Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[cncartist]

I had a printer if you could call it that but I no longer do since I can't get a flat bed. If it can lay down a first layer it works wonderfully well. I was going to purchase a DP over the last year but China came in a screwed the pooch so even the older models were better than the current models. Over on another forum I was basically told that short of 1k for a DP the runout is horrible now since all sub $500 machines are made by the same factory in China and just rebadged. After asking around with owners of newer machines I must concur with that statement.

To tell you the truth, I have only had 1 single print fail (out of 50 so far) on the first layer with my Qidi printer. The failure was my first print and it was me testing if the printer could lay down the first layer without any glue/hairspray/bonding agent on the print bed. It obviously was not able to stick to the print bed without a bonding agent.

In reference to the machinery, we are talking about a drill press right? I ask because it sounds like you are expecting much better tolerances than is required. 1K for a drill press is completely overkill for a hobbyist unless you require exceptional tolerances. My drill press was $150 and is nothing amazing but it gets the job done and accounting for runout is just something a machinist has to deal with.

EDIT:
One of my mechanical eng. classes in college was all about tolerances and learning how to deal with them. Seriously, it was a whole class called "Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing" and all we did was machine + part tolerance work.

[jfkansas]

No we are actually just talking about a hand drill to countersink pilot holes... A drill press is even overkill. :-)

[DarkAlchemist]

No we are actually just talking about a hand drill to countersink pilot holes... A drill press is even overkill. :-)

I'm not as a man has to know his limits and I know mine.

A DP (Drill Press) trying to drill 3mm holes with a lousy runout isn't going to work very well but for countersinking who knows.

As far as the Qidi I would demand a flat bed but for my printer, as I have said, nothing I get delivered here is flat. It either is the manufacturer or the shipping company not caring. My i3 Aluminum frame was bent, as was the Y frog plate, so the top was off 3mm. It is how it is here and I suspect it probably makes it to here nice then here they destroy it if you saw the drivers for FedEx, USPS, and UPS we have.

[rcleav]

I agree with your take on Fusion 360. As a novice in Cad software I looked at most of what was available for free and tried most of them.
I was able to understand and use Fusion 360 pretty quickly. Although still learning new thinks about it all the time. It seems to be very full featured.
There are a lot of online videos and tutorials available for free. Especially on Youtube
Just so everyone knows Fusion 360 is free to hobbyist who make under $100k a year with it.

[sygyzy]

Is there any part of the extruder or hot-end that can be swapped or upgraded on the QIDI printers? I think you can get a new Microswiss hot end but anything else? I assume not, which is kind of weird to me. The Wanhao Duplicator, for example, is a machine that costs half as much and anytime a new fancy hotend/extruder comes out, it seems like it's compatible with that printer (and others).

[DarkAlchemist]

Is there any part of the extruder or hot-end that can be swapped or upgraded on the QIDI printers? I think you can get a new Microswiss hot end but anything else? I assume not, which is kind of weird to me. The Wanhao Duplicator, for example, is a machine that costs half as much and anytime a new fancy hotend/extruder comes out, it seems like it's compatible with that printer (and others).

Compatibility because it is based on a Prusa I3 which is a Reprap. That is one thing I loved about Repraps was the universe was your oyster and you could get anything for them but when you get into the more expensive printers it seems the more expensive it is the more you are locked into what you purchased without a lot of engineering and tools.

By the way isn't the Qidi printer using MK8? I much prefer MK8 over the MK10 from everything I have read. MK8 I can change to whatever nozzle size I please as it uses 6mm sized hole but a MK10, from what I have read, doesn't so you need a special nozzle for it.

[jfkansas]

Is there any part of the extruder or hot-end that can be swapped or upgraded on the QIDI printers? I think you can get a new Microswiss hot end but anything else? I assume not, which is kind of weird to me. The Wanhao Duplicator, for example, is a machine that costs half as much and anytime a new fancy hotend/extruder comes out, it seems like it's compatible with that printer (and others).

At the moment you can't use a microswiss MK10 conversion. The thermal tubes on the Qidi are bigger around.

I do make a nice extruder mount upgrade that many have, and this is compatible with the Microswiss Conversions. I also have some custom hot blocks that I modify to work on the QIDI. The Qidi uses 5mm threads on the thermocouples. I have to drill and retap bigger threads in my hot blocks. store.wmdproducts.com if you are interested. I am adding some more Qidi parts sometime. I have some build plate plastic like comes with it and some spare thermocouple also.

[DarkAlchemist]

Any nozzle can work on the qidi except those made for a mk10, right?

[rcleav]

At the moment you can't use a microswiss MK10 conversion. The thermal tubes on the Qidi are bigger around.

I do make a nice extruder mount upgrade that many have, and this is compatible with the Microswiss Conversions. I also have some custom hot blocks that I modify to work on the QIDI. The Qidi uses 5mm threads on the thermocouples. I have to drill and retap bigger threads in my hot blocks. store.wmdproducts.com if you are interested. I am adding some more Qidi parts sometime. I have some build plate plastic like comes with it and some spare thermocouple also.

I use the Microswiss conversion on my Qidi and it works fine. I have made a couple deviations from Microswiss instructions.
1. I used a small amount of teflon tape on the threads of the tube that screws into the hotblock to prevent the leakage I was initially getting.
2. Microswiss instructions suggest a small amount of filing of the cool block hole that the extruder tube goes through. You don't want to do that.
3. I do use the heat sink compound on the extruder tube going through the cool block.

Your extruder mount conversions have been intriguing me for awhile now.
How would a downward cooling fan preferably a cage style fan attach to it?

[rcleav]

Qidi uses a MK10 style extruder and uses MK10 nozzles. The latest Wanhaqo also use a MK10 style extruder.