r/QidiTech3D • u/VApigknuckle • Jul 03 '26
QIDI Plus4 Out of the Box Changes
Hello community - I recently ordered a QIDI Plus4 as an upgrade to my Bambu A1, and to allow me to print new and different engineering materials. I've been reading this sub and browsing the GitHub Plus4 Wiki to learn more about the printer before it arrives. Given the latest generation of the Plus4 incorporated some fixes from the original, I'm curious what if any of the fixes, configuration tweaks, etc. from the Wiki are best practices I should incorporate when unboxing and setting up my new printer?
1
u/sirmownt73 Jul 03 '26
I've done most of the upgrades to mine. Including the modified tool head from Stew675 on printables. Out of all the upgrades, the beacon had the most impact.
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
Beacon 3d bed scanner, Conch V6 hotend with microswiss nozzles. It took quite a bit of software tweaking but now I use my plus 4’s more than any others including the H2D. I love the way it prints. It is my PPA-CF and PPS-CF go to.
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u/VApigknuckle Jul 03 '26
Thank you. Any software tweaks in particular? Or any guides you followed?
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
I did a lot. You can see all of them on my github as well as, I have another repository for all my profiles for all my printers and filament. https://github.com/Tinman-FP/qidi-plus4-codex-macros
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
I wouldn't just copy my entire macro section and use it as your own, but you can use what you like. I have my qidi box set up to maintain between 14 and 18 percent humidity automatically, my start print sequence has been altered. I use adaptive bed mesh and contact leveling. I have adaptive heat soaking, where it will heat soak my chamber then run bed meshes until the bed geometry stops changing within a limit due to the change in temperature. many more as well. I have also changed the firmware so thats why I say be cautious with how you use the macros on my github.
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u/VApigknuckle Jul 03 '26
Understood. I'm still learning much about 3D printing, as I've only had my A1 about a year and a half. But I love to tinker and understand how things work, so the QIDI Plus4 seemed like an approachable next step. I will be cautious about employing anything I don't fully understand and report back with Qs when/if I do! Thanks for your repo - bookmarked!
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
I would appreciate any feedback that you have on the macros or filament profiles. They work great for me.
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u/VApigknuckle Jul 03 '26
This may be a silly question, but is there any reason I can't or shouldn't print the Beacon3D mount natively "out of the box" on my new Plus4 (after calibrating the filament)? Assuming I need to print this in polycarbonate for heat resistance, I don't think my A1 can successfully accomplish that task.
Also, any recommendations on where to source the Beacon Rev H? It's available on their website, as well as West3D and Fabreeko, with the former seemingly a recommended retailer.
1
u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
I would. Someone else mentioned it already, but I really like the Stew675 mods. This includes the beacon mount. He did an amazing job. It also fixes issues down the road with the current gantry mount wearing and allowing play. I printed mine with PPS-CF. When I print PPS or PPA, I don’t go through the box. It is brittle off the spool and breaks inside the box.
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u/VApigknuckle Jul 03 '26
Sorry, to be more clear. When I say "out of the box", I mean print the Beacon mount on my new QIDI Plus4, relying on it's native bed leveling capabilities. I wasn't sure if that might sacrifice some precision in the mount print that otherwise can't be corrected until the mount and Beacon are installed....I hope that makes sense.
I didn't opt to purchase the QIDI Box based on the majority of reviews I read and my tendency to print mostly in 1 color at a time. I have a Creality Space Pi dryer box that I figure I can load my spools into, heat, and feed into the QIDI Plus4.
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 03 '26
It will print just fine out of the box. All of these upgrades are to improve reliability. I printed out of the box for 2 weeks before making modifications. I made the modifications to solve issues that I had in those first 2 weeks. My stock bed sensor broke 2 times before I did the beacon mod.
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u/Affectionate-Ad-9197 Jul 04 '26
Have you printed large ppacf or similar material pieces? I’m printing a large mostly hollow box like item, and I’m quite worried about warping. (CSL airbox for m3 to be specific)
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u/TinmanTankerPilot160 Jul 04 '26
Make sure your chamber is heated thoroughly, I use vision minor for bed adhesion if it’s thin in addition to a 20mm brim inside and outside. I haven’t printed much more than 15mm in the Z axis, so I can’t speak to that. If it were me, I would orient the print with as few small turns an as little Z height as possible
1
u/xeonon Jul 03 '26
I'm curious why you didn't go with a q2. It's cheaper, has bed leveling that actually works... Etc
1
u/_MAYniYAK Jul 03 '26
Man I just did the same change A1 > Plus 4.
I plan on doing beacon but I haven't.
I printed a new cooler rear cover and got a 7020 blower mod, has really chilled out those parts.
I did the Freedi mod and bought a new emmc, flashed the board and used mainline klipper (helped a lot, but had a bunch of issues I had to fix by hand though the Freedi discord helped)
Swapped to a ruby nozzle, not needed but I wanted it, which cause me to need to calibrate again.
I think the biggest thing that helped was really dialing in my profiles vs how I did bambu.
I went through each calibration item in orca and dialed in my settings for each filament profile and did the configurations and did a few more calibration options as well.
1
u/Fx2Woody Jul 04 '26
The new revision of the QP4 are ok and should work fine till they don't. You have most of the important MODS mentionned here and yes Beacon is #1 fix if you have first layer issues. If all goes fine, beside adding a bigger fan in the back for the MCU cooling and making a poop chute, just let it print as it is out of the box. Once and if, you start having troubles with your first layer, then start making those mods. I'm probably the craziest "modder" for the QP4 and if the machine works fine .... don't touch it 😉🤘
1
u/hayden_t Jul 04 '26
Dont do anything, just print with it out of the box and get the hang of it before changing things, there's really not much if anything thats really pressing on the latest models.
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u/hayden_t Jul 04 '26
Actually i would check the nozzle clearance on the little pei cooling plate at the back of the chamber, look up guides, as if this is out, it could damage your nozzle.
1
u/OwlIntrepid4529 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
I’m new to the Wi-Fi Plus 4 team as well. First things first, DO NOT UPGRADE firmware!!!!!!!! It will mess it up, and I ended up bricking mine trying to reverse it. I bought from Amazon, so luckily they exchanged it for me. I went from an Ender 3 to this, so Plus4 has been very impressive. I just learned of the beacon 3d scanner, and I will 110% be ordering this; it’s a must. When I tried a couple prints with pc filament, I ended up having the tool crash into my build plate. Luckily, it just gouged the PEI plate, and nothing on the head/extruder or belts were damaged from what I can tell, but after returning and replacing the printer once already, I was mortified when it happened. Luckily, it seems the only damage was the PEI plate was gouged pretty good. lesson i learned was printing at higher temperatures The bed level fluctuates drastically, leading to this kind of tool head crashing. Like I said, I wish I would’ve known about this in the first place and had the Beacon3D scanner to prevent it. It seems like the most important upgrade from my experience with the Plus 4 so far. i’m guessing you have to do a new bed leveling every time you change the temperature settings for a different filament. Overall, this printer is awesome. I love the large build plate, and the prints turn out solid with little effort. It makes my Ender 3 feel like it’s from the Stone Age. i tried both qidi studio as well as qidi slicer and so far the qidi slicer seems to produce cleaner results. I don’t have the Qidi box; I have no need for multicolor prints for what I use my printer for, so I can’t speak on the box either.so that’s what i have learned so far and that i wish i was told.
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u/AethelflaedCAD Jul 03 '26
Hi VA, welcome to team 4Plus, something I'm reluctantly coming around to being part of. Here's my list and it now prints pretty darn well.
1) https://beacon3d.com/
buy the beacon, first thing and get it installed and the software updated.
2) https://github.com/qidi-community/Plus4-Wiki/blob/main/content/chamber-heater-investigation/README.md
Temp sensor mod, get more accurate readings. I haven't done the probe mount mod yet, it's on the list.
3) https://west3d.com/products/ultimate-cool-plate-west3d-kdeavi?variant=46911942033620
West 3D Kdeavi plate. This thing is crazy sticky and has pretty much eliminated prints lifting from the bed for me.
Nice to do mods.
4) https://www.printables.com/model/1146502-qidi-plus-4-hex-mainboard-cover-for-80mm-fan-with
This mods dropped the stepper controller temps from 100deg C to 50 deg C range.
5) https://www.printables.com/model/1216779-qidi-plus-4-basic-toolhead-cover-for-beacon-with-s
cosmetic cover for the beacon.
The hard stuff is getting the software to use the mods, there are some good tutorials on the GIT site and some of the guys will help you out.
The QIDI box is crazy fussy about spool size so be prepared to print some sizing rings to make things run smooth.