Applying blue painter’s tape to you platform can be done in a number of ways. Below we will discuss one method of applying it that consistently works well for us.
Materials Needed:
- Build Plate(easiest to apply tape when out of the printer)
- Blue Painter’s Tape Sheet
- Squeegee(A credit card or similar will work in a pinch)
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Paper Towel
- Sand Paper (320 grit works well)
Process
The First step is to remove all pieces of the last sheet of tape on the build plate. If there are any large chunks of adhesive left over scraping them off may be necessary, but leaving some adhesive residue from the last sheet generally doesn’t hurt anything.
The first step is to peel half the sheet of tape off it’s backing. This should be done starting at one of the shorter edges. With the backing removed align the edge with the side of the build plate, once you are properly lined up press down on the tape near the center of the build plate. You will be working from that point. Now grab a squeegee and begin working from the middle towards the end you started removing the backing from being sure to keep tension to prevent wrinkles or bubbles. If you make a mistake it is best to correct it early so you don’t have to peel up large areas of tape.
Once you have worked all the way to the edge you started peeling the backing off of, you should have something that looks similar to the above picture. The next step is to grab the loose end of the backing and pull it away from the already stuck tape. This pulling motion should be parallel and even to the build plate. You should pull slowly and use the squeegee to press the tape onto the platform as you go. once it is all pressed onto the platform you will want to go over the entire area once more with the squeegee to remove any wrinkles and ensure it is properly stuck.
The build tape has a waxy coating on it’s surface, this prevents good adhesion of your print to the tape. To solve this you will use your sandpaper and very lightly sand the surface of the tape. Some versions of this tape such as our Bilby Blue Tape require more sanding than others. Once you have lightly sanded the top surface you will then wet some paper towel with rubbing alcohol and wipe the blue tape to clean it off the rest of the way. You will want to be fairly generous in using the rubbing alcohol as you want the surface to appear slightly damp which ensures you have it fully cleaned.
At this point you should be ready to print and any rubbing alcohol on the build plate should evaporate before the print begins. Remember to check if your build plate is still level after installing new build tape and level again if necessary.