3018 PRO - Tips and tricks
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- In this episode we cover some of the tips and tricks to help you with your 3018PRO. Topics covered are below with approximate timestamps:
Intro 00:00
Noise and vibration - 00:52
Maintenance - 06:30
Accessories - 10:35
Holding material to the bed - 16:30
Setup and calibration - 23:02
Muc-off Dry Lube - amzn.to/3fA76qp
Cable spiral protectors - amzn.to/3fBa3XQ
CA Glue - amzn.to/3q5TcBZ
Blue painters tape - amzn.to/392QXYr
Dust shoe - tidd.ly/3adnWe9
Link to the Graham Bland setup and calibration files:
1drv.ms/u/s!AuoE9S3Cr4VZgpcKE...
Link to the Sainsmart 3018PRO
shrsl.com/2i8nz
I have recently set up a Patreon page to help keep making tutorials and keep my UA-cam channel moving forward.
/ jamesdeandesigns
If you want to help but do not want to become a Patreon, you con contribute directly:
www.paypal.me/jamesdeandesigns
Check out my channel for other videos on the 3018PRO
Instagram @JamesDeanDesigns
The Putoline Drytec is also available on Amazon but it is quite expensive on there so I would advise looking elsewhere for it. The video was not sponsored by any of these brands/companies.
Some product links I share are affiliate links. This means they do not cost you any more but I might make a small commission in return which helps towards making videos.
I love UA-cam and its creators so much. The fact I had no idea about cnc routing yesterday, and today after watching 100 vids I have the confidence to buy one and run it is absolutely magical. I swear I’ve learned more this year from UA-cam than I did my whole time at school.
Nice work James. You and Graham Bland have helped tremendously in learning the 3018 CNC.
Great video. The introduction and link to Graham's guides alone are invaluable to this newb. Thank you!
I've come back to this video several times over the past couple of months. It's full of great tips, particularly the painter's tape / cyanoacrylate glue trick. Thank you!
Thanks. Glad it helped 👍
Just on the topic of the z probe, I also made a manual probe with a LED light, a couple aligator clips, a 9V battery, a 1K Ohm resistor and a L shaped metal bracket. I've been using it to help me set the spindle for the x and y axis for the stock I engrave/cut.
This is so incredibly helpful! I’m going through all your 3018 videos right now and you’ve saved me HOURS of work. Thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Incredibly helpful video. I was definitely not understanding how to use the clamps that came with my Sainsmart at all! Lots of great info here, thanks!
Your videos are so helpful, and I very much dig the unagitated and friendly style that you present the information in! Thank you very much!
Getting a 3018 pro for Christmas, loving the guides and cant wait to get started
Brilliant - clear and concise tips that will really improve my machine and the work it produces...what a star
Glad it was helpful!
A great video. Just what I was looking for. The Richard Bland link is excellent.
Absolutely amazing videos. Extremely clear, concise, and highly educational.
Thank you very much 😁
i subscribe that!!!
Thanks for all your hard work , you make it easier to understand and now its not so daunting.
Just found your channel. Nicely done! I had no idea about the Graham Bland advice. Thanks so much!!! Already putting these settings to work on my 3018.
Finally a video that explain clearly and simple and not boring
As a quick thing to reduce noise early on I've found the foam sheets that come with the cnc machine make a good mat to drown out the noise if you strip the sides and just use the large flat backs.
Good knowledge James 👌 Some really useful tips in there, thank you! 👍
So I have the same machine and am 3D printing stop switch sensor holders for the X, Y, and Z. I don't know if anyone else will be interested, but I am building them to be as "low pro" as possible, and capable of still keeping as much off the original 300x180 as I can.
Great tips, and I will keep up with you a ton now. Thanks for all of this!
Thanks, just picked up one of these machines and have run some basic V-bit engravings using Easel. Really satisfying! Looking forward to doing more.
What a great site and always full of information I can use and presented professionally and logically. Thank you so much.
Thank you 👍
This was great, my machine arrives in a few days and I feel way more confident about achieving a good setup, thank you!
Good to hear 👍
Good video James.
Just what is needed for a newbie like myself
Excellent info on a rather incapable machine. You've brought things to my attention that I otherwise throw aside and chock up to the inferior build quality of these little things. While I look for more in depth resolutions in re-engineering the machine in it's entirety, you bring about ways of turning the inferiorities into working capabilities with much simpler and more economical solutions. Kudos!
Thank you so much I seriously couldn’t of built this- and got it to work without your tutorial 😄
Glad they helped
great video, thanks for sharing. I found that with my 3018 pro the steps per axis (in the grbl firmware I guess) had to be set to 800 steps to get millimeter accurate results. I just used a laser engraver to draw a ruler until it lined up with an actual ruler. Also, grow tents make good cheap and easy enclosures
Excellent advice, just looking at getting one of these so this will help fantastically
Thanks for taking the time to break things down!!
this has been the most helpful videos series i have seen thank you James
Glad its helped 👍
@@JamesDeanDesigns what is the dust sleeve called on thingiverse
Brilliant! My 3018 is together but before it goes to work I'm going to build the enclosure you've designed. This is a great channel, good work! Thanks for sharing, cheers from BC
Awesome, thank you!
Bearing Tip! Instead of epoxy, I have had success holding all my bearings in using electronic repair tape. B-7010 is extremely adhesive and thin. I wrapped the bearing with 2 strips of tape and pressed them in. No bearings have shifted since and you'll be able to get them out if they fail.
Thanks for the video and I'll be getting some aerosol dry lubricant. Great tips!
Not heard of that before but thanks for sharing
Great stuff as usual. Thanks fir sharing.
Happy 2024! Love your videos they’ve helped me so much so far!
Your videos are so helpful. Thanks for sharing.
I have just received this machine from amazon . Had a issue on y axis assembly every time I secured the hex bolts it did not slide. discovered the table (aluminum) was curved after much fiddling I have temporary packed with card of various thicknesses as don't have shims stock. Your video on the spoil plate and leveling was very helpful. When my friend who runs a industrial cnc mill get back from leave we will try straighten it. I have now run one of the sample files on the mill and my spindle I am glad to say has almost no vibration. Thanks for the tips as the manual for what it is does not mention maintenance. Although with my friends on it gets cleaned daily and has built in lub pump. I live where items like the tape are not that common so will hunt for alternatives. Thanks for the brilliant tips. (zim)
Glad it helped. Instead of blue tape, double sided tape or carpet tape is always an option
Double sided tape I can get. My wife uses for some art projects
Thank you! A really useful and informative guide - much appreciated!
Glad it helped :)
I don't have a CNC machine but I still watched the whole video, even considering getting one! Cheers!
You should do. They can be frustrating at times but also a lot of fun
James, thank you so much for this video. My machine delivers today, and I'm really looking forward to having something at home to tinker with, even if it's not quite the same as the bigger machines I've used in the past.
Regarding limit switches, I do think there is a way to avoid losing bed travel - simply attach an offset in each direction that doesn't interfere with the travel and use that to register on the limit switches. This would allow you to basically max out (maybe missing a mm or so on each side for "safety factor") the travel in each direction. Not having the machine in my possession yet, this may not be possible on every axis, but theoretically it should work, and it's how higher end machines I've used before are set up.
Hey! do you know where i can get limit switches for 3018 pro? I can't find them anywhere.
Nice video and very well explained. I actually reversed some of the bed clamps that attach the aluminium profile to the rails and gained around 40mm in X axis and 20mm. Ive been cutting aluminium and carbon fibre sheets for a while now. I however use rather expensive bits and use them in various forms. My 1300*900 should be here in jan ;)
Good morning James,
I agree entirely about the comment regarding the noise level between a spindle with a milled shaft vs a round shaft. There is a massive difference. I bought the Hanpose spindle with a solid shaft and 2 bearings, which I think makes the spindle run more smoothly.
Excellent content and the best I have seen on this clever little machine to date! Very many thanks. Btw, people of the world thats a Birmingham accent - a place in England famous for engineering excellence and where kids grow up naturally knowing how to make things and create loud music for some reason. Good to see a great tradition continuing.
Normally I step in here and say no, its a black country accent but I doubt anyone on UA-cam would really know the difference 😆
@@JamesDeanDesigns I'm 7500 miles away. That'll do
Skipped to the part about holding material to the bed. Drove straight to Screfix, picked up some CA glue and masking tape and it worked a charm. I now have a 300x200mm piece of material on the bed, fixed and sturdy with no clamps!
Excellent 👍
really enjoy your videos steve
Excellent video! I ordered my 3018 Pro and can't wait to get started and will be using your tips. I am looking to mill and cut/engrave acrylic along with wood and any information on feed rates etc will be most welcome from everyone.
Really helpful, thank you!
Okay. You win. Best 3018 videos out there.
Thank you 😁
Thanks for the tips I just bought 2 weeks ago, still in the curve. I like your waste board.
Thanks - Graham also made a guide for making the waste board. I've not shared it on here but can be found on that Facebook group I mentioned
A must watch video for first timers that bought a 3081-Pro
Thank you
Great content mate thanks
Thankyou so much very helpful, really appreciate you. I have bought one of these, as i want to go bigger, wanted to learn from small first.
I love your videos thanks for the info & taking the time to make a video for us, although i am at the stage where i am happyish with my machine and watched a lot of videos & read articles before parting with cash. I wish i came across your content before i purchased. As i am still learning an awful lot after only producing 3 different projects.
I kept messing about making little projects to keep learning. It took about 5 months before I actually made something useful that I sold. Just keep chipping away and you will get there
I have a tiny tip: Instead of furniture pads, I used a flat piece of the packing material my Sainsmart came in and was pretty shocked at how much quieter it got right away. Even so, I'm planning on working on a bolted down solution; my "workbench" situation is not currently ideal.
KOLIKO JE CEA
Thanks for the video. Ran into many of the same problems (bearings under table vibrating out of housing, etc.). Another tip you may offer is leveling the table. While not perfect, I was able to buy some 0.016" metal at my local hardware store and place a shim between the table and the bearing housing underneath. I was able to run a dial indicator across my table and had it within @ 0.010", but for someone without an indicator, you could take a small cut on MDF to see if it's cutting close to flat. Really appreciate your time and effort!
Thank you, thats great to hear
Good tips, thanks.
I added homing switches to my 3018 and had one of the cables vibrate out of the connector on the control board, I used hot glue to keep the connectors from coming loose again.
The homing switches did allow me to salvage an engraving I was working on, when it finished I realized I should have engraved deeper so I went back to Carbide Create changed the parameters to cut deeper and ran the code again, since the X and Y axis were based off the home position they retraced the original design perfectly.
They do have some useful benefits such as being able to return to the exact same spot
Great video !!
Awesome video very informative
I enjoyed that James, Thanks!
Where did you say get the calibration information at?
SWEET! Thanks. I've had my machine for a week. I think everything you offered solutions for was something I'd found irritating.
Its why I make these videos. These machines aren't perfect but when you understand then you can start to have some fun. Glad it helped
Brilliant! TY very much.
I recently purchased a CNC 3018 pro from eBay for under £100 from someone who obviously had never assembled it. It came with the woodpecker board and spiral wrap along with the offline controller. Just finished putting it together and hope to test it out tomorrow.
Nice tuto.Thank you so much
Good subject. Thanks from Orlando
Expecting to receive one for Christmas. Will be back to re watch & check out Brians information.... Thanks
Good tips thanks. For me limit switches are very useful for being able to “home’ the machine i.e. let it return to a known starting position in every axis before starting each job it’s a bit like having a a z-probe for all three axes.
At the time when starting out I never really needed them, but have to be honest, I use them all the time now.
Excellent tutorials
Thank you
nice to share tips and tricks that have been out there for years.....thanks
Thanks. Its the type of information begginers often need 👍
Helpful. Thanks.
Great tips, I just bought a 3018 pro used on ebay and I'm really looking forward to getting to know this machine before i move on to a larger unit. Thanks for the info
nice video, thanks for all ur doing.
Thank you 👍
Thanks, very helpful.
Glad its helped 👍
Lol it's nice to know I'm not the only UA-camr whose dog barks when I'm trying to make videos!
😆 yes. The amount of takes he has ruined is unbelievable
Very useful tips thanks..
Great video
Very informative and clear , nice ideas to start with. Thanks a lot James , any idea where to find Z probe guide bearing ,the one installed is short ,need longer one.
Really good videos I built one of these a few years ago but sad to say I havent figured out the Gcode yet although I use fusion 360 a lot. I am wanting to engrave some small lettering on to a plastic disk that used as an indicator of a vintage radio so I will probably ask your advice on that. Thanks for sharing regards Chris
I just picked one up - I think they watch your videos. Now included is a brush, wire looms, offline controller and improved spindle.
Thats good to know :)
RE Linear bearings. Instead of epoxy, screw thread lock compound works well and comes in different strengths so you can lock the bearing in place yet still remove it later.
I couldn’t get a 3080 because of scalpers so I just settled with the 3018. It’s pretty neat and I’m finally doing something that isn’t sitting on my computer
Good to hear 👍
Hi James - I've just bought a CNC3018 Pro for a learning project during the lockdown as an entry into CNC with a view to converting what I learn onto a small milling machine for model engineering purposes. I very much like your approach to explaining things. One of the problems that I have is finding an easy way to convert 2D drawings into G code. I've been trying out various converters such as Carbide Create, Candle and different hardware manipulation programs. Currently, I'm using CNC3D Commander for the hardware control. I've been teaching myself Fusion360 but I'm finding this hard going. I'm hoping things will eventually drop into place - it's just familiarisation and perseverance!
Thanks for sharing your activities - It's a valuable source of knowledge for us who are starting out.
Fusion is great but if its just 2D work then might be overkill as its extremely powerful. Most people start out with Easel or Carbide Create. Carveco is also getting more popular but that is paid for
Learning about a CNC from Michael Caine wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are lol 😊
thx mate alot useful info
Glad its helped
great video
Excellent advice. I'm getting the 3018 ProVer today. Looking forward to some fun
Same here! Lots to learn, I love it!
My 3018 just arrived today, I will use your series as a guide. Thanks!
That tip about pointing those clamps downward is super important.. was good of you to point out, it's a common mistake
I have been experimenting with the baking soda and water trick here is what I found - 1tbs to 1 cup warm water mix until disolved then apply 2 - 3 coats with brush let dry, I set power to 20% and speed 18000 on a 2.5w laser, results amazing much darker, and cleaner burn on wood.
Regarding vibration, I have my 3018 sitting on some scrap polystyrene from a flatpack... works well enough.
Hi James, just bought my first 3018, thanks so much for your videos, I really like your spoil/clamping base, do you have a template for it you would share?
Nice!!
Hi ! Thanx for your great video!
I ordered a 3018 pro (not arived yet) with offline controller. From your video I know its not recommended for z-probe profiles. I need it for for cutting pcb and with probe mask. So the question is: can I use the cnc without the offline controller to get my probe mask ?
Hey James. I have bought one of these since watching your videos. Love it. Sometimes my bolts on the X and Y work loose halfway through a job. Would you recommend Loctite Blue Threadlocker on those to keep them in place?
Yes. Its a fairly common problem. Couple of drops of blue loctite should do the trick 👍
Hi there. I just subscribed to your channel. The two cents of an old CNC user:
1. on the 3018, after all the "upgrades" you made, the remaining vibrations may come from the backlash in the screws (see Openbuilds' anti-backlash nuts), from the bearings (which are wear parts that needs to be replaced along the way. You may not have glued them in place. Shims may make the trick. Find today some replacement carriages as long as the 3018 is still produced. Just an advice.), from the plastic parts, and from the unsupported guides. So you can't eliminate all the vibrations.
2. the furniture pads keeps the vibrations inside the machine, this is not a good idea because you work on noise, not on vibrations that affects the cut quality. There's two ways to damp vibrations. First is mass, because vibration decreases through some dense and massive materials. Second, a trap where vibrations won't be able to propagate. You can fill the aluminum profiles with granite epoxy. Then you want to fix the machine on a heavy base, like a thick metal plate or a heavy concrete tile. You don't want any pad or rubber thing between the machine and its base plate or the vibrations won't propagate. Sand makes a good vibration trap. So you can fill a tray with at least 1" fine sand layer and land your machine and its base over the sand. You can also use the bottom of an enclosure as a tray.
3. dry lubricants works fine with lead-screws, but not as well for guides or ball-screws. The way you do on your guides don't brings any lubricant inside the bearings because there's a sealed joint that won't allow the lubricant to came in. Like any dust or debris by the way. You bring a small amount of lubricant on the guides which is wiped away by the bearings. You really want some lithium grease deep in the bearing balls paths. Pro tip: one linear bearing at a time, block one end with your finger. use a syringe to force lithium grease inside the bearings until the grease fills all the ball paths inside the bearings and squeeze out of the bearing. That's a necessary messy job. Once you bring the bearing over the guide, the excess grease is removed and a fair amount of grease stays in the bearing. That will lubricate the guides at each pass without building some grease outside. You want to do the same way for ball-screws nuts.
That's some great advice. Thank you very much. I've not even been doing this a year yet so any knowledge for people more experienced than myself is really appreciated.
@@JamesDeanDesigns We can notice that you are not that exerienced yet! And this is a perfect way to learn:) I was just about to comment something similar to Alex. Like Alex said, mass is one of the best and cheapest way of reducing vibrations, especially on a very light machine like this. But most importantly I beleve that you have to know what the machine is good for and its limitations, this is after all sold as an engraver not a router. Nice video, good luck!
@@styletokill very true. My first piece of advice to most people who ask is be realistic with expectations of this machine. With that being said it can do quite a bit once you understand it.
@@JamesDeanDesigns Yes. Dont buy the cheapest most generic chinesium endmills. Spend 10 bucks for the propper endmill for the job at hand, world of difference. They come with all the optimal parameters for running in a specific type of material, from that you could calculate what your machin should run at. A propper tool with the propper machine parameters puts very little stress and strain on the machine. You dont want to "grind" away the material, a propper chip is what you are looking for. Makes a world of diffrence.
For the noise and dust, I have built an enclosure with 10mm wood and 20mm insulation foam. Reduces the noise in half.
Enclosures make a big difference
Thanks for the vids James, would you happen to have a video on your spoilboard?
I dont but if you head over to the Sainsmart group on Facebook, in there files section you will find the tutorial from Graham Blad on how to make it
Could you please tell me the size of the coach bolt you recommend?
Thank you so much for this amazing video!
Thank you for this video. Can you tell us where to find resources on adding that extra code you mentioned you didn't want to get into? I bought an offline controller, but I really need to do that Z-axis mapping. I'm not sure how to do it with the controller.
Thanks for a brilliant video. Just set up my 3018 Pro and am reading as much as I can and watching your (and others) videos. One thing that baffles me slightly as I’m only at the very beginning with Gcode is how would you let your machine know to make a rough cut and then stop for a change to a finer tool. Please excuse my ignorance if it’s obvious but a push in the right direction would be much appropriated. Thanks.
3m tape works also for securing material
Hi James, love the videos and they have really helped me dial in my 3018 this week. One thing I'd love to do is make a wasteboard like your with the cuts to allow the mounting clamps. Any chance of a tutorial on how you made yours?
It is on my list but will be a few weeks before I get around to doing it. If you want to do it before hand, you can join the Sainsmart user group on Facebook and in the files section there will be something called introduction to making s spoilboard by Graham Bland 👍
@@JamesDeanDesigns thanks, I joined that group a few days ago. I'll take a look. I think my next thing after that will be to build an enclosure, i think in one of your videos I watched today you mentioned the plans for the one you have. Thanks again for the videos.
I really like your videos on the 3018 Pro! Very helpful and educational! Is the stl file for the 3D variant for vacuum hose available somewhere?
You can reach out to the guy that makes them and ask but as he sells these, I suspect he doesn't give the file out unfortunately 😕
Thanks for all the content dude. It really helped with setting up my new 3018 Pro. Don't suppose you have plans for your spoil board? I had a look at Grahams docs you shared, he mentions it but I can't find any plans. I'd rather not doing too much until I have one installed.
Join the Facebook group below and check out the files section. In there you will find a guide call "introduction to making a spoilboard" or something very similar. That will be the one by Graham 👍