I personally think the best thing is that you can get a pair of these plates for less than a second build plate and print back to back without having to spend time cleaning the build plate.
@@GarbachNL I agree with you... I've done print after print without cleaning off the plate... if I'm changing resin I'll clean the plate, but why wipe off resin when you're only going to dunk the surface straight back in exactly the same resin?
surprised you just tried this now! i have some tips on using this.. Every time you take off a print, make sure the magnet and the plate is CLEAN. resin in between can cause the flex plate to shift especially if you have a full plate or printing things flat. Also, in the video tutorial, the guy slapped it on and let the magnet catch the plate. DON'T do that after you've taken off a print or just cleaned it and it's still wet. I've had resin and alcohol splatter on my face! good thing i was wearing PPE!!
I put a Wham Bam plate on my Mars 2 Pro a few months after getting it. I could never go back to a normal ridged plate now. I print mostly minis and they literally just fall off when I flex the plate. No more prying with a super sharp scraper. I love it! Regarding long-term usage, I've been using mine for about a year and have had zero problems at all. I fully intend to buy a Wham Bam plate for any future printer I buy. I wish printer manufacturers would add them as standard equipment lol.
I fitted these plates after only 2 prints on my new resin printer. Both prints had to be removed via a hammer hitting the handle of the scraper, and that sold the flex plate to me. They are so good, I bought a couple more. 👍 One thing I did do, was file down the tabs a little bit, as I’d sometimes manage to scape the resin tank side on my Mars 2pro with the tab.
Own all these plates on every printer i have in my farm. Cleanup is simple and parts removal is amazingly easy to achieve. Highly reccomebd WamBam over knockoffs. You get what you pay for.
🤣 🤣 🤣 "... and after rubbing with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy..." - spat my tea out with that one Geoff! Good honest review again mate. I would think that using a flex plate could help prevent any accidents when using a sharp blade. Both to the person, family members and the prints themselves. Just going off your video, I'm sold on the idea.
I got the wham bam after a friend of mine wanted to do an order together. (I live in a country where we typically get high shipping so doing orders together saves a lot) I would normally not get the plate if he hadn't asked me. But once I got it, I must say that my process is cleaner and easier now. Being able to keep my gloves clean for longer as I now can push the plate off of the build plate into my initial IPA bath, and then clean off the build plate. This lets me clean the build plate with clean gloves, leaving the knob at the top clean as well. Then I get into removing the prints from the wham bam plate, which is much easier than before since I can just flex it, and cleaning that plate is just a quick wipe with an IPA soaked piece of paper towel. Previously I was "fighting" with the metal scraper on the build plate with resin soaked prints on it, making a big mess of uncured resin on my silicon mat. Now I honestly don't have to clean the silicon mat anymore as there is no spill on it, it's just an extra safety.
I have one of these for my saturn and can't imagine living without it. Larger prints are hell to remove without it, which is almost exclusively what I print.
I leave my build plate on the machine and only take off the flexible plate. I throw the flexplate with attached print into the wash and cure machine and give the magnetic surface a quick wipe with an IPA dampened paper towel. Once the wash and cure machine has gone through a cycle, I pop the print off and give the flexplate a quick wipe with a dry paper towel and put it right back on the machine. I bought two flexplates to reduce time in between prints but haven't found it necessary to use the second one yet, clean up is that quick.
Well this came exactly at the right time, I have just received the flex plate for my Mono X but not had time to install it, so I now know what to do and look out for! Thanks VOG, your videos are always helpful to me 👍👊
Nice review! Glad it made you a believer in the Wham Bam FBP system. I have one on my Sonic Mighty 4K and it's improved print removal tenfold. I wasn't a fan of all the scraping to get prints off the stock surface. Also, I've put it in the Anycubic Wasn n Cure Plus many times after print completion and it continues to have a strong bond, despite all the IPA baths.
flex plates are great. If you print directly on the print plate, this is where they shine the most (i do that often for engineering parts). If you print a lot with hard / tough resins, they are also a blessing. Just be sure, as said in the video, to do the steps needed to get a good bond on the build plate. If you don't, the resin will work it's way in under the adhesive over time and you will have a sad day waiting (been there, done that...) Also, be sure you get a brand with 3M adhesive. There are flex plates on the market with no name adhesive and they will fail over time too (been there, done that. lol). Be sure that you lay out your build plate from center and out. If you put prints in the corners without anything in the center they can peal off by the suction between the plate and FAP film but if you have an even pull distributed on the plate you should not have this issue... so if you have dead pixels in the center of your screen and want to avoid that by putting you print on the side, you won't have a good time. Change the screen. ... but once you go flex plate, you will miss it if you get rid of it. I like them over all despite there minor issues. as for putting your build plate in IPA, no need for that. Just rip the flex plate off and dump that into the IPA if you feel the need. Wipe off the magnetic part and you are good to go for next print. You won't need to level your build plate often since there is no force applied to the build plate when getting stubborn models of the build plate (this is an issue you will have if you use Elegoo printers).
Love my plate for my Saturn. My initial order had a dud magnet, but they sent me a replacement magnet right away. Has been working wonderfully since then.
We live and learn Tony. In the past I've shrugged off these types of products but only be using them could I truly see the benefits. Smarter folks like yourself beat me to it 😁
I've loved having my wham bam system, so much so that I've attempted some tricky prints and will occasionally design some things around having the build plate to minimize supports. That said, flex plate systems get a bad wrap because most people don't install or maintain them correctly, or they get the cheap chinesium ones and banish all similar systems to the Sin pile after having issues. I can't tell you how many people have their systems slide off during prints and blame the plate when it's both a quality issue, and they're trying to print a 1/3 scale bust without hollowing the torso. 🤦♂️ Well reviewed and I'm glad you gave it a fair shake.
Best thing I ever bought, I have 3 plates for the 2 machines I use, It makes all the difference to work cleaner and easier without a lot of mess and even to the point that can do the job with the least protection at times. When 1 job finishes's I pop the the Wam Bam with print in the washer machine and use my third plate to get the next job underway
I thoroughly enjoy your reviews. I got a cheapo knock-off for less than half of the Wham Bam system and I couldn't be happier. As others mentioned below, one could get a second flex plate and keep on printing (and still pay less).
I love my Wham Bam flexible plate. Especially on larger format printers as I like printing some objects flat to the plate and they can get stuck on really good. I have never used a metal scraper as I don't like the damage it does to the plate on really stuck on objects. I also like to wash the prints in the wash n cure with the flexible plate attached (minus the supports which I take off by hand before washing). I wouldn't go back to the other way.
I just got a Saturn and the very first thing I did was order one of these. Love wham bam plates, I have at least one for all of my printers. It works even better on larger printers than small. The only problem i have ever had with it was on my sonic mini 4K. The build plate it pretty small, which means the magnet is pretty small. So if you fill the build plate, the magnet strength isn’t quite enough to stop it from moving. The plate won’t detach from the magnet but it did have a habit of sliding and causing all kinds of layer shifts. But again that was only if I really filled the build plate on a small format printer. I’ve been able to fill the build plate on my Saturn with no issues since the surface area of the magnet is so much larger. (Plus the mini 4K isn’t nearly as rigid and I think the flex that the build plate arm had a lot to do with that as well, definitely not a fault of the wham bam)
They like to advertise that you can just snap the plate back on the magnet without cleaning the excess resin off. I think that many people have had layer shifting because of this. It's like putting a film of oil between the plate and magnet... Always clean the plate and magnet before starting a new print.
@@BEdmonson85 You're right, if you dont clean the excess resin off the magnet it is significantly easier to have the plate shift. But it does still shift on my mini 4k even if i thoroughly clean everything if I overfill the build plate. But I do that so rarely that it is a fine trade off. If you dont thoroughly clean it it will shift fairly easily even with normal prints.
Looks good, I had an issue with chipping stubborn prints that I had touching the buildplate, no raft. For some models you want a flat bottom, but the raft and supports ensure a knobbly bottom. This product should help with that
Yeah, I resisted buying one of these but got one on really good sell. Not only easier to remove prints. I haven't had to calibrate since. I guess scraping no matter how gentle has some affect.
I just got my flex plate for my mars 2 mono and am working now on the steps to clean and ready the build plate and instal the spacer needed. It is indeed VERY important to not skip steps, or do them half way. I can't wait to finally get mine installed and give it a few rounds. I have two bottles of new resin just waiting for some fun times.
I'm so glad you checked them out! I have about a dozen of their magnetic build systems on my FDM 3D printers and love them. I bought one for my Voxelab Proxima and in my excitement to get it setup, didn't read all of the instructions! A spacer is needed where you clamp the build surface! I promptly blew out my FEP sheet...it wasn't a complete tear but somehow I keep having resin appear on the screen, ruining prints. So, I sprung a tiny leak! (Also, don't use a plastic scraper to remove resin from the skin surface, I ruined that too! Anyone want a fk'd up Proxima? 😂 ) Great review!
I had the original Elegoo Mars and used it with Elegoo resin. Never had a Problem. BUT when I got my Anycubic Mono and started Printing Sirayatech Blu with it there suddenly was no way to get the prints of the plate without destroying them (printed without support). Still not sure if its the plate, the resin or the combination. Anyway, got my self a flex plate, tried it and worked perfectly. Happy flex plate user ever since. Great video as always :D
I had the same issue with my photon mono x when printing out some smaller pieces using Siraya Fast. What fixed my issue was turning down the base exposure times to 20 seconds, from the default 40 on anycubics software.
Do not be tempted to buy cheaper versions! I bought the Toaiot spring steel plate from Amazon and the magnetic pad was so thick there was no height movement in the build plate when it came to levelling leaving the build plate squished to the lcd screen
Even the Wham Bam plates require an adapter shim between the z axis homing switch on some printers to avoid this. It's a simple 3d-printed part. The magnet is around 3-4mm thick.
For simplicity and speed, I've been printing resin lithophanes flat on the bed. Though, it was painful to remove the lithophanes from the bed, and I often broke them. When I switched to the Wham Bam system, the first attempt failed because the lithophane didn't stick well enough to the plate. After roughing up the flex plate a little, the lithophanes prints fine, and no more breaking. The one drawback, as you mentioned, is the cleanup does take a little longer and uses a bit more materials since you have to clean two additional surfaces.
Hi, I had bought the Creality items. And I made a boo boo making 6 flat cubes. There was an issue where it pulled these off. SOOOOO. Just make sure you don't do what I did. Lol. But the company gave me a new set after the wearing of the glue magnet. Just don't do big flat items. I had a 12hr model ruined because I didn't hollow it out and it inevitably was too heavy of a force for the 3M sticky. Love the channel. Hoping to get my own foundry going here soon.
I might try this method because I'm tired of destroying my supports when separating prints from the buildplate. Even with a 10 second bottom exposure time, the amount of strenght I need to apply is ridiculous. Great video btw!
The only one I had problems with was the one for the mono x, the first one I got had a weak magnet, and large prints would pull the flex plate off the magnetic bed, they upgraded the magnet and sent the new one to me, it is better, but still needs improvement as bigger prints still pull it off the plate, just not as bad.
Don’t think I seen this channel before. Love your narrator voice. As for flex plates. I’ve not felt a need for resin but one of my old aluminum plates. Stuff either sticks or it don’t. And when it sticks… it really sticks like I used superglued it or something. 🤣
After removing and cleaning the flex, clean the main plate, so there is no resin between them. If resin between flex and plate could lower the friction, magnetic 🧲 grip.
i grabbed a pair from creality for a tena and have had no problem at 300mm sec on my elegoo mars .i did put a weight on top for the 3 days and scuff up the printing side
I have one from filament and it's such a nice thing to have. I will say, I did not wait 72 hours per the instructions and rather waited 20 min lol but it's been on for a few months with no issues whatsoever! Still, be patient and wait unlike me if you get one. :)
I love mine. My one gripe is that the videos from Wham Bam don't show how to adjust the arm on an AnyCubic with the spacer. Before I got the plate, TWICE I gouged my finger on my build plate. (Within the first month of having the printer).
I've just fitted one to my mono 4k it doesn't work the magnetic strip is to thick for levelling when pressing home is solid on screen and clicking like mad till you panic and switch it off! There's not enough room for the build plate on anycubic mono 4k to go up that extra amount the z axis mount is to thick! So now I have to go Tey and remove this magnetic strip! Such fun!
I got this flex plate for my Photon Mono SE and I used it for about 3 months or so then it failed on me. Unfortunately resin seeped its way in-between the magnetic pad and the metal build plate causing it to delaminate. So I glued it back on with 3M spray adhesive and the adhesion only lasted maybe about 30 or so prints. When I originally installed it I followed the instructions exactly yet it still failed. My thought is that the suction of the print being pulled off the fep sheet was stronger than the adhesion they used for the magnetic pad causing it to fail. Good luck to anyone else using this and happy printing.
Please write us at technical@whambamsystems.com with your experience and install process and we will help you to get a replacement and learn how to insure in a more secure method
For me the scraping especially of directly printed base-plates flat is the toughest part. Just ordered a flex-plate for my Mars 3. I'm a bit nervous about the installment, but after all it's a one time thing (for some reason I don't see the 2.6mm washer installation anywhere, just mentioned here & there)
I sharpened my scraper that came with the printer on a cheap whetstone on Amazon and gave it a chizel edge. Prints take maybe 1/2 a second to pop off the plate, and I don't have to get my gloves completely covered in resin by trying to flex a plate. I just don't see the point, it's an extra point of failure (I've had to help a large amount of people who had issues with theirs despite following directions) and it's significantly more messy.
I LOVE mine. Sometimes it really is difficult to get it off the plate. I have them for 3 of my printers. The one time when it doesn't help is with flexible resin like Siraya Tech Tenacious. But then you just scrape it off the old way.
I swear by them - the Sovol pack has 2 plates so you can swap over if you want to kick off another print quicker, and the other advantage of the system is that it doesn't put any strain on the build plate head so you never knock it out of alignment trying to get a print off. They're cheaper than a wash an cure station and similarly just make sorting out the pieces after a print that much easier so I'm not really sure why wash and cure stations are more of a thing than flex plates are
I've been trying to use mine for a bit now and have had a 0% adhesion. Thankfully I have a 2nd build plate. Stock. Tests on that are flawless... I must have a defunct wham bam. Which is sad cause they won't do anything about it. Had to wait too long for my Jupiter.
I had the same problem initially. It could be a resin issue as some stick easier than others. Luckily the plate has two sides. Keep one side as it is, nice and smooth. For the other side, take some ordinary sandpaper, something nice and coarse like 80 grit. Rub this in circles and cover once side with scratches. Clean well then try again with the roughed up side facing the resin tray. You should find the scratches help the resin bond. Also increasing your base layer times by 5 or 10 seconds is a good idea 😁
I dont recommend to let it slap on the magnet. One time there is a grop of resin that gets in your eye then you get to be a 3d printing pirate. For me flex plate is an essential part for ease of use. The scraping is just pain.
Love your videos but question why UK channels do product reviews for companies that Do Not sell their product in the UK. Think you need to check this before endorsing them especially seeing how there are alternatives that are sold in the UK, i.e the the one I bought for less than half the price
I hear you Peter, though I will admit UK companies rarely support Creators with free products to review (tight bunch us Brits). But do consider that I came at this video from a "flexible plate" point of view rather than a "Wham Bam." There are other brands out there. Okay I have no personal experience with their performance, but at least we now know the principal behind the product is sound, and we have Wham Bam to thank for that 😁
For some reason, my build plate has become harder and harder to remove things from it. I have no idea why no settings have changed. I’ve bought a flexible plate to see how they do and my first print with it is inside my printer right now. Wish me luck.
I know its down the line some time, how has it stood the test of time? Been reading some reviews of other vendors version commenting about losing mag strength over time.
I hear you David, though I will admit UK companies rarely support Creators with free products to review (tight bunch us Brits). But do consider that I came at this video from a "flexible plate" point of view rather than a "Wham Bam." There are other brands out there. Okay I have no personal experience with their performance, but at least we now know the principal behind the product is sound, and we have Wham Bam to thank for that 😁
The only good reason for a flexplate that I can think of is if you need to directly print on the plate, and a scraper would damage the parts (i.e., your first test). Metal scrapers get things off very easily otherwise, especially with rafts - I wonder if most people have far too many bottom layers with too much exposure?
If you have to use any force on the stock build plate you can knock the alignment off. Even if you have to use some force on the flex plate it's not pushing anything out of alignment. Less re-levelling = more succcessful prints and less hassle
How are these on larger build plates like the MONO X? I read things where people say they get more fails on bigger plated. Anyone using one? I have a MONO X 6k on preorder and would love one of these
I've not tried them myself but I can imagine they'd be really useful. But if you read through the comments, you'll find various guys with Whams on their Monos. Check out what they say and drop them a line if you want 😁
Hi, I just purchased a Flex-Plate for my Saturn S. Are there ANY SPECIAL LEVELING instructions after it’s been installed? Or will it Level using the Factory Leveling Method? 🙏ANY HELP APPRECIATED🙏 Thanks, Lee
I put flex plates on all of my machines. Why? Because I run thin rafts so that my burn in layers will extend to the first few layers of my supports. Makes for more solid supports, and ultimately better prints. And getting thin rafts off of a standard build plate with a metal scraper is a nightmare. I will say that one drawback is occasional shifting of the flex plate on large build plate when it's fully loaded. Typically does this on the raft layers or if I'm printing a bunch of flat bases for minis. I fixed this by supergluing some strong magnets to the top of the build plate to give it extra magnetic strength
Is cleaning with IPA a requirement or would simply wiping it down til clean work as well? I have an Elegoo Mars 3 with Water-Washable resin so I don't keep IPA on hand.
I'd recommend some alcohol to get things really clean... nail polish remover, white spirit, turpentine, glass and alcohol wipes, etc. The cleaner it is, the better you can expect the adhesion to be.
I'm of exactly the same opinion as you. I can't fault the product except to say... I was fine before I had it and was the minor convenience of not having to scrape models off worth the RRP? eehhhh.... Depends what you're printing I suppose. It's certainly not essential and I can hardly recommend everyone go buy one. I feel like most people who felt they absolutely needed one probably just had their initial exposures too high.
I've wondered about these for a while, I would like to see what you think of a versions for larger printers. Small stuff I generally have no problem with, but big prints on the Mono X can be a bitch to remove.
I just got a Saturn and the very first thing I did was order one of these. Love wham bam plates, I have at least one for all of my printers. It works even better on larger printers than small. The only problem i have ever had with it was on my sonic mini 4K. The build plate it pretty small, which means the magnet is pretty small. So if you fill the build plate, the magnet strength isn’t quite enough to stop it from moving. The plate won’t detach from the magnet but it did have a habit of sliding and causing all kinds of layer shifts. But again that was only if I really filled the build plate on a small format printer. I’ve been able to fill the build plate on my Saturn with no issues since the surface area of the magnet is so much larger. (Plus the mini 4K isn’t nearly as rigid and I think the flex that the build plate arm had a lot to do with that as well, definitely not a fault of the wham bam)
I am dealing with wide and thick flat surfaces printed directly into the building plate, and it is impossible to remove them without chipping and breaking edges and corners... In my case this can be a real nerve saver!
The main complaint I've seen about these are with heavier prints, that they can pull the plate away from the magnet. And also that the resin breaks the glue apart over time that is holding the magnet to the build plate.
Been using one for half an year now and as far as I can tell the adhesive is fine. As far as heavier prints even with full build plates using the full build volume I haven’t had any issues
In their video, Wham Bam talk about adhesive. They are confident the 3M adhesive strips they use are more than up to the task. As for larger prints, I can see that could potentially happen.
@@MaheerKibria me neither and I have printed some heavy parts. Never had an issue with a genuine wham bam plate. Their magnets are ridiculously strong for their size.
Thanks for the review! Until they send me a free one, and a build plate to take mine out of action for 3-4 days, I think I'll stick to living without the convenience
Look up the Sovol ones, they're noticeably cheaper. I found 24 hours was enough, although obviously you take a risk if the adhesive isn't set well enough
Wham Bam installed on my Sonic Mini 4k. Got layer shifts at the lower layers all times. Internet research: im not allone at all. -> Trash. Expensive experience
And yet so many comments here speak positively. Can I ask, do you clean the plates after each print. If you leave resin on them it can act as a lubricant between the plates allowing for a little movement. That could cause the issues you mention... just a thought 😁
@@vogman yes,of course, I Clean always after each print. First with 99% Isopropanol, then before a new print with acetone, until there is no residue colour on the cotton Pad. But that was not the problem, the metal plate shifted, even thoroughly cleaning the plate faced to the magnet as well as the magnet itself.
Hello, I do not own yet a Resin printer, but considering to own one once. Just wondering if the lift speed needs to be adjusted for larger printers when using a magnetic bed, to reduce the pull force when printing larger prints? Is that something to consider?
From what I can gather, if you leave resin on them it can act as a lubricant between the plates allowing for a little movement. It's safer to remove and clean - just in case 😁
I personally think the best thing is that you can get a pair of these plates for less than a second build plate and print back to back without having to spend time cleaning the build plate.
Good thinking 😁
I got mine shortly after they were first released and they only had the single plate version in stock at the time. I should buy an extra plate!
But I _always_clean the plate.
What do you mean with cleaning the build plate? Are you supposed to clean them? Blasphemy!
@@GarbachNL I agree with you... I've done print after print without cleaning off the plate... if I'm changing resin I'll clean the plate, but why wipe off resin when you're only going to dunk the surface straight back in exactly the same resin?
"And after rubbing with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy"...LOL..HAHA, pissing myself laughing. This video was worth watching just for that joke! :D
Happy Halloween Wayne!
surprised you just tried this now! i have some tips on using this.. Every time you take off a print, make sure the magnet and the plate is CLEAN. resin in between can cause the flex plate to shift especially if you have a full plate or printing things flat. Also, in the video tutorial, the guy slapped it on and let the magnet catch the plate. DON'T do that after you've taken off a print or just cleaned it and it's still wet. I've had resin and alcohol splatter on my face! good thing i was wearing PPE!!
Thanks for the important feedback 👍👍👍
I put a Wham Bam plate on my Mars 2 Pro a few months after getting it. I could never go back to a normal ridged plate now. I print mostly minis and they literally just fall off when I flex the plate. No more prying with a super sharp scraper. I love it! Regarding long-term usage, I've been using mine for about a year and have had zero problems at all. I fully intend to buy a Wham Bam plate for any future printer I buy. I wish printer manufacturers would add them as standard equipment lol.
Thanks great user feedback. Thanks 😁
100% the best upgrade for 3D printing you can get
I fitted these plates after only 2 prints on my new resin printer. Both prints had to be removed via a hammer hitting the handle of the scraper, and that sold the flex plate to me.
They are so good, I bought a couple more. 👍
One thing I did do, was file down the tabs a little bit, as I’d sometimes manage to scape the resin tank side on my Mars 2pro with the tab.
Own all these plates on every printer i have in my farm. Cleanup is simple and parts removal is amazingly easy to achieve. Highly reccomebd WamBam over knockoffs. You get what you pay for.
That's great feedback, thanks 😁👍👍👍
🤣 🤣 🤣 "... and after rubbing with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy..." - spat my tea out with that one Geoff!
Good honest review again mate. I would think that using a flex plate could help prevent any accidents when using a sharp blade. Both to the person, family members and the prints themselves. Just going off your video, I'm sold on the idea.
Thanks Dan. Take care buddy 😁
I got the wham bam after a friend of mine wanted to do an order together. (I live in a country where we typically get high shipping so doing orders together saves a lot) I would normally not get the plate if he hadn't asked me. But once I got it, I must say that my process is cleaner and easier now. Being able to keep my gloves clean for longer as I now can push the plate off of the build plate into my initial IPA bath, and then clean off the build plate. This lets me clean the build plate with clean gloves, leaving the knob at the top clean as well. Then I get into removing the prints from the wham bam plate, which is much easier than before since I can just flex it, and cleaning that plate is just a quick wipe with an IPA soaked piece of paper towel. Previously I was "fighting" with the metal scraper on the build plate with resin soaked prints on it, making a big mess of uncured resin on my silicon mat. Now I honestly don't have to clean the silicon mat anymore as there is no spill on it, it's just an extra safety.
Great video with a good unbiased opinion!
Glad you enjoyed it
I have one of these for my saturn and can't imagine living without it. Larger prints are hell to remove without it, which is almost exclusively what I print.
I can imagine that's true 😁
I leave my build plate on the machine and only take off the flexible plate. I throw the flexplate with attached print into the wash and cure machine and give the magnetic surface a quick wipe with an IPA dampened paper towel. Once the wash and cure machine has gone through a cycle, I pop the print off and give the flexplate a quick wipe with a dry paper towel and put it right back on the machine.
I bought two flexplates to reduce time in between prints but haven't found it necessary to use the second one yet, clean up is that quick.
Thanks for the input 😁
Well this came exactly at the right time, I have just received the flex plate for my Mono X but not had time to install it, so I now know what to do and look out for!
Thanks VOG, your videos are always helpful to me 👍👊
Thanks Ralph. Happy printing buddy.
You gotta give it to Wham Bam - sending VOG a product to review takes some balls and faith in your product.
Nice review! Glad it made you a believer in the Wham Bam FBP system. I have one on my Sonic Mighty 4K and it's improved print removal tenfold. I wasn't a fan of all the scraping to get prints off the stock surface. Also, I've put it in the Anycubic Wasn n Cure Plus many times after print completion and it continues to have a strong bond, despite all the IPA baths.
Thanks for the share 😁
flex plates are great. If you print directly on the print plate, this is where they shine the most (i do that often for engineering parts). If you print a lot with hard / tough resins, they are also a blessing. Just be sure, as said in the video, to do the steps needed to get a good bond on the build plate. If you don't, the resin will work it's way in under the adhesive over time and you will have a sad day waiting (been there, done that...)
Also, be sure you get a brand with 3M adhesive. There are flex plates on the market with no name adhesive and they will fail over time too (been there, done that. lol).
Be sure that you lay out your build plate from center and out. If you put prints in the corners without anything in the center they can peal off by the suction between the plate and FAP film but if you have an even pull distributed on the plate you should not have this issue... so if you have dead pixels in the center of your screen and want to avoid that by putting you print on the side, you won't have a good time. Change the screen.
... but once you go flex plate, you will miss it if you get rid of it. I like them over all despite there minor issues.
as for putting your build plate in IPA, no need for that. Just rip the flex plate off and dump that into the IPA if you feel the need. Wipe off the magnetic part and you are good to go for next print. You won't need to level your build plate often since there is no force applied to the build plate when getting stubborn models of the build plate (this is an issue you will have if you use Elegoo printers).
Love my plate for my Saturn. My initial order had a dud magnet, but they sent me a replacement magnet right away. Has been working wonderfully since then.
It's great to hear Wham Bam listen to their customers 😁
I've been using mine for months now vog with no sign of damage. I knew you didn't like them but they are really useful 👍
We live and learn Tony. In the past I've shrugged off these types of products but only be using them could I truly see the benefits. Smarter folks like yourself beat me to it 😁
I've loved having my wham bam system, so much so that I've attempted some tricky prints and will occasionally design some things around having the build plate to minimize supports. That said, flex plate systems get a bad wrap because most people don't install or maintain them correctly, or they get the cheap chinesium ones and banish all similar systems to the Sin pile after having issues. I can't tell you how many people have their systems slide off during prints and blame the plate when it's both a quality issue, and they're trying to print a 1/3 scale bust without hollowing the torso. 🤦♂️
Well reviewed and I'm glad you gave it a fair shake.
Best thing I ever bought, I have 3 plates for the 2 machines I use, It makes all the difference to work cleaner and easier without a lot of mess and even to the point that can do the job with the least protection at times. When 1 job finishes's I pop the the Wam Bam with print in the washer machine and use my third plate to get the next job underway
Thanks for the share Janet 😁
I've always been cautiously curious about flex plates. Thanks for the video VOG
Me too... this video taught me a lot 😁
I thoroughly enjoy your reviews. I got a cheapo knock-off for less than half of the Wham Bam system and I couldn't be happier. As others mentioned below, one could get a second flex plate and keep on printing (and still pay less).
I love my Wham Bam flexible plate. Especially on larger format printers as I like printing some objects flat to the plate and they can get stuck on really good. I have never used a metal scraper as I don't like the damage it does to the plate on really stuck on objects. I also like to wash the prints in the wash n cure with the flexible plate attached (minus the supports which I take off by hand before washing). I wouldn't go back to the other way.
Thanks for the feedback Tim 😁
I just got a Saturn and the very first thing I did was order one of these. Love wham bam plates, I have at least one for all of my printers. It works even better on larger printers than small. The only problem i have ever had with it was on my sonic mini 4K. The build plate it pretty small, which means the magnet is pretty small. So if you fill the build plate, the magnet strength isn’t quite enough to stop it from moving. The plate won’t detach from the magnet but it did have a habit of sliding and causing all kinds of layer shifts. But again that was only if I really filled the build plate on a small format printer. I’ve been able to fill the build plate on my Saturn with no issues since the surface area of the magnet is so much larger. (Plus the mini 4K isn’t nearly as rigid and I think the flex that the build plate arm had a lot to do with that as well, definitely not a fault of the wham bam)
Thanks for the input Travis 😁
They like to advertise that you can just snap the plate back on the magnet without cleaning the excess resin off. I think that many people have had layer shifting because of this. It's like putting a film of oil between the plate and magnet... Always clean the plate and magnet before starting a new print.
@@BEdmonson85 You're right, if you dont clean the excess resin off the magnet it is significantly easier to have the plate shift. But it does still shift on my mini 4k even if i thoroughly clean everything if I overfill the build plate. But I do that so rarely that it is a fine trade off. If you dont thoroughly clean it it will shift fairly easily even with normal prints.
Great input 😁
I would imagine if you leave resin on them it can act as a lubricant between the plates allowing for a little movement.
Thanks Travis. 😁
I like it for printing largeflat things like lithoplanes directly on the plate.
Perfect for that I'm sure 😁
Looks good, I had an issue with chipping stubborn prints that I had touching the buildplate, no raft. For some models you want a flat bottom, but the raft and supports ensure a knobbly bottom. This product should help with that
Exactly. All the best Max 😁
An outstanding review as always well done Geoff all the very best 👍
Thanks Ian. Take care buddy 😁😁😁
Very nice review! Happy we could change your mind in the end!
Thanks for the product... it's nice to be proved wrong when it's for the right reasons 😁😁😁
Yeah, I resisted buying one of these but got one on really good sell. Not only easier to remove prints. I haven't had to calibrate since. I guess scraping no matter how gentle has some affect.
Thanks for that Paul 😁
Yes - the lack of needing to recalibrate is a key reason why I'm so sold on them, too
I got one of these for the Anycubic M3 Plus and I am excited to use it!
I just got my flex plate for my mars 2 mono and am working now on the steps to clean and ready the build plate and instal the spacer needed. It is indeed VERY important to not skip steps, or do them half way. I can't wait to finally get mine installed and give it a few rounds. I have two bottles of new resin just waiting for some fun times.
I'm so glad you checked them out! I have about a dozen of their magnetic build systems on my FDM 3D printers and love them. I bought one for my Voxelab Proxima and in my excitement to get it setup, didn't read all of the instructions! A spacer is needed where you clamp the build surface! I promptly blew out my FEP sheet...it wasn't a complete tear but somehow I keep having resin appear on the screen, ruining prints. So, I sprung a tiny leak! (Also, don't use a plastic scraper to remove resin from the skin surface, I ruined that too! Anyone want a fk'd up Proxima? 😂 ) Great review!
Thanks for the input 😁
I had the original Elegoo Mars and used it with Elegoo resin. Never had a Problem. BUT when I got my Anycubic Mono and started Printing Sirayatech Blu with it there suddenly was no way to get the prints of the plate without destroying them (printed without support). Still not sure if its the plate, the resin or the combination. Anyway, got my self a flex plate, tried it and worked perfectly. Happy flex plate user ever since. Great video as always :D
They are nice and easy to use 😁😁😁
I had the same issue with my photon mono x when printing out some smaller pieces using Siraya Fast. What fixed my issue was turning down the base exposure times to 20 seconds, from the default 40 on anycubics software.
I got one of these while I still had a working Photon.......
I tell ya, that was layershift city. I could not get it to work properly.
Interesting input. Thanks 😁
'rubbing with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy'!!
Cracked me up! I have tea all down me now. 😂
Do not be tempted to buy cheaper versions! I bought the Toaiot spring steel plate from Amazon and the magnetic pad was so thick there was no height movement in the build plate when it came to levelling leaving the build plate squished to the lcd screen
Thanks for that important feedback Philip 😁
Even the Wham Bam plates require an adapter shim between the z axis homing switch on some printers to avoid this. It's a simple 3d-printed part. The magnet is around 3-4mm thick.
For simplicity and speed, I've been printing resin lithophanes flat on the bed. Though, it was painful to remove the lithophanes from the bed, and I often broke them. When I switched to the Wham Bam system, the first attempt failed because the lithophane didn't stick well enough to the plate. After roughing up the flex plate a little, the lithophanes prints fine, and no more breaking. The one drawback, as you mentioned, is the cleanup does take a little longer and uses a bit more materials since you have to clean two additional surfaces.
Hi,
I had bought the Creality items. And I made a boo boo making 6 flat cubes. There was an issue where it pulled these off. SOOOOO. Just make sure you don't do what I did. Lol. But the company gave me a new set after the wearing of the glue magnet. Just don't do big flat items. I had a 12hr model ruined because I didn't hollow it out and it inevitably was too heavy of a force for the 3M sticky.
Love the channel. Hoping to get my own foundry going here soon.
Thanks for the share 😁😁😁
I've been considering a flexible plate for mine, this makes it more likely to happen.
Glad to help 😁
You won't regret it.
I might try this method because I'm tired of destroying my supports when separating prints from the buildplate. Even with a 10 second bottom exposure time, the amount of strenght I need to apply is ridiculous. Great video btw!
The only one I had problems with was the one for the mono x, the first one I got had a weak magnet, and large prints would pull the flex plate off the magnetic bed, they upgraded the magnet and sent the new one to me, it is better, but still needs improvement as bigger prints still pull it off the plate, just not as bad.
Interesting. It's good to hear they listen to their customer though 😁
Don’t think I seen this channel before. Love your narrator voice.
As for flex plates. I’ve not felt a need for resin but one of my old aluminum plates. Stuff either sticks or it don’t. And when it sticks… it really sticks like I used superglued it or something. 🤣
😁👍👍👍
After removing and cleaning the flex, clean the main plate, so there is no resin between them.
If resin between flex and plate could lower the friction, magnetic 🧲 grip.
i grabbed a pair from creality for a tena and have had no problem at 300mm sec
on my elegoo mars .i did put a weight on top for the 3 days and scuff up the printing side
I have one from filament and it's such a nice thing to have. I will say, I did not wait 72 hours per the instructions and rather waited 20 min lol but it's been on for a few months with no issues whatsoever! Still, be patient and wait unlike me if you get one. :)
At least it worked for you Zach. Thanks for the share 😁
I love mine. My one gripe is that the videos from Wham Bam don't show how to adjust the arm on an AnyCubic with the spacer.
Before I got the plate, TWICE I gouged my finger on my build plate. (Within the first month of having the printer).
Have a flexplate on my mono x, i love it, way harder to scuff marks in to than the aluminium buildsurface
Did you have to modify your z stop or just relevel the plate?
That's a good point. Thanks 😁
@@EliteMinerZMC had to put 3 washers underneath the z stop actuator
Double Wham is the way to go.
I've just fitted one to my mono 4k it doesn't work the magnetic strip is to thick for levelling when pressing home is solid on screen and clicking like mad till you panic and switch it off! There's not enough room for the build plate on anycubic mono 4k to go up that extra amount the z axis mount is to thick! So now I have to go Tey and remove this magnetic strip! Such fun!
I got this flex plate for my Photon Mono SE and I used it for about 3 months or so then it failed on me. Unfortunately resin seeped its way in-between the magnetic pad and the metal build plate causing it to delaminate. So I glued it back on with 3M spray adhesive and the adhesion only lasted maybe about 30 or so prints. When I originally installed it I followed the instructions exactly yet it still failed. My thought is that the suction of the print being pulled off the fep sheet was stronger than the adhesion they used for the magnetic pad causing it to fail. Good luck to anyone else using this and happy printing.
Thanks for the feedback.
Please write us at technical@whambamsystems.com with your experience and install process and we will help you to get a replacement and learn how to insure in a more secure method
For me the scraping especially of directly printed base-plates flat is the toughest part.
Just ordered a flex-plate for my Mars 3.
I'm a bit nervous about the installment, but after all it's a one time thing (for some reason I don't see the 2.6mm washer installation anywhere, just mentioned here & there)
I sharpened my scraper that came with the printer on a cheap whetstone on Amazon and gave it a chizel edge. Prints take maybe 1/2 a second to pop off the plate, and I don't have to get my gloves completely covered in resin by trying to flex a plate. I just don't see the point, it's an extra point of failure (I've had to help a large amount of people who had issues with theirs despite following directions) and it's significantly more messy.
I'm a scraper man myself... but a lot of folks find this tricky and these plates are a godsend for such folk 😁
I LOVE mine. Sometimes it really is difficult to get it off the plate. I have them for 3 of my printers. The one time when it doesn't help is with flexible resin like Siraya Tech Tenacious. But then you just scrape it off the old way.
Thanks for the input Phil 😁
I should clarify. When I said sometimes it's hard to get it off the plate I meant the regular plate without the Wham Bam.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I swear by them - the Sovol pack has 2 plates so you can swap over if you want to kick off another print quicker, and the other advantage of the system is that it doesn't put any strain on the build plate head so you never knock it out of alignment trying to get a print off. They're cheaper than a wash an cure station and similarly just make sorting out the pieces after a print that much easier so I'm not really sure why wash and cure stations are more of a thing than flex plates are
As an added note, shipping is now available from Poland, and only costs £10 to the UK.
I've been trying to use mine for a bit now and have had a 0% adhesion. Thankfully I have a 2nd build plate. Stock. Tests on that are flawless... I must have a defunct wham bam. Which is sad cause they won't do anything about it. Had to wait too long for my Jupiter.
I had the same problem initially. It could be a resin issue as some stick easier than others. Luckily the plate has two sides. Keep one side as it is, nice and smooth. For the other side, take some ordinary sandpaper, something nice and coarse like 80 grit. Rub this in circles and cover once side with scratches. Clean well then try again with the roughed up side facing the resin tray. You should find the scratches help the resin bond. Also increasing your base layer times by 5 or 10 seconds is a good idea 😁
@@vogman yea, already tried that sadly. And no different. I can't even think of a flaw that would cause these issues.
I dont recommend to let it slap on the magnet. One time there is a grop of resin that gets in your eye then you get to be a 3d printing pirate. For me flex plate is an essential part for ease of use. The scraping is just pain.
That's a good point Tommi 😁👍👍👍
Love your videos but question why UK channels do product reviews for companies that Do Not sell their product in the UK. Think you need to check this before endorsing them especially seeing how there are alternatives that are sold in the UK, i.e the the one I bought for less than half the price
I hear you Peter, though I will admit UK companies rarely support Creators with free products to review (tight bunch us Brits). But do consider that I came at this video from a "flexible plate" point of view rather than a "Wham Bam." There are other brands out there. Okay I have no personal experience with their performance, but at least we now know the principal behind the product is sound, and we have Wham Bam to thank for that 😁
For some reason, my build plate has become harder and harder to remove things from it. I have no idea why no settings have changed. I’ve bought a flexible plate to see how they do and my first print with it is inside my printer right now. Wish me luck.
A flex plate should work great for you. 😁
Thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks for watching 😁
That plate is much more useful on really big resin printers.
I can imagine it would be 😁
Coming in with FDM experience planning to get my first resin printer, I’d never consider NOT buying a flex plate. Scraping is barbaric 😁
They can be a big help 😁
Great video 👍
Thanks Adam 😁
Well, you won’t be knocking your thumb anymore on the build plate trying to get
Your prints off of it!🤣🤣🤣
With me, anything is possible 😉😁😁😁
I know its down the line some time, how has it stood the test of time? Been reading some reviews of other vendors version commenting about losing mag strength over time.
I got a flex plate recently. I got sick if scratching the build plate when I need to pry off parts.
👍👍👍
Shame they don't let people in the UK buy it from the link in your description ;)
I hear you David, though I will admit UK companies rarely support Creators with free products to review (tight bunch us Brits). But do consider that I came at this video from a "flexible plate" point of view rather than a "Wham Bam." There are other brands out there. Okay I have no personal experience with their performance, but at least we now know the principal behind the product is sound, and we have Wham Bam to thank for that 😁
"Why bother?"
I keep un levelling my build plate every time I take something off it, as I don't have the best dexterity, i'm very heavy handed
The only good reason for a flexplate that I can think of is if you need to directly print on the plate, and a scraper would damage the parts (i.e., your first test). Metal scrapers get things off very easily otherwise, especially with rafts - I wonder if most people have far too many bottom layers with too much exposure?
I felt the same way... but when you use one, it does feel easier 😁
If you have to use any force on the stock build plate you can knock the alignment off. Even if you have to use some force on the flex plate it's not pushing anything out of alignment. Less re-levelling = more succcessful prints and less hassle
How are these on larger build plates like the MONO X? I read things where people say they get more fails on bigger plated. Anyone using one? I have a MONO X 6k on preorder and would love one of these
I've not tried them myself but I can imagine they'd be really useful. But if you read through the comments, you'll find various guys with Whams on their Monos. Check out what they say and drop them a line if you want 😁
Hi, I just purchased a Flex-Plate for my Saturn S. Are there ANY SPECIAL LEVELING instructions after it’s been installed? Or will it Level using the Factory Leveling Method?
🙏ANY HELP APPRECIATED🙏
Thanks,
Lee
Just make sure you follow the videos on the Wham Bam website. Those guys are very helpful 😁
I'm seeing a trend. VOG resists reviewing things until someone sends him one for free :D No shame in that TBH!
I always resist spending money. It's easy when you don't have any 😁
But genuinely, I couldn't see the point in these flex plates. Now I can.
I put flex plates on all of my machines. Why? Because I run thin rafts so that my burn in layers will extend to the first few layers of my supports. Makes for more solid supports, and ultimately better prints. And getting thin rafts off of a standard build plate with a metal scraper is a nightmare.
I will say that one drawback is occasional shifting of the flex plate on large build plate when it's fully loaded. Typically does this on the raft layers or if I'm printing a bunch of flat bases for minis. I fixed this by supergluing some strong magnets to the top of the build plate to give it extra magnetic strength
I was thinking of doing the same thing and add some magnets to the top of the build plate.
What kind of magnets are you using?
Hello, you using what bred of investment?
Is cleaning with IPA a requirement or would simply wiping it down til clean work as well? I have an Elegoo Mars 3 with Water-Washable resin so I don't keep IPA on hand.
I'd recommend some alcohol to get things really clean... nail polish remover, white spirit, turpentine, glass and alcohol wipes, etc. The cleaner it is, the better you can expect the adhesion to be.
0:48 - It's a piece of spring steel. 'FRAGILE PLEASE DO NOT DROP'. LOL
You can't be too careful with my delivery guy 😁😁😁
I'm of exactly the same opinion as you. I can't fault the product except to say... I was fine before I had it and was the minor convenience of not having to scrape models off worth the RRP? eehhhh.... Depends what you're printing I suppose. It's certainly not essential and I can hardly recommend everyone go buy one.
I feel like most people who felt they absolutely needed one probably just had their initial exposures too high.
They certainly have their uses but if you're handy with a scraper, stick with it 😁
Rubbing with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy ... Miss Randall flashbacks? :)
I often get flashbacks to Miss Randall 😁
I've wondered about these for a while, I would like to see what you think of a versions for larger printers. Small stuff I generally have no problem with, but big prints on the Mono X can be a bitch to remove.
I just got a Saturn and the very first thing I did was order one of these. Love wham bam plates, I have at least one for all of my printers. It works even better on larger printers than small. The only problem i have ever had with it was on my sonic mini 4K. The build plate it pretty small, which means the magnet is pretty small. So if you fill the build plate, the magnet strength isn’t quite enough to stop it from moving. The plate won’t detach from the magnet but it did have a habit of sliding and causing all kinds of layer shifts. But again that was only if I really filled the build plate on a small format printer. I’ve been able to fill the build plate on my Saturn with no issues since the surface area of the magnet is so much larger. (Plus the mini 4K isn’t nearly as rigid and I think the flex that the build plate arm had a lot to do with that as well, definitely not a fault of the wham bam)
I clean it off then put it in the freezer for a minute & it pops right off, even a solid block.
Wham Bam do some MASSIVE plates. I agree, these would be useful on bigger printers 😁
Thanks for the input Travis 😁
I am dealing with wide and thick flat surfaces printed directly into the building plate, and it is impossible to remove them without chipping and breaking edges and corners... In my case this can be a real nerve saver!
Thanks for that. It makes perfect sense 😁
Do tou have any link for a photon mono 4k flexplate? Mono 4k is smaller.
unfortunately they dont ship to the UK since there is no trade deal (another Boris c ockup) there is a UK site which sells them but a tad expensive
I know 3dprintz.co.uk sell them... I'm not sure on pricing.
Sovol plates on Amazon UK are a decent option if you're in the UK
I don't have one from wham bam but I do have one and my prints not coming off that easy. Idk what I need to do
It should. When you bend the plate, the tension is broken beneath the stuff print, allowing it to pop off.
I somehow managed to make a nice slice through my glove and one of my fingers with one of these, be careful! 😂
They are very thin, so that's a good safety share 👍👍👍
Nothing like adding an extra failure point.
The main complaint I've seen about these are with heavier prints, that they can pull the plate away from the magnet. And also that the resin breaks the glue apart over time that is holding the magnet to the build plate.
Been using one for half an year now and as far as I can tell the adhesive is fine. As far as heavier prints even with full build plates using the full build volume I haven’t had any issues
In their video, Wham Bam talk about adhesive. They are confident the 3M adhesive strips they use are more than up to the task. As for larger prints, I can see that could potentially happen.
Thanks for your input 😁
@@MaheerKibria me neither and I have printed some heavy parts. Never had an issue with a genuine wham bam plate. Their magnets are ridiculously strong for their size.
The glue is plenty strong for the task if you follow the manufacturer's directions on installing it.
Did anyone have to add the Z limit spacer to there printers?
Rubbing like a teenage boy - 😂
I love my flex plate - never need to relevel
Super easy cleanup
Thanks for the review! Until they send me a free one, and a build plate to take mine out of action for 3-4 days, I think I'll stick to living without the convenience
They're not for everyone... but they are useful 😁
Look up the Sovol ones, they're noticeably cheaper. I found 24 hours was enough, although obviously you take a risk if the adhesive isn't set well enough
Wham Bam installed on my Sonic Mini 4k. Got layer shifts at the lower layers all times. Internet research: im not allone at all. -> Trash. Expensive experience
And yet so many comments here speak positively. Can I ask, do you clean the plates after each print. If you leave resin on them it can act as a lubricant between the plates allowing for a little movement. That could cause the issues you mention... just a thought 😁
@@vogman yes,of course, I Clean always after each print. First with 99% Isopropanol, then before a new print with acetone, until there is no residue colour on the cotton Pad. But that was not the problem, the metal plate shifted, even thoroughly cleaning the plate faced to the magnet as well as the magnet itself.
Hello, I do not own yet a Resin printer, but considering to own one once. Just wondering if the lift speed needs to be adjusted for larger printers when using a magnetic bed, to reduce the pull force when printing larger prints?
Is that something to consider?
You didn't make heavy prints, try to put this plate on a Saturn or bigger, and print heavy stuff on it.
You will get layer shift 😉
yesssssssssss
,
👍👍👍
@@vogman ;)
Sand the plate then submerge in IPA for 24 hours no need to do it the way long way you did.
to be honest for small models such as rings etc I find this unnecessary. I flex the plate and the printed model flexes with it
I'll never understand why people take the whole build plate off... Just take the flex plate off with the part....
From what I can gather, if you leave resin on them it can act as a lubricant between the plates allowing for a little movement. It's safer to remove and clean - just in case 😁
and now you don't have pointy edged scraper to clean.
Very true James 😁
*gets out wallet before watching video* come on hit me with it what am i buying this time
Josh, that had me in hysterics mate 😁😁😁👍👍👍
crazy expensive
..