Building your own 3D printer can be an exciting and satisfying endeavor, especially with designs like Alex Yu’s Encore, a mostly-printed CoreXY model. While not as prevalent as during the height of the RepRap movement, there’s still room for innovative designs in the 3D printing space.
The Encore printer utilizes CoreXY kinematics along with linear rails for both X and Y axes. It lacks a traditional internal frame; instead, the linear rails are mounted directly to 3D-printed side panels that maintain structural rigidity. The modular design features a compact 225 mm print bed, with the printer itself using a 120 mm bed size, a Bowden extruder, and a lightweight Bambu-style hotend. Powered by NEMA 17 stepper motors, it incorporates sliding mounts for adjusting belt tension, with the power supply conveniently placed behind the Z-axis rods and the controller board housed at the printer’s base.
While the assembly of the Encore proved straightforward, tuning it was a bit trickier. The combination of the Bambu-style hotend with the Bowden extruder led to some initial cooling issues. Alex tackled these by enhancing the hotend’s fan, redesigning the ventilation shroud, and adding two inward-blowing fans on either side of the build area. After addressing stability concerns with the Z-axis, the Encore began producing high-quality parts. Progress updates and specifics of the build are shared on GitHub.
There have been various examples of mostly-printed 3D printers showcased previously, including a high-speed printer, one with all structural components printed, and another that was entirely 3D printed. These innovations highlight the ongoing advancements in DIY 3D printing solutions.