I recently converted my Ender-3 S1 from the original V-wheel system to linear rails on all three axes — X, Y, and Z. I wanted to share the conversion, the parts I used, and some of the modifications that were necessary to make everything fit correctly.
This was not a completely bolt-on conversion. The S1 extrusions created a couple of challenges that I had to work around.
X axis: The extrusion on my S1 only has T-slots on two sides, and the side where I needed to mount the linear rail is closed. I drilled and tapped the extrusion so the X-axis rail could be mounted directly to it. An unexpected benefit was that this left me with the T-nuts from the kit that I could use for the Z-axis rails.
Y axis: The Y-axis uses a 2040 extrusion that sits too far down inside the S1 base/housing for the linear rail arrangement to work correctly. I machined aluminum shims to go underneath the rail and raise it to the required height.
Z axis: I converted both sides of the Z axis to linear rails as well, giving the machine linear guides on X, Y, and both sides of Z.
I also made/modified several other parts during the conversion rather than trying to force the supplied hardware to fit. I’ll include photos below showing the parts, modifications, installation, and the completed machine.
X-AXIS CONVERSION
The X-axis extrusion on my Ender-3 S1 has T-slots on only two sides. The face where the linear rail needed to mount is solid, so the rail could not be installed with T-nuts. I positioned the rail, laid out the mounting holes, then drilled and tapped the extrusion so the rail could be bolted directly to it.
This actually worked out in my favor because the T-nuts supplied for the X-axis rail were then available to use on the Z-axis conversion.
Y-AXIS CONVERSION
I made two simple spacers from 1/8-inch aluminum flat stock. I cut the material to size and milled it so the finished spacers were no wider than the linear rail.
With the rail positioned where it needed to be, I used transfer punches through the existing mounting holes to mark the hole locations on the aluminum spacers, then drilled the plates. One spacer has four mounting holes and the other has two. If transfer punches aren’t available, the hole centers could also be carefully transferred using a drill that closely fits the existing holes.
The mounting screws pass through the linear rail and the 2040 extrusion and through the aluminum spacers underneath. The 1/8-inch spacers raise the complete Y-axis rail assembly enough to provide the clearance needed inside the S1 base.
