Careful what you wish for

I have bought myself a home printer: FlashForge Creator Pro - dual, heated bed, pretty close to the replicator 2x. Learned a lot setting it up and have actually managed to get some things to adhere to the bed. I have had (and everyone does have) problems with the print sticking to the heated build plate, so was very proud to have found a secret method to get it to stick. Specifically, on blue tape before printing, smearing the bed with a glue stick. You know, the kind they use in kindergarten classes. I figure that someone’s kindergartner suggested it and that someone was just desperate enough to try it - only to find that it worked. (For Kapton tape, use hair spray instead of glue.)

Yesterday, I managed to make a Thingiverse design that is almost practical - octopus iPhone stand (shown below). Today I tried to follow up with the octopus iPad holder. Very impressive print, but the iPad holder stuck to the build plate so well that I spend 2 1/2 hours, exacto knives, putty knives, and several boxes of dental floss getting it off and had to break it in the process. (Luckily did not break the build plate!) Be careful what you wish for! Right now I am printing some accessories for the 3D printer. So self referential!

The iPhone holder: 

Dancers designed in iPhone App; Birds designed in iOrnament App - original design shown here (One shape identified, processed in InkLab and Tinkercad like the doodle in a previous post)

Self-reference print: A cover for the handle in order to better insulate (right shows it in action)

Technical notes: I printed most successfully with the raft and support off. There was a problem making sure the bed heated - it didn't seem the be the default. My settings were as follows: 

Temperature: 240 White / 230 Red / Plate: 110

Speed: 70 extrude /150 travel mm/s

Regarding blue tape vs. Kapton: I am still on the fence about this. Kapton is very hard to put on without trapping air bubbles. 

Designs used: 

Octopus iPad Stand http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:213990

iPhone Stand http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:607518

Side panel plugs http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:383270

Lizards http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:89983

Gyroid http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:24366

iOrnament (for designing a viable tiling pattern)