A little trick for better adhesion with large 3D prints – the glue stick

Many 3D printers heat up the print bed more in the middle than at the outer edges. This often causes the corners or edges to peel off, especially with larger printed parts. British YouTuber Robert Murray-Smith has a simple solution for better adhesion.

In his latest video, the 3D printing enthusiast recommends simply applying a layer of adhesive to the printing surface before starting. Conventional glue sticks based on water and potato starch are suitable for this. Also known under brand names such as Pritt or Uhu, these sticks reliably bond component edges and corners and later wash off again with water.

According to Murray-Smith, the difference is particularly noticeable with ABS or PLA parts, which reach almost the full size of the heatbed. Since he pretreated the surface, he has seen significantly fewer detachments and misprints. The adhesive layer holds the parts well even when the edges are only slightly heated.

Some manufacturers now also offer special 3D printing glue sticks. However, Murray-Smith emphasizes that these are ultimately the same standard products as Prit-Stick or Uhu-Stic. They enable simpler, more reliable and cheaper large prints with less waste.