In February, Creality finally released its new Ender 3 V3 3D printer, a $390 bedslinger that stands out for its CoreXZ kinematics. But what if you could upgrade your old Ender 3 Pro or V2 to a similar machine?

Well, you can, thanks to conversion projects inspired by Voron’s open-source Switchwire CoreXZ 3D printer, one of our favorite DIY 3D printers and a machine we consider a relatively entry-level introduction to building open-source 3D printers.

Let’s slow down a moment; what are CoreXZ kinematics and why would you want them?

Simply put, CoreXZ replaces the lead screws commonly used for a 3D printer’s Z axis with belts. This may help your 3D printer achieve uniform layers by eliminating the variation that can happen on the Z-axis due to imperfections in lower-quality lead screws. Neat – right?

Creality intends to release the Ender 3 V3 as fully open source, including hardware and Creality OS firmware, to uphold the Ender series’ open-source tradition, it told All3DP. But it could also just be compliance with the Switchwire’s GPL-3.0 license – if the V3 is indeed based on the Voron design. So far, Creality has only released its clone of Klipper and the V3 “Annex” files, which includes a root guide and pin-out map of the V3’s board, and says the rest is coming.

Without the V3 hardware plans, we can only speculate, but there are bound to be similarities between Creality’s new Ender CoreXZ and Voron’s. Ender 3 Switchwire conversions are already quite popular, with the few kits we’ve seen priced around $350, making it a tempting project if you have an old Ender 3 around.

There are a few Gits and guides out there to help you along with your conversion, like Dark_Dog’s Ender_SW project for Ender 3 V2s and Pros, which seems to have proven popular. But, in proper open-source spirit, there are plenty more that have grown from it, like FizzysTech’s Enderwire – based on the maintainer’s Dark_Dog-based build that FizzysTech provided a number of social media updates for.

Undertaking Dark_Dog’s conversion will allow you to recycle a fair number of parts from your original Ender 3, but the printer is still going to be gutted and the guide makes a point that cheaper parts can lead to problems in printing and safety before advising makers to use parts from the official Switchwire BOM.

That said, the parts Dark_Dog’s guide highlights as important to carry over from the original Ender 3 are: the frame (possibly cut to 310 mm on the X axis), the MeanWell PSU (make sure you know which PSU your Ender has), the print bed assembly, the Creality V4.2.2 mainboard, stepper motors, cables “that don’t go through the cable-chains”, and the printhead’s 4010 part-cooling fan. A few more parts could probably carry over, but those will likely be the bulk of it.

At the time of writing, Dark_Dog’s Git unfortunately doesn’t include its own BOM, referring users to the CAD files to identify details like screw lengths. Working out what you need from the CAD files included in whichever project you choose to follow is your safest course without a BOM, but if you want an idea of the parts you’ll need, FizzysTech did mention using an unofficial BOM by RobotRogue as a rough guideline. And, of course, you can always head over to the Voron Discord community‘s Switchwire channel if you need to field some questions. (Be sure to check the now-locked Ender conversion thread.)

Does this sound like a project for you? Let us know in the comments if you’re keen to take on this conversion, have any helpful tips for those considering jumping in, and to share your final build!

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