Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[rcleav]

Welcome to the forum.
I leave all my covers on but I do print in the upper 60'sf air temp
I would think opening the door and removing the top cover will suffice.
You won't need anything on the blue stickers but be prepared they will be a booger to get the print off.

[kaznad]

Welcome to the forum.
I leave all my covers on but I do print in the upper 60'sf air temp
I would think opening the door and removing the top cover will suffice.
You won't need anything on the blue stickers but be prepared they will be a booger to get the print off.

I live close to the equator so It gets pretty hot. Hopeful the blower fan will help.

Ya I read that the blue stickers will have issue with prints getting stuck. I am looking to get a maghold platform. Is there a maghold platform with glass plate? I guess there wouldn't be as I dun see how to get the magnets on the glass.

[KludgeGuru]

You could probably use some adhesive tape to attach a glass plate to the maghold spring steel. I believe there are links to the adhesive a few posts back. People have used it to attach the PEI material to the build platform.

[jfkansas]

Don't really seem like this would cover anything up more than the stock top-plate covers.

The stock plate covers about 1/2 as much of the top. Just isn't a good idea to restrict airflow. Now mounting a fan on top that blows toward the steppers and down drafts warm air onto the print might be a good idea.

[Syd_Khaos]

Does anyone know about how many grams of material is in a meter of filament?
Can't find any info on this...

[KludgeGuru]

Does anyone know about how many grams of material is in a meter of filament?
Can't find any info on this...

According to this site: (Not sure if it is accurate)
http://www.toybuilderlabs.com/blogs/...ume-and-length

1kg of 1.75mm PLA is about 330 meters. So 1000g / 330m = 3.03 grams / meter

1kg of 1.75mm ABS is about 400 meters. So 1000g / 400m = 2.50 grams / meter

[jfkansas]

It really depends on the density of the filament and the diameter of the filament. Diameter can vary from brand to brand. Density is usually about 1 - 1.25 grams per CC.

Gotta do a little math, find the area of the average filament cross section and figure how much will make a 1cc box. Then times that by the density.

[caall99]

Hey all! Been trying to catch up with this thread.... lots of valuable info! Thank you for the contribution!

I literally just received my Qidi Tech 3D printer a couple hours ago (ordered per eBay on Thursday last week!), and will be setting it up tonight. Few things to note:

1. The blue build surface is very temperature sensitive. I tried leveling the build plate while the extruder was at 230C. Everything moved into place with the extruder nozzle pausing on the middle of the build plate, and just slightly touching it. Turns out the heat of the nozzle was enough to melt a tiny spot into the blue sticker... I want to get rid of the blue sticker ASAP! So... what is the preferred option:

a. Glass build plate on stock aluminum with 3D printed clips
b. MagHold with PET on steel plate
c. MagHold with Buildtak on steel plate

Really torn on what to order!!

2. I noticed that the LCD is rather slow to update... As if the refresh rate is too low, or the LCD has been sitting in the cold all day (which it hasn't been). Anyone else notice that?

3. The Z-axis uses 8mm rods if I recall correctly. I wanted to see how much side to side play there was. I wouldn't call it play, but if I tap the build plate on either side there is definitely some "constrained" movement. I have yet to see if this will show up in the print. Is there a clear upgrade for the Qidi Tech printer available yet, in case I want to go 10mm or 12mm rods?

4. Are the linear bearings good enough? I see some people upgrading to solid polymer bearings because they are quieter and more accurate. Anyone have any experience?

5. Is the Micro-Swiss all-metal hotend still the only option if I want to print nylon and other high temp materials? Kind of pricey at $80 to get both hot ends upgraded.

Thank you all!
-Chris

[rcleav]

Hey all! Been trying to catch up with this thread.... lots of valuable info! Thank you for the contribution!

I literally just received my Qidi Tech 3D printer a couple hours ago (ordered per eBay on Thursday last week!), and will be setting it up tonight. Few things to note:

1. The blue build surface is very temperature sensitive. I tried leveling the build plate while the extruder was at 230C. Everything moved into place with the extruder nozzle pausing on the middle of the build plate, and just slightly touching it. Turns out the heat of the nozzle was enough to melt a tiny spot into the blue sticker... I want to get rid of the blue sticker ASAP! So... what is the preferred option:

a. Glass build plate on stock aluminum with 3D printed clips
b. MagHold with PET on steel plate
c. MagHold with Buildtak on steel plate

Really torn on what to order!!

5. Is the Micro-Swiss all-metal hotend still the only option if I want to print nylon and other high temp materials? Kind of pricey at $80 to get both hot ends upgraded.

Thank you all!
-Chris

Any removable build plate solution is better then the one it comes with.
Glass is the cheapest and works great for me but can be fragile if dropped.

I've tried the Micro-Swiss all metal hotend and can't recommend them at this time. They seem to be very temperamental in my opinion.
I was able to get more reliable prints from the stock extruder setup.
My understanding is the reason companies moved away from all metal hot ends was so to make PLA easier to work with.
I do a lot of PETG, PLA and no ABS. I do have Micro-Swiss coated nozzles however.

I'm not worried about the z axis rails. Compared to my CTC printer with stiffeners the Qidi Tech is rock solid.
IMHO I've seen no indication they effect my print quality in either printer and don't think the upgrade is worth the expense or effort.

Upgrade the build plate to removable and Have Fun.

[jfkansas]

Never heat the nozzle when leveling, only heat the build plate. Always tighten up the leverlers on the build plate before trying to level.

MicroSwiss nozzles are great for ABS and Nylon, I use PTFE lined for NinjaFlex. Sorry don't have much data on PLA, it isn't a suitable material for what I do. I did run a large print with ProtoPasta Carbon PLA in the MicroSwiss all metal, that worked great.

Any removable build plate solution is better then the one it comes with.
Glass is the cheapest and works great for me but can be fragile if dropped.

I've tried the Micro-Swiss all metal hotend and can't recommend them at this time. They seem to be very temperamental in my opinion.
I was able to get more reliable prints from the stock extruder setup.
My understanding is the reason companies moved away from all metal hot ends was so to make PLA easier to work with.
I do a lot of PETG, PLA and no ABS. I do have Micro-Swiss coated nozzles however.

I'm not worried about the z axis rails. Compared to my CTC printer with stiffeners the Qidi Tech is rock solid.
IMHO I've seen no indication they effect my print quality in either printer and don't think the upgrade is worth the expense or effort.

Upgrade the build plate to removable and Have Fun.