I have a 350x350mm heated bed with 800W heater. That’s quite a lot of power and I would prefer to save energy on prints that do not necessarily require the heated bed. So I did a short experiment on printing PLA on self adhesive velcro tape, the part with the hooks, using a raft. Guess what: it works great ! I even did a 120mm long warping test print and it came out without issues. Removal is extremely easy, just pull the print and it detaches from the hooks. The velcro does not seem to be affected by the melted PLA, how many prints will hold, I cannot tell. Z offset was set so that the nozzle doesn’t touch the hooks. The thicker the raft, the better.
Now, because the base of the print is not physically glued onto the bed surface, but rather “floats” in air attached to the hooks, it has the ability to shrink with the whole print without warping. More testing is needed, also with ABS, and I want to try some “micro hooks” velcro, the thin version, so I can use fewer raft layers.
In the image is a 200% enlarged Marvin.
Awesome idea. Will try this on abs as well. Got to live it when people think out the box.
Ok that was an unexpected printing surface
Way to think outside the box
Nice one. Your mind clearly works in mysterious ways 
+1 for outside the box thinking. Looks cool. But I like my squeezed, smoother first layer I get on glass. Using Elmer’s purple glue stick I never had issues at all.
Now, entertaining your idea, wonder how strong will the “hooks” of the Velcro will do on a print that requires plenty sudden movements. If it will translate into vibration artifacts on the print surface.
This is a lovely new version of the old perfboard print surface.
@Felix_Garcia_Chaco there is absolutely no movement of the printed object, so it’s not affected by the sudden movements. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that the hooks on the standard velcro are quite long. That’s why I want to try the "micro hooks"version. It should require thinner raft and have more grip. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/aplusautomation/vendorimages/e145b7fe-b20b-4c9b-844f-4b43319ee077.jpg.CB306930887__SR970,300.jpg
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/aplusautomation/vendorimages/e145b7fe-b20b-4c9b-844f-4b43319ee077.jpg.CB306930887__SR970,300.jpg
