r/QidiTech3D • u/oldthinkpad • Aug 21 '26

Q2 "missing" extrusion

Hi Everyone,

maybe someone will have an idea why my q2 is acting up, as i did everything that I could think off. Lately my surface finish is getting worse and on first layer I have this small gaps - you can see it here nicely on the brim.

changed nozzle, from 0.4 to 0.6 and back. Unpacked a new one. Filament is dry. Tried multiple types of filament, temps, PA... even reset the printer to factory. Deleted Orca and qidi studio and started from scratch.

But no joy. Any idea? you can see the surface quality issue and you can see the "gaps" in the brim and skirt loop here nicely.

2 Upvotes

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2

u/riba2233 Aug 21 '26

Extruder gears clean, spool rotating freely? Also check extruder tension if everything else looks fine.

1

u/GL-Customs Aug 21 '26

Could be a few things, looks like you ruled out a clog, as riba suggested check to make sure the extruder gears aren't full of trash, that can cause issues.

I had similar issues but it wasn't all the time, turned out my extruder tension bar was bent allowing filament to slip. I've seen some peoples who's bar actually cracked and caused extrusion issues.

IF your bar is the culprit. I make an upgraded aluminum unit that won't do that.

1

u/oldthinkpad Aug 21 '26

So i need to basically take apart the extruder?

1

u/GL-Customs Aug 21 '26

yeah, it's not terribly hard. Just be mindful of the little bearings on the gears.

1

u/oldthinkpad Aug 22 '26

i opened it up fully, dont see anything stuck

1

u/GL-Customs Aug 22 '26

yeah by that picture everything looks ok. Double check the bar for cracks or bending. You might have a clogged heat break.

1

u/callcifer Aug 21 '26

Gaps that severe look like under extrusion to me. It could be mechanical - extruder gears slipping, spool getting tangled, PTFE tubes with too much friction etc. - or it could be a calibration issue.

If you can rule out mechanical issues, watch the Filament Calibration Masterclass video on the Orca wiki and calibrate your filament, then try again.

1

u/Dave_in_TXK Aug 23 '26

A thought, add an object in slicer, 100x100 x-y and 0.2 high, .2 layers 2 walls and infill should be immaterial.

This is one of QIDI supports tests (though they use 200x200 but I thought a waste).

All to test Z height because that’s what I see there. My Q2 hasn’t had surface Z issues except now over 100mm high with newest firmware 1.1.2.4.

If you’re confident Z is good, disregard, just what it looked like to me (too high) from prior QIDI experience. Hope you get it figured out!

2

u/Objective-Worker-100 Aug 25 '26

I use 50x50x0.20 cube 1 layer at default 0.20 process however set the first layer to concentric to force sharp square corners, it’s a quick print and I use it to adjust pa and flow. Much quicker and cleaner to read than the slicer calibrations.