have a product and instead of pushing it hard, they simply say if you don't have the budget then this will work just fine.

[Mathweaver]

As a newbie to 3D printing, this was exactly what I needed to know! The glue stick solved the problem I had with models that moved mid-build. Thank you!

[brogcooper]

That worked awesome! PLA was printing fine for me, but ABS was curling up on the first layer on every print. Glue stick worked the first time I tried it. I'll keep experimenting with other solutions, but glue stick definitely works as a cheap and easy solution.

[danielanderson]

That's 2 directions, but please, carry on.

[neilhiggins]

Hey guys, this systematic little process works perfectly for me! Since I started using it, I have not had a single problem. Thanks a bunch! I have a black print bed, which shows the glue residue very clearly during cleaning, making a thorough clean-up really easy. Water on paper towel works really well to clean up glue stick, with just a little IPA at the end to make the bed pristine again. Cheers, Neil

[ShiroArctic]

I just got myself some glue sticks for my 3d printer (Ender 3 Max) and I have been struggling to find a guide that says more than "Just put it on the print bed." Thank you for making that guide.

[VeshraineCreates]

Glass Beds - Works and sticks better if you heat your bed to 60c first. Also if you use Elmers purple stick glue you know when its dry when its color fades. Don’t understand the cross hatch stuff though. To clean I would suggest not using a razor blade and just let it sit under hot water - again with purple stick glue when it gets wet it will turn purple and you can watch it leave your bed. Denatured alcohol would be better to use as it cleans better than isopropyl.
PEI Sheet - Clean with denatured alcohol regularly and about once a month with acetone.

[phillipremondini]

I watched so many videos on using glue sticks to get your prints to stick and these guys were the only ones to explain in detail how to use it and if whether or not to let the glue dry. Thanks guys!!!

[helicrashpro]

I've been printing for a bit over a decade and your Nano Adhesive sounds great, can't wait to try some. But when it comes to getting materials stuck down, glue stick works for almost everything, very easy, very well. The cleaning routine for glue stick in this video is a tiny bit over dramatized. Get a bondo body filler crapper (tan colored stiff but flexible plastic that will not hurt even a PEI coated bed) to scape off the bulk of the glue after wetting with water and wipe clean with water. I get by with half a paper towel each time. You can also print a nylon scrapper. The glue stick dissolves readily in just water, absolutely no need for windex or IPA ever to clean up glue stick. On PEI, no need for glue with PLA and most PETG. For TPU/TPE you want the glue stick to prevent the filament from sticking to the bed permanently, so more of a release agent in that case. Some PETG for me has needed glue stick for the same reason, that's why I say most PETG will not need it on PEI. For PA/Nylon you will need the glue to get it to stick at all to anything. This Nano Adhesive looks great and I'll have to try some for PEEK but like they said, for most materials glue stick will work and it works well. I Honestly quit trying to find things to use for this. Glue stick just works when PEI or glass doesn't. The Nano adhesive is VERY expensive over glue stick and I would be surprised if it performed over glue stick remotely close to the price difference. Can you do a video on why this "nano polymer" is so pricy? Is it all the fancy die to make it an appealing color? LOL just joking. But seriously I'm an engineer and all it says on the SDS is isopropyl alcohol 50%. So what's the other 50%? I don't need trade secrets but it's going to get heated in my presence so I'd like to know more than it's just a "nano polymer", since we both know that's just marketing wank. There are loads of polymers but only so many and only so many suitable. How safe is this stuff at 200c for hours? Toxicity of PVA (glue stick) is pretty well known and documented. I get pretty turned off when a company charges these prices, calls it a "nano polymer" and tells you nothing about the "technology". My guess is that it's no special polymer, it's something really inexpensive and very simple which is the trade secret. Please make a video proving me wrong. I probably came across abrasive in this but I'm not really trying to bust your balls, I'm a fan of the channel and would like a deeper dive into the Nano Polymer why it PERFORMS better particularly at high temps.

[KRYPTOKINGGAMING]

I've been using a set of glue sticks from Rite aid for years that goes from purple to clear when dry. It's the greatest.

[jamesmeans]

Wow! I was doing it all wrong. Prints are sticking like a charm now with a gentle damp towel and dry between prints. To be honest, it got a little gunky when applying, so i firmly drew the putty knife across in the same direction to smooth it out. Did the same thing after applying the crosscoat. My bed is perfect! Thanks Guys!

[karlmadsen]

I run my Bambu plate under warm water and use regular liquid hand soap and a paper towel to clean it. Total cleanliness is easily achieved. Dry with a soft towel. Re-apply glue stick, light and even, before the next print. Never had an adhesion failure. Use the "purple disappearing water-soluble" glue sticks. Cheap. Reliable. Easily removed from the plate with soap and water. The Bambu Lab glue sticks work great, but are a bit overpriced to use if one prints a lot.

[thomasdaily]

I've only burned myself 99 times. I'm still relatively new.

[mattpatton]

Thank you so much for making this video. I have been designing and printed my own things for a while and recently have ran into my parts not sticking and doing this worked the first try!!! Thanks again!!!

[ryguy]

I impulse bought a bottle of their stuff at Micro Center the other day and yes, it is pricy, but it works super super well. Holds my prints in place and the completed prints come off nice and easy after they cool. Well worth the price to save yourself some frustration.

[tombert]

Nothing against glue sticks or your polymers, but by simply cleaning out my bed with windex and then some alcohol, replacing the default bed with a mirror, and spending a bunch of time making sure the bed is *level* (and I mean LEVEL), and printing the filament a bit hotter, I've actually managed to avoid the need to for these kinds of adhesives, especially if I'm ok using a brim. Things seem to adhere to the plate just fine for me, fingers crossed

That said, I print almost exclusively with PLA, which of course doesn't have the warping problems of something like ABS. If/when I get brave enough to do some ABS printing, I'll probably invest in this stuff.

[haytada]

I've been doing this since my second day of having a printer and things not sticking. This video makes me think I should take a bit more care though. I just spread it all over and which way, globs and everything! I guess I've been lucky over the last 12 months but glue stick works an absolute treat.

[incredibleflameboy]

So my bed suddenly stopped adhereing well, im not convinced its not because i moved it to a much cooler area but i had printed a lot without changing the surface. What are we actually doing here? Are we adding adhesion through the glue or are we adding texture to the plate?

[chrisnurse]

For pla pla+ I just dilute sugar in water and brush on - perfect adhesion and easy release when cold and no chemicals going into the environment

[FedericoHigueras-lfdm]

How long should I wait after applying the glue stick? Should be tacky when I start the printing? Thanks