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Released last month, SnakeOilXY’s Proosa XY conversion kit can turn your MK3 or MK3S 3D printer into a CoreXY machine.

The kit reuses stock components from MK3 or MK3S 3D printers, and adds new ones to introduce features like a triple Z axis, auxiliary fan, and a partial enclosure to the machines.

In doing so, it lays the foundation on which users can build a higher-performing – and more future-proof – 3D printer. SnakeOilXY specifically claims better resonance, and max speeds of 300 mm/s with 15,000 mm/s2 acceleration, as seen in this YouTube test print.

However, to take full advantage of the CoreXY build, SnakeOilXY recommends users upgrade their printer’s MCU and hot end (the kit is compatible with the MK3S’s stock V6, as well as “mixed 2-in-1-out” hot ends) although neither component is included in the kit. But, a top hat to make the partial enclosure full is coming soon, SnakeOilXY says.

Most of the necessary screws, belts, rails, and components are included, but you’ll also need to print a few parts, like housings and covers (STLs are available on GitHub), and installation will require a bit of drilling and cutting.

SnakeOilXY also points out – in all caps, no less – that this is a one-way street: converted printers can’t be un-converted, so think wisely before taking the plunge, especially considering the kit is not yet a final product

Instead, what’s currently for sale is touted as an “open beta” for a discounted price of $259 from the kit’s $299 MSRP. Those who purchase it must be willing to approach several design challenges – frame extrusions that are not cut “100% square”, and motor shafts that are a couple millimeters too short, for example – that SnakeOilXY promises won’t be present in the kit’s final version.

Should you be willing and able to power through these current hurdles, there seems to be a lot of value here. MK3 and MK3S machines are around six years old, and the upgrades the kit can bring them would almost certainly breathe a few more years of life into the systems.

A full BOM, the aforementioned STLs, and other relevant information are up for grabs on GitHub, which should be your first port of call here. After that, check out the Proosa XY Conversion Kit’s product page on Fabreeko.

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License: The text of "This Conversion Kit Turns Your MK3S into a CoreXY 3D Printer" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.