For all of Creality’s Ender 3 greatness, there is one issue that’s quite prevalent among users online: Prints failing out of the box. Most of the time, this is caused by a warped bed, thus replacing the bed can be essential to the machine’s operation, even early on.
Even if your Ender’s bed is fine, however, you can still benefit from a glass bed since it’s a great surface for PLA, the material many users who choose this budget machine will be interested in. After all, glass makes the bottom surface of PLA models glossy and wonderful. Just bear in mind that you usually have to add some sort of adhesive agent to get other materials to stick to regular glass.
For more information, check out our articles on glass beds. But for now, let’s learn about getting a glass bed for the Ender 3.
What to Look For
There are several factors to consider when picking a glass bed for the Ender 3:
- Size: The Ender 3 has a 235 x 235 mm build plate, and while you can get any size glass you want, your best bet is to get one that’s the same size as the Ender build plate.
- Too large and it will not fit between the extruded aluminum, and you will have to cut the plate to size yourself, which can be dangerous.
- Too small and you risk printing off the edge of the glass plate and ruining your print job.
- Thickness: Too thin and the glass might shatter during heating, but too thick and heating might take too long. A glass plate with a thickness of three to four millimeters is ideal. (We’re being a bit safe here.)
- Type: Though just several types of glass are used as build surfaces in 3D printing, this can be a factor to consider when selecting a bed. The most common types you’ll encounter for this purpose are mirror tiles and purpose-made borosilicate glass sheets.
If you want a detailed exploration of glass beds in 3D printing, check out our glass bed buyer’s guide.
Some Options
Here are some products that could call your Ender 3 home:
- VoyageX Glass Plate: The go-to option for most users. This is cut to fit the Ender 3 perfectly, and it’s 3mm thick. You even get clips to secure the sheet in place.
- Dcreate Glass Plate: A slightly thicker option with rounded corners.
- ReliaBot Glass Plate: This one is slightly smaller than the Ender 3’s build plate, so you might have to get creative with mounting. It is, however, a touch more affordable than the other two options.
License: The text of "Ender 3 Glass Bed – What to Consider & Which to Buy" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.