Upgrading The $200 CNC Machine

[@HouseholdDog]

I was looking for a review on these machines, just out of curiosity. Not only have you reviewed it, you upgraded it. Fantastic.

[@theafro]

They're a great machine to learn on, but the fundamental lack of rigidity makes it difficult to do much with. but they CAN be upgraded a bit at a time, mine is mostly used for cutting ABS sheet for use as casting patterns for signs, badges etc.but i've added another (round) rail to mine and stiffened-up the z assembly with some 3mm steel cut, bent and screwed to the most flexible areas, it means i can get through a job a little quicker with higher feeds and it leaves a better finish. but unless you pretty much rebuild the entire machine from scratch, it's always going to be bendy! If somebody wants to get a start playing with cnc, these are great, and you can always build a better one later, and you'll have a much better idea of what it's all about. my big machine would have been a lot more problematic to get going if i hadn't gained experience with the mighty 3018 first. and even my 3018 actually has a genuine role to play in earning my living!

[@YerBrwnDogAteMyRabit]

THIS. Learning the fundamentals on a little guy FINALLY dawned on me. An inexpensive way to learn and move on later, rather than spending 1500 bucks to get "the best" as my first purchase. Someone can get started right away for $200 ($250 now..) Great point!

[@RupekSMAC]

Thanks a lot for this video; I just received the same CNC last week and test it this afternoon...! Effectively, the two Y rods are very flexible and the plastic Z attachment too. I will follow your solution to improve my machine. For the other folks and CNC noobs, just remember the tiny price of this machine: You can't ask the same précision that for a 1500$ one.😉; I consider my new CNC as a try... to learn, test, and adapt technical improvments to build my future DIY machine 👍

[@VikMKW]

You may have already thought of this, but in case you haven't, I'd recommend enclosing that control board and moving it away from where chips fly.

[@johncoops6897]

You didn't watch and listen to the video, did you?

[@incubatork]

By moving the motor up in the holder you will get both a higher z travel and cut down on deflection as it gives less leverage at the point of the cutter

[@TonyGingrich]

I bought a cheaper 3018 from Amazon. Not the Vevor brand, but a no-name built exactly the same way, with same materials. I found that it was my Y-axis which had the most deflection. It was practically a trampoline. As far as the gantry is concerned, I only had slop in the bearings for the 8mm Z-axis rails. The bearings weren't inherently bad or worn, but just too narrow to offer tighter tolerances. I suspect replacing the 8mm linear bearings with plane brass or ptfe bushings would have been sufficient. But I have plans to use the machine for mostly milling hardwood and soft metals, so that would be a problem for the plastic spindle mount. I upgraded to a 52mm spindle motor (500 watt, specifically), including an aluminum mount. The significant weight increase is when I finally experienced deflection in the gantry. To that end, I'm waiting for replacement linear rails to arrive. Up-sizing all of the factory 10mm to 12mm. I might also be looking for yet another spindle mount. Weight might not have been the only cause. The mount, combined with an adapter plate necessary to fit the motor clamp, has the center of mass protruding well ahead of the gantry...I suspect I might continue to see some deflection, regardless of the linear rails' rigidity.

[@TonyGingrich]

I could say more. But the ultimate point is: I'm slowly discovering that there is no such thing as a CNC router/miller under $300. By the time I have a viable desktop machine suitable for my needs, I will have spent approximately as much, or more, than I would have for a more premium out-of-the-box product.

[@shinymud7]

I think you have a passion for fixing other peoples failures :-). Very nice video thank you!

[@iamtheomega]

that was impressive the before and after "iPhone" text, it went from cheap toy to reasonable/usable addition/asset....

[@tedreynolds4368]

Damn, someone that actually seems to understand how hold down clamps are supposed to be used!

[@xantor94]

What did he made different from others? I don’t wanna make the same mistake.

[@BirdTho]

I just attached two linear rails to the extrusions and 3d printed a new gantry to fit them (But I'm using 4 total carriage blocks on 2 mgn12 rails) Also replaced the Z axis with a linear stage actuator. The linear rails for the X axis made the 2020 extrusions even more stable. I have the added benefit though that my unit uses machines aluminum on the sides to support the X axis instead of plastic. Bottom line, those 10mm X axis linear rods are so flimsy.

[@bobtheblob2770]

A lot of time they are actually 8mm

[@tgirard123]

That is such a slick idea to stiffen everything up

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, it certainly makes a difference.

[@MeansOfProduction209]

I really do appreciate these videos. I need to learn CAM and get some practical experience with CNC programming. The cost of this machine is only a bit more than the tuition for classes at my local community college.

[@MaximKachurovskiy]

I like your thought process :) Adding a linear rail on the back is genius.

[@Justins_shed]

Thanks for this video - a timely demonstration that if you can’t overcome a tool’s weakness entirely, it’s still worth it to improve performance by 50-75 per cent.

[@andrewdoherty8847]

A nice pair of videos. It seems to me that if a machine needs work to get the output to expectations you buy at that price point. Trying to turn a pigs ear into a silk purse still has the underpinnings of the ear. Adding the rail certainly helped tho. Of course for a content maker you get to make two videos. Adding stiffer springs to reduce the backlash also increases the friction and wear on the nuts, and adds to the motor load. Has anyone tried adding a broad angle wedge between the nuts? That would add stiffness without the load.

[@stevenrogerfineart5866]

It's so awesome having all that equipment 😀

[@JKC40]

I got the aluminum to make the new Z axis for mine for $50 for a 12x12 .25 in 6061 plate. Your other mill could cut the new sides just fine.

[@sennabullet]

Thank you VERY much for this incredibly helpful video. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.

[@myohmy-fb9ns]

i know it sounds strange but all my bolts and screws are surrounded by teflon tape which really makes the whole way more stable with less friction from moving. It kind of isolates the machine from moving. I took that idea from when i didnt know how to fasten my dumbbell weights to the rods and improvised it with balloon to stop it from moving.

[@Chris-tv2kp]

I don’t know much about this stuff but would this $200 machine be able to cut through metals such as aluminum and if not why?

[@djamelhamdia134]

You got jack stands as Christmas present? You must have a very good circle of friends!

[@davidsnyder2000]

That’s pretty cool how you engineered a more rigid machine. Nice work 👍

[@Coffe-]

If you fill all the lightning holes in the plastic extrusion with epoxy/plaster you could get more stiffness maybe

[@chas1878]

I wonder if the Z axis motor could handle that. Maybe a counterweight would help then :D

[@wizrom3046]

Looks like 25 bucks well spent! I lol-ed at the "Chinese 400mm" (396 mm). 🤣

[@RedDogForge]

tell us a lil more about that tailstock die holder? did you make that?

[@plang42]

Maybe you could have put a 3-5mm brass plate over the back of the spindle holder so the stand offs had something firm to bolt to?

[@duffman1278]

Love it! Keep up the videos AM!

[@freedomofmotion]

If anyone else is doing this and wants an easier time making it rigid. But a few bearing 4 bearing holders and a linear rail tube. Two of the bearing holders attach directly to the Z axis plastic and two go on the end pieces. This way you can just use normal screws wood screws in some pilot holes as bearing holders have holes in them to mount them to stuff. z axis ones need to be pass through bearings and end ones closed. Everything still attaches to the back. Just a case of making sure it's all nice and level. 😁

[@artisanmakes]

Do you have a video of you doing this?

[@vincentlee2460]

How do you know the exact positions of the 4 holes to drill without using a transfer punch method? Even a 0.2mm offset hole is not going to get the screw in nicely.

[@KeithAlumbaugh]

I just bought one of these and have access to a machine shop at work. I'm thinking of replacing the plastic spindle housing with an aluminum part. Any thoughts?

[@ljubomirculibrk4097]

That linear rail whoud be beter of the axis center not in the center. Its beter than in the start for shure, but z axis head is rotating as it is, now just the precision of the bearing is doing the job. Moving it from center of rotation you divide the error of the bearings.

[@king_james_official]

aren't you supposed to back off when tapping to remove the chips? that's what i was taught at school at least. those were steel though i don't know about brass (?)

[@Cliff_P]

What size linear rail did you use? Looks like 20 mm?

[@roboman2444]

One thing that might improve rigidity is filling the cavities in the plastic parts with epoxy, and maybe wrapping some carbon fiber around some areas. The added mass should be fairly negligible compared to the mass of the spindle motor itself. I may try this to my machine.

[@poepflater]

could it drill 4mm holes through 1.6mm aluminum?

[@donepearce]

Next should be the 8mm vertical guides on the Z-axis. You'll need to print a new carriage, but it is worth taking these up to 12mm. And of course the Y-rails. I fixed mine by bolting the whole machine to some 4-inch thick kitchen worktop material. That way I could use supported rails instead of free-standing ones. And then a 300W spindle motor. Oh, and the whole thing is now 500mm in each direction. And the steppers are NEMA 23 instead of 17, so I have changed the drivers. So I suppose strictly it is now nothing like a 3018, but hey - grandfather's axe, and all that.

[@ausfoodgarden]

Sounds like you should make a video so I can copy what you did. 😊 I'm looking at modding one to give reasonable results and a larger cut area (only for wood/acrylic) of around 500x400mm. Did you beef up the rest of the cutting unit when you replaced the motor? I mean the chuck diameter/size, (is it called a chuck on this type of machine?)

[@peersupportcounselor1904]

Yeah #donpearce make a video then you would have two videos total

[@donepearce]

@@peersupportcounselor1904 Are you trying to be snotty? You'll have to do better

[@GoPaintman]

I made a very rough oversize shape of the Z axis with foam and cast it in aluminum. Cast aluminum is very easy to machine and should be stiffer than the plastic.

[@Lucas_sGarage]

3d printed Plastic is stiffer that the stock stuff... Pretty much anything is stiffer

[@glennlewis4546]

This was a great video. THANK YOU ... I don't suppose you could post a link to the linear rail you bought and the heavier duty springs? (please?)

[@TaylorMadejdm1975]

This is great I thumbed up both of the videos can you tell me if this only does two dimensional engraving or does it also do three-dimensional Milling as well

[@artisanmakes]

The machine can do 3d models, just use the appropriate g code. The spindle will cause issues, so I'd take it slow and stick to foam and balsa for 3d work

[@jeremycable51]

How much of these machines are plastic I’ve been thinking about getting one to learn cnc on and it would make a good project to make and replace all the plastic parts in aluminum or steel possibly cast iron depending on size and if I can source it

[@mcbeardface]

The front and back rails on the Y axis, the left and right mounts for the X axis, and most of the z axis are all plastic

[@jeremycable51]

@@mcbeardface so the gantry supports? And the bed supports?

[@koharaisevo3666]

@@jeremycable51 Gantry supports are plastic, the left and right bed supports are extruded aluminum while the front and back are plastic.

[@jeremycable51]

@@koharaisevo3666 wonder what these machines would be with upgraded frame and table

[@johncoops6897]

@@jeremycable51 - They would be a waste of time and money. You don't pour $400 into trying to improve a $200 machine.... you just buy a better one for the same total price.

[@IMChrisThom]

Is all this really worth it?

[@MrPetrovich83]

Do you have a link to where you bought the linear rails?

[@Telectronics]

What do you think at these type of cnc machines in general can they be ridgid enough to cut steel If proper build or would you say the other vertical type mill will be the only possible machine type for that ? This type offers more table area as I can see this would be nice for small spaces.

[@artisanmakes]

its not unheard of for more powerful gantry CNC router machines to be able to cut steel, you can do it, but of course the way to go would be with a column or knee mill.

[@ThanasisThomas]

Hey where and how did you train to use the lathe?

[@th600mike3]

You should definitely get some various Loctite to make sure all those screws on your z axis don't come loose. Chatter, heating and cooling will work them loose and over time cause problems. 100% worth the cost and time to go back and add that little bit of basic insurance.

[@ernestgalvan9037]

I wish you had given the links to the rails, it would at least give us a baseline for what to buy.

[@joearcher7188]

how about putting a second rail like you just did on the bottom between the sides like the linear rails. This would cause a huge amount of support closer to the cutter which should make it what you are looking for in regidity.

[@artisanmakes]

Maybe but I doubt there is enough space to effectively do that

[@nightdrivers9138]

Hey guys so I want to get into cnc but I'm broke what would be the best machine under 1000 that can cut aluminum well enough for injection molds ?

[@memememe2674]

How would this machine get on with balsa sheet and ply up to say 3mm?

[@artisanmakes]

It will do balsa easy, and ply but you might need to reduce your doc

[@ferrumignis]

A useful improvement for sure, but since you had two rails it seems a bit of a waste not to use them. Replacing the existing rails so the Z is supported top and bottom would make the whole setup stiffer again as the rods are still visibly flexing when you apply force to the spindle. Though maybe you have plans for the other rail?

[@gangleweed]

I went down this path too with a 3018 build I'm doing except I'm using 2 SBR fully supported rails on the X and Y and Z axes in place of the unsupported round rails commonly used in these type routers. It's true you only get what you pay for and this router was made to sell for $200 so upgrades will make it better even if it pushes the cost up.

[@1pcfred]

He had one rail and two blocks.

[@artisanmakes]

@@1pcfred This is correct, its not common but they are occasionally sold as a set of one rail and two blocks

[@1pcfred]

@@artisanmakes One rail and two blocks makes sense to me. One rail and a block or just one rail and just a block are available by themselves too. I was waiting for you to get caught by the asymmetrical mounting hole issue a lot of those blocks appear to suffer from. The pattern isn't always as precise as it may seem. You're the first person I've ever seen to not get burnt by it. I guess QC at the factory has improved. Used to be no two were alike.

[@googily1]

great video

[@SurfyKirky]

I’d love to see how this goes with thicker aluminium

[@stick9648]

Probably work best for engraving name tags in plastic.

[@anubisko212]

Why was my comment about using hard plastic anti backlash nut instead of the garbage spring one deleted ?

[@1pcfred]

I don't know. I use HDPE nuts on my machine. I cut them with a custom shop made tap and they are really tight. Was a bit of a trick to make them actually. I made the tap out of some off cut acme threaded rod and that was too tight so I had to punch peen some of the teeth to expand them.

[@artisanmakes]

Hey mate, just so you know I don't touch comments unless they are overtly hateful or such. I checked the spam section and its not there, so I could answer you on why the comment is not showing up. As for using plastic anti backlash nuts, im sure you could make it work. Ive never retro fitted a machine to use them before, and I dont take a metric trapezoidal tap so I couldnt try doing it at the moment. Cheers

[@1pcfred]

​@@artisanmakes I made my own plastic lead nuts and they work good for me. Plastic stretches so the whole nut acts like its own spring. Makes it naturally anti-backlash. It's like one of those life hacks.

[@anubisko212]

@@1pcfred Hi .. you do not need the tap for the screw .. I have posted aliexpress link here , and maybe the youtube filter removed the comment or I just forgot to press the button to reply :D OK .. so I posted the link in to next comment and it was deleted with youtube 5 seconds after posting it here ..

[@anubisko212]

look for anti backlash nut block for 8mm metric acme lead screw, it will be black squared shape block with setscrew .

[@silicon.alchemist]

That MGN20 rail is a bit overkill, no? An MGN12 or MGN15 would have been plenty good enough, and about half the price.

[@artisanmakes]

Possibly but I simply don't how. For $20 these do a good job

[@yeagerxp]

Good job 👍👍👍Thank you for sharing. Be safe

[@zabihtoosky658]

You improved the X axis not the Z axis, no?

[@kurokami5964]

tbh i would have replaced every plastic part into steel, if i allready had a mill (probably would be a little heavy) basicly making it an absurd rigid upgrade, then replace the motors if too weak... wait, wouldnt it be better to make a cnc mill from scratch enstead of buying one at 200?

[@irishwristwatch2487]

Not bad for a couple hundred, honestly doesnt seem too bad. Cheapish upgrade - flitted back and forth and its noticeable on speeds&feeds too. Any plans on perhaps using it as a bonafide mini-CNC with milling cutters, or is it just not rigid enough? Cool upgrade tho, thanks mate! 👍

[@1pcfred]

About all you can do with a machine like this that makes practical sense is upgrade those guide rails. That will net you an improvement and it is reasonable to do. Past that you'd be replacing the whole machine to get much more out of it. As everything is pretty minimal. To reach its price point it has to be.

[@artisanmakes]

If i were to try and use this as a proper CNC, I would need to do a substantial overhaul of the motor and z axis assembly, which would mean scrapping it entirely and rebuilding it from aluminium. There are videos where people have done that, but I have not yet decided whether I am going to that with this CNC. Even for me, it is a lot of work to justify on a machine like this.

[@1pcfred]

@@artisanmakes I think the upgrade you did was the highest return for the investment. That gantry axis had the most slop in it. We all saw what that did. Hobby CNC is another way to say work. It is a T&M job.

[@TommiHonkonen]

20 mil seems overkill for dremel. you should upgrade the mill and lathe to those rails tho

[@artisanmakes]

You could make the case that they are overkill, but the jump in price from 15mm rails wasn't too great.

[@hullinstruments]

Would be incredible to see you get another small cheap Chinese CNC. maybe like the 3018 or others that cost a few hundred dollars… then upgrade them to cut metal like others have shown on KZbin

[@artisanmakes]

Interesting idea, maybe when I get a bigger shop space. Something like a 3040 or 6040 CNC might be on the cards. Cheers

[@YooProjects]

Proxxon mf70 is a great machine. You can upgrade to cnc with upgrade kit. You can see it on my channel.

[@crackpotfox]

Only very, very high end rails will come matched or in pairs.

[@MECHANISMS2SEE]

How did you find the rail and carriage for $25 what was the rail length?

[@johncoops6897]

Why not watch the video and pay attention? Here's a link... click it 👉 3:10

[@MECHANISMS2SEE]

@@johncoops6897 Ouch didn't expect to get to get barked at. Send us the link to pick up two carriages and a rail for $25.

[@chas1878]

Looks like a 20mm rail to me. Possibly a HGR20 rail and carriage. Use HGR20 as a search team, there will be some hits. I doubt that it actually needs to be that big. Linear rails are already very sturdy on their own, a 15mm rail will easily do the same.

[@artisanmakes]

its a 400mm rail and i bought it off ebay. It is a little difficult to find them as a single listing, they are usually sold as a pair of rails. I'd give you my listing that i used but I bought these 2 months ago and the listing is no longer active. Cheers

[@kevin_delaney]

Do yourself a favor and get used to 130-145° angle drills, no need for pre drilling or spot drilling. More expensive but an industry standard.

[@justtestingonce]

The best setup is to use this machine just for PCB machining or light wood. Later, build or get a cnc dedicated to metal, it separates,the functions as well.

[@1pcfred]

The machine here is a desktop engraver. It does that fine. It's not a milling machine. Maybe you could do some light milling in plastic or wood? I still wouldn't call it a mill though.

[@artisanmakes]

I would assume as much. Much easier than the acid etching we had to do back in high school :)

[@bigalremington]

I like it!

[@UmbraAtrox_]

Tell me about your lathe

[@artisanmakes]

It is a Chinese sieg c3

[@UmbraAtrox_]

Many thanks

[@1pcfred]

Those round guide rails are pretty flimsy. It's probably the biggest mechanical let down on the machine.

[@thewritingengineer]

Dude, you're killing me with the way you're opening the linear rail. For the love of all things, _please_ don't open things with a box cutter while holding it in your hand. All I could see was a fabulous trip to the hospital.

[@flexiblebirdchannel]

My problem with the machine is the spindle motor. It vibrates, depending on the location above the workpiece, because it is not balanced and if the support ist not stiff enough, the narrow engraved line immediatly became a wider track that pushes everything to the sides. Unusable for PCB work, unusable for engraving. It depends how precise the endmill is inserted into the ER11 collet, I may use a puppitast to center it but it is not centered enough (and of course tedious work upon every tool change). So your modifications are way behind the problem for me.

[@bigwendigo2253]

I’ve seen people get this machine to work for PCB engraving, I think his would do the trick too after those upgrades he did. Are their replacement spindles that you’d be able to get? That was the upgrade I was hoping to see in this video. I think this machine has potential if you’re willing to upgrade it.

[@flexiblebirdchannel]

@@bigwendigo2253 Yes, and there are people where this machine fails, can not do pcb work or nice engraved lettering. The engraver bits that have a simply flat tip (half of rod grinded away) will always inbalance the spindle. Engraver bits that have a spiral are much better. But the main problem is the missing stiffness of the portal.

[@bermchasin]

10:31 - a huge gain of plastic but a huge gain in rigidigtygug"

[@artisanmakes]

Yep

[@bermchasin]

@@artisanmakes im considering pulling the trigger on a PROVerXL 4030. But your upgrade to this machine certainly gets your closer to it for way less money. Nicely done

[@snax_4820]

Thanks for the video, but I would rather sell the machine and buy a better one. Less hassle.

[@tonycstech]

I hoped to see Android writing in the end 🤔

[@Basement_CNC]

cool, but im still buying a nice desktop cnc mill with proper linear rails ballscrews , a full alu frame and a decent housing , for the parts i need (really fine &precise) 3.5 k isnt that much , and i want a machine that does what i tell it and doesnt need fiddling all the time

[@OhHeyTrevorFlowers]

I mean, sure. A $3.5k machine is better than a $200 machine. Some people get a kick out of making cheap machines punch above their weight class and spending the other $3.3k on materials or whatever.

[@johncoops6897]

Why are you even here making such a stupid comment. Of course a $3500 machine is better than a $200 one, FFS.

[@1pcfred]

@@johncoops6897 the CNC business is kind of messed up. What you get for what you pay doesn't always add up. There's a lot of preying on ignorance going on. Just how it is. Everyone loves money after all. The CNC racket really attracts them too.

[@artisanmakes]

Sounds great, best of luck and I hope it works out well.

[@Basement_CNC]

@@johncoops6897 my comment was slong the lines of " cool machine especially with the Upgrades, but id still like a machine that i dont have to mess with all the time to produce precise parts " and yes i get that the to are not comparable but both are desktop cncs but there is a reason i want the more expensive one 🤷‍♂️ and if you used a really nice one (emco at school) you dont want to go all the way back to the start its like a 5k car and a 60k car , there is a BIG difference if you want to make parts that fit together the 200$ ones are almost useless (for example gears etc)

[@shebakthar]

Amazing!!!! We are also CNC Machinery Manufacturers in India and we are also into special machines. Please watch Easytech CNC Machinery, Coimbatore, INDIA.

[@deanharris7149]

I’ve got manual machines like you, but unlike you I don’t know Jack shit about computers and want to get a small simple machine to learn coding, or what ever it’s called. Is there such a thing as a project kit with all the computer stuff and directions of how to assemble it? Maybe including lead screws? But I can make those too.

[@kk2ak14]

I thought the upgrade was a new one not made in China😂

[@caldwellguy]

You have to be an engineer. You came up with the most complicated and expensive way to do everything.

[@artisanmakes]

I wouldn't consider $20 linear rails expensive. Cheers

[@bigwendigo2253]

Huh? The amount of improvement this machine got for $25 was well worth it. Or do you mean how he uses his mills and lathes for parts that can be bought for cheap (like the standoffs)

[@mundaryus]

Just put its electronics on your milling machine

[@artisanmakes]

You'd probably need to add larger steppers and ballscrews for my mill. Cheers

[@MichaelKingsfordGray]

You get what you pay for.

[@Dummatzen]

I will upgrade my cheap CNC by using thousands of dollars worth of machinery.

[@33333yt]

Let’s buy the abosolte cheapest piece of crap and then upgrade it.

[@jeromekaidor7254]

Which linear rail did you use? A quick Ebay search turned up "MGN9", "MGN12", "MGN15"

[@jeromekaidor7254]

AND "HGR12", "HGR15"...

[@fritzstudios8571]

Ridiculous video. Upgrade a $200 machine with gear worth $10000

[@artisanmakes]

I'm pretty sure I said you could do this with a $120 drill press. Edit: yes I did say it, I used the mill out of convenience though. You could even use a cordless drill if you wanted to. The lathe was $600 but you can get standoffs on ebay

[@abcdef-uc1rj]

@@artisanmakes Don't feed the troll please. Nice video. I've been planning on doing something similar on my 6040 machine but the construction of the gantry assembly on that machine makes it a bit more tricky. Still debating on whether to ditch the linear rail and just add a substantial pair of braces between the gantry side supports to make it a bit stiffer.