Genmitsu 3018 CNC upgrades: Mill acrylic, aluminium and carbon fiber

Upgrading 3D printers is so much fun, so why not upgrade a cheap CNC router to make it more capable? The Genmitsu 3018 CNC is the perfect candidate because it is cheap and has reasonable baseline performance.
The mods shown in this video are designed to be almost modular. You could upgrade only the spindle, only the stepper motors, only the mainboard or any combination of what is depicted. Pick and choose as you see fit or as you can afford.
The mains wiring should be treated with utmost respect. Consult a professional before attempting this wiring.
UPDATE: There is now a size upgrade kit available for these routers: yorahome.com/products/yora-30...
Please check the webpage to ensure compatibility and suitability with your machine.
Previous videos on this machine/hardware:
Sainsmart 3018 CNC review: • CNC router for $200 - ...
S42B closed loop stepper guide video: • S42B closed loop stepp...
Shopping list:
Sainsmart 3018 CNC: amzn.to/2LANGFQ
BTT S42B closed loop steppers: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dVy...
BTT SKR mini V1.1 mainboard: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ABpcY7
Reprap Fullgraphic smart controller: amzn.to/3iYwmJq
Dremel 3000: amzn.to/36gEy2z
Active low twin relay as used: amzn.to/2NJEkLa
24V 5A PSU (I sourced mine locally but this looks identical): amzn.to/3aaSL2n
Mains input switch: amzn.to/3aeRNSy
Parts/references from this video:
My Marlin firmware for this setup: github.com/teachingtechYT/Mar...
BTT SKR mini V1.1 GitHub: github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTRE...
My 3018 CNC electronics case and other bits: www.thingiverse.com/thing:474...
Wiring diagrams: imgur.com/a/ICJgvhc
3018 CNC Dremel 3000 adaptor: www.thingiverse.com/thing:393...
RepRapDiscount Full Graphic Smart Controller Case: www.thingiverse.com/thing:281...
Kiri:Moto cloud slicer/CAM: grid.space/kiri/
Initial D image source: initiald.fandom.com/wiki/Taku...
Buy quality and affordable filament from X3D. Buy 3, get 1 free and a free sample pack with every order: www.x3d.com.au
Get Quality Resins from 3D Printers Online. 5% off storewide for Teaching Tech subscribers [Code: tech5]
3dprintersonline.com.au/
Take a look around and if you like what you see, please subscribe.
Support me on Patreon: / teachingtech

[@TeachingTech]

UPDATE: There is now a size upgrade kit available for these routers: yorahome.com/products/yora-3018-expansion-kit Please check the webpage to ensure compatibility and suitability with your machine.

[@Lucas_sGarage]

Hey Michael, 2 things, 1 why instead of the dremel (which isn't really meant to be used as a spindle, u use a brushless spindle? 2nd, if u use the dremel, why u don't use the hotend port and a external ssr or similar so u can control the speed of the dremel?

[@anthonystownsend]

Hey Michael, Do you think you could get away with just upgrading to a Dremel and a smart controller, it would be able to handle some 2mm Carbon Fiber? Just trying to find the most cost effective way for a project.

[@chrispwilliams6297]

You’ve probably heard it before, but you are one of the best tutors on KZbin. Always clear, confident and concise. Thanks for another great video.

[@waddo10]

Yet another brilliant video. The effort you go to and making everything available for free is truly outstanding.

[@quinnjdq]

I am constantly amazed at how clever and personalized your projects are, but I absolutely love watching them. Fantastic video!

[@ssilvers8963]

i just wanted to say thank you....i was a truck driver got disabled stuck at home so i got a ender 3 watching you ...and having fun learning how to use it

[@krukhlis]

Nice upgrades! I did almost the same, but with some differences: 1) I've used Creality 4.2.7 board from Ender 3 Pro with my custom Marlin v2 firmware that was waiting for me in a box after my printer's upgrade to SKR Mine E3 V2. It has silent TMC drivers and STM32 chip, works perfectly. 2) Dremel is not the best tool for routing/milling, because of the construction. It will not last long. I was using different dremels in my custom manual mill -- they can't survive heavy side loads/preasure. Majority of them don't even have double bearings for the rod that holds their chuck. The only quality dremels that survived were made by German Proxxon. 3) Considering these issues I've installed Makita Compact Router( it's cheap, but top quality with 10 times more cutting/milling power than any dremel). This thing uses industry-standard 1/4 inch milling bits that you can get anywhere in the world( even cheap chinease work). You will be shocked to find out that 3018 (using Compact Router head) can cut your alluminium, steel, colored metals, etc like a butter at relatively low RPMs without extreme noize few times faster and better than any dremel. But in any case -- thank you wery much for this helpful video!

[@jubliano2261]

What mount/router did you use? Looking to perform this as well. Many thanks!

[@GridSpace]

Thanks for the mention! I recently got a 3018 for testing and small tasks. My son is using it to etch circuit boards and mill contoured acrylic cases for his electronics projects. This has yielded better results than resin printing.

[@joesmoe71]

I've got a Sainsmart 3018 pro and think I'm going to try these upgrades, I'd LOVE to be able to do aluminum! The beauty of machines like this and 3D printers is you can make your own upgrades! Thanks for posting this!

[@reasonablebeing5392]

Wow - this really makes it much more usable. I purchased one quite a while ago on a black Friday deal as my first foray into CNC and it has been sitting in the box as I knew it would need some work to be really useful. You've inspired me to dust it off!

[@Houssam0691]

So happy yo see this little machine perform so well out of it's range , some notes though , carbon fiber dust is not only dangerous for humans , it's also highly conductive so i wouldn't have it near electronic boards , also composite cutting milling bits work much better on carbon fiber , as always great work thank you

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

Yeah, I wouldn't do it at home at all.

[@johnwick7175]

Maybe you could submerge the whole work piece in water and then cut it

[@MakeTechPtyLtd]

Well done Michael. I didn't know you had an Omio. Your contribution to the community is admirable.

[@happy0memo]

loved your video! Please include cnc content more in the future. I like to make a lot of stuff, which includes 3d Printing, CNC and laser cutting / engraving. I have been looking at buying my own desktop cnc machine and this has provided me the impetus to go forth and do so. I love you content and think you make awesome reviews and guides. Keep up the great work and feeding our maker addiction.

[@jessiegashler427]

I never even thought about using the kind of large display that an ender 3 has for my 3018. I use a totally custom mainboard that I designed and fabbed myself, and I've been trying for almost a year to figure out a way to implement a display on the machine that would be sufficient. This is a fantastic idea!

[@joshuaolsen8844]

I'd love to see more of these Michael! Thank you for sharing!

[@MartinezJayson]

Just when I finished deciding I don't need to buy a cheap CNC you go and publish this video making me want to buy one again. I need a bigger garage.

[@MrBhudon22]

Thanks for the great video. Yes more cnc (low to mid scale) please. Just got a 3018 to learn and you blew me away with all the possible upgrades.

[@fedaykinwolf]

dude you are always right on time with these videos, I just carved my first couple things and thought: teaching tech got me going on 3D printing, if only I had the same for CNC... Thank you!!!

[@noelwade]

This is awesome, thank you! I've been puttering in CAD on a modified/improved "Dremel CnC" from KZbinr Nikodem Bartnik. Your parts guide and code will let me concentrate on the frame and wind up with a great system. Much appreciated!

[@timandrew4515]

With these mods that's now a decently capable little machine! Thank you so much for making the code and stl's available!

[@mrfashionguy1]

It's videos like this that empower the next generation of engineers to be able to grow even in the current economic climate, regardless of age or background. Thank you.

[@TheMalibuman79]

Well this is my next project, 100 percent. I've been looking at building a mill, but not sure if I'd need anything big yet. Thanks for the info!

[@keithleahy9005]

Fantastic as always. This is absolutely one of the best channels on youtube.

[@spudnickuk]

You are a genius And thank you for showing such details and information that a beginner can achieve the same build I just love your information that works

[@anomicxtreme]

Excellent, I appreciate all the time invested into this video. I wish I had a 3d printer. That's my main hold up.

[@Lotrias]

Great video, love to see CNC content here. Some other standard upgrades you could do include a dust shoe, integrated LED ring to illuminate the bit, and a touch probe for auto zeroing

[@TeachingTech]

Great suggestions! The double power point means the vacuum for the dust shoe can be turned on and off with the spindle.

[@KeithOlson]

@@TeachingTech That setup is just *begging* for a servo mechanism nested against the speed control to (approximately) set the RPM of the Dremel.

[@SaitoGray]

I have a 500W spindle in the mail for this machine. Nice to see how far i can bring it. Can't wait to spend a lot more time pimping it !

[@FriendlyPhoton]

For a free safety boost while working with relays that have both NC and NO: connect the AC load wire to the NC terminal, and then the common terminal to the device you wish to control power to. That way, when the relay is off, power is interrupted completely at the relay. If you wire it the "normal" way, then one of the terminals (either NO or NC) is always live regardless of the relay's state, in addition to the common. If you wire it "backwards" like I describe, then only the NO is always live, and the common is only live when the relay is energized

[@The_DropBear]

ive been eyeing one of these off for the longest time but was hesitant because of the spindle speed, now that i can mod it with a dremmel im thinking about biting the bullet. great video mate!

[@kbrowncny1]

Very awesome! This is inspiring me to go buy an entry level CNC that can do more than just engraving. I would be interested to see you add end stop and 0 position features for a future video.

[@TerryLawrence001]

Wow! I pondered using my Dremel 3000 as a spindle motor and dismissed it. Now I want to give it a go. I like the idea of closed loop steppers too! Awesome how you nudged me into the deep end :-)

[@pkralla]

yes, more CNC content, please

[@crookcostello6018]

I SECOND THIS!!! I saw Genmitsu and was excited thinking it was the new PROVerXL 4030.. smh

[@MakerViking]

Great video, Michael. I've been looking to get a CNC, and this is useful.

[@KeithAlumbaugh]

Great content as usual. Found these videos because I just bought one of the 3018 machines. I've done 3d print lithography on my Ender 3 and was interested in 3d carving.

[@user-wr8go9ee2n]

Thank you. You explained very well. Some of it was over my head, but you made it sound doable for me. Subscribed.

[@antonioalmeida8116]

Damn, I was building my 3D printed CNC and thought “Only if Teaching Tech had a tutorial for the marlin part...” You have solved my 3D printer’s problems and now you preemptive solved my CNC. Awesome job as usual

[@jamescullins2709]

carefull what you wish for..(:

[@ChazBword]

Outstanding video. Thanks for all the knowledge sharing Michael.

[@BritishBeachcomber]

I'm impressed with the results, particularly as Dremel chucks often suffer from poor runout. I'm going for a 500W spindle motor with ER11 chucks and PWM speed controller.

[@langrock74]

I upgraded to a faster (stock) spindle (20k RPM) a few weeks ago. Since the dimensions were the same, swapping the spindle out was trivial. Also added limit switches on all axis as well as a crosshair laser pointer for zeroing out the position. I am using CNCjs on a RPi and have been very happy with that; this is similar to using Octoprint and definitely nicer than an instrument-mounted controller. Not sure that the stepper-motor upgrade would make a huge difference here, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have closed-loop feedback. Ive been mostly cutting hardwood for smaller projects such as jewlery boxes, etc. So far, so good.

[@markusgri]

Wow, he used my 3D design! Hope it was great enought! :D

[@TeachingTech]

It was, thanks very much.

[@markusgri]

Thank you for your videos! I saw, you uploaded something new... Started to look... ehm... Thats my motor mount :D I was proud as hell! And again a great video! Best regards from germany! I used that mount to drill aluminium for a 500w china spindel. Would be a good upgrade too!

[@ETE-Design]

@@markusgri Will a 500w Spindel be a better choise than the Dremel 3000?

[@markusgri]

@@ETE-Design Nice that you ask... i uses the dremel to route an alu plate for the 500W Spindle and upgraded it!

[@Jack155Q4]

Brilliant. I have that Dremel sitting spare. I think I will have to build one of these Thanks Michael 👍

[@pandalaft]

I have a suggestion: it's very common to home a cnc to zero when milling metal by hooking up the bit and metal to a +ve and -ve such that when the bit touches the metal that is zero. Handy in PCB milling. I just got a used CNC to upgrade using your great guide here. When I do, I will be sure to try to add this z-homing through shorting.

[@squidcaps4308]

got it, am happy with it, better than i expected. I added low pass filter to the spindle motor, 10hom/100W series resistor and 100uF capacitor across the motor poles. Lowers noise about 6dB but what is more important, it takes ALL of that 1.1kHz whine away. Mine is so silent i can use it in my apartment at night to do light engraving...

[@kageofkonoha]

nearly perfect. next a mini vacuum tube next to the cutting bit.

[@rgmtb]

Any TT video that starts with a warning that it may kill, is all right by me hahahahaha!!!!

[@CrimFerret]

That's pretty darn cool. For right around $100 you make this little cnc router a LOT more useful. Plus you have the Dremel to use when needed.

[@LookAtThisLouis]

love your videos! so detailed and always creative!

[@gorudonu]

Great video! Might be worth buying a mill in the future. I guess next step for it would be to mill aluminum frame for it first and then steel one 😉

[@pkf4124]

Well now I wont be making my own CNC, I will just buy this one and mod it. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@PhoenyxAshe]

I'll be the first to admit, I'm more of a "plug and play" person when it comes to equipment, as for me the fun comes more in creating the items that the machines will produce. However, I still enjoy watching these videos as it also helps me understand how the various components work together... and because I'm a "Champagne tastes on a wine cooler budget" person, it's nice to know that if I need to, I can potentially start with a less expensive machine that will manage a decent level of what I want to do, and add functionality later as the budget allows. Although, as I type that, I'm also fully aware that knowing that I can, and actually will... well, the BLtouch I bought a few months ago is still sitting in it's box and not added to my Ender 3 Pro...

[@chriskxx1115]

This opens up several thematic videos for me! :-D #1 Guide to configure Marlin 2.0 as CNC (e.g. based on the CNC 3018) #2 Guide for setting up GRBL on a CNC 3018 #3 A comparison between Marlin 2.0 configured as CNC with GRBL #4 Guide to configure Marlin 2.0 as a laser engraver #5 A guide to setting up and using Kiri:Moto And what I would also find great: #6 A beginner's guide to FreeCAD I think it is the perfect alternative to commercial products like Fusion 360, Solidworks, OnShape, etc. A complete introduction series would also be welcome ;-)

[@artiem5262]

eyeing this for cutting simple printed circuit boards -- thanks for the ideas!

[@ricardoribeiro8037]

Excellent project and well explained!

[@DonnyHooterHoot]

Cool! I just ordered This unit! Also got the 7.5W laser to burn with too!

[@thomaswilliams5005]

I’ve been considering getting one of these, you have convinced me

[@Skwisgaar999]

Great stuff! Thank you! It would be great if you looked into upgrading the z-axis, maybe make it go higher, and mill out a bigger chunk of aluminum. Would love to see if this machine can grow up with you, like and Ender 3 with the EnderExtender

[@gluonsworkshop9880]

Inspiring tutorial! As usual it's amazing how you walk us in detail through each and every of your gear choices and steps of the assembly. I'd say a last straitforward upgrade would be an extension of the XY cutting area... working mostly with acrylic and wood it was the first real limitation I bumped into on my 3018 PRO-Ver while working on custom PC cases projects.

[@AtreidaeChibiko]

Mighty car mods shirt.. loved your work on the beemer

[@LeonGames]

This video really makes me consider getting one of these. One thing I would add for sure is some sort of vacuum mount. Or maybe a box so everything would stay inside for easy cleaning.

[@carbide1968]

That one is a pos. Check reviews on others first as you won't be happy.

[@LeonGames]

@@carbide1968 I won't be buying anything after just watching one video, but I am looking in to getting a machine.

[@MrBlakBunny]

i was tempted by this CNC in the past, knowing a few mods would make it cut aluminum has me really tempted now, given i have some of these parts laying about

[@TeachingTech]

In fairness it did cut aluminium when stock, just really slowly.

[@MrBlakBunny]

@@TeachingTech yeah but why do things slowly :P That said, i more worry about stablity and chatter of the stock parts, vs the mods you did

[@radude131]

Amazing. Would love to see some 3D milling of aluminum

[@starsstripesjacket]

I was just looking into getting this cnc to cut some carbon fiber pieces for a drone I've been designing, glad to know it can do what I want with a little modding :)

[@rickellis2892]

Same reason I'm looking at this guy... Question is, with all the mods, is there a better starting cnc?

[@alberto.zanardo]

I'm learning so much for your videos, thanks!

[@ebersalcido8810]

Glad i found your video. Thanks for posting

[@johnsmith5726]

I have my 3018 running through WiFi off of a Raspberry Pi and CNCj, it's been running this way for two years with no problems and no board changes needed.

[@TimmM...]

glad to see more cnc milling :)

[@peteturner8493]

A tip for any milling operation is to keep the milling cutter protrusion from the collect/chuck to an absolute minimum, helps reduce or prevent chatter/tool breakage and provides regidity for the cutter. Water is not a great thing to use on HSS cutters due to eventual rust or if you do wipe down with WD40, but its not great for the dremel collets/chuck either so oil spray is a better option. When I use to programme CNC milling machines with a new file the Z axis was disabled and cutter compensation set to zero, with a pencil put in place of usually an end mill to watch it run through once and catch any typo's or errors in G code that was all manually calculated and entered.

[@carbide1968]

Always climb cut on a cnc for much better finishes. Also chuck up your end mills to the flutes. Less chatter. The shorter the better as those bearings are not very strong. Put your dial indicator on a end mill and grab the dremal and you will be shocked how much it deflects. It's all about strength, I bet you will find more ways to strengthen the entire machine.

[@MrRbBlade]

Climb cutting is preferred but required the machine to be sufficiently rigid. One these lightweight budget CNCs it often leads to a lot of chatter and conventional cutting is more reliable especially for a beginner.

[@johnc700]

great content as always, considering this machine when i have the spare $.

[@andrewchudyk8518]

Fantastic! I did notice a tiny but important error though. At 8:39 you say "closed" when you should say "common" for the relay mains connections. Like I say, small error but as it involves mains voltages/wiring. you should correct this.

[@ValkGame]

I pulled the trigger on a 3018-prover because of this video. I might add the Dremel to it once I get used to it.

[@Orange-sv5my]

It was about this time last year i got my first 3d printer. I think a mill would pair nicely.

[@cristobalcarmona9856]

That seems to be a really capable little entering grade cnc... in my home country they go for 677 australian dollar... so even though its a fine machine its a little too expensive by the moment :(. Cool video dude glad to see you like Initial D!

[@richardwylie07]

Such a great channel. Thank you.

[@blackwater7183]

Wow thats a clean carbon fiber cut!

[@H3xx99]

The nose cap of the dremel looks free, you can unscrew it, and 3d print a vacuum hose duct to go on it and use a very thin and flexible hose to connect your extractor to. I would even go so far as using acrylic to build an enclosure to prevent dust and flying chips.

[@Ojee2]

Awesome! I would print toddler proof workshop toys for my daughter (little hammer, little screwdriver, etc) :)

[@squirralien1863]

Just watched this again, I would like to buy one all done ready to roll, time and 3D printing is beyond me, 3D printing is on the one day list but not there yet.

[@michael.knight]

So you basically only retain the mechanical parts of the original CNC? Maybe you could put together a build kit instead, would probably be cheaper than buying this CNC and then upgrading (though if you already own it anyway, it's a different story)

[@justinmurphy2227]

Exactly what I was thinking! All of the electrical is new except some of the wiring. Either a kit or plans for the 3018 would be nice.

[@kylelockhead8616]

It’s like a ender 3. People buy the kit to get started. Then once they know what they want they upgrade things such as main board, hotend, extruder, etc. But I do like you idea of building a kit. I just built my first printer and I can say I know so much more about firmware and mechanical aspects just by doing it myself

[@pringineer1027]

Replacing literally everything

[@Andreas-gh6is]

Can you get just the mechanical parts as a kit cheaper though?

[@TeachingTech]

I see your point and if you were starting out with x money you might get more for that money with careful planning and buying. Like Kyle says however, quite often people buy the machine and want more. That may be extra performance or just a project to learn from.

[@Faysalariss]

I know it's been a while but a Kiri:Moto tutorial would certainly be appreciated.

[@flighttherapybullisticfpv133]

You can use a submerged method with carbon fibre that works really well to control the dust

[@TheJonhyGames]

Some tutorials about kirimoto would be great! i'm almost finishing my lowrider 2 :)

[@thomaswilliams5005]

I’d love to see some more kirimoto tutorials

[@NathanBuildsRobots]

Thank you for making this video, I'm totally going to try this out! Looks like you're cutting 8x faster than I was with the stock spindle. Your $200 cnc video was a big hit, any thoughts on a $500-$1000 machine for those who want to take their hobby CNCing to the next level?

[@guillermomartinez474]

Eres un grande Michael ! good job!

[@LaDK4]

Quick advise for cutting carbon fiber. Place it in a container with water, slightly submerged. Makes a huge differnce.

[@Volt64bolt]

Just ordered my genmitsu 3018 prover mach3 from sainsmart, hopefully it works as good as this!

[@Volt64bolt]

It doesn’t have offline capability though, can’t use the offline controller with it. If anyone knows a way to either use some sort of server ssh with it or some offline controller that would work please tell me

[@birbou]

I loved your video! I would like to see an update on the online cam

[@tratzum]

I got a version of these things. I'm really interested in the added Powerplug and relay for control. I beefed up my 10mm x rails with 12mm added larger bearings to the gantey and put a Dewalt 611 on it. I can now mill pretty effectively. I just hate having to manually the spindle on and off.

[@maxhouseman3129]

My modifications contain complete swap of x and z linear guides and the gantry-head to a aluminum one. I changed to a proxxon industrial spindle. The motors and board stay the same.

[@TheRocketdrone]

I just got one of these for my birthday. still trying to learn how to use it

[@jbwalker841]

I'm sure it's been mentioned already, but the original spindle rpm is 7500 I believe. The 1000 rpm being referred to (S1000 as a maximum speed) actually refers to 100% pwm output.

[@Lidocain777]

I'd say the most relevant upgrades for this printer are, indeed, both the spindle and motherboard. The stock spindle (8000 rpm, not 10000) is ok for PCB milling, yet not for other things. As for the motherboard, it's plenty senseful to upgrade to something a bit different running Marlin. IMHO, we can simply use an upgraded 775 Spindle running at 22000 rpm instead of a dremel, because the dremel has to be switched on an off manually ; that can be quite an impediment if you aim to have a fully automated start/mill/stop sequence. About the mother board, SKR Mini is a good choice for an upgrade, even if it's a bit overkill considering we don't mill as fast as 3D printer do their stuff. Still, well, lots of resources available. :) Given the low price of 32-boards nowadays, it's pretty logical to do that move. Unsure about the motor upgrade. I can't see benefits to swap stock motors in favor of closed-loop steppers ? I'd like some explaination because it's unclear to me when it comes to milling machines.

[@chuxxsss]

Nice work Michael, wish I had got that way in stead of a 500 W motor.

[@JorgeGomessemogj]

I was wondering what would be a the pros and cons of going of this solution instead of a 500w motor with separated speed controller?

[@chrismberardi]

I wonder how it would work by mounting the Dremel on top and using the Flex Shaft attachment I think you’d be able to mitigate some of the vibration as well as allow for on the fly turning of your spindle speed since it will no longer be moving.

[@squirralien1863]

Incredible, great video, thanks

[@tiagocosta9714]

nice work mate

[@JorgeGomessemogj]

Excellent video! Thanks. I would like to know the pros and cons of this solution vs a 500w spindle - why should we choose one or another?

[@Kamharam]

the mighty car mods shirt is what does it for me

[@landolakes]

I would love an updated Kirimoto guide! I just bought a 3018 CNC and have had trouble finding good free CAM software that wasn't as complex as Fusion 360. I know my 3D printer like the back of my hand, but I'm new to CNC.

[@notsonominal]

Surprising to see you didn't add some sort of sensors for homing, using fixtures and reliable positioning would imho be a good value for little money even if going with inductive switches. Anyways, great content as pr usual.

[@markz5771]

Excellent video. Definitely tempted to give this a go, just have to dream up some jobs for it. But now I'm thinking about it a water (or cutting fluid) base with pump would be another upgrade. This would negate the carbon fibre dust issue. Pump and hardware could be printed.