Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[DarkAlchemist]

I've been running mine from a Raspberry Pi running Astroprint. I've been able to upload my files to the Pi over my network. Now my Pi is getting really slow and it is starting to take way too long to upload the files. Even when I SSH into to Pi it is really slow. I've looked into those Flash Air SD cards before and now I'm considering them again. I'll probably try to get Octoprint working before I go the Flash Air route.

Aye. I already know of two things I am going to design and print for this printer and I am going to design an extruder for my dead printer because the more I test the printer the more I think it could be the authentic J-Head. Since I can't remove that nozzle I will use a Chinese all metal I own to see. What I did was clip my glass to the front side so the glass was level and, of course, dead flat and depending on the filament it changed from non adhesion (even with hairspray) to acting like I used sandpaper on it as it printed.

See, this i3 Rework worked then one day BOOM it would never lay a nice first layer down and it got worse and worse. The only thing that I have not changed on this printer is the J-Head. The nice thing about having a working printer, like the Qidi, is I can print parts for the dead printer.

So, we will see and the card with wi-fi I just wonder how that would work? Does it just save the file on the card and I use the card like normal? All it is doing is saving me from having to insert, then remove, walk to the other side of the house, then insert, remove and walk back to the slicing computer each time? I think that is what it is doing which would be nice since inserting and removing so many times is not a good thing on the connectors.

For cooling parts can I wire another fan on the right side as well? Just parallel the two fans? Is it using a 24v fan since everything else is 24v?

[g.gregory8]

So, we will see and the card with wi-fi I just wonder how that would work? Does it just save the file on the card and I use the card like normal? All it is doing is saving me from having to insert, then remove, walk to the other side of the house, then insert, remove and walk back to the slicing computer each time? I think that is what it is doing which would be nice since inserting and removing so many times is not a good thing on the connectors.

I have a Toshiba Flashair W-03 16GB card. Basically you can connect to this directly with WIFI or setup to connect to your local network. Then you access the local webpage it hosts and can view the files on it. You need to modify the user interface to allow uploading/deleting files, follow this guide. Then you simply navigate to the bookmarked webpage and click upload file and select your *.x3g file and it will copy to the SD card. Which you can then select and print as normal.

It would definitely be better if the SD card was accessable as a network drive/folder which would allow you to save directly there from slicer. But one more step of uploading file via webpage isn't too bad.

[DarkAlchemist]

I have a Toshiba Flashair W-03 16GB card. Basically you can connect to this directly with WIFI or setup to connect to your local network. Then you access the local webpage it hosts and can view the files on it. You need to modify the user interface to allow uploading/deleting files, follow this guide. Then you simply navigate to the bookmarked webpage and click upload file and select your *.x3g file and it will copy to the SD card. Which you can then select and print as normal.

It would definitely be better if the SD card was accessable as a network drive/folder which would allow you to save directly there from slicer. But one more step of uploading file via webpage isn't too bad.

Good to know and it is odd they didn't just make it like a network drive indeed. :/ Still, not a bad idea though I am not sure if that small thing could reach the other part of the house. My cellphone struggles but anything with an external antenna has no issues.

[dspdrew]

Does anyone have a link to some glass holders (not clips) designed for 1/8 inch glass, or 1/4 inch that includes the CAD files so I can possibly modify them, depending on the program. I seem to remember someone mentioning them somewhere, but with 123 pages now, it will be impossible to find. Not sure why there is still no subforum for QIDI Tech.

[kaznad]

I've been running mine from a Raspberry Pi running Astroprint. I've been able to upload my files to the Pi over my network. Now my Pi is getting really slow and it is starting to take way too long to upload the files. Even when I SSH into to Pi it is really slow. I've looked into those Flash Air SD cards before and now I'm considering them again. I'll probably try to get Octoprint working before I go the Flash Air route.

I am also using Raspberry Pi 3 but with Octoprint. It works really well. I am using it with an OctoPi image instead, it is quite lean. I have my webcam hooked up to it as well, it takes a timelapse for every print. I am planning to get a touch screen for it in future there is a TouchUI for the octoprint as well.

So I figured out why my sprial vase print keeps failing. I had to sit next to the printer for 30 mins staring at it to figure it out.
The left extruder nozzle was hitting the spiral as it was building. So the sprial was bent and that messed the whole print getting noodles all over the print. I guess my nozzles are not leveled with each other.
Any idea how do you level the nozzles to each other? Well I guess I could remove one extruder, but I am rather happy with my setup of printing PLA on one nozzle and ABS on the other.
Thanks again to cncartist for the settings. I hope I din make you print it out for no reason. It does look rather nice though.

[DarkAlchemist]

I would like to know if anyone knows the specs on the machine's hardware? What is the pitch of the Z axis leadscrew and diameter? I take it the machine uses GT2 belts but what is the tooth count on the X/Y pulleys?

The "PC glue" (I couldn't find anything about this as I wanted to see real stats vs the 3m glue they claim is inferior) how do I get that off without bending/warping the build plate?

[kaznad]

I would like to know if anyone knows the specs on the machine's hardware? What is the pitch of the Z axis leadscrew and diameter? I take it the machine uses GT2 belts but what is the tooth count on the X/Y pulleys?

The "PC glue" (I couldn't find anything about this as I wanted to see real stats vs the 3m glue they claim is inferior) how do I get that off without bending/warping the build plate?

For the "PC glue" portion, just use the included scrapper to slowly remove the blue print surface. The blue sticker is rather sticky, you will have some sticky residue on it, I think some label remover might help remove it. I took out the whole build plate and it was easier to do. I dun think you can bend or warp the build plate by just removing the blue sticker. It is quite a solid piece of aluminum block.

[DarkAlchemist]

For the "PC glue" portion, just use the included scrapper to slowly remove the blue print surface. The blue sticker is rather sticky, you will have some sticky residue on it, I think some label remover might help remove it. I took out the whole build plate and it was easier to do. I dun think you can bend or warp the build plate by just removing the blue sticker. It is quite a solid piece of aluminum block.

Good to know as I will be moving over to glass especially after I read how PLA sticks to that for all there is.

As far as my Z question I am backwards engineering as much as I can and it looks like they use (if the steps I am seeing is correct for the Qidi) a M8 8 pitch for the leadscrew. Ugh. Still plenty of resolution so no worries and after the people (there have been a few) got that bent they offered to send another but that sucker is part of the motor (like the robot digg ones) so man, I sure hope mine comes alright as all of those screws mentioned earlier this would be a task. Personally a new printer should be sent out and a return sticker issued if it happens. My fingers are crossed.

This leaves X and Y tooth count.

I just looked and 8 pitch versus a 2 pitch is a huge difference as it isn't just resolution. So, this is one mod I would do asap for reasons I would be glad to get into.

How long is that Z leadscrew?

[jfkansas]

For the "PC glue" portion, just use the included scrapper to slowly remove the blue print surface. The blue sticker is rather sticky, you will have some sticky residue on it, I think some label remover might help remove it. I took out the whole build plate and it was easier to do. I dun think you can bend or warp the build plate by just removing the blue sticker. It is quite a solid piece of aluminum block.

WD40 is a good adhesive remover. Spray on and let sit for an hour or so. Use a plastic scraper so to not scratch up the aluminum. Even an ice scraper will work, but I have some vinyl install squeeges that work for this.

[KludgeGuru]

I have a Toshiba Flashair W-03 16GB card. Basically you can connect to this directly with WIFI or setup to connect to your local network. Then you access the local webpage it hosts and can view the files on it. You need to modify the user interface to allow uploading/deleting files, follow this guide. Then you simply navigate to the bookmarked webpage and click upload file and select your *.x3g file and it will copy to the SD card. Which you can then select and print as normal.

It would definitely be better if the SD card was accessable as a network drive/folder which would allow you to save directly there from slicer. But one more step of uploading file via webpage isn't too bad.

Looks like you can map a drive to the SD card. I think I need to order one.
http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...ped-in-Windows

Good to know and it is odd they didn't just make it like a network drive indeed. :/ Still, not a bad idea though I am not sure if that small thing could reach the other part of the house. My cellphone struggles but anything with an external antenna has no issues.

You phone/computer would not need to connect to the Flashair directly. The Flashair just needs a good connection to your WiFi router then your computer would connect to the SD card through the router.