A question for the experts.....?

[Jules]

This is probably something that someone has tried, but I thought I'd ask........Has anyone tried extruding onto a thin silicone or PTFE baking mat liner clipped to the heated bed? They are rated to up to 500°F for baking, are inexpensive and reusable, nothing sticks to them permanently but they have more texture than smooth glass so the plastic might grip, and they are easily cut to shape with a pair of scissors. And I was wondering how hot the bed gets. (I know the nozzle gets up close to the limit, but the nozzle wouldn't necessarily be touching the mat.)

I just wondered if the prints would stick to them, or if they would warp? Maybe one of the liners with the hairspray? (The advantage to the mat is it could easily be removed from the glass with the print attached if all works correctly, and peeled off from the back of the print with no damage to the print, no need to pry a stuck print off the glass, or need to re-zero.)

Don't have my cutter yet so i can't test it - I was just wondering if anyone else had? (Don't want to re-invent the wheel if it turns out that the silicone emits toxic fumes or something when it contacts melted PLA. Chuckle!)

[insta]

I'm not sure how well the PTFE would work -- it's used inside most hotends specifically because the molten plastic slides right past it. Silicone is a different beast though, I'm kind of curious about that.

I did find that plastics still reasonably well to melamine...

[chad]

I was wondering the same thing. I ended up with two of those silicone impregnated fiberglass baking mats by accident (long story). I'm not much of a cook. I know my food is done when the fire alarm goes off I will cut one up and give it a try this weekend.

chad

[Jules]

Can't wait to hear if it works! It's gonna be a looooong wait till the printer arrives.

(Must remember, it's a printer, not a cutter.)