I’m thinking of building a new printer and would love to be able to make 2 color prints or dissolvable supports. Does anyone have any experience with this. I see 3 paths.
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Two hot ends Pros: Most robust No retraction or filament waste Cons: Alignment issues. Reduced travel Dragging nozzle
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Dual filament hot end(taichi style) Pros: Easy to mount No offsets Cons: Jamming? Long retraction
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Y splitter Pros: easy to mount No offset Compatible with any hot end Cons jamming Super long retraction
Filament swap is not really a valid alternative when it comes to something like wanting dissolving supports. It’s only realistic if you want to change the color or material for a fairly large consecutive portion of a print. Otherwise you’re going to have to swap out the filament every layer.