Introducing JourneyMaker. Positron Re-Design

If you are interested in building this printer, checkout our website
voxolite.com/
Join our Discord Server
/ discord
We have created the newest version of the Positron 3D Printer originally made by ‪@kralyn3d‬. JourneyMaker is a redesigned 3D printer that combines the best qualities of Positron V3 and Positron LT with our own innovations. Inspired by the Positron LT design, the JourneyMaker represents a combination of their standout features with our unique improvements. Many of the design improvements come from the LT, while JourneyMaker integrates those into its own design. Its compatibility with modifications tailored for other Positron versions making it an ideal choice for an enhanced printing experience while allowing flexibility for personalized adjustments.
Positron V3 by Krylan3D
• A 3D printer unlike an...
Positron LT
• Introducing the POSITR...
#3dprinting #3dprinting #positron3dprinter #portable3dprinter

[@MakersMuse]

Awesome take on the design! Glad to see it using more accessible / cheaper belts.

[@Troglobitten]

so we can expect a video on it in the future? 🙏

[@user-wo7rl4nm7w]

Is there a Kickstarter for this?

[@justcraziii]

Angus! Glad to see your comment at the top!

[@5FSF]

I was under the impression that the wire was the reason the design was possible in the first place, at least with the original motion system concept. Its funny how such a fundamental element of the design, something that allowed the prototype to ever get to the current position of optimization, ended up being discarded for simplicity of construction and a more cost effective BoM once the design matured. One of the wonders of prototyping.

[@Reoboss]

@mcfazio is the belt driven design from the Positron LT or V3 or some other source?

[@_Xantras_]

For people curious about Kralyn's whereabouts : he was still a college student during the birth of Positron, and got hired by a BIG 3D printing company since then that reportedly heavily limits how much he's allowed to be involved in DIY 3D printing. The project is now in the hands of Nomad3D, a friend of his. A kit is still planned, but got delayed several times

[@PointBlank65]

Was LDO working on a kit? I remember seeing something , though it had to grow a bit so didn't fit in a filament box anymore.

[@_Xantras_]

@@PointBlank65 LDO is still working on it, yes

[@ibissensei1856]

Hah. If you cant buy out brilliant competitor, you should bought out its genius creator.

[@colinantink9094]

Let me guess. Makerbot? I don’t know the name of the company the original owner of the original Makerbot shilled out to, but they immediately set about making their entire company non open source. Out of the price range of makers. And all round squishing as many innovations and 3D printing start ups as they could.

[@henhen7890]

In that case I hope he got hired by bambu labs or something lol

[@zzace00]

This is awesome! While I don't see myself traveling with a 3D printer much, having a compact, fast printer that I can easily store away when not in use would be great

[@vandalpaulius]

I think the storeability is the main thing for me as well. Realistically I won't make something for half a year and then suddenly boom, it would print 24/7 for 3 weeks and then nothing for another half year. And I don't think I'm alone. Really waiting for kits

[@rustyexe9378]

I think organizations like Doctors Without Borders may use it to design prosthetics.

[@ldmoraes]

Been portable os a great feature for commissioning engineers working with big projects, been able to improve a part and print it right on site is awesome, and will reduce a lot testing and commissioning time!

[@martianhunter7168]

Very impressive. The assembly manual is an underrated pro.

[@glittalogik]

I work as a tech writer and I'm constantly amazed by how many otherwise great ideas and products wind up so poorly documented. Always a pleasure to see someone bucking the trend!

[@darekmistrz4364]

I love positron, I wish someone would produce ready to assemble kits. I know there was one run by someone but I missed it at the time and now it seams further from being commonly available compared to Voron0 or Rook. It's nice to see others being still enthusiastic about the printer.

[@lipoz-n-nitroz4012]

What is so special or unique about a positron printer besides it's small, portable, size?

[@Zhinoi]

Yeah I was trying to figure that out too. The features he listed were cool, but being that it prints upside down, that introduces more issues. And, being that prints usually take a while, I'm not sure what the benefit of being able to carrying it around would be . Not sure I'd spend the $500+ on it when I can just buy a Prusa. Reminds me of touchscreen flip phones

[@darekmistrz4364]

@@Zhinoi Going your thought process: Why buy Prusa, when Ender does basically the same for cheaper?

[@ulwur]

Not everyone has the space to have a printer constantly occupy. A portable machine is easy to disassemble and stow away

[@dbent366]

@darekmistrz4364 @Zhinoi Much like the original creator of the positron, I travel frequently...weekly tbh for work. Making my 3d hobby difficult. If I had a printer of good quality that I could travel with it would be extremely handy. Just the form factor vs print area of this machine is so efficient that even people who don't travel can use this printer in limited spaces. This could easily be no intrusive on an average size work desk. And it still maintains a descent print size.

[@user-qp2hz1vu6b]

This is insane! It's honestly so inspiring to see something like this being made and just released for everyone!

[@flyer0014]

Really cool! I can't wait for kits to become available

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@the_realist_John_Doe]

Neat. Doesn't answer any of my needs, but always nice to see more people making more stuff in the hobby. Innovation would never happen if people didn't try different things.

[@Nelo390]

Pretty neat. Looking forward to the communitys response

[@alokkapoor9134]

This is future. I thank you on the behalf of human civilisatgion to give us this concept.

[@justcraziii]

Well done McFazio! Super exciting to see progress since Kralyns original video!

[@PeTr01]

Been following the original positron for a while, sad to see it hit a wall would have been cool to see that radial belt in action, either way, I’m excited to see what you guys do with the JourneyMaker, hopefully I can afford one soon! Haha

[@daylen577]

Pretty expensive price for such a small build volume, but always neat to see new 3D printer designs being worked on

[@Connor-s1k]

I think if you take into account the niche it fills, i.e. easy on-site printing of small parts, it's fair to spend that bit extra. I imagine it has to be more robust to allow for assembly again and again. Linear rods over extrusion etc

[@sovahc]

I built original Positron V3. Most difficult parts to make: pulleys and toolhead interconnect. I don't like sychromesh artefacts on the printed surfaces.. It's more noticeable than GT2's artifacts. I think best solution is 1 mm pitch belt. It was also very difficult to get the hotend not to leak. I ended up using Phaetus Positron V3 hotend (with some basic milling to get it in) Now my Positron works fine 😺

[@Sesquialteral]

Whoa, do they sell the hotend now? After some initial leaking, my original hotend doesn't leak. Maybe it has sealed itself 😅

[@sovahc]

@@Sesquialteral No, they don't sell. I was given one to test and report issues.

[@Sesquialteral]

@@sovahc sad. I would like to have a replacement just in case.

[@TheSchizoDuckie]

Turning the print bed upside down is such a brilliant move. I LOVE it!

[@wyunreal]

But whats are the advantages of such up side down position ?

[@wyunreal]

I only see disadvantages everywhere.

[@TheSchizoDuckie]

@@wyunreal The obvious fact that now it can be folded?

[@brandonkeeber3799]

I'm seeing a lot of comments about how the mobility of the design seems unnecessary, but I couldn't disagree more. I've been looking for a *truly* mobile 3D printer for YEARS and have been following the positron closely. I was holding off due to the build complexity and lack of support, but you have addressed both of those issues nicely. Any estimate on when full kits will be available through your website? I'd happily pay 10%-20% more if it saved me the time and frustration of sourcing it all on my own. Especially if it came with a slick EVA case like the one in the video ;) Great work. Can't wait to flex on all my friends at the next camping trip when I whip this bad boy out >:)

[@mcfazio4283]

We wont be making full kits any time soon. If you join our discord we can help you out with self sourcing

[@adisander]

Also a fantastic feature if you just don't have a lot of space. Being able to pull something like this out from a small storage spot and getting it up and running fast is awesome, as is being able to put it away just as quick when you need the desk/table space for something else.

[@Lithium596]

This would be very useful especially for classes where you might need to prototype certain parts out of a durable material quickly.

[@genericcheesewedge4870]

A non-commercial license does not meet the requirements of open source, especially in the context of hardware. There is no way of manufacturing and distributing modifications or derivative work non-commercially. Please reconsider that decision

[@Sesquialteral]

I built the PositronV3 a while ago and I'm still quite happy with it!

[@SeanCMonahan]

What pushed you to build a PositronV3? Compactness? Did you already have other printers, too? In your experience, what are the trade-offs between it and other, more traditional printer setups?

[@Sesquialteral]

@@SeanCMonahan yes, compactness. But this is my first 3D printer so I can't directly compare it to other printers.

[@RohitBanerjee]

Very good initiative, reviving a great project.

[@Jandodev]

Its amazing to see such a portable printer!

[@jmsether]

Can't wait for the parts kits to come back in stock :D

[@MoisFamilyTech]

Definitely interested in a Full Kit or even a Ready-2-Go printer...! 😁🤙🏼

[@dtibor5903]

This needs more attention! Great project!

[@foxsource3dprinting]

Congrats on the project updates! I've been following it for a while and sooner or later I'd like to build one

[@dranon0o]

Honestly, if you would do kits with all in it AND kit for spare parts, i would buy multiple of those. Great work! I hope you would delivery in the entire North America

[@mcfazio4283]

We are not sure if we will be doing full kits are not. We do a sub kit bundle on our website. If you self source the parts some part orders have enough for multiple builds. voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@mcfazio4283]

We do deliver to North America

[@johndprob]

A 300 or 350 version for easy storing in a drawer when not in use would be cool

[@dagger6498]

Finally!

[@shanematthews1985]

Interesting concept, its a bit of a niche product though so not sure how well it would sell

[@SLcompany_watch]

such a cool looking 3d printer!!!

[@jasonhedtke659]

love this! Y'all should make a polar printer

[@leok8183]

Super cool. This one goes straight to my to-buy list.

[@JazzyJustin]

I’ve always been interested in the motion system for the positron. Thank you for posting the CAD!

[@Rocketboy737_]

I love this so much shame I'm too broke to afford one because I'm still in school but will be saving up for one when the full kits come out!

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@lezc3733]

Fantastic little printer, I’ve been following its progress for quite a while now………..unfortunately I think it’s about 5 years too late to market, where do you go these days intending to print something and they haven’t got either a Prusa, Bambu, or Creality on site.

[@stimpyfeelinit]

neat

[@Nerd_Projects]

I have been waiting to be able to built this printer since the V1 and was very disappointed that nothi g happened anymore. My question is however if it will be possible to print from USB as well. Since the main idea of the printer is to be taken everywhere you might not always have wifi or simply dont want to have to configure the wifi every time you take the printwr to a new place. I feel that the ability to print from USB/online is important.

[@mcfazio4283]

The printer host its own Hotspot connection that allows you to connect from any smart device (Computer, Ipad, Phone, etc). It is easy to wirelessly control and send prints to the printer

[@telepopa-xd8kt]

good job

[@grudniak3973]

Cool idea and concept but I see 2 problem. 1 is no heated bed end even if there was the heat would go up in air without heating print. 2 if print fail without you looking at, the extruder will extrude hot filament that will go down into whole printer and probably destroy it

[@LouisLeXVIII]

the bed is heated, and the plastic would solidify too quickly to ruin anything, however, there would definitely be spaghetti everywhere XD

[@AiTeee]

Cant wait to buy a kit to build it

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@bowieinc]

Appreciate your work.

[@nerfandmore8369]

I would lvoe for a kit i travel for work and cant wait for one to release

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@MatterMage]

well done!

[@byGDur]

Amazing work!

[@_spartan11796]

Very cool

[@alexstone691]

While the product is cool and all, i do not get why would you need a portable 3d printer, for me i would rather make one that is as big as a computer case but solid and there is nothing you assemble/dissassemble

[@vernonzehr]

my main concern would be what happens if the print fails and the partially finished object falls off the "upside down" bed? Couldn't the print head extrude hot plastic back onto itself potentially causing permanent damage to the nozzle or even worse damage? All 3d printers have failures at some point. It would need some way to immediately stop printing if the object fell off.

[@sciencesaves]

Cool machine 👍 if it gets faster I’d be interested in one

[@marijuanas]

Great work!

[@ZezoPrints]

Cool!

[@GeorgMierau]

Interesting concept for sure! For an (important) presentation video for a rather wide audience, please read the script a few times prior to recording or record a few more takes, so it sounds a bit more prepared and motivational next time.

[@annix493]

Neat 📸

[@AMGaz]

Looking forward to getting my own

[@coolzyzop]

Looks really cool. But why do anybody need this? Which case?

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

Cool, but needs to be a PEI plate. Glass is cool to look at, but is frankly garbage outside that.

[@wyattearnest5745]

Quick question, besides the instruction manual, what else is different compared to the LT?

[@mcfazio4283]

Check out discord. We have a FAQ section where we have a post that goes in depth about this. discord.com/channels/1158982699613163590/1175861407976271912/1192512591885504542

[@DiThi]

@@mcfazio4283 PLEEEASE have this info available elsewhere other than a discord server. Not everyone can join (because they maxed out on servers or can't create an account for some reason), and being a private company that doesn't let people archive chats, a lot of info will completely disappear in the future when investors no longer deem it profitable. Edit: in my case, I had to verify the account again and that link just refuses to work, probably because I need to use an invite link somewhere.

[@matthiasmartin1975]

Great stuff, i love the ITO based heated glass bed, did you etch that yourself? EDIT: ah, i see, that's from Muon3D. To the usability naysayers I would say that this would be useful for someone who lives in a VW T3 camper van where you have some space but not enough to accomodate a normal small printer like the Voron V0.2 permanently.

[@SeanCMonahan]

Wait, that is a _heated bed?_ How!?

[@matthiasmartin1975]

Look up "ITO coated glass"@@SeanCMonahan

[@digital0785]

should make one to fit in a 3kg box if you catch my drift LOL

[@burnsfamily1616]

This is awesome! When can i get a full kit?

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@violettides5532]

omg it's thode 😊

[@richardwolfe2089]

Does this use v6 nozzles? I may have missed it but I can't seem to find information regarding the hotend. It looks like a creality hotend with a special 90 degree adaptor?

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/hotend-complete-set

[@WetDoggo]

what exactly are the use cases for portable 3D printers?

[@DiabloProcentoPersonal.]

I think it would be possible to 3d print many of the machined parts,is it possible to find stl's somewhere ?

[@mcfazio4283]

github.com/mcfazio2001/JourneyMaker-Positron

[@jazzboy]

Is LDO still going to release its Positron?

[@givemeanameman1]

Does printing from top down change quality in any way? or maybe make overhangs less of an issue?

[@K3NnY_G]

Curious about this too.

[@colinhercus7765]

@@K3NnY_G I expect there is less stringing

[@the_realist_John_Doe]

now your prints will "sag up" instead of "sagging down"... Gravity is still present just exerting its forces in the opposite direction. Now you will have to worry more about adhesion though... and now you're more limited on build plate materials/solutions (glass only).

[@sovahc]

1. The bridges are a little better. 2. You see the first layer.

[@Sesquialteral]

It's not much better but in some cases gravity helps to prevent the model from dropping on the side.

[@bruwyvn]

The models for the machined parts are on GitHub or are closed-source? Can't find them anywhere

[@zanecatalano3716]

Wish they sold it all in one parts kits

[@mcfazio4283]

We have a partial build kit. Happy to help with sourcing everything. Come join our discord server voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@deameyes]

What does it take to allow print temp up to 300?

[@endercrafts9056]

So isn't the CAD open source? I can't machine the machined parts elsewhere?

[@JuanGonzalez-nn6dw]

Im still confused af and concerned as how the simple bed adhesion prevents a big enough model to just fall off the bed while printing

[@rca168]

Very interested in full kits !

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@rca168]

@@mcfazio4283 I meant full kits with everything included, but I guess I'll go on Discord when I have time to do the gathering process

[@RcaHellemons1972]

When can we get a full kit?

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@ashers_workshop]

How about accelerations and heated print bed?

[@mcfazio4283]

github.com/mcfazio2001/JourneyMaker-Positron

[@itsboyinspace]

Need

[@barbarosbozkurt758]

Wouldn't it fall if it were heavy enough?

[@FranRR.]

Does anyone know if V2 or more advanced exists?

[@VolkanTaninmis]

Why upsidedown?

[@TinSVM]

Hey there, I'm checking out your store. Can you tell me what's the difference between the 'JourneyMaker Parts' and the 'Positron V3 Parts'?

[@DavidCulverslicingblade]

Difference is that the positron is the v3 machines parts, journey make are the parts for this version. They are not cross compatible.

[@TinSVM]

@@DavidCulverslicingblade Thank you.

[@magfal]

How much for a full kit? If the price isn't too bad I'd buy one to use as a portable/TPU dedicated printer at the drop of a hat.

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@MrBendix24]

wait what is that kinematic xy movement with just one belt ? how

[@DavidCulverslicingblade]

Its how CoreXY works. By making the motors stationary it increases the acceleration of the printer

[@MrBendix24]

@@DavidCulverslicingblade sure but all corexy systems I know off use two belts or do I miss something here ?

[@DavidCulverslicingblade]

@@MrBendix24 it is just one belt, it's the same as with the positron iirc, you can see it on pg135&136 of the build guide.

[@abc321meins]

how is the slicer called that integrates with mainsail?

[@mcfazio4283]

OrcaSlicer

[@abc321meins]

@@mcfazio4283 Thank you

[@MegaKauti]

Cad assembly ?? Can't find it github

[@mcfazio4283]

Will be released in an up coming video

[@mitchellcrane9809]

I do not mean sound like a stick in the mud. However I do not understand the benefits here. Kind of a expensive device to build for limit capacity and printing upside down sounds like a recipe for some pretty incredible failed prints

[@justinlabarge8178]

Extreme portability

[@adisharr]

Interesting but a novelty

[@jcritch42]

Over $500.00 for a slow, portable 3d printer!! Glad I don't need a portable 3d printer.

[@mcfazio4283]

It is actually very fast

[@AllSnipe]

Is it still as fast?

[@mcfazio4283]

Yes

[@pappaflammyboi5799]

You can't prohibit commercial use of an already open source design. Additionally, it would be stupid to even try...

[@zrizzy6958]

540 dollars doesn't make sense, I saw an AliExpress kit for the positron for 360 dollars

[@mcfazio4283]

It is an incomplete kit (only a few parts). Its also not highly rated within the Positron Community (Not verified and has quality issues)

[@C650101]

Offer one kit, nobody wants to piece together kits and guess what to buy.

[@mcfazio4283]

voxolite.com/products/journeymaker-custom-part-kit

[@helge1104]

Just don't get the point of this printer about 600 $, it seems not to bring any improvement to quality of prints or have any value except for being a party piece. That being said i like it but just dont see the value here. Moust makers want a simple and cheap printer that turns on and just work. printing upside down is properly not on any makers list unless it make some change for the better..

[@abhijeet_ghosh]

Many people would also like a portable printer…

[@JasonHartsoe]

This is a great gimmick and sadly, that's all it is. There's not a market for something like this other than it look cool. But practical use isn't there. There's nothing this can do that makes it worth having. Prints will lack serious quality, lack of speed, high cost, and its just as easy to carry better printers like the a1 mini or prusa mini when traveling. It's a cool concept, just not for consumers.

[@user-cg3em4cw4f]

This is a very dumb comment. You’re absolutely delusional if you think an a1 mini or prusa mini are as easy to transport as this.

[@Mueller3D]

You obviously live in a big house with lots of space. People with limited living space will find this attractive, as will people who have to carry a printer in their luggage.

[@mcfazio4283]

@@Mueller3Dthis is a great point, not only is it portable but it’s also easily storable. Not everyone has a dedicated work space for their printer in their workplace/home. Additionally, there is a great number of people who would use this for travelling (travelling for work, bringing to school to collaborate with others, and more).

[@JasonHartsoe]

@@Mueller3D lol, actually it's quite the opposite. I have VERY LIMITED space. But space isn't the issue. However, if that's what you want to go for, the prusa mini, voron mini, bambu a1 mini (which can print up to 4 colors during the print with the ams lite), etc etc are the same size and are 100 times far better in comparison and cheaper and they ARE NOT printing upside down against gravity. The issue isn't size here, it's printing upside down, which can be done in the same form factor. Seeing the quality of prints, the obvious gravity that you can't avoid, you can't get any high quality prints compared to any standard printer. Thus why it's a gimmick only. Printing upside down as I stated can't produce any practical prints for actual use. The larger and 100% infill prints would pull heavily on the plate and not only fall off, but even if it slightly moved downward the nozzle would hit and knock off the print. If you want something compact, you'll need to do better than the current smaller and way better machines out today…and make it print right side up. Now, that being said, it's a cool design and uniquely made. I get the function and do find it interesting, but bring real, it will not be anything but a cool thing to own. You're fighting against gravity, and will require advanced users to understand building, using, leveling, troubleshooting etc.

[@Mueller3D]

None of those other printers will fit in the size of a filament spool box when not in use. Also, printing upside down is not an issue, as proven by people who have done it already.

[@OG96932]

I think it looks Doubtful, i cant see a market for this, there is absolute no advantage to anything

[@neuling]

With the gravity facing the other direction of the model. I reckon there would be less need to print supports. For small prints this would be a huge advantage. For larger prints though, bed adhesion would be the main issue.

[@saltwaterrook4638]

​@neuling still going to need supports. Gravity is gravity bud. Sag will happen just in reverse. Not to mention, now bridging is going to cause filament to sag into the nozzle causing collisions.

[@mcfazio4283]

You should watch the original positron video where most of this is explained and shows that none of the concerns you have are an issue. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpC0fauKi9mspMk&ab_channel=KRALYN3D

[@AirsoftAbominations]

I volunteer at a repair cafe. Right now I lug my mk4 with me, I am already working on the LT version of this because it's ideal for what I do there

[@matthiasmartin1975]

Yes, that is exactly the use case that makes sense. Using the positron you could leave the car at home and go there by bicycle, so green!@@AirsoftAbominations

[@saltwaterrook4638]

Meh