CubeStick for the 3rd Generation Cube 2D Printer - Let it Dry

I am still learning the differences between previous Cube printers and the new Cube 3.

Among those things is the way I apply and use the new CubeStick glue used with both the Cube 3 and the CubePro.  As I write this, I am printing an ABS object on a print table having glue that was purposely allowed to dry for more than an hour or more.  That would have been unthinkable to me with previous Cube printers.  Yet, it is holding perfectly.

Now, I'm told that 3D Systems actually suggested that the Cube 2 glue should have also been left to dry before printing.  But, that certainly wasn't my methodology and as soon as I get my Cube 2 printers back, I want to chase that oversight down and test it.

But, I HAVE tested the Cube 3 with both immediately applied wet glue and with completely dry glue.  And, these test were used with ABS, not PLA.  With wet glue, ABS has a tendency to warp and I've even seen pieces being moved around.  With dry glue I've seen far less warping and a rock solid build.

The real test, of course, is to designed an object that I know would have a serious tendency to warp in ABS and then to systematically apply glue and wait specific intervals with a known ambient humidity.  But, that probably won't happen for a while.

I'm simply going to suggest that Cube 3 owners apply glue sparingly in two directions and wait until the surface of the glue appears to be dry before printing.  This takes some discipline and patience.  But, it sure seems that it will provide us with much better adhesion which, in the end will save time because we will not have to restart print jobs due to glue failure.

When I see an ABS object whose length is just millimeters short of the width of the print table and there is no visible lifting at the edges, I have to be excited.  ABS is such a nice material to use once the warping issues are resolved.  And, so far, it looks like being patient with the glue seems that it does the trick.

I'll be taking pictures of the object being printed in a future article about calibration and auto-gapping.  We'll see how straight it stays for the entire 1.5 hr print job.  :)

I love the Cube 3 printer and I'm starting to get more comfortable with the Cubify software and learning a bit more about what it takes to design a two-color friendly STL.