Hobby Cnc Router kit
Getting started with Cnc machining can be expensive. The mill or router isn’t the only piece of equipment you will need and there is a steep learning curve if you have no previous experience.
Well, good news, if you want to learn the basics on a budget the 3018 cnc pro is ridiculously inexpensive and can be the perfect choice to practice on and give you that jump start in your new hobby.
[amazon table=”3389″]
The machine I bought to review is the Genmitsu cnc 3018 pro sold on Amazon. (First row, above)
The 3018 pro is a Chinese made kit that is produced under different manufacturing names, but they all appear to originate from the same factory.
It is sold as an ‘engraving machine’, which is sort of like a disclaimer because it is not a particularly capable machine, don’t expect to be machining any type of metal with it.
But I would consider it to be a small cnc router for woodworking and general craft projects like my ER Collet racks.
A small box of engraving ‘bits’ are included that have a 20 degree inclusive angle, which are totally useless for anything other than engraving lettering.
These types of cutters are not designed for conventional machining operations. So before I even begin this review I will advise that if you buy this machine you will need some better tooling.
This set, shown below, from the same company, Genmitsu, would be perfect to get started with, they have the same shank diameter as the provided ER collet.
These types of cutter are designed for milling wood, which is what this machine should be used for.
[amazon box=”B07P7LGQJ6″ price=”hide”]
Another useful accessory is this low profile vise, designed specifically for these types of machine.
[amazon box=”B08C26KVD3″ price=”hide”]
Unboxing the 3018 Pro Cnc Router
The box it gets delivered in (which is inside the Amazon box) is surprisingly compact. It measures approx 17” X 9” X 8”.
The contents are well packed in soft foam that is shaped to fit the components.
The first parts I pulled out were these two small stepper motors. There is a third stepper motor already mounted on the spindle assembly.
Here is the spindle mount assembly. It is constructed from a hard plastic, possibly ABS.
I had read other reviews that suggested the plastic parts on these machines were 3D printed, but these were made in a plastic injection mold tool. The ejector pin marks are clearly visible.
The spindle motor comes with an ER11 collet extension already attached, complete with a 1/8″ ER11 Collet.
There is a 24V power supply, which looks very similar to a laptop power brick.
The control board comes mounted inside a clear protective case with a built in cooling fan.
There is also an ‘offline controller’ supplied that can be used to manually move the machine for setting up your datum positions. Programs can also be ran from this using the supplied micro USB card.
This controller can be used to operate the machine without a computer connected to it. In fact you are not supposed to connect both the controller and the PC at the same time.
There are a couple of packs of hardware included, one with the screws to build the machine and another pack with clamps for work holding.
Some green safety glasses are provided as well as a USB drive and a small box of engraving tools. The glasses are green to protect your eyes from the laser, if you add one. (Laser Module Review here.) (laserGRBL software tutorial here)
There are a set of four ‘Y axis sliders’ which bolt to the underneath of the table and a ‘Y axis nut seat’. These are also made from injection molded plastic.
These sliders have to be the most disappointing parts in the kit. The base of each part is badly warped and one has lumps on it that need removing so that it can be mounted properly.
The injection mold tool used to make these parts was clearly damaged and poorly made. The warping is probably due to the mold not being cooled properly during use.
There is a bag of cables for the stepper motors and the spindle, and some small zip ties.
Next out of the box is the mill table. It is made from an aluminum extrusion and appears to be of good quality. This was covered in a protective film.
Next out of the box are the structural components of the mill. These consist of aluminum extrusions for the sides and vertical cross braces.
Although the aluminum extrusions are of good quality they are shipped full of chips from being drilled and tapped. These all need cleaning out, especially from the threads so they don’t get damaged when you assemble them.
The remaining structural components are made from Bakelite. These parts are for the front and back of the base structure and the vertical sides that support the spindle assembly.
These are the two leadscrews and the ground bars that the table and spindle travel on. These all appear to be very good quality.
You will also receive a small manual, which is as short as possible and includes the word ‘Ubiety’ !
3018 Cnc Assembly
Step 1
The construction of this machine is very straightforward, there are a few areas to be careful with, which I will point out when needed.
For step 1 you need to clean the chips from the ends of the extrusions and remove the lump(s) from the base of the ‘Y axis sliders’.
There is some flash on the moldings that need removing as well. The emphasis here is to make them sit flat on the bottom of the machine table.
I did not do anything about the warping on the base of these parts, when they are clamped to the machine table they flatten out.
Step 2
Step 2 consists of adding the Y axis leadscrew and the machine table. There is an extra ‘copper nut’ to add to the Y axis nut seat, this is added along with a spring.
The spring adds pressure between the two nuts pushing them against the leadscrew threads to prevent the table from rattling.
When clamping the Y axis sliders to the base of the machine table, it is a good idea to set the table square to the frame.
I did this by sliding the table forward and trapping two 1-2-3 blocks between the table and the frame. Then tightening the bolts to lock the table to the sliders.
Step 3
Step 3 consists of adding the first Bakelite vertical support. The support is positioned 46.5mm from the inside of the back frame.
This dimension is not critical but when you add the second support it needs to be the same distance.
If you don’t have any measuring calipers to match the two distances you can find something to hold between the frame and support.
A small wooden dowel cut to length could be used, just set it in the groove of the extrusion and push the support against it while the bolts are tightened. Then repeat with the same dowel on the other side.
Step 4
In step 4 you need to add the cross supports and ‘slide rods’ to the vertical support. I didn’t finish tightening the bolts until the other vertical support was added.
The leadscrew can be threaded in after the second vertical support is added. This can be added in step 5.
Step 5
In this step you add the second vertical support. It is important to position this the same distance away from the rear cross member as the other side. Use calipers or a short dowel as mentioned earlier.
When these are tight, the support bars the spindle slides on can be tightened.
I tightened the right hand bolts with the spindle assembly moved over to the right. This ensures that the bars are set at the correct distance apart.
This was repeated on the left side by sliding the spindle assembly to the left before tightening the left side bolts.
Then the X axis leadscrew can be added and the stepper motor can be bolted to the vertical support.
Step 6 and Step 7
Step 6 is just sliding the spindle motor into the Z axis assembly. The bolt needs loosening off and the molding needs prying apart. The motor is reassuringly tight in the assembly, even with the bolt loose.
Step 7 consists of bolting the control board to the back of the horizontal cross braces.
The last step of the build is to attach the cables from the control board to the stepper motors and spindle motor. The manual shows a picture of the board and where each connection is located.
The X axis stepper motor is mounted on the vertical support, the Y axis motor is mounted at the back moving the table.
