Cutting Aluminum Molds on my 3018 Pro CNC Machine.

[@shewmonohoto]

one of the most informative vids I have ever seen on creating gcode for the 3018. Thanks!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@AndrewAkaHrun]

Impressive results for such a small machine. I have one to cut plywood for my new project. After tuning the parameters it can really perform even with default spindle. More power is definitely a must to cut aluminum. You can save a few manual moves if you use clearance parameter being above the actual sample height even if your virtual stock setting is below. In this case the bit won’t drag the stock when moving from the edge to the center. Thank man and good luck!

[@kesor6]

This was amazing, so detailed and easy to understand. Thank you very much. Please continue, the length of videos is not an issue.

[@sti302man]

That speaker box enclosure was brilliant!!!!!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you!

[@sallenart]

I also come from a game development/3D background, and im using the 3018 along with MoI (Moment of Inspiration) CAD software. Its super easy to use and comes from the developer of Rhino. I use Easel to control the 3018. Glad to see it is possible to cut aluminium. I have an upgraded 500W spindle, but also the upgrades for a Makita ready to go.

[@sallenart]

This is the most comprehensive breakdown of the CNC process ive seen so far. Thank you!

[@CigerPro]

Probably the most helpful KZbin video I've ever seen! Thanks!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you!

[@Jaloja]

Its what you don't know, think you know but don't or a tiny detail that builds the learning curve. I can tell you have worked hard at making this look easy. :)

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you! I just like to learn myself and if I figure something out it never hurts to share that.

[@d.jeffdionne]

I'm impressed with how clean a design the injection molding machine is, the drill press stand is a brilliant idea. I'd use it for short production of enclosures, think USB keys or little JTAG probe bodies... I wonder if you've tried and know if the injection pressure is high enough for things like tall boss features or thin (0.5mm) internal ribs?

[@MrGarethGreen]

When i started, all i wanted to know was if the 3018-PRO could mill aluminium.... short answer is yes... but once I started watching, I was hooked! What an informative and exciting (for me) video. Liked and subscribed and am sure to use this tutorial as a reference in the future! Thank you.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hey Thanks! Glad you liked it. I have slightly altered my process on how I cut aluminum on the machine. I had found that even at the slow feed rate speeds I was using I was still getting a fair amount of chatter when the bit moved in certain directions and it took forever. Well by adjusting one setting I was able to not only reduce the chatter but increase the speeds by by 4- 5 times. It all has to do with the step over number I was using. By default in CAMBAM the step over is set to .4. This means the tool will move over 40% of the tool diameter on the next pass. Essentially I have found that with these cheaper machines and aluminum it’s cutting too much into the material for a smooth pass. By dropping the step over to .2 I was not only able to increase the feed rate speed to 400-500 but was able to increase the depth increment to .2 instead of .1. This is especially helpful on some larger jobs that would have taken hours at the old settings. Thanks again for watching and the kind words!

[@Lmemnsr]

Thank you for this video. I'm completely new to this and I was having an issue where my z axis kept dropping when the motor is on unless I start the job. Very helpful!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

You're welcome!

[@mestevep12]

Excellent video. I am amazed that the 500 watt spindle can do this...

[@ohmedarick1]

Thank you for your time and effort to explain the process. Learned a ton.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@3dbatman126]

Hi, This has inspired me to try. What are the tools you use? What type of aluminum? Feedrate and cutting depth? I know it will be different for each type of machine setup but I just need to get some idea as starting point. Thank you so much,

[@arturslab7102]

Great video. Thanks for sharing so much good info. Some cam programs have "safe z distance" feature. Spindle will be raised to that height before moving in x or y direction. This could be used when you cut below material surface to make sure you dont drag into your material after tool change. If you offset your z to 1mm below surface just set safe z to 1.5mm and you'll be moving 0.5mm above material.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

CAMBAM may also have this feature as well. I believe it’s call clearance or something like that. The only issue is that it would mean that between every line cut pass the tool would raise to that full high before it goes to the next pass. Not a huge issue but depending on your plunge feed rate you could be adding lots of time to your cut.

[@supergiantbubbles]

Great video. I had no idea that machining was so different than 3d printing as far as setting things up.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Coming from 3D Printing myself it was a little bit of a learning curve but not too bad. Plenty of helpful tutorials and facebook groups to learn from.

[@Duraltia]

Not sure how to tackle this... Let's just say the fact that I'm writing this after watching this video is a miracle in itself. If Fusion 360 is like one of those videos where you see a company like HAAS, Tormach, Datron, etc... show how their machinery / tools go through material like butter with the sound of Angels in the background humming then the software shown in this video is like one of those Indian / Philipine DIY videos where some dude with an angle grinder will build a RC car out of PET bottles, nails, and the motor of a broken-down HDD - It works... But it ain't gonna be pretty - at all. I kinda ( like really just _kinda_ ) get his reason for using the software he's familiar with to do the things he wants but holy shit man... If you have experience with neither program, Maya or F360 and you want to do ANYTHING CNC related for the sake of what is holy to you choose F360 - Heck... Even if you're more familiar with Maya than F360 I'd still beg you to learn F360 instead to do anything in 3D that is dimensionally critical - Which 3D Printing and CNC Milling will be for like 95% with the rare exception being Figures you got off Thingiverse. Once you get yourself ever so slightly familiar with F360 and the UI everything will make sense where it is and what it does as most of the UI has PopUp explanations you can trigger by hovering over them explaining the situation - What I just saw looks, to me, like a giant mess 😑 Lars Christensen on KZbin has EXCELLENT F360 Tutorial Videos that will get you up and running in no time and he has topics for like literally ANYTHING you'd need as a beginner and immediate Parametric CAD Modeller - Just have a look at them to get an idea how different in capability ( and kinda easier of use once familiar ) F360 is to this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2bFlGyZaLhkaMk I also cannot underestimate the use of a 6-DoF 3D Workspace Manipulator like one of the 3DConnexion SpaceMouse devices: 3dconnexion.com/us/spacemouse/ - It'll be like using a Steering Wheel in a Racing Game or a Joystick in a Flight Simulation instead of a Keyboard / Mice combo - Pure productivity gamechanger.

[@nemesis851_]

What is the capacity of each injection shot, and could we press 2-3 times to fill the mold without visible separation lines? Also with multiple pressings would the product be weaker on the pressing lines ?

[@seanmcdonald656]

Fantastic video. Really gladly how much depth you go into.

[@shtfshow8561]

Excellent work! I was surprised not much flashing as I noticed you didn't talk about surfacing the facing parts of the mold... But then again, we are not talking high injection pressures either... Keep up the great work. Keep us posted.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

To be honest I have tried surfacing the part but I found that a decent sanding of the surface is good enough in most cases. These are not precision blocks but they are pretty flat to start off with.

[@MattJonesYT]

The acoustical foam inside the enclosure does not provide sound proofing. Foam is for reducing echos but it does not reduce transmission. It is just a potential fire hazard when used in an enclosure like that.

[@maramilitia]

And here's me having converted my 3018 pro into a 3d printer because 3d printing would be cheaper than injection molding... You've given me a lot to think about.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Happy to help? :)

[@EgonSorensen]

- make it modular, so it easily takes both the 3D printing hotend, drill/mill - and laser?

[@maramilitia]

@@EgonSorensen it was modular until recently when i added another hotend to double production. Now that buster has made injection molding viable, the machine could go back to multi use.

[@leec2106]

Thank you very much. This is one of the many reasons I bought my 3018 mill. I just need to search for the injection setup, or build one.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

You are welcome. There are a many options out there for injection molding. You can find my build here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqC2h4N-i6qGn6c

[@athomasbeck]

Hey just found your channel today, great videos so far and you've definitely put building your injection molding machine on my list. I've been looking into doing this for the past year or so on a smaller budget and your info is the first I've found that has so much detail. Thanks a bunch. Also, I noticed your enclosure for your 3018. how is that with reducing the sound? Any issues with dust on the foam? Not sure if you use it with wood or exclusively aluminum.

[@athomasbeck]

Woops, just noticed your video about the enclosure. Off to watch it now

[@TheCNCDen]

There aren't enough videos on CamBam, for it's price it's one of the best packages for CNC on the market, nice to see someone else explaining it, albeit not the intent of the video. Glad I stumbled over it.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you. Yeah I really like CAMBAM. I wish they would update it to add a few more features but it still works ok.

[@TheCNCDen]

@@BusterBeagle3D It's stuffed with features, as capable as any other package, and the plugins are amazing too, what it doesn't have is the GUI that many other do, personally I don't mind. Also missing is lots of videos on how to use it, yours has probable explained 3d modelling the best. As and when I have a go at that, I'll watch this video again.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@TheCNCDen I actually prefer the UI of CAMBAM. I think what is missing for me would be the adaptive /Trochodial clearing that you can do in Fusion 360 and some of the others. I just haven't seen anything like that with CAMBAM.

[@TheCNCDen]

@@BusterBeagle3D You'll be plesased to here is a plugin for that. If you've not yet had chance to browse that secion it's worth poking around. They are all free too.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@TheCNCDen Interesting, I didn't know that existed, I'll have to take a look, thanks!

[@enricoenry9502]

Very good and usefull. Thank you. The only One thing Is that the 3018 gas not the original motor.

[@SaitoGray]

I can't believe that machine can do aluminium. Time to buy a 500W spindle and give it a try. Thanks !

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Just remember to take it slow but you can do it!

[@adrianharrison5208]

I have to go back and watch this again as there is alot of info in this video.. great vid pleause keep them coming

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you, I know there was a lot in there as I was trying to be very thorough. As long as you guys keep watching I'll try to keep making them.

[@adrianharrison5208]

@@BusterBeagle3D yes I will keep watching, I will be looking up that universal g code sender for sure

[@RafaelCeballo]

Great video, I wonder if it's possible to get a smooth finish on the molds using this machine. They seem to have some texture, which wouldn't work for my application. Thanks !

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It depends on how many passes you are willing to have. I like to sand the molds afterwards that has allowed me to get some pretty smooth molds.

[@rayst.2934]

I would also like to build a box to keep swarf from flying everywhere that's a neat idea. I would like to build one around my bench top milling machine too.

[@1jmatto]

This is a great video-very informative and inspiring for tinkering with aluminum molds. What grade of aluminum would you suggest for injection molding (6061 T5, 6061 T6, etc.)?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I wasn't even aware there were different types of 6061 but from looking it up T5 must be easier with a hobby mill since it's slightly softer.

[@1jmatto]

​@@BusterBeagle3D Thank you for getting back to me on this. I wasn’t aware of the different grades until I checked on the price. I know you’re familiar with milling aluminum for mold injection; I’m just trying to figure out (and learn) which grade of aluminum I need for the molds. Again, thank you for your response, and for your channel and the Facebook group. All are very informative.

[@philrader2016]

I realize this video is (2 years old)One item to keep in mind is the End Mill (tool) diameter in the settings tab of the Probe Module. You need to change that to match the actual diameter of the end mill Each time you probe X and Y with a new tool.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Yes you are correct. However when I did this I only ever probed the Z since the XY should always been constant.

[@MrAranhaman]

Amazing skills

[@chrborud83]

Great video! Very informative. Curious to know what spindle speed you are running when cutting aluminum on that machine? Very impressed with the results!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It depended on what cut I was doing but all of them where around 9000 RPM.

[@idrisselalami]

Giga-thanks ,you are the Master !!!!!!

[@FDroid01]

Love the video! If you can tweak the audio video sync it'll greatly improve the quality. Looks like the video is about 1/3 second slow

[@hermanarango2896]

I'm thousands away behind you on 3D modeling. I just got my first 3D Stl file but I have no idea how to run it on my Vevor 3018 Pro. Please tell me how do I turn that file into something I can use on my CNC

[@BusterBeagle3D]

You might get a little bit more info in this video. If you combine the 2 videos you may get where you need to be.kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3vReHavjteoh5o

[@rayst.2934]

Great video I'm thinking of buying one.

[@mitnovasmitnovas368]

Ready to make a small aluminum mold. The link for speedymetal lists all kind of aluminums. Which one is suitable for the 3108Pro CNC to cut? Any suggestion would be appreciated! Thanks so much!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I like to get the 6061 Flat bar cut into the size I want. That is what I used in the video.

[@djoeka2000]

Thank you very much for putting this together. Your videos are well done! I just ordered and received your parts for the injector. I thought I had some bands but had to order those to. I also just invested in a Sainsmart pro 4030. I am very new to this and my Fusion output for GRBL has a few challenges. Can you tell me what your cutting feed rate and plunge feed rate is set to for this sample of 6061you are cutting. It looks like with my 1/4 - 2 flute endmill I am getting a lot of chatter. I am using cutting oil. Also tried lower feed rate. My 4030 is rated at 300Watt with 12000 rpm. I am hoping to be able to make some molds for the injector. Thank you!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

If you watch this video it will show you the feed rates. It's about 1OO for the feed rate at .1mm at 9000RPM. If you are getting a bunch of chatter you should try to lower you step over number from .4 to .2. This would mean that less of the tool diameter is cutting at the same time. I have even found that it I decrease that step over number I could go deeper like .2mm and faster feed rate. You kind of need to play around with that for your machine. Good luck!

[@djoeka2000]

@@BusterBeagle3D You are awesome to reply so quickly. My settings in Fusion are pretty elaborate so I do need to play around more. I am setup in inches for the part so will convert to mm. Thank you for your prompt reply.

[@Gadgetmawombo]

Is ur machine modified from a standard 3018? The spindle housing looks like its metal? On most machines ive seen thats plastic.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Yes. I upgraded the spindle to a 500W spindle with a separate power supply and control. I talk about it in one of my videos somewhere.

[@vincenzocaccia9777]

Hello . the program i use is aspire 9.5. I have to make a recess (with a large roughing cutter) then finish it with a V-shaped cutter which will dig into the narrowest parts where the other (large) cutter cannot enter. Question: How can I set the gcode so that the V-shaped cutter only passes where it is to be milled and not in the empty spaces where the large cutter has previously milled? as with the small cutter the axes move very slowly; I do this to save time.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

In Fusion 360 there is something called 3D Adaptive Clearing that does what you are looking for. In CAMBAM I just make sure the endmill I’ll is over the area that was already cut and set my part height to where I want to start cutting with the smaller bit, you need to be very careful if you do it this way and make sure your retract height it high enough to clear the part if you have to cross over uncut parts. I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with Aspire but I assume they have something similar.

[@philippickering7847]

Hi, another great video, the chamber arrived for our injector and we are running mini projects for school. Looking at the next step, can you recommend another supplier for a 3018 Pro as the Ebay vendor linked here no longer supplies them via the link. We would likely upgrade to a 500w Spindle. Regards PK

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello. The standard for these machines seems to be Sainsmart but I feel that you might be able to get it a lot cheaper either buying on ebay or overseas. This one from Banggood is particularly interesting as it seems to have a bit of an built in enclosure which may be helpful in a school. I have no experience with this specific brand but it seems interesting. There are others on Banggood or Aliexpress that you might be able to choose from. www.banggood.com/custlink/3GvY03aU1k

[@philippickering7847]

@@BusterBeagle3D Thanks for the quick reply Ryan. Lots to research.

[@iceheat09]

Hey Ryan was interested in making the same setup for the 3018 and 500w motor did you need anything else besides that or was it just plug and play?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

This is the one I used. It has an offline controller so you manually set the speed but that's all you have to do. It was pretty easy to set up. www.banggood.com/custlink/GvGyosAlBJ

[@joeking433]

Plug and play, easy peasy! ;)

[@Miniscapes515]

does the ported box have the correct amount of air space for that size machine..

[@PigeonPrint]

Sorry, an off-topic question, but what mount did you use for that 52mm spindle?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I used this 3D print and the aluminum bracket that came with my motor. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3717710

[@PigeonPrint]

@@BusterBeagle3D Thankyou.

[@doctorgregg6847]

How did you installed the machifit spindle in the Z axis pieces? Did you used adaptors or directly? Your videos are so inspiring.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I believe I used this 3D print and the aluminum clamp that came with my spindle. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3717710

[@MrTitchy]

Great video very informative i just purchased the stainless steel parts to make the injection moulding machine, and also got myself a 3040cnc router could you tell me what router bits to purchase thanks and keep up the good work loving it cheers

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you! I just purchased regular ball nose endmill sets on Amazon. They do a pretty good job but definitely get a few as you might be breaking them often if you are just starting out. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PZF52MW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I Also have a larger 1/4 inch collet so I like to use this one to clear more material at once. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BRJ2GH8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You probably also want some smaller flat nose endmills at 1/8 size to cut things like the dowel pins or anything you want a sharper edge to. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S5GMKBG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Good luck and I hope you share what you are able to make with your machines!

[@MrTitchy]

@@BusterBeagle3D thank you I tried to message you back on etsy but couldn't for some reason. Thanks for taking your time to reply much appreciated Anthony 👍

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@MrTitchy No problem, Not sure why you couldn't message me on Etsy. Just incase my message to you didn't go through I dropped a 3/8-16 bolt in your box, you ordered before I offered it as an add on to my customers overseas. Thanks again for your order! There is also a facebook group for the machine, it's starting off slow but hopefully will grow as people put the machines together. facebook.com/groups/187455563129576

[@MrTitchy]

@@BusterBeagle3D that's great i will check out the Facebook group and will take pictures etc whilst I'm building the injection moulding machine thanks buddy 👍

[@tonycars5671]

great, what kind of aluminum is the one to machine?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello. I use 6016 Aluminum for my molds.

[@dhairya8238]

I was wondering if it would work the same without the upgraded spindle? Of course it'd take more time but I'd be cool with waiting

[@BusterBeagle3D]

To be honest I’m not sure. I bought the spindle upgrade at the same time as the CNC machine so I never used the original spindle.

[@retrotechjournal]

Wow nice work! This was one heck of an expensive video for me to stumble upon. :] I'd been kind of ignoring the 3018's because I thought they'd really choke on any real work with AL, but after seeing your molds I decided to order one, and I just ordered your SS injection molding machine parts kit. I'm glad it sounds like you're working on a video about your 3018 Pro mods. I'm curious to hear what you've done to get decent results out of it. Apart from the 500w spindle are you mostly running stock parts? From the video it mostly looks like you are, but you can't really tell much. Argh! I should have ordered the heater band from you in the same order as the SS parts. Oh well, now I'll probably have to pay for shipping on a second order. I guess it would be good if I kind of trickle these orders in over multiple months to reduce end-of-month CC bill shock. I'm also a content creator so it's fun to watch how you've put your videos together. You might be interested in my video about 3D printing and foundry work. I've been learning Fusion 360 for a while now, this excursion into 3018 land will force me learn more about the CAM side of things. I've been wanting to build an injection molding rig since the days of the David Gingery injection molding book! Thank you so much for putting out all this great info and getting me to finally pull the pin on building one!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thanks for the kind words and I'm sorry to add to any strain on your wallet :) My 3108 Pro is stock except for the spindle. I would like to update the X axis when I find some time. I'm actually out of band heaters currently so don't feel to bad about not ordering them. I hope to have some very shortly as they had been ordered but are held up in customs. You are also lucky that you have already got a stainless steel parts, I actually only have 2 left. I have been overwhelmed by orders from all over the world over the past 5 weeks and have sent out about 100 of them. I have more on order but will be till mid march before I get them. I will check your channel out as I am a maker with interest in 3D printing, CNC as well as injection molding. Thanks again for your order and for watching!

[@retrotechjournal]

@@BusterBeagle3D I had no clue how many of those SS parts kits you had but I figured I'd order that first since that seemed like the most likely thing to run out and you seemed to be getting some traction/interest from a lot of folks. I'm glad I got in under the wire! (Although realistically it'll probably take me quite a while to get to the point where I have a die worth injecting.) Ended up going with a brush-less 500w spindle because it was actually cheaper than the brushed one. I'll have to see how that goes. Thanks again for doing this series and for staring me down this road. Adventure awaits!

[@hullinstruments]

@@retrotechjournal your channel definitely looks interesting! And I encourage you to keep making content, and even make a video about your CNC build, the process of tuning it, and the results you were able to get. Those 3018 machines have been on the market for so long, I’m a professional machinist by trade, and was so happy to see them become available extremely cheap years ago. I can’t believe how long they’ve been on the market. When I got started in CNC about 20 years ago… There was nothing affordable whatsoever. Even a cheap DIY machine was a few thousand dollars. It’s so awesome to see dirt cheap good quality machines these days! And honestly… I think 3-D printing had a huge part in making kits and parts so readily available for Cheap hobby CNC. When I started…You couldn’t even buy a small power supply for the price of a 3018 CNC. The machine is such a nice and capable little fella….. and I never would have imagined people would tune them to cut aluminum so cleanly! It’s really encouraging to see, good luck to you and your channel! Your contact is extremely nice and high-quality !

[@retrotechjournal]

@@hullinstruments Oh thanks! I did just recently manage to machine my first die, and I built the injection molder/injected the die. So fun! It is true that 3D printing has opened up a crazy world in terms of making and sharing useful parts. I redesigned the X/Z carriages on my 3018, and swapped in 12mm rods for the X axis which really helps stiffen the whole thing up a lot. That's a cheap upgrade, but only easy for folks who have a metal lathe/carbide tooling, so I don't know as it's a useful for most 3018 owners. I also build a nice case/compressed air/IPA blast for it. It has been a great learning exp. since I've had to learn a lot more CAM, and tricks for working with a fairly precise, but not very ridged machine. Lots more to learn! So glad I'm learning/making all these mistakes on a 3018 though since it's not really strong enough to do a ton of harm, and when I break some tooling its a $3 mistake instead of $30. :]

[@monejvisual9528]

Will this machine be able to make a lock for a gas Glock replica?

[@rafale3d803]

Super vidéo

[@gabbydebuyst5250]

Great video. Can you list the drills/flutes you used, plz? Thanks

[@BusterBeagle3D]

These are the tools I used: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BRJ2GH8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I used the 1/4 size. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PZF52MW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Various sizes. And lastly www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S5GMKBG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@gabbydebuyst5250]

@@BusterBeagle3D Thank you!!

[@ronaldmartin9808]

what software are you using and do you know if i can model with my mastercam software and down load g code to this machine?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I am using universal Gcode Sender software (UGS). I don't see any reason why you couldn't use your gcode with this machine. You would need to have an offline controller though to download it to the machine itself.

[@jmerilo]

Thank you so much!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

You are welcome!

[@bobweiram6321]

For a second, I thought this was a kung-fu movie with the asynchronous lip movements.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I'm speaking Southern, I had to redub to make sure you could understand me :)

[@bobweiram6321]

@@BusterBeagle3D whooooeeee! Diggiteeeedooo. Wooohooo. Yoo sho sownds edumadated talking dem big ol' words. Yesiree!

[@InThisStyleGMinor]

Very impressive, how long does it take to bring the plastic pellets to useable heat? Keep it up!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

A few minutes depending on if you have your PID tuned correctly and also depends on the temp you choose. Some plastics take longer then others. Thanks for watching!

[@clarsen310]

Do you have a picture somewhere of how you mounted your spindle to the z axis? I have the same setup but I haven't been able to mill aluminum. I get way too much chatter and it will actually even break the end mill. What are your feeds and speeds?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

This is the mount that I use behind the aluminum clamp that came with my spindle. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3717710 To reduce chatter try reducing the STEPOVER from .4 to .2. This means the there will be less percentage of the diameter of the tool touching at onetime. This will help a lot with the chatter. I was actually able to cut faster and deeper then I did in this video when I reduced the stepover.

[@clarsen310]

@@BusterBeagle3D thanks. I will try that different mount. I had been using the all plastic spindle mount even though my spindle came with the aluminum mount. This might help a bit. What's your depth of cut and feed rate? Do you just run the spindle at full speed? The stepover is a good idea but I have so much vibration during the initial cut before it's stepping over. You mean 0.2 mm stepover, right?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@clarsen310 I use CAMBAM so the step over is listed as a number between 0-1 which represents a percentage, 0.4 is 40%. I started cutting at feed rate of 100 at .1mm deep. After changing the stepover I was actually able to cut much faster and deeper. I was even sometimes cutting at .2mm at a feed rate of 300. I also use a 1/4 or 6mm endmill to rough cut the part faster then go down to a 1/8 collet after.

[@JKC40]

does that software not support helical cutting paths?

[@dicelabiblia7461]

Great video, thank you

[@Bonjbeer]

Great video! Do you have any details on how you mounted the 500W spindle to the 3018? I'm very keen for that upgrade.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I used this 3D printed bracket from Thingiverse. Also updates the linear bearings inside it to take the rocking out of the part. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3717710

[@Bonjbeer]

@@BusterBeagle3D Fantastic! Thanks for the reply.

[@Townie001]

We all know these machines willcu what seems to be the mystery is haw to design these wonderful projects without breaking the bank on software!✨️😭✨️

[@michaelwalker1873]

Hi buster, first of all fantastic video! I have found myself watching all of your videos now lol I want to purchase the same cnc machine you have here but the link to ebay is not working, when I type 3018 pro in Google or ebay hundreds of different ones come up and I don't want to get the wrong one or one that isn't capable of working on aluminum can you help with a link? This will be my first cnc purchase. Thanks in advance for any reply

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello and thank you. I know there can be a million choices for the 3018 CNC machines. The one I listed was a generic version but I know that the Sainsmart brand seems to be trusted. It's not really the CNC that allows for cutting in Aluminum but the spindle that I attached to it. I upgraded it to a 500W spindle that gives any of the 3018 Pros power enough to cut the aluminum. However I recently took my 3018 apart and bought a 1419 CNC but have yet to put it together. The 3018 leaves a little bit to be desired in the rigidness of the frame which is why I want to test the 1419 with what seems like a much more solid frame.

[@michaelwalker1873]

@@BusterBeagle3D thanks so much for you reply!!!! I'm going to try building your plastic injection machine, I'm after something that can make chess piece size's, I'll go do whatever you suggest is best for a cutter for the moulds

[@rodrigoquirinodasilva8889]

obrigado ajudou muito my friend

[@kurt429]

Great Vid..

[@jagannathgavhale6821]

I also want a mold. but in my area there is no cnc machine will you make a mold for me.

[@AndrewGermann]

Is it the stock 3018 control board?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It was the stock one that came with my machine. I however just bought mine from Ebay. It wasn't a Sainsmart or anything fancier like that.

[@walidbenromdhane7252]

which kind of 3018 cnc pro? there is so many , ! any more spec please ?

[@walidbenromdhane7252]

in fact the link to the machine is no longer availbale, also which type of alum are using? 6061? also i m using Catia and it s really perfect to design mold , but just for big molding machine, so to design a small mold like this blender should be better ?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@walidbenromdhane7252 Hi. It was just a 3018 Pro Clone that I bought off of ebay for cheap a while ago. I upgraded the spindle to a 300W spindle. There are many other options now that are better then the one I had. Check out the Sainsmart Facebook group to see lots of great CNC machines. I'm not familiar with Catia but I was just showing how I easily took a polygonal modeling approach to a CAM program. Blender is also a great option if you wanted to go with a similar approach to what I did. If Catia is more of a CAD program then it still could be used just fine to create little molds. Many people also use Fusion 360 for this purpose. I know that there are many tutorials out there on how this is done.

[@ipadize]

14:00 cant you customize the postprocessor to output the diameter and name of the tool? this is what we do at work, then we call the toolpaths like this: Sr aufm0.1 (which stands for "roughing stock to leave 0.1mm")

[@BusterBeagle3D]

You are probably correct. Again I am by far not an expert at CAMBAM but that is definitely something to look into.

[@robertmartin2936]

Loving the series so far. I'm a toy sculptor (about 30 years now, usually with wax finals for tooling) but I've been getting into small run manufacture. I'm experienced with both CAD and the 150A LNS model, but just ordered equipment to put your MKII together because of the increased shot capacity. Eager to get started on that. I was curious - on your 3018 setup do you ever find it useful to do post CNC work on the tooled mold, be that fine sanding or polishing, etc? Or can you remove striation and get close to polished finishes with tooling settings alone? A lot of what I do ends up having burnished or almost mirror smooth surfacing, and this rapid manufacture CNC option has all of my interest. You also picked up my subscription. I hope there's some DIY 3D scanning content at a future point - that'd be a game changer for traditional/digital modelling hybrid. Thanks, and keep it up!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello Robert and welcome to the channel! There are some times when I do a little post CNC work. A little sanding to get that mirror finish goes a long way. It also funny that you ask about the 3D scanning. It’s on my future list of things to touch on. I have scanned and 3D printed my own head using my iPhone but I was thinking of ways to improve the process and have it work better on small objects instead. Still need to have a think on the best way to achieve that. Thanks again!

[@cerberus333dog]

nice video very helpful!

[@Tripsanszki1]

Cool

[@toxomanrod]

Excellent video! I didn't realize it was now possible to cnc aluminum for this cheap, a few years ago it wasn't possible under $1k. One question, the link you have for the upgraded motor doesn't seem to include the offline controller, which is the one you use? Thanks!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thank you! The thing that looks like a power brick is also the offline speed controller. That is what the little knob that is attached to it is for. It controls the speed of the spindle only, nothing else on the CNC machine.

[@toxomanrod]

@@BusterBeagle3D thanks for the response! I found my error, I was confusing the offline speed controller with the offline cnc controller, the one that allows you to run gcode without a computer plugged into it the whole time. Thanks again!

[@toxomanrod]

@@BusterBeagle3D I have one more question, I've noticed there are quite a few upgrades for the non pro 3018 (add third x axis, upgrade linear bearings, etc) which are done to improve rigidity to cut harder materials such as aluminum. In your experience, does the pro with the 500w spindle handle Aluminum without any issue? I'll be using it for injection molds just like you

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@toxomanrod I wouldn't say without ANY issues. It's still a beginners hobby CNC so don't expect it to cut like a much more powerful and rigid machine. If you take your time and not try to bite off to much all at once then you can get some pretty nice results. Just might take longer to do. Whatever you can do to make the frame more rigid is great to do. I myself will probably update the z and x axis at some point. I may also update to linear rails eventually. Point would be not to spend so much money on upgrades that it would have been better and easier to just buy a better machine.

[@toxomanrod]

@@BusterBeagle3D The two most promising rigidity upgrades I've seen would be these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKjQkn9oeKuLjKs kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGW6nZ5_oqiJgrM But as I said earlier they are for the non pro version, so I'm wondering how to go about doing the third x axis upgrade since the Pro 3018 has a thick plastic z frame versus the aluminum extrusion on the non pro.

[@monouvichet7589]

Hello dear I’m interested your video and I like your mould design how I get some of your mould?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello. I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand the question. You can find all of the parts for the machines that I do sell here: www.busterbeagle3D.com

[@monouvichet7589]

@@BusterBeagle3D I have drawing and wanna make new mould

[@cesarjim7975]

hola se puede preguntar que software CAM usas?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

The software is called CAMBAM.

[@michaelvardani7854]

HI what kind of plastic is this? Please could you send me the link

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It was just Polypropylene pellets I bought off of ebay. I don't have a specific seller I buy from as I have purchased it for many different sources.

[@michaelvardani7854]

@@BusterBeagle3D

[@phil7338]

Hi Ryan or anybody, any suggestions to replace the bangood motor controller for 500 watt spindle as suggested here . Ours died after running for a few hours. Used infrequently, a few months old. Slow passes, high rpm, not milling aluminium at the time. Or just replace at that price? 220 Ac in NZ. Thanks. Injector going great guns

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hello. I updated the link in the description to the actual unit that I purchased. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t just purchase the controller by itself if you look around. It’s odd how I see it listed on Banggood alone but it’s only about $5 cheaper then the one that comes with the controller and spindle. I’m sure you can find it for cheaper. I’m on my phone so it’s not the best for searching.

[@phil7338]

@@BusterBeagle3D Thanks. I'll replace it and may get a spare spindle. Thanks again for your reply.

[@CigerPro]

How long time does the CNC machine process the mold?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It really depends on the size and how much detail you put in the mold. I definitely took a few hours to make each half.

[@JoePCP]

Your milling would be produce a better finish if you sprayed some WD40 or similar lubricant while cutting. Just a tip!

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Thanks for the tip! On cuts since then I have been using a few drops of Drill Tapping fluid from time to time. Does a pretty good job as well.

[@av1156]

Very good video, but please adjust sound, it sounds very noisy on voice recording.

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

I'm hooked! I need to learn how to supply hobbyists.. because I will never make money at this rate..

[@anthonymangia8890]

How long was the machining time?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Honestly I can’t remember how long it was. I have changed my method to make it faster though. Decrease the step over rate from .4 to .2 and then you can speed up the feed rate to 400-500 from 100. You can also go deeper from .1mm to .2. This should make everything faster.

[@seth5676]

voice over recorded on a leapfrog?

[@TheRelic1337]

....wish I found this when I first got my genmitsu...instead of 3 years later when I decided to make molds.

[@BusterBeagle3D]

No time like the present! Thanks for watching.

[@pierrebouteillon]

Hello. Very interesting. Don't you need to polish the inside of the mold. Your heart seems to be made of curves, so I expected to see "stair effects"...

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Hi. You have to think of tool paths not as layers of a 3D printer but able to vary height per pass. The final cut of the surface is able to vary the z direction as it cuts. That way you get a cut that contours to the surface. As long as the tool path overlaps lines of the surface as it cuts you will get a fairly smooth surface. You can use sand paper to polish that even further if you like as well.

[@pierrebouteillon]

Thank you!

[@tedk6954]

can this cut brass too ?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

I have not cut brass myself but if you search around the internet you can see that some others have.

[@ricardoorozcorangel9634]

Hello, could you help me make some moulds, I want to learn, but I don't have the tools, please, you who are experienced, help me.

[@sebastianramirezrivas5927]

Could maybe engrave stainless steel?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

It may be able to engrave it, not sure if it could carve into it. Aluminum is a very soft metal in comparison.

[@Шиза-о9и]

Последних алюменевех форм. А дальше всё, замена станка на новый из за износа. Или как алюминевыми формами убить станок.

[@hamzaraghay6259]

👍🙏

[@MardiosAus]

Sound is a bit out of sync but great video

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Yeah I noticed that as well. Unfortunately I filmed all of these with a app on my iPhone that broadcasts to my computer through wifi. It’s not the best setup I know. Need to buy some better filming equipment when I get a chance. Maybe if I hit 1000 subscribers I’ll treat myself to something good.

[@nope638]

Rad..Speaker box repurposed as a cnc box..Great idea!..…(Seems ex indie rock dads all tinker and toy with this crap, lols…).. From punk rock to -Cnc, 3D printing, Constitutional history, gold prospecting, metal detecting, 2a, anti leftest endeavors and basically being rad..

[@sweetgumnyc7794]

audio not in sync....the content is fantastic but difficult to concentrate

[@grantham418]

Would you link Maya? cost, etc. Thanks

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Maya honestly is a professional tool used in the video game and VFX industry and is usually not a go to for manufacturing. It runs about $1600 a year which for something like this I honestly wouldn't recommend. If you wanted to model with something similar to Maya but free then checkout Blender. It's a free polygonal modeling program with lots of videos and tutorials out there to get you started. www.blender.org/download/

[@testtube1842]

Whats Aloominum?

[@BusterBeagle3D]

Same thing as AloeMinEum...

[@testtube1842]

@@BusterBeagle3D Aloe? but it has a U in it? AL - U - MINIUM :) easy see....

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@testtube1842 Where did you find that "I" after the "N?" Must be friends with the "U" in Colour. :)

[@testtube1842]

@@BusterBeagle3D Al u min ium - easy. Although you got me with colour ...😂 Why don't you say ammoonition instead of ammunition? 😜

[@BusterBeagle3D]

@@testtube1842 I'm going to make a new video where I say "ammoonition" over and over and over again. 😂😂😂

[@ballzybaits4414]

I cannot get my 3018 to zero what so ever!!! Sucks so bad. I've got it for a year and can't even use it.

[@xmetrix]

TLDW; how to create toolpaths in canbam for the majority of the video.

[@joetkeshub]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5PCnKWbaL-qsJI is the proof ever that your "upgrade" (adding a 794g spindle + its heavy holder) did not make sense! It's too heavy! I hope that the stepping motor that drives the Z-axis with such a weight, is strong enough... You're right, you're not a CNC expert. Don't need to be an expert to figure out when a mechanical device suffers under excessive weight. Weird post indeed. The weirdest I came across

[@ThePazuzu]

OH MY GOD I CAN USE POLYGONS??? 3ds max here I go!