Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[DarkAlchemist]

Does anyone have a picture, or could take one, of the printer with the bed down? I am trying to figure out how the endstop wire to the Z endstop was routed. I didn't move the wire but it seems too short now and I feel screws where the black plastic wire holders fit but I ran out of them and I sure didn't lose them.

Any help is appreciated.

[pstephana]

I believe these questions have been asked and answered....but I've tried reading through the thread and can't find it.

Still new to my printer I wanted to try a test print from the SD card. I loaded PLA on the left side and ABS on the right.
1. I thought I could select Left or Right extruder but can't figure this out in the menu. Can you choice a Left or Right from the menu control?
2. When the printer started to print the first layer the other extruder tip kept dragging over the print and kept pulling it off and up. Is this typical that the second tip drag on the freshly printed row?

Thanks.

[vbx]

They also say the best bed temp for PLA is 40c....
Qidi makes decent printers, far as I know they are not a print shop as well. If you have technical issues call Qidi, if you need help with print settings and such your better off asking other makers on forums like this.

I run most PLA prints with the cooling at 100% from layer 2 on. It really helps the material set in place fast where it should be.

Honestly I don't use PLA unless its something that NEEDS to be PLA to come out right. 90% of my machines runtime it's printing ABS.
For something like a prosthetic knee (or anything else for that matter) your gonna want more rigidity and impact tolerance than PLA will provide. For this you wanna look at higher grade ABS, or some nylon, though I don't think you can print that with stock setup.

I just leveled with a business card. But I'm still hearing some clicking and parts where the nozzle would grab onto the printed pla and drag it around. wth

update, even though it was hitting, the print came out better than the 1st print. Still needs some fine tuning. Also, the "transparent blue" makerbot filament seems to have issues.

I switched to the orange PLA that came with the printer and re-printing right now. I adjusted the bed level a little bit but the nozzle seems to still be hitting when it's printing the rafts.

Maybe a little more adjustment is needed.

[Syd_Khaos]

Does anyone have a picture, or could take one, of the printer with the bed down? I am trying to figure out how the endstop wire to the Z endstop was routed. I didn't move the wire but it seems too short now and I feel screws where the black plastic wire holders fit but I ran out of them and I sure didn't lose them.

Any help is appreciated.

Hope its the right shot.

[DarkAlchemist]

Thank you. There is actually more posts back there than it uses but some how I am one short of those black plastic things so I must have used more than they did as I put one per post.

[cncartist]

I wanted to share that I have reached 500 hours of print time without having to re-apply the creaking bearing fix/machine bearing oil.



And here is a picture of some printed flowers:

I believe these questions have been asked and answered....but I've tried reading through the thread and can't find it.

Still new to my printer I wanted to try a test print from the SD card. I loaded PLA on the left side and ABS on the right.
1. I thought I could select Left or Right extruder but can't figure this out in the menu. Can you choice a Left or Right from the menu control?
2. When the printer started to print the first layer the other extruder tip kept dragging over the print and kept pulling it off and up. Is this typical that the second tip drag on the freshly printed row?

Thanks.

1. The menu is not good for controlling the print - the saving grace of this printer is that it reads g-code off the SD card quite well. Provide proper g-code to the printer in .x3g format on the SD card and it should print with all your options selected. I learned this early on as I was unable to adjust things like Left/Right Extruder for a specific job through the interface on the front of the printer and it needed to be done in the exported g-code (I'm using simplify 3D). Adjusting temperatures in the menu on the fly can be done, but it is a clunky operation and only recommended for situations that require it; I haven't found one for my prints yet.

2. I'm using glue stick as the adhesion layer and I have only seen what you are describing when I used no adhesion layer. The "other" extruder tip in my case is the left extruder tip and it does drag across the print if I do not have the bed perfectly leveled from left to right side (left side higher than right side). The extruder tip that is not your main printing nozzle should be slightly higher than the main nozzle so it doesn't have the capability to smear your print. It was leveled properly on my machine and did not require a height adjustment.

When it drags across the print when not perfectly leveled, in my cases it eventually works itself out since the initial layers are properly bonded to the printbed and will not come undone. There is 3 leveling screws on my Qidi and when perfectly leveled, the other nozzle should not touch if there is no curling of the part in my experience.

I have found the machine to be very forgiving with leveling as long as first layer adhesion is achieved, I hope you are able to sort your issues out!

[rcleav]

For those of you that have one nozzle higher then other here a couple youtube videos that cover the nozzle height adjustment.
These videos are for other clone machines but close enough to get the idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBVUJpY2YX4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pAPA0mImhI

The Qidi Tech has the same setscrews in the backside of the cool block that locks the thermal barrier tubes in place.

I also printed this to set the nozzles to the same height.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23013

Hope this helps.

[bluemeane]

What is the final (Latest) word for All Metal Hotends from Micro Swiss on the printer?

How many people have one or two installed? What do you think of it?

Looking to see if it is worth it. I have burned through 3 PFT tubes in the last couple of months as I would get jams with PVA nd flexi, and open her up and see that the hot end side has shrunk down so that it is hard to even pull the filament through it, and looking to either buy more tubes for replacements, or getting all metal hot ends.


Also bonus question, what bout the new ninjaflex designed flexi extruder????

[rcleav]

What is the final (Latest) word for All Metal Hotends from Micro Swiss on the printer?

How many people have one or two installed? What do you think of it?

Looking to see if it is worth it. I have burned through 3 PFT tubes in the last couple of months as I would get jams with PVA nd flexi, and open her up and see that the hot end side has shrunk down so that it is hard to even pull the filament through it, and looking to either buy more tubes for replacements, or getting all metal hot ends.


Also bonus question, what bout the new ninjaflex designed flexi extruder????

I have one and can't recommend it for the stock Qidi Tech Hot block.
The filament heats up and extrudes ok but it leaks out around both the top and bottom (nozzle) threads of the hot block making a mess over time.

jfkansas has an upgraded extruder and hotblock setup that looks pretty nice and will allow you to use the Micro Swiss all metal hotend.
It looks like it should work on the Qidi Tech without any problems. If it doesn't I'm sure he will let us know.
http://store.wmdproducts.com/index.p...tegory&path=63

[vbx]

Something is dragging and knocking things over?

20160513_115834.jpg