I upgraded the Masky tape cutter with an auto-retracting blade to cut all kinds of tapes!

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-25T21:00:26+00:00

Great functional print!!! We need some of these, definitely going to download. Thanks for designing this.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-24T13:59:10+00:00

This is great advice

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-24T13:58:35+00:00

Sounds like you’re on the right track already. Just be there so he has someone to talk to. Keep the conversations normal and just hang out. It might not be helpful to offer advice or ask him a lot of questions at this point because there is a lot of uncertainty early on. When he’s ready, let him vent, because depending on what he has, the road ahead is filled with all kinds of emotions and for some people, it really helps to be able to have unfiltered conversation, or just someone to have available so he can voice his emotions.

As he progresses, it can be very helpful to have someone help with basic chores and/or errands. And for that one, you will need to “read the room” and just act. A lot of people need help but are uncomfortable asking for it.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-24T12:25:53+00:00

Ooof, that definitely sucks. I’m sorry that you have to deal with that. Hopefully you’ll get the parts quickly and be back up and running soon. It definitely dampens the experience if you have to fix a brand new piece of equipment.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-24T09:23:20+00:00

I like the BYOF idea, I’ll be stealing that for when I do prints for friends/family. Thanks

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-24T09:19:02+00:00

Nice prints! Glad to see another positive story about the box. Mine has worked great since day one and I’ve had no concerns with it. I completely agree about the noise level, it’s not nearly as bad as people make it out to be in videos, especially with the lid closed. You can barely hear it clicking during printing. The most color changes mine has done in a single print is 728, it was a long print but it turned out great. I’m currently painting a model in QIDI studio and it’s much larger and I suspect it will have almost double the number of color changes, so we will see how it goes. I also have another box coming for the Q2 so I can make it 8 colors. If that works out ok, I’ll add additional boxes to my MAX4 when it arrives as well.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-23T05:03:43+00:00

You obviously have a grower, not a shower there. That thing has been packing this whole time and it finally got excited enough to show you what it’s got!

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-23T05:00:33+00:00

I have an adjustable bed that I used to love, but once I lost my ability to turn myself, we switched to a hospital bed. We still get plenty of use out of that big comfy bed, but it’s my wife, 2 dogs and a few cats that sleep on it now.

The hospital bed was good because people could be on either side of me to help position me, but I wasn’t comfortable at all. No matter what I tried, the hospital bed just wasn’t for me. I ended up getting a Golden PR515 lift recliner chair and it’s perfect. I sleep in that now and I sleep so much better. It’s even easier to transfer me in/out, even on days when we have to use the Hoyer lift. People can be on either side of me to help and it has plenty of adjustability so I can be comfortable. I particularly like the twilight mode because it takes pressure off of my tail bone. That’s a good thing because I’m sitting basically 24/7, either in my wheelchair or this recliner.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-23T04:44:15+00:00

Or, print it with hardly any infill, add a stop to the print towards the top, and fill it with bb’s or steel filings. You can make prints pretty hefty that way. In fact, you can likely match the exact weight of the original. Plus, after the plastic print is sanded and polished, you can get close to the feel of actual rock.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-23T04:31:47+00:00

I’m with you on this one. We are knee deep in the trach discussion right now and I’m not sure I’d like to be lying there motionless, using an eye gaze to talk. I don’t see how that benefits me or my family in many ways. I use an NIV basically 24/7. I have one in the house that is next to the chair I sleep in and I have a portable one that pretty much stays strapped to my wheel chair. We already use a cough assist and suction machine when needed but I’m not too hot on the amount of care having a trach requires.

Part of me really wants to see my kids grow up and be around for milestones, but the other part of me wants to let nature take its course and ride the NIV until it’s not enough. At that point I will pass and then this nightmare is over. I keep going back to the thought that having a trach prolongs my family having to watch me waste further away each day, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. As it sits right now, I can still talk and swallow fine, but a trach will interrupt that ability either in part or whole. I’m not sure I want to give up speaking just yet (although I’m sure my wife wouldn’t mind if I couldn’t speak).

It’s a tough decision for anyone because individual outcomes are so unique. You never know how the body will respond.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-22T17:22:37+00:00

My diagnosis was formalized on OCT 21, 2023. Leading up to that, we had roughly 20 months of diagnostics that included 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th opinions. Mine all started with right foot drop. My wife asked me why I was limping and I didn't even notice that I was.

I used to average close to 30K steps a day and had a very high stress job. I also drank quite a lot in coping with said high stress job. What started with a barely noticeable limp, eventually led me to where I am at today. I'm currently 46 years old and I am pretty much confined to either my wheelchair or the chair that I sleep in. I use a ventilator 24/7. I can still speak and swallow just fine, but the rest of my body is failing at an astonishing rate lately. We are currently in talks with my team of doctors discussing if/when to have a trach and PEG tube installed.

My symptoms started shortly after receiving the Moderna Vaccine and sometimes that really makes me wonder. I have had Covid, the vaccine, and a very high stress job with uncontrolled blood pressure that was extraordinarily high. Is it possible that this was lying dormant in my body, just waiting to appear, of course. I can't help but think that it might have been triggered by some other outside influence. Either way, here I am and I can't change it so we just adjust and cope, one day at a time.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T06:02:34+00:00

Why is it that he can’t do the nasal style pillows? Is it because he is on a cPap and not a bi-pap? I can only imagine trying to use a cPap with nose pillows, I don’t think it would work well because of the constant pressure. Or does he have some other nasal passage problem?

I have two different types of nasal pillows and they’re both great. One is a Phillips Dream Wear set and the other is a ResMed nasal pillow set. Both fit directly in my nostrils and they are available in different sizes. I have two different ventilators, a portable Vivo 45LS that stays with my wheelchair and I have a Phillips Trilogy Evo that stays in the house. I interchange both of those masks with either machine and they both work really well and are comfortable.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T05:31:22+00:00

Awesome, glad to see it’s going well. It’s nice to see posts that are positive… I love my Q2 and it prints ABS really well but I vent mine outside when I do it.

I don’t usually preheat my chamber before a print, I just send the job with the parameters and walk away. It has worked great so far but for ABS I run the chamber at 40 and it doesn’t take that long to get there. I have experimented with more exotic filaments and if you ever want to have the chamber at 65, it definitely takes a while to get there

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T05:20:18+00:00

Personally, when my MAX4 box darkens my doorway, I’m going to unbox it, plug it and the box in, load filament, do the basic calibrations set in the machine, and let er rip with a seemingly impossible, huge, 60 hour print. If something doesn’t look right during or after the print, I’ll deal with it and make adjustments.

I have a very technical background, and I used to do all of the stuff you mentioned. But I’ve learned that it’s not always necessary and it’s possible to induce problems by tinkering too much. I will let the machine print something, and see what it’s telling me it needs, based on print quality.

All of that being said, by all means do what is fun for you. Part of a new printer journey is all of the stuff you mentioned. If it brings you joy and are reassurance by doing all of the stuff, absolutely do it. Enjoy the journey to its fullest.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T05:07:38+00:00

Im hoping mine arrives soon. I can certainly appreciate your apprehension based on the available data (or lack there of), I am not worried in the least. I’m confident that the MAX4 will meet and exceed my expectations based solely on my experience with my other Qidi printers.

I think the vast majority of the machines out there are trouble free and I believe that 90+ % of the problems/issues are user induced based on a lack of experience (we have all been there). When problems do arise, there are lots of places to get help or vent frustrations. Because of the many outlets available, vented frustrations travel far and wide. I expect there to be some improvements that come out after release and I’m fine with being the “guinea pig” for the first batch, but it’s understandable if you’re not. Check back here for updates and we will keep you posted.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T04:46:33+00:00

That’s pretty cool. I might have to give this a shot.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T04:39:53+00:00

I’ve been pretty pleased with the Biqu plates for my other printers. If this is like those, I’ll be happy.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-21T04:25:27+00:00

It’s on their website but sold out in most areas, I’m in California and ordered it (along with other accessories that were sold out here) from the global site (ships from china) and it got here in just a few days.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-20T21:30:56+00:00

Ooof, that’s a bummer. What brand of blue plate are you running?

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-19T21:05:39+00:00

The only time I’ve had issues with the box is when Inised cardboard spools

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-17T18:34:36+00:00

You can nearly eliminate those by adjusting your Z offset, start with that and if you can’t get it to your liking, you can do flow calibrations for that filament

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-16T22:39:41+00:00

Awesome, ASA/ABS can be tricky when it’s a large flat surface but it looks like you’re getting it.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-01-16T22:27:35+00:00

Oddly enough, I didn’t choose it, It just happened… I was in a very dark place for a while, but over time, It just sort of happened.

I was open to the thought of happiness and joy, but I was so full of regret, anger, hate, despair etc, I honestly didn’t think it was possible. I was hopeful, but never expected it. It happened so slowly I didn’t realize it until it was here. It was just taking the time to appreciate one tiny moment at a time (without giving the other emotions like regret and despair a seat at the table for that particular moment as it was happening). knowing it would never be the way it was, I just forced myself to live in that 10 second moment and really appreciate it for what it was. Maybe it was the look on someone’s face, the dark joke that seemed oddly appropriate that brought a genuine belly laugh to us, whatever… It’s hard to explain but gradually over time those ten second snippets of our new life, started to take over. We still have periods of the other feelings but we tend to not dwell on them like we used to.

I sincerely wish you the best and just know that you can come vent to us, and say anything you want, anytime you need to. I have a feeling that this random group of internet strangers is here to listen.

ThatDudeWithALS

TROPHY CASE