Woooow , well done ,enjoyed watching the video , thank you , I'm 72 years old living on my own , just getting to grips with a 3018 cnc machine in time to get me through another winter , I'm in ore of your knowledge and ability with technology , I have just built the 3018 pro on my kitchen table and produced my first cutting using Easel , I was really chuffed with myself but when I watch yourself and others do amazing things I realise " I know nothing 👏👏👏👍
I bought the same Z-axis, and also opted to make new gantry legs from wood. I used 1/2" maple plywood, and also had to overcome the same challenges with mount stability. I had really great results with a much simpler solution. Will happily share, for anyone interested... I modeled the bases to half the length of the Y-axis, spacing the 6 M5 bolts evenly. But the face mating to the AL extrusions, I milled a 40mm high slot, 2mm deep. The resulting ledge provided a very convenient method for squaring the legs to the assembly. But the 2mm depth also made the upper portion of the leg protrude into the X-axis by the same amount. That gave me the ability to mill 2mm-deep pockets for the gantry AL extrusions, as well as the linear shafts. The pockets for the linear shafts, I deducted 0.002" from the diameter to make those a press fit. That 2mm strategy for recesses and pockets proved to stabilize the completed assembly to satisfaction, and prevented the bolts from wallowing their bores through the wood. Currently, I have 12mm shafts on order; to replace the factory 10mm. Once those arrive, I'll make yet a second pair of gantry legs. I think this time, I will switch from plywood to solid board. Because the glue in the plywood laminations seem to make the material a bit brittle and difficult to reuse.
Just in the middle of watching your video. Impressive fusion modelling and execution. Really enjoyable video. I have a 3018 myself but not made any content on it. Great work sir.
That's a great set of mods. I have done similar, but expanded the cutting bed at the same time. And I used supported rails below the bed too. Now - that spindle motor. It's doing what mine did - vibrating like mad. That is all about the "fan" on top. That is a rather iffy moulding and it's as unbalanced as anything. If you take it off and run the motor up you can see how it should be. You can possibly make the central mounting hole a bit bigger and eyeball it to run centrally. Finally the anti-backlash nuts. They work very nicely when there is no load on them. But as soon as you start cutting the springs are nothing like strong enough to contain the backlash. I'm going to suggest you design your own split nut which allows you to take the backlash out with a rigid screw rather than a spring. Good luck with this!
I have a CNC est. 3040. I had a lot of hurdles to get over when I first got it about a year ago. But I did get it all dialed in. And it is really nice for my small projects. Amazed at how accurate it is. Using Mach 3, and Cambam. Been having fun watching your updates. My next machine is going to be a OneFinity X50 Journeyman. Have fun Matt. p.s. I found this reducing collet insert from a woodworking company. I can use all my Dad's old dental bits. Allows me to make some super small accurate cuts. Peace out.
I've put HGR20 rails on my X axis directly mounted to the existing 2020 extrusion. I've 3D printed a new Z axis to take the existing motion hardware and motor, and currently working on a design to take an aluminium bracket for a larger 500W one. The biggest pain I had was the leadscrew nut, any misalignment and the leadscrew binds. Also I believe you can take a lot of vibration out of those spindle motors by balancing the fan. There are some videos about how to do it.
Sounds great. I have a video on balancing the motor on my channel. I'm jus working on a video looking at the lead screw and nuts especially for back lash which might be of interest. Should be available later this week
The x and z gantry proportions of the 3018 can’t handle the vibrations of spindle motors above 20W imho. Upgrading to a 500w would break a lot of bits eventually. In my experience, have to separate the x rails at least 200mm and the z rails at least by 100mm to address the vibrations/play at the tip of the bits satisfactorily even for the bundled 200w spindle. To anyone contemplating of redesigning their 3018 gantries, I would really advise/recommend on considering on those in their design.
That looks like a great set of mod. Thanks for sharing. I am in the middle of doing exactly the same, and I am busy doing the CAD work. Would you be so kind as to sharing your Fusion360 design?
Just found your channel! With the original spindle, did you try a separate power supply? My Genmitsu stalled out quite easily when I ran the spindle from the board but after I switched it to a dedicated controller it almost never stalls, it has more torque, and my V and A readouts help me judge how hard to push the machine, especially with unfamiliar materials. I wish I had a tachometer on it, though, so maybe that’s my next upgrade.
nice mod! It seems there is too much vibration on the spindle, I've read that the fan at the top is not very balanced so I advise you better check it. I'm using a proxxon router as the spindle and I'm very happy with it, not very noisy and very low runout.
Hi, what modual are you using for the RPM sensor and are you running the code for the display all on the machines controller board, or do you have another micro controller running that?
Hi, I'm in the process of putting another video together for this. It is run separately and can be hand held or mounted permanently using an infrared proximity sensor as the pick up
You have a nice channel. i enjoyed the videos and i like the upgrades you have made. I am also considering buying a 3018 cnc to mill aluminum with it and for that I would also have to make the necessary upgrades. What I hate most about xie is installing grbl to my computer, I don't think I'm a star at that. Kind regards Dennis
I can't imagine that PLA Z Bearing mount will last too long with all the heat and vibration happening? Did you have problems with it? The good news I would imagine is that you can machine a new one out of Aluminum with your super cool machine :)
Hello, friend. Have you tried to install four 10mm box sliders behind this metal Z-axis and then you can apply it directly to the 3018pro. That seems to be quicker.😃
Yes, that was my first trial. The problem was the weight of the z axis plus the motor actually flexes the original 3018 X rails which is worst in the centre so in the centre the motor is no longer at 90 degrees to the bed and is also around 1mm lower in the centre versus the sides
Bought this z axis kit but I has some wiggle between the linear guides and the aluminum plates can someone indicate a glue, an epoxi resin or an idea to make it more stiff?
Super Video,ich möchte mir auch eine cnc Fräse bauen ähnlich wie die 3018 cnc,bitte eine Frage was Brauche ich für Trapezgewindestange und Linearschiene,Bitte um Hilfe Mfg:Anna
Hello great video! Would you please give me the link of the rpm count electrinics that you have? Whit the little screen to. Been looking for simething like that for ages, please send me that link. Cheers
I have seen a lot of spindle upgrades for the 3018. But, I don't know what the difference is from a 300W, 500W, and your 800W. I know the answer will eventually come down to use case, but what confuses me is some of the spindles are similar priced so I don't really know how to pick which upgrade. I am new to machining and I do a bit of robotics, so I would like to cut aluminum and PCBs.
Think of it as the high wattage the more torque or turning power the spindle has. With more torque though you also need more strength in your machine if you want to make use of the higher torque. Higher power doesn't always translate to higher feedrates. In the case of the 3018 then 300w is more than enough for most applications
@@Wallworkshop ok, would the correct be to ask "how much wattage are you pulling from the power supply when cutting x". X in this cause would be aluminum. Have you measured how much wattage the thing pulls? How safe is it electrical speaking? I watched another video about a 500W spindle and the guy claimed he wasn't getting 500W's on Max. ua-cam.com/video/lqOe9Z4gyFM/v-deo.html In another video they used the 800W motor but had to dail it down to something like a 500W spindle. ua-cam.com/video/RittTNl2lKg/v-deo.html Sorry for rambling on and on. I just don't really know which one to get.
Woooow , well done ,enjoyed watching the video , thank you , I'm 72 years old living on my own , just getting to grips with a 3018 cnc machine in time to get me through another winter , I'm in ore of your knowledge and ability with technology , I have just built the 3018 pro on my kitchen table and produced my first cutting using Easel , I was really chuffed with myself but when I watch yourself and others do amazing things I realise " I know nothing 👏👏👏👍
I bought the same Z-axis, and also opted to make new gantry legs from wood.
I used 1/2" maple plywood, and also had to overcome the same challenges with mount stability. I had really great results with a much simpler solution. Will happily share, for anyone interested...
I modeled the bases to half the length of the Y-axis, spacing the 6 M5 bolts evenly. But the face mating to the AL extrusions, I milled a 40mm high slot, 2mm deep. The resulting ledge provided a very convenient method for squaring the legs to the assembly.
But the 2mm depth also made the upper portion of the leg protrude into the X-axis by the same amount. That gave me the ability to mill 2mm-deep pockets for the gantry AL extrusions, as well as the linear shafts. The pockets for the linear shafts, I deducted 0.002" from the diameter to make those a press fit.
That 2mm strategy for recesses and pockets proved to stabilize the completed assembly to satisfaction, and prevented the bolts from wallowing their bores through the wood.
Currently, I have 12mm shafts on order; to replace the factory 10mm. Once those arrive, I'll make yet a second pair of gantry legs. I think this time, I will switch from plywood to solid board. Because the glue in the plywood laminations seem to make the material a bit brittle and difficult to reuse.
Just in the middle of watching your video. Impressive fusion modelling and execution. Really enjoyable video. I have a 3018 myself but not made any content on it. Great work sir.
That's a great set of mods. I have done similar, but expanded the cutting bed at the same time. And I used supported rails below the bed too. Now - that spindle motor. It's doing what mine did - vibrating like mad. That is all about the "fan" on top. That is a rather iffy moulding and it's as unbalanced as anything. If you take it off and run the motor up you can see how it should be. You can possibly make the central mounting hole a bit bigger and eyeball it to run centrally. Finally the anti-backlash nuts. They work very nicely when there is no load on them. But as soon as you start cutting the springs are nothing like strong enough to contain the backlash. I'm going to suggest you design your own split nut which allows you to take the backlash out with a rigid screw rather than a spring. Good luck with this!
The plastin fan on top of the motor is terrible and is what causes the vibration. I've since balanced it and it's now great
@crypto Maniac here is the video I did on balancing this motor ua-cam.com/video/ZsAEgR7S2tE/v-deo.html
I have a CNC est. 3040. I had a lot of hurdles to get over when I first got it about a year ago. But I did get it all dialed in. And it is really nice for my small projects. Amazed at how accurate it is. Using Mach 3, and Cambam. Been having fun watching your updates. My next machine is going to be a OneFinity X50 Journeyman. Have fun Matt. p.s. I found this reducing collet insert from a woodworking company. I can use all my Dad's old dental bits. Allows me to make some super small accurate cuts. Peace out.
Thanks I had forgotten about those tiny tools. Will be making air power spindle to use them.
Great explanation on what’s going on. Nice work.
I've put HGR20 rails on my X axis directly mounted to the existing 2020 extrusion. I've 3D printed a new Z axis to take the existing motion hardware and motor, and currently working on a design to take an aluminium bracket for a larger 500W one. The biggest pain I had was the leadscrew nut, any misalignment and the leadscrew binds. Also I believe you can take a lot of vibration out of those spindle motors by balancing the fan. There are some videos about how to do it.
Sounds great. I have a video on balancing the motor on my channel. I'm jus working on a video looking at the lead screw and nuts especially for back lash which might be of interest. Should be available later this week
Great Job there buddy 👍tho i would have rebuild the whole machine with that spindle motor cuz only with Y axis u get the whole new machine lol
Thanks and we are thinking alike. Here is the video of me doing exactly that ua-cam.com/video/r4yWy8BjRDQ/v-deo.htmlsi=r2Lc7q4Obw47ZldL
Going to solve the same problem. Thank you for helping!
Nice solid build thanks
The x and z gantry proportions of the 3018 can’t handle the vibrations of spindle motors above 20W imho. Upgrading to a 500w would break a lot of bits eventually. In my experience, have to separate the x rails at least 200mm and the z rails at least by 100mm to address the vibrations/play at the tip of the bits satisfactorily even for the bundled 200w spindle. To anyone contemplating of redesigning their 3018 gantries, I would really advise/recommend on considering on those in their design.
Hey Matt! Please do a video about making a proper dust shoe for the 3018 out of plywood. I would really appreciate it 🙏
That looks like a great set of mod. Thanks for sharing. I am in the middle of doing exactly the same, and I am busy doing the CAD work. Would you be so kind as to sharing your Fusion360 design?
i hope you replaced that spindle fan by now , those are out of balance like crazy.. (and dont do much for cooling)
I have another video showing how to balance the crappy fan on the top. Yeah, they're terrible
well with that6 accent hell be machining himself some oatcakes
Maybe grating the cheese 🤣
Just found your channel! With the original spindle, did you try a separate power supply? My Genmitsu stalled out quite easily when I ran the spindle from the board but after I switched it to a dedicated controller it almost never stalls, it has more torque, and my V and A readouts help me judge how hard to push the machine, especially with unfamiliar materials. I wish I had a tachometer on it, though, so maybe that’s my next upgrade.
nice mod! It seems there is too much vibration on the spindle, I've read that the fan at the top is not very balanced so I advise you better check it. I'm using a proxxon router as the spindle and I'm very happy with it, not very noisy and very low runout.
Yes lots of vibration from the fan. I've since balanced the fan and the vibration has now disappeared and is very quiet
Hi, Thanks for a great video,Please can you give a link to the rev counter
where are the cuts? we want to see the cuts and feeds!!
It's a good point. As I've already modified it again I'll do something on the new version
Hi, what modual are you using for the RPM sensor and are you running the code for the display all on the machines controller board, or do you have another micro controller running that?
Hi, I'm in the process of putting another video together for this. It is run separately and can be hand held or mounted permanently using an infrared proximity sensor as the pick up
@@Wallworkshop I better subscribe then! :)
awesome design and explanation, thank you. But can you share the designs you made? otherwise it's not possible to make this from scrap?
You have a nice channel. i enjoyed the videos and i like the upgrades you have made. I am also considering buying a 3018 cnc to mill aluminum with it and for that I would also have to make the necessary upgrades. What I hate most about xie is installing grbl to my computer, I don't think I'm a star at that. Kind regards Dennis
I can't imagine that PLA Z Bearing mount will last too long with all the heat and vibration happening? Did you have problems with it? The good news I would imagine is that you can machine a new one out of Aluminum with your super cool machine :)
It's actually in PETG which is alot better than PLA for this application. It's been absolutely great, no issues so far
Hello, friend. Have you tried to install four 10mm box sliders behind this metal Z-axis and then you can apply it directly to the 3018pro. That seems to be quicker.😃
Yes, that was my first trial. The problem was the weight of the z axis plus the motor actually flexes the original 3018 X rails which is worst in the centre so in the centre the motor is no longer at 90 degrees to the bed and is also around 1mm lower in the centre versus the sides
Great video. Will you be sharing how built the speed indicator. Also how did you balance the fan blade?
I'll put something together on both those subjects over the next few weeks
Bought this z axis kit but I has some wiggle between the linear guides and the aluminum plates can someone indicate a glue, an epoxi resin or an idea to make it more stiff?
Super Video,ich möchte mir auch eine cnc Fräse bauen ähnlich wie die 3018 cnc,bitte eine Frage was Brauche ich für Trapezgewindestange und Linearschiene,Bitte um Hilfe
Mfg:Anna
Hello great video! Would you please give me the link of the rpm count electrinics that you have? Whit the little screen to. Been looking for simething like that for ages, please send me that link. Cheers
Привет. Мне очень понравилось ваша Модернизация. Можете выставить чертежи для резки фанеры?
I have seen a lot of spindle upgrades for the 3018. But, I don't know what the difference is from a 300W, 500W, and your 800W. I know the answer will eventually come down to use case, but what confuses me is some of the spindles are similar priced so I don't really know how to pick which upgrade. I am new to machining and I do a bit of robotics, so I would like to cut aluminum and PCBs.
Think of it as the high wattage the more torque or turning power the spindle has. With more torque though you also need more strength in your machine if you want to make use of the higher torque. Higher power doesn't always translate to higher feedrates. In the case of the 3018 then 300w is more than enough for most applications
@@Wallworkshop ok, would the correct be to ask "how much wattage are you pulling from the power supply when cutting x". X in this cause would be aluminum. Have you measured how much wattage the thing pulls? How safe is it electrical speaking?
I watched another video about a 500W spindle and the guy claimed he wasn't getting 500W's on Max.
ua-cam.com/video/lqOe9Z4gyFM/v-deo.html
In another video they used the 800W motor but had to dail it down to something like a 500W spindle.
ua-cam.com/video/RittTNl2lKg/v-deo.html
Sorry for rambling on and on. I just don't really know which one to get.
Vc tem o projeto desta máquina
Yes, the CAD file is in the description
That spindle sounded terrible massive vibration. Honestly I think I would’ve just started with a much better CNC.. but we all live and learn.
It's now been balanced and sounds alot better. Dodgy plastic fans that are fitted to them. I have another video where I balanced it
Can you link to the 3d printed z axis that has the extra bearing mounts?
Yes will do
What is the size of the stepper motor.
Still using nema 17 motors here
How u do the speed control LCD.thanks
On the second secreen there is a feed and spindle speed increase and decrease options
does it work for 3d brass stamps ???
I would say so as it cuts aluminium ok
AH YES NICE VIBRATIONS!!! AHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
WOOD CNC? REALLY? STOP KIDDING ME! AND BLACKLISTED!