DIY Blog

Tips For Building A Voron

Voron 3D printers are great but building one can be challenging. The assembly manual is a great resource, and there are plenty of YouTube guides you can watch. I will share some of my own tips to help you with the build.

Printing parts

You should print the parts from ABS/ABS+/ASA filament. Other materials don’t work, people have tried and failed.

You may not have heard about the Print It Forward (PIF) program where people print parts for other people at cost. It’s a great way to get quality ABS parts. They are printed on well-tuned Voron machines and you will have a hard time getting that quality on a cheap printer. The only downside is that it takes a while to get the parts from PIF. However, sourcing the other components will also take time, so it might not delay you.

Sourcing components

Make sure to go through the official sourcing guide first. You will find important notes and supplier recommendations there.

Kits

The easiest way to source components would be to get a kit, but their quality can vary. I don’t have any experience with the kits, so I could not endorse any. If you decide to go that route, expect to get some low-quality components that you will likely need to replace. Also, you will probably have better luck with kits from more reputable vendors like LDO or FYSETC.

Self-sourcing

The bill of materials (BOM) can seem overwhelming at first, but you can make self-sourcing components easier with some tricks. For example, you will need around 20 different types of fasteners, and instead of sourcing each one individually, you can get a fastener kit. You can also find great kits of components from Powge and Mellow on AliExpress. These two kits alone will knock out almost half of the BOM, and you will be able to focus on more essential items. Also, unlike with the full kit, you will know that you’re getting your motion components from a reputable store, and you can trust the quality.

Important components

There are some parts you definitely want from a reputable seller:

  • Solid-state relay. It controls AC voltage to the heated bed, and a faulty one could cause a fire. Don’t cheap out! If you got one from a questionable kit, better replace it with one from a reliable source.

  • Motion components. Linear rails, pulleys, and bearings will have a huge impact on the print quality. A broken bearing can cause issues that will be hard to figure out when prints don’t come out nice. I can recommend Mellow and Powge.

  • Build plate. Low-quality build plates can be uneven on arrival or warp easily if machined wrong. You will have a hard time dealing with a bad one.

  • Power supply. Cheap power supplies tend not to last long. They can also have noisy fans or even be a fire hazard. Try sourcing a genuine Mean Well power supply.

Reputable stores

On AliExpress:

  • Mellow store sells high-quality motion components like bearings, idlers, and pulleys. I didn’t have a chance to test their electronics or hotends yet.
  • Powge store is another excellent place to get motion components.
  • Keenovo store is the best place to get heaters. Many other stores put their logo on Keenovo heaters, but you will be sure you get good quality if you buy directly.

In Europe:

  • Fermio Labs has many high-quality components for Voron printers, but it’s pretty pricey. I chose to trust them with some of the major components like the frame, linear rails, and the build plate.

Use local suppliers to save money

There are some items on the BOM that you will likely be able to source locally cheaper (depends on the part of the world you are in):

  • Acrylic panels for enclosure could be sourced locally. You get the dimensions you need in the BOM, and you can either buy large panels and cut them yourself or find a place that cuts them for you.

  • Aluminum composite panels (ACP) for bottom and back panels. You can get DXFs files here and have a local supplier cut it for you.

Resources

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