3018 PRO - Tips and tricks

In this episode we cover some of the tips and tricks to help you with your 3018PRO. Topics covered are below with approximate timestamps:

Intro 00:00
Noise and vibration - 00:52
Maintenance - 06:30
Accessories - 10:35
Holding material to the bed - 16:30
Setup and calibration - 23:02

Link to the Graham Bland setup and calibration files:

Link to the Sainsmart 3018PRO

I have recently set up a Patreon page to help keep making tutorials and keep my YouTube channel moving forward.

If you want to help but do not want to become a Patreon, you con contribute directly:

Check out my channel for other videos on the 3018PRO

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The Putoline Drytec is also available on Amazon but it is quite expensive on there so I would advise looking elsewhere for it. The video was not sponsored by any of these brands/companies.

Some product links I share are affiliate links. This means they do not cost you any more but I might make a small commission in return which helps towards making videos.

[smoll.miniatures]

I love YouTube and its creators so much. The fact I had no idea about cnc routing yesterday, and today after watching 100 vids I have the confidence to buy one and run it is absolutely magical. I swear I’ve learned more this year from YouTube than I did my whole time at school.

[REDBULLHEADiphone]

Skipped to the part about holding material to the bed. Drove straight to Screfix, picked up some CA glue and masking tape and it worked a charm. I now have a 300x200mm piece of material on the bed, fixed and sturdy with no clamps!

[alexdalton]

I have just received this machine from amazon . Had a issue on y axis assembly every time I secured the hex bolts it did not slide. discovered the table (aluminum) was curved after much fiddling I have temporary packed with card of various thicknesses as don't have shims stock. Your video on the spoil plate and leveling was very helpful. When my friend who runs a industrial cnc mill get back from leave we will try straighten it. I have now run one of the sample files on the mill and my spindle I am glad to say has almost no vibration. Thanks for the tips as the manual for what it is does not mention maintenance. Although with my friends on it gets cleaned daily and has built in lub pump. I live where items like the tape are not that common so will hunt for alternatives. Thanks for the brilliant tips. (zim)

[ddeda]

I've come back to this video several times over the past couple of months. It's full of great tips, particularly the painter's tape / cyanoacrylate glue trick. Thank you!

[jrvcell]

Bearing Tip! Instead of epoxy, I have had success holding all my bearings in using electronic repair tape. B-7010 is extremely adhesive and thin. I wrapped the bearing with 2 strips of tape and pressed them in. No bearings have shifted since and you'll be able to get them out if they fail.
Thanks for the video and I'll be getting some aerosol dry lubricant. Great tips!

[christhompson]

As a quick thing to reduce noise early on I've found the foam sheets that come with the cnc machine make a good mat to drown out the noise if you strip the sides and just use the large flat backs.

[johnnyonpc]

I don't have a CNC machine but I still watched the whole video, even considering getting one! Cheers!

[trevorjay]

Brilliant - clear and concise tips that will really improve my machine and the work it produces...what a star

[dwainedibbley]

Getting a 3018 pro for Christmas, loving the guides and cant wait to get started

[jonconnellnyc]

Excellent content and the best I have seen on this clever little machine to date! Very many thanks. Btw, people of the world thats a Birmingham accent - a place in England famous for engineering excellence and where kids grow up naturally knowing how to make things and create loud music for some reason. Good to see a great tradition continuing.

[geologist_luna]

So I have the same machine and am 3D printing stop switch sensor holders for the X, Y, and Z. I don't know if anyone else will be interested, but I am building them to be as "low pro" as possible, and capable of still keeping as much off the original 300x180 as I can.

Great tips, and I will keep up with you a ton now. Thanks for all of this!

[Ikescreations]

This is so incredibly helpful! I’m going through all your 3018 videos right now and you’ve saved me HOURS of work. Thank you!!

[alecbayliss]

this has been the most helpful videos series i have seen thank you James

[OGmolton]

great video, thanks for sharing. I found that with my 3018 pro the steps per axis (in the grbl firmware I guess) had to be set to 800 steps to get millimeter accurate results. I just used a laser engraver to draw a ruler until it lined up with an actual ruler. Also, grow tents make good cheap and easy enclosures

[gordroberts]

Brilliant! My 3018 is together but before it goes to work I'm going to build the enclosure you've designed. This is a great channel, good work! Thanks for sharing, cheers from BC

[JPToto]

Just found your channel. Nicely done! I had no idea about the Graham Bland advice. Thanks so much!!! Already putting these settings to work on my 3018.

[MasterThief]

Absolutely amazing videos. Extremely clear, concise, and highly educational.

[gregoryconnors]

Excellent info on a rather incapable machine. You've brought things to my attention that I otherwise throw aside and chock up to the inferior build quality of these little things. While I look for more in depth resolutions in re-engineering the machine in it's entirety, you bring about ways of turning the inferiorities into working capabilities with much simpler and more economical solutions. Kudos!

[tramutoohana]

Thanks for the video. Ran into many of the same problems (bearings under table vibrating out of housing, etc.). Another tip you may offer is leveling the table. While not perfect, I was able to buy some 0.016" metal at my local hardware store and place a shim between the table and the bearing housing underneath. I was able to run a dial indicator across my table and had it within @ 0.010", but for someone without an indicator, you could take a small cut on MDF to see if it's cutting close to flat. Really appreciate your time and effort!

[regularcyclist]

I recently purchased a CNC 3018 pro from eBay for under £100 from someone who obviously had never assembled it. It came with the woodpecker board and spiral wrap along with the offline controller. Just finished putting it together and hope to test it out tomorrow.