I read on YouTube about the Turtle Box, which seems to be a DIY MMS. I do own a QIDI Plus 4, and I am thrilled about how it does its job. What I am looking for next is the multicolor printing.
Is the Turtle Box a way to add multicolor printing to a single-filament printer? And on making it be able to add multicolor printing to any printer? And to do it DIY?
What I am worried about is how to integrate the functionality of the Turtle Box into a printer without this functionality.
Also, the topic of efficient use of filament while doing a print with multiple filaments. I do understand that a lot of filament is lost while switching filaments in a multi-filament print. Just a tag, filament retracting.
It is DIY and has several independent extruders which merge at a combiner which feeds the selected filament into the printer extruder. Each filament retracts or extrudes as needed. As far as I know it is controlled through the slicer software. A full description can be found on Github.
All of the open source projects I have seen (including Box Turtle) require Klipper. The QIDI Plus 4 does run Klipper. Since QIDI has their own MMS, the Box Turtle should work just fine.
I personally have not seen one. there are full kits of all the non printed parts. they run 440 USD. I don’t know what the independently priced components are but potentially fairly costly.
The Qidi box is due very soon Q1 of this year. Personally I would wait to at least look at their off the shelf solution. It should be before the end of next month.
I just bought a X-Max 3 and I have on order a Co Print multilateral systems on it’s way.
Was intending to use it for my heavily modified CR-10 but may see if it works withe the X-Max 3.
The Co Print’s MMS is Klipper based so technically it should work though the manufacturer doesn’t show it as supported.
I’ve reached out to them with no word yet.