# Cleaning up from "Raft Welding" **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379 "2022-03-03T00:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spencerwebb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/spencerwebb/32/18526_2.png) [@spencerwebb](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/spencerwebb)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/1 "2022-03-03T00:51:36Z")
For reasons that I cannot fathom, some prints I did today on the Form 3+, in Grey V4, would absolutely, positively NOT release from the bed. I managed to get the parts off without damage, but the rafts were not moving. After some communications with Customer Support, and reviewing posts on this here forum, I recovered the build plate nicely. Though I still don’t know why this run was different. I used a wood chisel to pry and scrape the remaining material. I found that it works better than the supplied tool, but you need to be careful with it. Then I proceeded to sand the plate with a random orbital sander and a 120 grit pad. I finished with an IPA wipe down. The results were VERY NICE, as seen in the pics. ![IMG_4561](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/3/7/37db29ce528de8017d53fb9d636bf08bb42baa2a.jpeg) ![IMG_4565](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/4/a/4a72211b7fd1ed5f8266d6230c052d739d1bb2e3.jpeg) ![IMG_4566](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/6/5/658d689f5e27229d32e616712034aae76d134084.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![AaronNavarro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f07891/32.png) [@AaronNavarro](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/AaronNavarro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/2 "2022-03-04T16:21:56Z")
I have been having this same issue for the last couple weeks with all prints. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Cohen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/randy_cohen/32/1500_2.png) [@Randy\_Cohen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Randy_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/3 "2022-03-04T22:56:02Z")
I own a 2" wide Craftsman wood chisel specifically for this task (also works to get stuff off my FDM printer’s build plate if it’s stuck on really good). The chisel is machined flat on one side, you just lay that side down on the build plate surface and lightly tap (I have a small jeweler’s hammer I use). If you don’t nick or bend the edge of the blade, it doesn’t (or barely) even scratch the surface. Worth having in your toolkit. You do have to carefully brace the build plate to chisel it. You don’t want the chisel to slip off the build plate and chisel the hand you’re using to hold the build plate… Technique originally developed for my Form1+, but translated nicely to the Form2. Haven’t had this problem yet with the Form3, though. ---
**Author:** ![eddiev68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9d8465/32.png) [@eddiev68](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/eddiev68)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/4 "2022-03-07T23:07:09Z")
The 4K gets really hard to take off. I put in the Temp Chamber and crank up the heat around 70c. It gets pretty soft after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Eks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Eks](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Eks)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/5 "2022-03-08T00:17:48Z")
With the new beta settings on the 3L (still not on the 3/3+) the raft on the 4K is now super soft (very similar to Flexible) and can be removed literally like butter. No idea if this is a bug or a feature but I’m beginning to like it: soft raft and rigid part / supports. After thousands of rigid rafts it took me a dozen prints to get used to it. Hopefully it can make its way on the 3/3+. ---
**Author:** ![MattBowen33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@MattBowen33](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/MattBowen33)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/6 "2022-03-11T15:57:18Z")
I had been using a putty knife to remove stuck rafts but after reading this post I went out and bought a wood chisel and it worked awesome! Like butter! Great suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![as4399](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@as4399](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/as4399)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 6:14am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/7 "2022-03-14T06:14:59Z")
Putting the platform in the freezer might be another option. The CTE of the resin and aluminum platform is likely different enough that parts might pop off on their own, or at the least with minimal effort. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/5/b/5bc2bdf993ff27c2e0eecab5010b25626fbb327a.png) [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cleaning-up-from-raft-welding/33379/8 "2022-09-12T18:15:27Z")
Closed on September 12, 2022, 6:15pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 182 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.