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[gin40]

I am interested in purchasing a Rostock Max V2. I would like to convert it to dual extrusion. I would appreciate communicating with anyone with this interest or experience. I have read about E3D's Chimera and Cyclops as well as using 2 EZStruders. Currently I am using an Ultimake 2. They have either put their dual extrusion kit on hold or cancelled it all together. I have been a hobby machinist for more than 30 years and have a shop with both manual and cnc equipment.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mhackney]

Welcome aboard. A number of us have done dual and/or quad extrusion. I've been running a Kraken quad for a year now. I have a Cyclops on its way. Here are my thoughts:

Dual and quad extruders are extremely persnickety. Since all the nozzles are at the same Z height, the unused nozzle IS going to brush against the layers. Any oozing in the unused nozzle will smear on the print and contaminate colors in the best case or rip off af layer in the worst case. This is especially problematic on the first layer and the following 2-3 layers. It is almost a miracle to get through these first few critical layers without a problem. Everything must be absolutely perfect for dual extrusion to work.

Flash forward to the Cyclops. The concept of running one of two filaments through a single nozzle is extremely appealing. It eliminates the problems indicated above. The challenge though, is purging the first color/filament before printing with the second. This can be solved with software and some slicers have facilities to support that now. In some cases, the color/filament change could be done INSIDE a layer will it won't be seen. I am not aware of any slicers that can do this. The primary way it's done is with a separate "wipe" tower that's printed next to the part. At each color change, the new filament is extruder for some amount to purge the old. This actually works quite well but does slow down print times.

In all cases, dual extrusion whether with multiple nozzles or through a single nozzle is an advanced and exploratory area.

[jram]

Welcome aboard. A number of us have done dual and/or quad extrusion. I've been running a Kraken quad for a year now. I have a Cyclops on its way. Here are my thoughts:

Dual and quad extruders are extremely persnickety. Since all the nozzles are at the same Z height, the unused nozzle IS going to brush against the layers. Any oozing in the unused nozzle will smear on the print and contaminate colors in the best case or rip off af layer in the worst case. This is especially problematic on the first layer and the following 2-3 layers. It is almost a miracle to get through these first few critical layers without a problem. Everything must be absolutely perfect for dual extrusion to work.

Flash forward to the Cyclops. The concept of running one of two filaments through a single nozzle is extremely appealing. It eliminates the problems indicated above. The challenge though, is purging the first color/filament before printing with the second. This can be solved with software and some slicers have facilities to support that now. In some cases, the color/filament change could be done INSIDE a layer will it won't be seen. I am not aware of any slicers that can do this. The primary way it's done is with a separate "wipe" tower that's printed next to the part. At each color change, the new filament is extruder for some amount to purge the old. This actually works quite well but does slow down print times.

In all cases, dual extrusion whether with multiple nozzles or through a single nozzle is an advanced and exploratory area.

Thanks for mentioning this Mhackney, I've been thinking about the Chimera but after reading this post.. maybe not. I think I'll order the cyclops if it means not dealing with the aforementioned problems.

[jdurand]

Note that the Chimera and Cyclops are interchangeable on the heat sink, so once you have that installed it's a simple* matter of swapping out the hot bits.

* simple other than dealing with the heater and thermistor wires.

[mhackney]

That brings up another good point jdurand - the Cyclops requires a single thermistor and heater, which is a lot simpler. The downside is that you have to use materials that are pretty similar in extrusion temperatures. I am interested in dual extrusion solely for the artistic multi-color aspect. I think it you are planning to use it for a different support material a traditional 2 nozzle setup might be the best way to go (Chimera).

[jdurand]

Also, with the Chimera if you're not going to use the second nozzle for an extended time, loosen the retaining screws and slide it up into the heat sink. This gets it out of the way. Just remember to slide it back down before printing with it.

[gin40]

I have had several replies. I wish to thank you all who took the time to advise me. My application would be to use the second extruder for HIPS or some other support material. Once the print is completed I can dissolve out the support material then use a lost PLA process for casting. THANKS AGAIN!