Use this Glue to Force your 3D prints stick to any bed surface (2025)

3D printing is all about the first layer, a perfect first layer, if starts well it will end well, hum...not necessarily, as 3D printing is full of surprises.

So you are unable to get paste that first layer because your 3D print is not sticking to bed, you triple checked everything and your stubborn filament won't stick to the build platform, and you are looking for a fix, I will share the ultimate solution to literally force any kind of filament stick to any hotbed surface, no matter what printer you have Anycubic Prusa Ender 3 Ultimaker, or build platfrom you use. 

Time for some Pattex !

What is Patex Contact Adhesive?

Pattex Contact Glue is a neoprene glue that can be used on all surfaces: glass, metal, rubber, leather, wood, plastic (except PE, PP, expanded polystyrene and flexible PVC) & stone.  

• Resists water and humidity.
• Resists bending & twisting thanks to Flex technology. 
• Resists extreme temperatures: from - 40 ° C to + 110 ° C.

 Sounds like what is needed to make 3D prints stick to bed, indeed it's the perfect fit.

Solution to make 3D prints stick to bed (Amzon Aff link)

I used to wonder what PVA glue that many people suggest would do for stubborn filaments like ABS filament especially when 3D printing big parts, apart from providing a little grip, friction and stickiness to allow the first layer to pose on the heat-bed, a similar glue may work fro the first layers but will have no force at all to keep big print parts from raising or detaching from the build platform.

There are endless brands of adhesives and glue sticks that claim to work for all 3D printing filaments, while most of them do nothing and can be replaced with a rough surface like blue painter tape, others have more than what is required and make the prints impossible to remove as stated by the negative reviews on amazon.

For me ABS is the benchmark, especially the ABS filament that I extrude at home, so if a glue works for ABS and makes it stick to bed then it should literally work for any other friendly filament materials like PLA PETG Nylon PC etc... and that's what happened when I tried Pattex, it worked for ABS and I even used it to force home recycled HDPE filament to stick. 

How to apply Pattex Adhesive on your 3D printer bed:  

For small 3D print parts not too much, a thin layer will make your heat-bed sticky enough to keep your print in place, you can either put a few drops and spread them with a plastic card or with your finger (wear gloves), may be put the tube and draw diagonal lines,remember to heat your bed first.

The more you put the more stickiness and grip you add to your bed, so depending on your 3D print object size, the surface of your build platform and your filament material, although this is purely experimental, after a few tests you will be able to know how much glue to use and the right amount to be able to remove your object when it's finished 3D printing.

Advantages:

• Cheap compared to other 3D print bed adhesives and glue stick.No need to re-apply it with every print, a 15g tube will remain for an eternity, throught time you will get used to it and know if it is still good or or need reapplying.

• Works on any surface :  Borosilicate Glass , coated Glass, Aluminum, magnetic PEI bed sheets.Supports 110 degrees , which is the operating bed temperature.

• Better than ABS slurry and will make your prints stick better, it can replace ABS slurry that requires preparation each time, requires acetone and will dry very quickly.

• Will protect your heatbed from scratches in case the nozzle is too close to the build platform, and will protect you nozzle from friction.

• Compensates the first layer in case your bed is not leveled perfectly.

• Works well with brims and rafts, the glue blends well with the extruded filament, and the nozzle will iron the excess and make a nice first layer that keeps it's place for hours of print.

• Works like hell on an Anycubic Ultrabase.

Disadvantages:

• Difficult to remove if you put too much, you may break your parts, you need to wear gloves and use a cuttre to unstick 3d prints you may cut yourself. 
  

• You will need to keep the heated bed temperature on to be able to remove, if it cools down it will be impossible to remove the print from the build platform.
  

• You may need to print using brims and rafts, otherwise the bottom print surface will look dented.

• Air gap between your print and raft will depend on the size of the object you are going to print.
  

• Will require cleaning the bed, when you put the glue on top of the previous poses, blobs will build up and will turn your print platform into a mess.

• Z offset needs to be adjusted, depending on the print layer height.

Pattex a challenge

I used Pattex so much on my 3D printer glass bed that I mistakenly chose a deodorant that has the same brand color :D, Buy Pattex contact glue from Amazon

How to Remove Pattex Adhesive from your heatbed:

To clean your heatbed from the glue remains and blobs, you will need to wear gloves, heat your bed first, use any diluent like acetone, the glue will disolve and soften, gentily rub the surface with a piece of cloth until it shines, in case youe heat bed has any type of coating better to use Alcohol, if you don't have any diluent or alcohol you can remove it manually, when heated up the glue will become elastic and you can tear it away.

Bed Adhesion problems not related to the type of Adhesive :

If your bed adhesion issues are not related the type of glue you use, your filament 3d print filament is not sticking to bed for a combination of multiple reasons that will require checking to eliminate them one by one and fix the issue, these are the same bed adhesion tips that you will find anywhere that any 3D printing user would suggest:

1. Dry your filament.
   
2. Clean your bed.
   
3. Level you nozzle and heated bed.
   
4. Check your Zoffset
5. Lower the extrusion Speed for the first layer. 
6. Check your heat bed and nozzle temperatures.
   
7. Use brims and rafts
   
8. Replace your 3D printer Build plate
9. Keep Will Smi...
   

Final thoughts on Pattex glue:

I can give Pattex contact glue a 10/10 and consider it better than any 3D print bed adhesive or glue stick, even without trying or testing any of 3D printing bed adhesives available in the market, Pattex resists high temperatures, humidity, it's flexible and it resists binding and twisting, it forces tough plastic filaments to stick to bed, what would I expect more from a print bed adhesive?

Pattex is available in 50g tubes (Buy Pattex contact glue from Amazon) and different weights, if you are a heavy 3d printing user you can go for a barrel.