SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Introducing the Solidoodle 4

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-04-10T14:58:49Z

The plastic extruder is not so bad until you have to take it apart. Putting it back together can be problematic. The acrylic also gets a bit brittle. I have no complaints about the aluminum extruder. It is simple, easy to take apart and has adjustability for the hot end height. The hot end itself worked great through the first few spools but then started having clogging issues. My guess is the PEEK may have been breaking down or it may just be I was doing something wrong.. I switched to an all metal hot end and love that it heats from room temp to 215 in seconds rather than minutes. I did find the all metal was not very forgiving if the fan was not running but that was my fault.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-04-10T01:28:59Z

Just dropping a note to say that I am happy with my S4 plastic extruder and I am not sure why people are so quick to want to replace it. I am about half way through my first spool of ABS with zero extruder problems. It prints the gcode very well. Now if someone could just help me convince Slic3r to generate a truly solid fill on complex parts...

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-03-15T13:10:01Z

gtennefoss wrote:

Just a note on the new extruder. If you would like to change out the hot end with an e3d you are going to need to machine the top of the e3d to make it fit. I see no way of modding the extruder to make it fit otherwise.

If it is the same Nema and X carriage (which I believe it is), you should be able to print an mk5.
I have not seen the new SD extruder in person yet, so I can't bash on it.
The acrylic Jigsaw and stock hotend however.....

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-03-15T02:49:52Z

Just a note on the new extruder. If you would like to change out the hot end with an e3d you are going to need to machine the top of the e3d to make it fit. I see no way of modding the extruder to make it fit otherwise.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-03-03T18:24:05Z

knowack wrote:

Re-reading through previous posts, I realized that my SD4 has hose clamps, not shaft collars. I'm beginning to wonder if I have an SD4 case full of SD3 parts. Perhaps it's a new product line: SD3.5, aka "FrankenDoodle".

The first run of SD4s had the hose clamps. It's a relatively recent improvement.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-27T13:17:07Z

Re-reading through previous posts, I realized that my SD4 has hose clamps, not shaft collars. I'm beginning to wonder if I have an SD4 case full of SD3 parts. Perhaps it's a new product line: SD3.5, aka "FrankenDoodle".

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-26T21:50:24Z

knowack wrote:

solijohn wrote:
knowack wrote:
Yeah, I've figured out that I have an SD4 with an SD3 extruder assembly on it. I've contacted customer support to see how I can obtain the production SD4 parts.
Results?
...an email saying they'd look into it.

Keep me informed, I'll stay on them.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-26T21:48:37Z

solijohn wrote:

knowack wrote:
Yeah, I've figured out that I have an SD4 with an SD3 extruder assembly on it. I've contacted customer support to see how I can obtain the production SD4 parts.
Results?

...an email saying they'd look into it.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-26T18:32:02Z

Solijohn read the "dented circle" topic.... and is only one of my problems non yet solved.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-26T00:46:03Z

I have more than one printer because sometimes I need to printer multiple parts in different colors quickly. Or I get a request for a batch items. I frequently design multi-part objects.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-25T17:17:13Z

I'm also extremely happy with my SD4. I find the biggest challenge is not with the printer itself, but with the varying quality of filament I buy.

I keep making tweaks to try and achieve better prints (especially perfect circles), but I would characterize my present results as 'Very Good'! The output from my SD4 looks much better than the vast majority of what I see on the internet.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-23T22:09:36Z

That is really wonderful to hear. It is good to hear that there is a customer advocate here. For what it's worth, I am very happy with my printer and I actually recommend solidoodle to my students.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-22T22:24:13Z

gtennefoss wrote:

Why would a company employee need to ask a customer how a problem was handled? This is not a large company.
This is a pretty major component of the printer. I can live with all the loose screws I had when mine arrived but if mine had arrived with a problem plagued extruder when the replacement one was being used in some, I would have been sending the printer back if it was not replaced. I don't understand why you shipped any of those extruders on a new model when the new extruder was obviously available. This was also a marketing opportunity missed. "The new solidoodle 4 with the new and improved extruder" rather than sorry folks who waited months for your new printer! we had some old stock to burn up so you got stuck with the old ones. It also seems like a retrofit being made for the old extruder would both generate goodwill and a little cash flow. Then again, it would also be nice not to have people tell you how to run your business. I think most here do so with good intention and are trying to be helpfull.

If hypothetically, support had failed I would have offered to help.

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-22T19:11:00Z

With new extruder, case, and all the other developements, I would buy one, but my SD2 runs great, so I have to wait till it dies..... I have a feeling that its going to be a while...

Re: Introducing the Solidoodle 4

2014-02-22T16:26:10Z

Why would a company employee need to ask a customer how a problem was handled? This is not a large company.
This is a pretty major component of the printer. I can live with all the loose screws I had when mine arrived but if mine had arrived with a problem plagued extruder when the replacement one was being used in some, I would have been sending the printer back if it was not replaced. I don't understand why you shipped any of those extruders on a new model when the new extruder was obviously available. This was also a marketing opportunity missed. "The new solidoodle 4 with the new and improved extruder" rather than sorry folks who waited months for your new printer! we had some old stock to burn up so you got stuck with the old ones. It also seems like a retrofit being made for the old extruder would both generate goodwill and a little cash flow. Then again, it would also be nice not to have people tell you how to run your business. I think most here do so with good intention and are trying to be helpfull.