Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[beano_2278]

So, i'm interested in printing in a flexible filament and i've seen a lot of people printing replacement MK8 extruder parts that keep the filament on a better line through the drive gears, ideally i'd like to try the same but i want to print a a simple upgrade that doesn't require lots of modifications. upon looking on Thingiverse i can see many different mods out there but firstly i'm not sure which ones are the best and which ones may fit the Qidi Tech printer easily.

My initial investigations have led me to this one : http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:684426

Thoughts from anyone with a Qidi that has printed with flexible filament.

Many thanks

Steve

[Syd_Khaos]

So, i'm interested in printing in a flexible filament and i've seen a lot of people printing replacement MK8 extruder parts that keep the filament on a better line through the drive gears, ideally i'd like to try the same but i want to print a a simple upgrade that doesn't require lots of modifications. upon looking on Thingiverse i can see many different mods out there but firstly i'm not sure which ones are the best and which ones may fit the Qidi Tech printer easily.

My initial investigations have led me to this one : http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:684426

Thoughts from anyone with a Qidi that has printed with flexible filament.

Many thanks

Steve

What you have linked is for a Mk8 Extruder set-up. The Qidi machines use Mk10s.

There is a feed assembly on Thingiverse for Mk10 set-ups...and having been using it for 2 months now I can say it works rather well.
These are what ya need for Mk10s http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:857200

[DarkAlchemist]

What you have linked is for a Mk8 Extruder set-up. The Qidi machines use Mk10s.

There is a feed assembly on Thingiverse for Mk10 set-ups...and having been using it for 2 months now I can say it works rather well.
These are what ya need for Mk10s http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:857200

You use that with Filaflex, TPU or Ninjaflex?

[Syd_Khaos]

You use that with Filaflex, TPU or Ninjaflex?

I have run a bit of Ninja and a bit of wax filament through em.
I did have a bit of issues with the ninja when I ran it, but not with the lower enclosure...it was prior to my putting hands on a low-pro feed gear. Still a decent print though, even though it was just some gaskets.

From what I read Filaflex is a tiny bit more stable (in terms of being fed through the machine) than Ninjaflex. I am unfamiliar with TPU.

[DarkAlchemist]

I have run a bit of Ninja and a bit of wax filament through em.
I did have a bit of issues with the ninja when I ran it, but not with the lower enclosure...it was prior to my putting hands on a low-pro feed gear. Still a decent print though, even though it was just some gaskets.

From what I read Filaflex is a tiny bit more stable (in terms of being fed through the machine) than Ninjaflex. I am unfamiliar with TPU.

TPU is sort of in the middle. Ninja is the daddy of the rubbery filament and if you want the most spring, and/or bounce, you go with it but with all of these filaments they will take the path of least resistance so if there is any gap wide enough for it to escape through it will and WHAM, BAM, JAM.

That extruder is on my liked list but honestly I don't think it is all that good because you need no gaps up to the feed gear nor after it and that is pretty darn hard to do with that style of mechanism.

I figure the largest gap allowed would be the radius of the filament and to be safer go half the radius so on 1.75mm filament no air gap should be larger than 0.875mm (I would say to be best no greater than half of that) then it shouldn't escape and jam on you.

[beano_2278]

Thanks Syd_Khaos, when i first got the printer a few months ago i did try find out whether i had a Mk8 or Mk10 but could not find anything definitive so incorrectly assumed i had the MK8, i'd seen those before but ruled them out.

I'll give them a print this weekend and see how they fair, i've still to order some flexible filament, looking for something simple to start with, maybe some semi flexible filament.

[DarkAlchemist]

Thanks Syd_Khaos, when i first got the printer a few months ago i did try find out whether i had a Mk8 or Mk10 but could not find anything definitive so incorrectly assumed i had the MK8, i'd seen those before but ruled them out.

I'll give them a print this weekend and see how they fair, i've still to order some flexible filament, looking for something simple to start with, maybe some semi flexible filament.

Do not start with Ninjaflex for sure.

edit: If you can print PLA my suggestion would be to grab some PolyMaker PolyFlex to get your feet wet first.

Here is a video showing it from a bloke I have subbed to for years now -

[wirlybird]

How do you insert a picture in a post? Doesn't seem to be working.

[DaveB]

How do you insert a picture in a post? Doesn't seem to be working.

The only way I have found it to work is if the picture is stored somewhere else on the web and is externally referenced within your posted text. This BB's attachment system is messed up. If your image was stored on imjur.com for example, the text looks like this: [Zimg]http://i.imgur.com/j4YJj2p.jpg[/Zimg]
Just remove the two extra "Z" characters I put in to keep this example text string from embedding an image.

[DarkAlchemist]

Yep, broken and I bet you it is on purpose as the system admin doesn't want the server's harddrive filled with the images.