Qidi Tech 1 - Replicator 1 clone

[DaveB]

I'm not going to waste any more time on it as hopefully S3D will provide a controllable environment to debug within.

So, on to that, the next hurdle is to get S3D installed, download something useful from thingyV, plug in the correct setup scripts from the conveniently located separate thread on this BB, and learn how to plop the results onto an SD card. Oh yeah, then print.

So, first ignorant question, does the SD card need any particular formating or prep to get the printer happy with its content?

OMG S3D is sooo awesome! Wow and ++wow. What a difference having a good front end software package makes. I am truly impressed by how good a job S3D does. Talk about easy on the noob. Kindly ignore my question wrt SD card prep. S3D blew past that item with a button click. I'm sure I am doing about a gazillion things wrong in the profile, but the defaults just flipping worked. At some point I suppose I will just have to RTFM41C.

Now, where is that list of all things for sprucing up your QIDI...

[SteveW25561]

Is it ironic that most of my prints I'm making with my 3D printer are for the 3D printer? Having fun nonetheless!

[rcleav]

OMG S3D is sooo awesome! Wow and ++wow. What a difference having a good front end software package makes. I am truly impressed by how good a job S3D does. Talk about easy on the noob. Kindly ignore my question wrt SD card prep. S3D blew past that item with a button click. I'm sure I am doing about a gazillion things wrong in the profile, but the defaults just flipping worked. At some point I suppose I will just have to RTFM41C.

Now, where is that list of all things for sprucing up your QIDI...

Find that list here.
https://www.thingiverse.com/groups/qidi-tech-i

[DaveB]

Having the door resting on the back of my head was annoying so I tried printing out the hinges at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:479416
Being a total noob I didn't read anyone's comments or suggestions, used 90% infill, rafts, supports and 210/60 with PLA. It printed fine overnight and the two hinge halves fit together perfectly, but the topmost fine pitch layer of the rafts adhered to the bottom layer of the objects. It's a tossup as to whether it would be quicker to reprint them or to pick scrape and sand off the excess garbola. I think a reprint at a later time. So dropping infill % and no more rafts except under duress. Next print is going right onto the Buildtak without any blue tape.

[jfkansas]

I plan on it, thinking about doing a little board crowd funding at first as pre orders or something.


There are 3 different packages that will be offered.


1. This package is a fully conversion for Creator X and Qidi printers with 8mm Z axis rods. Going to be around 140 and the end user will need to print some parts. Included is a platform, 10mm linear bearings and guide rods. They are very high quality units from Misumi.


2. This is the first package with me providing all the plastic parts in what ever color. $160.


3. This will be just the platform $80, the end user will need to print top and bottom supports for the guide rods for maximum effectiveness. This will fit all Creator Pros from Flash Forge and the Qidi when they already have 10mm rods and bearings. The platform bearings on the Creator pro have a narrow flange with 2 mount points. I have the platform drilled for a full 4 hole flange, but the 2 holes should be fine also.


Also know that the build plate needs to be modified a bit to use this platform. For a long time I have wanted to move the adjuster mount points out to the corners and this platform supports that. What you have to do is turn the build plate and heater around so the plugs are in the front. Then just move the bolts around so the outside bolts on the back are the adjusters. Doing this removes the "teeter" from the platform when adjusting and it provides much better support.


To go even further a user could even drill out the mounting holes in the platform and change to 4mm bolts for the adjusters. I might do this to mine at some point.

Really nice work! Is that one off or will you be making more of them?



That is great to hear you are up and running! The 8mm Z axis rods aren't bad but it would be nice to have the 10's.

The extra fan / turbo fan is controlled through the slicer (Simplify3D "Cooling" tab in processes for me) and I would recommend controlling it there instead of the panel on the front of the machine. If you are referencing the left extruder fan, JSensebe is correct it only comes on at a certain temperature.

[DarkAlchemist]

Know what I found out that confirms what I was thinking pages ago? Qidi, Wanhao did this too, created their own version of Sailfish. The last version of Sailfish is 7.7 and 7.8 is some made up inhouse version.

Wanhao is so bad that an official version of Sailfish doesn't work (according to the Sailfish group) and Wanhao is closed source using open source firmwares, etc... I would never ever touch their printer due to that.

Now, I suspect Qidi is doing the same nonsense because their heated bed would take 30 minutes to heat to 110c from room temp (around 28c) because they lowered the #define MAX_BED_POWER (in Marlin) to some ungodly low value because they use 20awg wire to power it. The ohmic value was 3.4 ohms which is what my MK2B uses at 24v and heats from room temp to 110c in 8 mins, roughly, but I have #define MAX_BED_POWER 511 which is the real max (it says 255 but later in the code Marlin has a >> 1 which means divide by 2 in essence). I use 14 awg wire to my heated bed and it never even gets warm but 1 red and 1 black at 20 awg at max amps would melt the wire not counting the huge amounts of reports of melted wiring harnesses.

So, if anyone is wondering why their heated bed is taking so long there ya go and unless you manage to get a real Sailfish on the printer and change the max bang bang power AND change the wire gauge to at least 16 gauge you are stuck. Pretty much you are stuck I think.

[DaveB]

Know what I found out that confirms what I was thinking pages ago? Qidi, Wanhao did this too, created their own version of Sailfish. The last version of Sailfish is 7.7 and 7.8 is some made up inhouse version.

Their version number is rather suspicious too.

[DarkAlchemist]

Their version number is rather suspicious too.

Reason I said 7.8 is some made up inhouse number as it is 100% fake.

Wanhao is really a bastage as they changed some of their hardware without telling anyone and no official Sailfish will work with it. What you buy is what you have forever until they fully disclose what they have done. I am afraid Qidi is like this too (I bet most of the Chinese made knock offs are this way).

I said I believe Qidi is just winging it and are very ignorant when you get right down to it and with that post showing those wires and how they laid them out I have to say that 100% confirms it. "Oh, this looks so pretty done this way." *sigh*

[rcleav]

Their version number is rather suspicious too.

I have Sailfish 7.7 on my Qidi Tech. My printer is a slightly older version that came out last october without Sailfish.
It took some doing but I managed to get it done.
You can read about my adventure here. https://www.3dhubs.com/talk/thread/avatar-iv-qidi-tech
There is no official version of Sailfish called 7.8

[DarkAlchemist]

I have Sailfish 7.7 on my Qidi Tech. My printer is a slightly older version that came out last october without Sailfish.
It took some doing but I managed to get it done.
You can read about my adventure here. https://www.3dhubs.com/talk/thread/avatar-iv-qidi-tech
There is no official version of Sailfish called 7.8

Yep, no official version of 7.8 according to Jetty so I wonder what they did to it to make it 7.8?

I remember that thread on my searches around Google.