So you can load filament and it will extrude it without issue? I mean when loading it you can see it coming out the nozzle for a while with no issues?
Where is the bed in relation to the nozzle when you hear the clicking?
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Yes, loading and unloading works just fine. The filament comes out nice and easy when loading, just as it should.
The clicking seems to begin when the nozzle moves from the outer edge of the bed towards the middle. I just cannot figure out what I am doing wrong or if some other adjustment needs to be made. All this started after I cleaned out a clog. I didn’t do anything to the bed so I am confused as to what, if any, link there may be.
Ok, the clicking is likely the extruder not being able to extrude due to the nozzle being too close to the bed.
Run your leveling routine to make the bed get up to the nozzle.
Then using the leveling screws - turn them to make the bed move away from the nozzle (down) as far as possible. Don’t force them tight though. I do not mean to make the whole bed assembly move toward the bottom of the printer using the control panel but just with the three screws.
You should have a visible gap between the nozzle and the bed when done.
Now try a print. All you want to see is if it will extrude or if the bed goes up into the nozzle again.
I did that just now. I seem to have gotten the bed to a better area, however, nothing is still extruding. And I still heard a little clicking, though not as much as before. I am able to easily slide a test slip of paper that came with the printer to gauge the distance between the nozzle and the bed. The distance seems good.
I did notice that the nozzle itself, and whatever it is attached to (looks like a square), seem to be moving/wobbling a bit. The wobbling is initially what I thought the problem might be. Perhaps it came loose somehow and it won’t extrude during a print??
Can I send you a video of what I am seeing? Maybe that would help??
I would still just wind the bed down and get it out of the way for now. Leave a good gap.
Don’t worry about an actual leveling for now.
Unload and cut off 5-6 inches of the end of the filament. It may be scarred up from the extruder and not want to extrude.
Re-load fresh and let it extruder a few feet to make sure it keeps going.
If it will extrude like that without issue then it should work to print.
Making sure you have plenty of air gap between the bed and extruder run a print and see what happens.
As far as the block being a little loose it may not matter but it shouldn’t really move easily.
When installing the nozzle you need to thread it in and snug it but just so it isn’t loose. Then heat the extruder to about 230-240 and using something to hold the block I place snug down the nozzle.
Was trying to see the gap between the hex part of the nozzle and the bottom of the heat block but it is covered by the insulation so really can’t see.
When you unclogged it what exactly did you do?
I took out the motor, unplugged the fan and used the long, needle-like tool to push the obstruction down, through the extruder. Then reassembled. I suppose it’s possible that I may have been too forceful and somehow the heating block became loose but I really doubt it.
I did contact Qidi and they said they are going to send me the “half set of extruder.” I’m not sure what a “half set” is, but when it arrives, I’ll try replace it. Maybe that is the issue?
Any other ideas of what I could try beforehand?
Thanks again!
If you never actually removed the nozzle then my guess is that the whole assemble including the barrel (cold tube) where the filament enters from the stepper may have slid down slightly.
If that is the case then it will need a full disassembly to get things back in place.
I know someone who is going to stop by early next week who is much more experienced than I to take a look at the printer and hopefully teach me a thing or two. I will definitely let you know what we discover.
One other quick thing, if I could ask. I am debating whether or not to purchase another one of these Qidi printers (the one that is currently unusable) or another Flashforge Finder. The quality of the Qidi prints seem to be a little better and the machine itself seems to be built a little more sturdy. However, the Finder has been steady and ultra reliable. I also prefer the slicing software with the Finder. Very user friendly. Any advice? I am also slowly starting to read up on layer heights and how that can effect printing quality. Would you mind giving me your two cents on how it works on what my layer height setting should be at? Right now they’re set at the defaults of 0.27 (first layer height) and 0.18. Is that an acceptable setting?
Thank you again for taking the time to assist me. I really appreciate it!
As far as a machine it really depends on what you need out of it.
Size, materials, budget etc.
As far as layer heights go the defaults in Flashprint are fine. For a 0.4mm nozzle size a 0.2mm (0.18mm in Flashprint) layer height is pretty standard and I wouldn’t deviate much from it until you really have a grasp of settings and what they do. Meaning, going to a 0.1mm height adds a whole new set of issues so if you are working with other printing issue then throwing in a thin layer height will mostly aggravate the other problems.
Going to thinner layer heights can show better print results for some models but also significantly increases print times.
First layer height is more something you get a feel for. A thicker first layer height can be useful when the bed isn’t absolutely, perfectly flat whereas a thinner first layer may get you better adhesion.
Again though. If what you are using works then stick with it as you gain experience.
The biggest thing I think in 3D printing is to make small changes, one at a time and for a specific reason and already have an expected result in mind.
After a test, do the results match what was expected? If so, good, and if not then why not? Figure out why you didn’t get what you expected. Maybe the change wasn’t the one needed for the result desired.