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There must be a trick to doing a good job of applying Kapton tape on a printer bed plate…

We built a Bukobot and even with a great deal of care ended up with bubbles under the tape and occasional overlaps. I'd appreciate any pointers.

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I like to heat my build plate up a bit before I begin. Just warm to touch. I feel that this will help prevent bubbling so soon. I would think that since the build plate is expanded with the heat, that when the tape is applied it will shrink with the build plate. I was also told that the heat would help the adhesive stick better.

The other thing I do when applying kapton tape is apply one end of the tape to a ruler, place the ruler on the far side of the build plate, and slowly begin working the tape evenly across the plate. I find it much easier to apply tape this way.

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Try using a solution made for applying window tint, maybe even soapy water. Squeegee it out, heat the bed for a bit and you should be good to go.

This video demonstrates the process.

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  • $\begingroup$ Does the solution go between the tape and the bed plate? $\endgroup$
    – dlu
    Jan 16, 2016 at 6:03
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    $\begingroup$ I added a link to a video showing the process in my original answer. $\endgroup$
    – tjb1
    Jan 16, 2016 at 14:35

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