Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[JimHs1]

There already is a "Qidi Tech 3d printer" group. It was opened a month ago by Emily. Hit the "3D Printing Groups" but at the top of the page and search for Qidi.

[talasyn]

Ahhh! Didn't see it there. http://3dprintboard.com/group.php?groupid=32

[Syd_Khaos]

About to buy another Qidi Q1 machine..and also a Prusa I3 clone as well.

[Shinobi]

wow i asked the support and they said i should try flashprint instead of slic3r. i just printed a 20mm testcube, but the results look promising. i will print the test file tomorrow again...

[Syd_Khaos]

wow i asked the support and they said i should try flashprint instead of slic3r. i just printed a 20mm testcube, but the results look promising. i will print the test file tomorrow again...

You should seriously consider spending the $150 for Simplify 3D. There is good reason it's the #1 rated, #1 used slicing software in the industry right now.

[rcleav]

You should seriously consider spending the $150 for Simplify 3D. There is good reason it's the #1 rated, #1 used slicing software in the industry right now.

I totally agree. It's worth it

[cncartist]

Ok, I have read this whole thread and have decided to purchase a Qidi Tech. It is to be delivered next Monday. My first question is why all of the current Qidi owners and posters on this thread haven't moved discussions to the Qidi group?

Welcome to the thread Jim!

The reason why the group isn't used is because there is no information there. If it becomes a good resource I would utilize it but currently this thread is the best resource for this printer on the internet. Do a search for "qidi printer" and see if the group page comes up early in the search results because if it doesn't, chances are general users will not find it. This thread is one of the top 3 results for me when searching for "qidi printer" and I would think many other users find this thread the same way. There is a thingiverse group as well which can be joined.

After making some tremendous mistakes, I now can disassemble the print head in my sleep and have some replacement nozzles on the way, I have got my printer dialed in again and can print reasonably.

Moving forwards I have a few questions if someone would be kind enough;

My ABS prints are sticking too firmly on the print bed (have torn the blue sticker removing them). How to get good adhesion but also enable post print removal without serious effort ?.
How is the QiDi with printing soft / flex materials (ninjaflex). Does it cope well or would an upgraded extruder and possibly an all metal hotend make a big difference ?.
The Magnetic build plates / bed looks good but it appears not to be heated. Is this right and if so has anyone built a heated one for the QiDi or do people prefer the glass plate on the current bed ?.


Many thanks.

I used gluesticks to get the print to stick to the blue sticker bed and I found that a drop of isopropyl alcohol on the side of the part to be peeled up can assist in loosening the part. I use the 3D Print Removal Tool from toybuilder labs and also recommend to heat the bed up to 60 degrees C for part removal, removing the parts while the bed is "cool" means they are pretty much fully bonded to the blue sticker. I did end up cutting my fingers a couple times and getting some bruises while learning how much pressure to apply when removing parts.

I have no experience with the soft filaments or magnetic build plate yet so I can't speak to those aspects.

Thanks to your helpful suggestions, I decided to go with the QIDI. Mine is being delivered today :-)
Since this is my very first experience with a 3D printer I'm not exactly sure where to start. I plan on getting it out of the box, following the setup instructions and, well, then what? Yes, I have a number of things from thingiverse that I want to print, but my question is more immediate. Once its setup, what are the "before you do anything else, do the following...", or "for you first couple of prints try this...". Should I start with ABS or PLA for the first couple? Does it really matter? I jumped the gun and purchased Simplify 3D if that helps.

I know the questions are probably obvious to anyone but me, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Todd

Todd,
Awesome and glad to hear you've joined the crew. The first thing I did was make sure the rails were lubricated (I used Super Lube). After that I printed the wingnuts for the build plate, and then the cable chain assembly. Messing around with the way the filament loads is important as the filament/extruder tubes rubbing on the acrylic and causing vibrations can cause "ringing" or "ghosting lines" to appear in your parts. The closer to the edge the part is on the build plate, the more likely the filament tube or extruder wire is to touch the acrylic in an unwanted fashion. My thingiverse account has a few designs I created which alleviate that but I know other users have designed their own solutions as well. It doesn't matter which filament you start with I believe, but I started with ABS as I wanted to try the heated build plate out. Simplify3D will definitely help creating proper G-code provided your profile is setup properly. The profile I use was pulled from here I believe (https://github.com/djecken/Printer-P.../flash%20forge).

If you are a CAD user, I would say create your first part and use that as your test. It will be useful to measure the output with a caliper to verify dimensions. My parts I created in CAD were 0.03mm off from my initial dimensions, which was definitely within tolerance of the ABS/print settings I was using.

[Shinobi]

I totally agree. It's worth it

I'm thinking about it... Its just a pity that they dont offer a demo version for 30 days or so...

[Syd_Khaos]

After making some tremendous mistakes, I now can disassemble the print head in my sleep and have some replacement nozzles on the way, I have got my printer dialed in again and can print reasonably.

Moving forwards I have a few questions if someone would be kind enough;

• My ABS prints are sticking too firmly on the print bed (have torn the blue sticker removing them). How to get good adhesion but also enable post print removal without serious effort ?.
• How is the QiDi with printing soft / flex materials (ninjaflex). Does it cope well or would an upgraded extruder and possibly an all metal hotend make a big difference ?.
• The Magnetic build plates / bed looks good but it appears not to be heated. Is this right and if so has anyone built a heated one for the QiDi or do people prefer the glass plate on the current bed ?.

Many thanks.

Glass+Hairspray is way to go for prints sticking good and coming off easy when cooled.
Most my ABS prints literally pop off the glass on their own once it cools to about 40c, bit lower sometimes.
Do NOT try and print flexable or rubberized materials with stock Qidi feed carriage.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:857200
Print these if you want to run filament like Ninjaflex or Semiflex. Honestly EVERYONE with this machine should do this upgrade. Have yet to have ANY material jam since installing this printed feed carriage.
edit: Should also note I have not cleaned my nozzle or PTFE tube since installing this printed feed carriage...and printed around 140hrs since.

I have yet to try the Maghold plates, but planing on getting one for the Prusa clone I just ordered, as its smaller print bed...don't wanna lose the 1/4 inch on that machine.

[talasyn]

The profile I use was pulled from here I believe (https://github.com/djecken/Printer-P.../flash%20forge).

Thanks for the advice. The link you provided has 4 profiles and they all have listed the material as "ninjaflex". Are these profiles only to be used when using that specific material?