In the world of 3D printing, there are plenty of options when it comes to buying a pre-made machine. But for those who really want to customize and fine-tune their printer, building your own from the ground up is the way to go. This allows complete control over the components and results in a machine tailored exactly to your needs. One open source 3D printer design that has been gaining popularity in the DIY community is Voron Design.
What is Voron Design?
Voron Design is a community driven project started in 2016 by a 3D printing enthusiast known online as RCF. The goal was to create an open source, high-performance 3D printer that was affordable to build compared to other machines with similar capabilities.
The name Voron comes from the Russian word for raven. This is both a reference to the matte black aesthetic of the printers as well as a tribute to the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union, Sputnik 1, which had the call sign “Raven” in Russian.
On the Voron Design website, you’ll find a wealth of resources, manuals, tutorials, and community support for building your own Voron printer. All of the design files, electronics schematics, and software are open source and released under the GNU General Public License.
There are currently four different core models of Voron printers available:
- Voron 0 – A small, basic model good for starting out. Build volume is 120mm x 120mm x 120mm.
- Voron 1 – The original, with a build volume of 250mm x 250mm x 200mm.
- Voron 2 – A larger design with 300mm x 300mm x 250mm build area.
- Voron 2.4 – The latest and greatest, featuring 300mm x 300mm x 250mm build volume along with advanced features.
In addition to the core models, the community has created modified versions, add-ons, and tweaks to customize Voron printers. The possibilities are endless!
Why Choose Voron Design?
So what sets Voron Design 3D printers apart from other DIY options and pre-built machines? Here are some of the key benefits that draw many builders to Voron:
High Print Speeds
A core goal and philosophy of Voron is achieving fast print speeds while maintaining high quality. The lightweight moving parts and rigid frame allow the Voron 2.4 to print at up to 250mm/s or more. This results in significantly reduced print times compared to Cartesian style printers.
Precise and Accurate
Voron utilizes a CoreXY system where the print head moves on both the X and Y axis simultaneously with a belt drive. This makes movements very precise and the Z axis quite stable during prints. Combined with the solid frame, accuracy and tolerance down to the 0.1mm range can be achieved.
Reliable Design
The Voron is designed from the ground up to be reliable and consistently produce great prints. Features like auto bed leveling, crash detection, filament runout detection, thermal overload protection, and more make the Voron a workhorse printer. The all-metal construction is also built to last.
Modular and Customizable
Following open source principles, all of the Voron parts are modular by nature. This lets builders customize and tweak the design to their liking or experiment with new features. The community is constantly innovating and releasing new mods.
Large Community and Support
With over 5,000 members in the Voron Design Discord channel and 12,000 users on the Reddit subgroup, help is never far away. The community is filled with experienced builders eager to assist fellow DIY-ers in sourcing parts, troubleshooting issues, or general 3D printing advice.
How Does the Voron Compare to Other Printers?
So how does Voron measure up to other popular 3D printers, both DIY and pre-built models? Here is an overview:
Compared to Prusa i3: The Prusa i3 MK3S is considered an excellent mid-range printer, but the Voron really steps up the speed, rigidity, accuracy and reliability. Print quality is on par if not better than the Prusa. The tradeoff is building the Voron requires more time and technical skill.
Compared to Creality Ender 3: The Ender 3 is a great entry level DIY printer due to its low cost. However, it simply can’t match the Voron 2.4 in terms of print speed, quality and reliability. The Voron is in a whole other league but costs significantly more to source parts and build.
Compared to Ultimaker: Ultimaker makes professional-grade printers known for quality. But they come at a steep price. Voron can produce comparable print quality at a fraction of the cost of an Ultimaker if you’re willing to build it yourself.
Compared to other DIY coreXY printers: There are certainly other DIY printer designs using a similar coreXY system such as the HyperCube Evolution and Rat Rig V-Core 3. The main advantages of the Voron are the large community support, optimized design for speed and rigidity, integrated auto bed leveling, and reliability enhancing features.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Voron 3D Printer?
One of the key selling points of the Voron compared to buying a pre-built printer with similar specs is the cost savings. But how much exactly does it cost to source all the components and build your own Voron 2.4 or other models?
A Voron 0 will cost around $200-$300 to build. The medium-sized Voron 1 runs from $500-$800 typically.
For the larger Voron 2 or 2.4 models, builders report total costs ranging from $800-$1500. This depends heavily on how fancy you go with components and what you may already have on hand. Opting for cheaper sourced parts from places like AliExpress can keep costs on the lower end of that range.
Some of the main costs are:
- 3D printed plastic parts – $100-$200
- Aluminum extrusions for frame – $100-$300
- Motion and drive components – $150-$300
- Control board (SKR 1.4, Octopus, etc) – $100-$200
- Power supply – $50-$100
- Hotend – $50-$150
- Misc. hardware, wires, and tools – $100+
As you can see, there are lots of places costs can be managed. Checking out build price breakdowns from others is helpful. With some bargain hunting and reuse of existing printer parts, you could potentially build a Voron 2 for under $500.
Building a Voron – What’s Involved?
So what’s actually involved in terms of skills, tools, and effort required to build your own Voron 3D printer? Here is a quick overview:
Tools: You’ll need basic tools like hex drivers, pliers, metal snips, soldering iron, crimping tools, ruler, calipers, etc. A small drill press and tap set helps but isn’t essential. Many parts can be assembled by hand.
Mechanical skills: Assembling the frame, motion system, and hardware requires some mechanical aptitude and ability to follow build instructions carefully. Having assembled a 3D printer before is helpful.
Electrical skills: Wiring up the electronics calls for some basic electrical skills like stripping, crimping, and soldering wires, connectors and pins. Following wiring diagrams is a must.
3D Printing: Access to a printer is necessary to produce the printed plastic parts which make up the structure, mounts, and various components.
Software configuration: Once built, you’ll need to install and configure the firmware and host software like Klipper, Octoprint, and tweaking slicer settings. Some linux and CLI skills help.
Build time: With the manuals and YouTube build videos, assembling a Voron 2 printer takes 25-50 hours typically. The documentation is quite thorough so carefully following along step-by-step makes the process very manageable even for relative newcomers.
Technical skill level: The designer rates assembly of the Voron 2 as medium difficulty. Some newcomers may find it difficult, but with the abundance of support available, it’s very achievable if you’re willing to learn.
Getting Started – Sourcing Parts and Preparation
Once you’ve decided to embark on building your own Voron Design 3D printer, the first steps are sourcing all the required components and getting prepared. Here are some tips:
- Browse the BOM (Bill of Materials) to create your shopping list of parts you’ll need to source. Alternate vendors and substitutions are often provided.
- Join the Voron Discord and subreddit to connect with others builders and get advice on recommended vendors and parts.
- Check eBay, AliExpress, Amazon, and specialized shops for deals on the aluminum extrusions, motors, and hardware.
- Look into recycling parts from old printers if you have access to any. Stepper motors, power supplies and motion components can potentially be reused.
- Get all your tools together and set up a clean workspace with room to build. Having a small stock of various nuts, bolts, screws, zip ties, etc. on hand helps.
- Print out a set of the 3D printed plastic parts from the STLs on GitHub or order from a print service. Use ABS or ASA filament if possible.
- Review the interactive BOM on the Voron website to visualize how everything fits together. Watch build videos to familiarize yourself with the steps.
- Take your time sourcing parts, as cheap knock-off or low quality components can cause headaches down the road. This is one area not to cut corners.
Once you’ve collected all your hardware, printed parts, and electronics, you’re ready to start building! Just take it slow, be meticulous, and remember the community is there to provide help and advice.
Helpful Voron Design Communities and Resources
Here are some of the most valuable resources for researching, learning, troubleshooting, and connecting with other Voron builders:
Voron Design Website – https://vorondesign.com/
Central repository for design files, interactive BOMs, manuals, and news.
Voron Wiki – https://wiki.vorondesign.com/
Extensive knowledge base covering everything about Voron printers.
Voron Discord – https://discord.vorondesign.com/
Very active Discord server with build advice, troubleshooting, mods/upgrades channels.
Voron Reddit – https://www.reddit.com/r/voroncorexy/
See other’s build pics, ask questions, and discuss Voron topics.
Voron GitHub – https://github.com/VoronDesign/Voron-2
Source files for electronics, models, configs – everything open source.
“CobraCB” YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OaODfFBBAdJVT2a4vESKA
Very well done build series covering the entire process start to finish.
Klipper Documentation – https://www.klipper3d.org/Overview.html
Configuring Klipper firmware is key, their docs are excellent.
Final Thoughts
Building your own Voron Design 3D printer is an extremely rewarding endeavor for the DIY-minded maker. Yes, it requires an investment in time, effort, and money compared to purchasing a pre-built machine. But what you get in return is an incredibly capable, customized, state-of-the-art 3D printer that can keep up with the needs of even high volume users.
The Voron community is passionate and extremely helpful to newcomers taking the plunge into sourcing parts and piecing together their own printer. The journey will expand your skills and the end result is a high-performance machine truly tailored to your needs. Whether optimizing for speed, print size, reliability, or customization, a Voron printer checks all the boxes.
