Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[jcoahran]

Those of you considering installing a glass plate, should also consider using a sheet of PEI. On the advice of a friend, I installed it, and it's amazing how well it works. I printed a PETG part last night that took the entire length of the bed and about 3 inches wide, and after about 2 minutes of cooling, it just popped off. Preparation is nothing more than a quick wipe with paper towel and alcohol. I've used it with PLA and PETG with never a stuck part.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o09_s00

One sheet is enough to do the bed two times.

By the way, this printer loves PETG

And a question. Does this design fit the QiDi printer?

Upgraded Extruder
Plate: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1396391

What about the part fan?

Cheers,
Joe

[DJalin1]

Those of you considering installing a glass plate, should also consider using a sheet of PEI. On the advice of a friend, I installed it, and it's amazing how well it works. I printed a PETG part last night that took the entire length of the bed and about 3 inches wide, and after about 2 minutes of cooling, it just popped off. Preparation is nothing more than a quick wipe with paper towel and alcohol. I've used it with PLA and PETG with never a stuck part.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o09_s00

One sheet is enough to do the bed two times.

Cheers,
Joe

Do you stick it to the Print Bed if not how do you secure it? Is it removable?
I have seen installation of PEI by using double stick tape and securing it to the Print Bed. I would prefer a way to keep it removable.

I have loved using glass but I have actually run into a problem with the loss of 1/4 inch of z-axis. A Dice Tower that I want to scale up.

[sygyzy]

This seems kind of odd to me. Usually you want a glass surface for flatness but moreso for adhesion. So you are putting glass on the HBP then using non-thermal tape to attach PEI on top of that? Why don't you just install PEI on top of the HBP? In fact, you don't have to because the blue surface that comes stock from QIDI is PEI already. You've made it thermally less efficient adding the glass layer.

Those of you considering installing a glass plate, should also consider using a sheet of PEI. On the advice of a friend, I installed it, and it's amazing how well it works. I printed a PETG part last night that took the entire length of the bed and about 3 inches wide, and after about 2 minutes of cooling, it just popped off. Preparation is nothing more than a quick wipe with paper towel and alcohol. I've used it with PLA and PETG with never a stuck part.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o09_s00

One sheet is enough to do the bed two times.

Cheers,
Joe

[jcoahran]

This seems kind of odd to me. Usually you want a glass surface for flatness but moreso for adhesion. So you are putting glass on the HBP then using non-thermal tape to attach PEI on top of that? Why don't you just install PEI on top of the HBP? In fact, you don't have to because the blue surface that comes stock from QIDI is PEI already. You've made it thermally less efficient adding the glass layer.

No, I removed the blue build tack pad the printer ships with, then installed the PEI with the 3M tape to the aluminum build plate. If the blue pad it ships with is PEI, it sure isn't the same kind of PEI I installed. It's a night and day difference in how it works. The adhesion was far too much with the original blue pad.

[Syd_Khaos]

This seems kind of odd to me. Usually you want a glass surface for flatness but moreso for adhesion. So you are putting glass on the HBP then using non-thermal tape to attach PEI on top of that? Why don't you just install PEI on top of the HBP? In fact, you don't have to because the blue surface that comes stock from QIDI is PEI already. You've made it thermally less efficient adding the glass layer.

I think your missing some of the finer points glass affords you.

First off, you should be running glass directly on the aluminium stock plate, should be nothing in-between.
Glass is for flatness and adhesion, but it also helps ALOT for getting prints off the plate...unless you like releveling your machine after every print. The glass can be removed, rather than jarring the z axis trolly to get your print free.
Glass plates are also better for turnover time, esp if you have a way of preheating the plates a bit. Talked to a buddy of mine out in Cali that prints on glass, has a 5min turnover time between prints, because he has heating cabinet to preheat the plates to 80c. Print done, old plate out, new plate in and start next print.
Not to mention cleanup is alot easier, wipe it with some denatured alcohol and its clean as the day I got it.

[rcleav]

I think your missing some of the finer points glass affords you.

First off, you should be running glass directly on the aluminium stock plate, should be nothing in-between.
Glass is for flatness and adhesion, but it also helps ALOT for getting prints off the plate...unless you like releveling your machine after every print. The glass can be removed, rather than jarring the z axis trolly to get your print free.
Glass plates are also better for turnover time, esp if you have a way of preheating the plates a bit. Talked to a buddy of mine out in Cali that prints on glass, has a 5min turnover time between prints, because he has heating cabinet to preheat the plates to 80c. Print done, old plate out, new plate in and start next print.
Not to mention cleanup is alot easier, wipe it with some denatured alcohol and its clean as the day I got it.

Your right hadn't thought about preheating my glass plates.
For the other suggestion from dspdrew it is a lot easier to use removable build plates then to reengineer the build plate.

[dspdrew]

Your right hadn't thought about preheating my glass plates.
For the other suggestion from dspdrew it is a lot easier to use removable build plates then to reengineer the build plate.

That was just my thoughts, since re-engineering sounded like where the suggestions were going. I wasn't saying any of us should do this. I think QIDI TECH should do it; It would be a huge improvement.

[sygyzy]

You have great points and I agree with them. I was trying to point out that I think HBP + non-thermal adhesive layer + glass + PEI layer seemed to hurt more than help.

I think your missing some of the finer points glass affords you.

First off, you should be running glass directly on the aluminium stock plate, should be nothing in-between.
Glass is for flatness and adhesion, but it also helps ALOT for getting prints off the plate...unless you like releveling your machine after every print. The glass can be removed, rather than jarring the z axis trolly to get your print free.
Glass plates are also better for turnover time, esp if you have a way of preheating the plates a bit. Talked to a buddy of mine out in Cali that prints on glass, has a 5min turnover time between prints, because he has heating cabinet to preheat the plates to 80c. Print done, old plate out, new plate in and start next print.
Not to mention cleanup is alot easier, wipe it with some denatured alcohol and its clean as the day I got it.

[jcoahran]

I used this two sided tape:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o09_s00

I agree it would be great to make it removable. I'm thinking about a way to do that using magnets maybe?

[DJalin1]

I used this two sided tape:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o09_s00

I agree it would be great to make it removable. I'm thinking about a way to do that using magnets maybe?

So what if you combined it with the Maghold
http://www.amazon.com/Maghold-Magnet...ds=maghold+9x6

You could tape the PEI to the top of the Maghold and have additional plates.