Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have been FDM and resin printing for years and really love the magnetic flex plate on my Ender 3, but have heard stories on attaching to resin build plates can sometimes come loose and cause a nightmare - either by the plate coming loose from the magnet or the piece attached to the build plate adhesive coming loose.

Which are the best ones out there? I see this one on Amazon, but am just wary of it coming loose.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QCJRD4J/?coliid=I190GCT7BBF563

I hear a lot of mixed messages regarding flex plates. Some people love them, some people have bad luck (it falls off); others dislike the modest lack of height it brings (some prints can get really close to printer height limits).

I think also some just feel that using the right raft means you don't need them. Eg using a Triangle Line raft in Lychee and then having a proper metal scraper with an angled front edge (not the blunt kind that ship with some printers); and you can just slide off any prints.



I think they gain popularity with those who like to print on the build plate itself, where the shape might mean that the print has a very powerful connection to the build plate. Meanwhile those who use rafts seem t obe more torn on if they are worth getting or not.

I have a pair of Sovol brand flexible plates and I think they are brilliant. I have had zero issues with stick ability, either of the magnet sheet to the Photon build head, or from the flexi plate to the magnetic sheet. Using the same type of raft as for normal scrapers works best as the flexi g is not guaranteed to pop the print off. However, it’s so much easier to scrape of a nice thin flat steel plate compared to the really awkwardly shaped build plates. Also if you have two then Turning around prints is super fast meaning less faffing with the resin vat open and discharging fumes. Slip one off, the other one on, and you can hit go while you post process the full plate.

Less fiddling with the head assembly also makes it less likely that you will mess with the head level position when trying to scrape models off the plate. Yes, this is something you can avoid with good practice and suchlike, but the more ways to avoid head levelling errors the better.

The only down side for my install was that I didn’t realise you needed a little spacer piece to fit to the bed zero sensor assembly. The instructions I got with my purchase wasn’t super clear about it and I had to check out the website as to why I was getting horrible grinding noises!

I have one for the Mars 2 Pro and it works pretty well, although I needed to print a bigger stopper for the build plate sensor.

On a Saturn it should work just as well, but you need to make sure you get a good, strong magnet.

In reading reviews they are either amazing successes or rousing failures. Maybe it might be worth it to get a second build plate and put on on there to try it out. If it works, then use it mainly. I have heard they work less reliably on larger printers (Saturn) than on smaller ones (Mars) due to larger pull forces on larger prints.

I currently use the skate bottom on supports with the angled base to adhere to the plate, so not much of an issue getting under to pry off with the plastic spatula. I never like to use the metal scraper and will only use the plastic, so maybe I just keep what I have for now until I feel braver and want to spring for another build plate to try it out..