I haven’t tried dual color prints yet myself either but plowed through the HIPS(left) | ABS(right) as support/primary material the first weekend I got the machine and love the new combination. The HIPS doesn’t bond very well to the ABS making it a cinch to remove. Just peels right off. I’ve tried PVA once and it was fine. Initial layer adhesion was more challenging.
Got an order on on here from someone to print some ABS parts with lots of small venturi and dang if the HIPS support didn’t slide right out. It was amazing. This combo is almost my new favorite. I was using Hatchbox white ABS with GizmoDorks white HIPS.
Best advice I have is to print the 20mmx20mm makerbot test cube and watch it print every layer while observing how it is acting. There is endless amounts of free information regarding how a printer should print and what it should look like. Simplify3d has a free cause and effect pdf. file that is very helpful in determining problems and causes. If you use the makerware software be careful because the default settings will not work well on the printer. Using makerware is better than the replicator software when you get it setup right. Here is a link to my Thingiverse designs where you will find .json files for the QIDI (Thingiverse - Digital Designs for Physical Objects 30). One for PLA and one for ABS. Download the latest version of makerware desktop and follow videos on youtube of how to import .json files into profiles. The files I created work well on my QIDI and should provide any QIDI user with a point to start where your prints are good and just need a little tweaking. When setting up makerware desktop remember to use makerbot dual printer profile only. After having my printer for a year I have managed to achieve prints as good quality as prints from a u-print or dimension printer.
If aligning the nozzles is the issue, then there is another more reliable way than using shims. Using which ever nozzle you determine is lower, just print out this object from einer_design:
Remove your heat block, and screw this fixture into the bottom of it. Then loosen the set screws for each extruder and push them down firmly and re-tighten the set screws. Guaranteed a set of perfectly aligned nozzles.
Another GREAT upgrade to this machine is to consider installing the Sailfish firmware on it. Makes the machine run smoother, faster, and produces better quality prints.
It already has Sailfish. DO NOT update without talking to QIDI first. If I remember correctly, the Sailfish version is modified and people who updated bricked their printers.
My QIDI is over a year old now, and did not come with Sailfish. I guess they realized the benefit to running Sailfish and have started rolling out their printers with it already installed. That’s great to hear. You can ignore my previous comments about it.
I didn’t realize they didn’t have some time back. I remembered some trying to update it this past spring and running into issues bricking the board. Maybe it wasn’t until early this year they switched then. Good to know and watch for on older ones.
The einer_design thing looks great. Are the set screws accessible on the QIDI by just removing the two screws on the bottom to pull the extruder head off then screw this on the bottom, or is there a little more surgery involved? I had read something about set screws being on the back side but didn’t look. It would be great if one could just remove the head, put this on, loosen the set screws, level the nozzles, tighten the set screws, put the head back on. Done.
So turns out that a wire for my motor had broken after checking it with a continuity tester. After replacing the wire my printer works great except for the left extruder. I can easily load filament and it puts out the first line on the platform fine but then stops feeding. The filament is correctly loaded but for some reason it hear a clicking sound and the filament is not fed through. Could it maybe be a jam? I dont think it would be because it works for the first line as I said but then stops.
This is not uncommon. The barrel gets a “notch” in it from the screw and that hangs on the bore. I have one that is so stuck I will have to drive it out with a punch.
