Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[electrichammer]

Picked mine up today. Good looking machine. Will have to test it out tomorrow.

Managed to put it all together with limited instructions though there is a couple things I'm unsure about.

It came with a chip, I have no idea what it's for and if I need to install it somewhere before I start printing? Below is a picture.

image.jpg

Also there is one kind of large and long bolt that came inside the tool kit, any idea what this is for?

If there is anything else that may not be so obvious in setting it up please let me know ��

[rcleav]

Welcome to the forum

That is a SPARE stepper motor driver.
Everything in the box are spare parts.

Level the build plate before your first print

[DarkAlchemist]

Picked mine up today. Good looking machine. Will have to test it out tomorrow.

Managed to put it all together with limited instructions though there is a couple things I'm unsure about.

It came with a chip, I have no idea what it's for and if I need to install it somewhere before I start printing? Below is a picture.

image.jpg

Also there is one kind of large and long bolt that came inside the tool kit, any idea what this is for?

If there is anything else that may not be so obvious in setting it up please let me know ��

Yep, mine arrived in my city early this morning and will be delivered, by UPS, tomorrow. I can't wait.

[kaznad]

What software are you slicing with and what profile. You should be using Replicator 1 Dual, not Replicator 2.

I'm using Simplify3D with Flashforge Creator Pro profile. Thanks.

[jfkansas]

What software are you slicing with and what profile. You should be using Replicator 1 Dual, not Replicator 2.

A proper "by the book" calibration is 20x20x10 100% infill. What infill did you have for the 20x20x20. The calibration cube isn't as much for size as it is for extrusion testing.

[Shinobi]

hi guys. i have my new printer for a few days and issues with the print quality. DSC_0737.jpg

a friend of mine said i should check the belts, but they seem pretty tight... any idea what i could adjust?

[jfkansas]

It may look bad to you, but actually it isn't that bad given the stock nozzle size. Most of that is tool path related. Probably just need some more infill to shell overlap, but don't go crazy on the overlap. I see some over extrusion which is common with stock profiles and new users. Really need more info on software used and settings to go any further.

hi guys. i have my new printer for a few days and issues with the print quality. DSC_0737.jpg

a friend of mine said i should check the belts, but they seem pretty tight... any idea what i could adjust?

[DarkAlchemist]

hi guys. i have my new printer for a few days and issues with the print quality. DSC_0737.jpg

a friend of mine said i should check the belts, but they seem pretty tight... any idea what i could adjust?

That looks to me like a classic case of under extrusion. Up the flow rate a smidge which is sometimes called an extrusion multiplier.

https://www.simplify3d.com/support/p...enough-plastic

[talasyn]

Hey folks - So, I'm looking at purchasing my first 3D printer. I've been looking through this thread and you all seem pretty happy with the QIDI Tech 1. I'm trying to decide between that at $700 from amazon and the Makerbot Replicator 2 at $800 from amazon. The Replicator 2 is single nozzle, PLA-only and it doesn't have a heated plate. On the up side the Makerbot is name brand, USA company, easy to reach tech support via email or phone. Any thoughts? I'm really bewildered. Again, I'm VERY new to 3D printing.

Thanks!
Todd

[cncartist]

hi guys. i have my new printer for a few days and issues with the print quality. DSC_0737.jpg

a friend of mine said i should check the belts, but they seem pretty tight... any idea what i could adjust?

It looks like a software issue and not a hardware problem.

Hey folks - So, I'm looking at purchasing my first 3D printer. I've been looking through this thread and you all seem pretty happy with the QIDI Tech 1. I'm trying to decide between that at $700 from amazon and the Makerbot Replicator 2 at $800 from amazon. The Replicator 2 is single nozzle, PLA-only and it doesn't have a heated plate. On the up side the Makerbot is name brand, USA company, easy to reach tech support via email or phone. Any thoughts? I'm really bewildered. Again, I'm VERY new to 3D printing.

Thanks!
Todd

Todd,
I didn't know anything about 3D printing first hand before purchasing this printer. I did read this thread and checked other Replicator 2 issue threads to make sure I knew what I was getting into and the possible fixes/steps involved. Since getting my printer at the end of March I have reached 350 hours of printing and I can definitively say that if I was unable to resolve the issues I had prior, the machine may be at under 150 hours still. It turned out that general knowledge of machinery maintenance and troubleshooting (CNC mills/lathes/drill press/etc) is directly applicable unless trying to troubleshoot the software aspect. I can't speak to Makerbots support but I don't expect they would come out to your house to service the device if an issue arises that you can't figure out; I would assume it's more along the lines of software and general troubleshooting. To clarify, I am not a machine shop repair worker or even qualified to do so. I have operated a decent amount of machines in the past and I'm aware of the issues that arise during subtractive machining, but additive machining is new to me.

In short, this is a great machine and the minor issues I ran into were resolved quickly and didn't seem specific to the Qidi printer but Replicators in general. Some of the resolutions involved printing "upgrade" parts for the machine that were shared on thingiverse and granted a little assembly was required, it taught me about the wiring and build of these machines. For software, I've been using Simplify3D which has "simplified" the translation of my custom designed parts to g-code.

Thanks,
cncartist