DIY CNC 3018

About the Machine

This Easel menu entry covers the many white-label 3018-class CNC machines sold under dozens of different brand names, most sharing nearly identical mechanics from the same handful of factories. There is no single manufacturer behind the '3018' name, so no exact spec can be validated against an official source for this entry. Machines in this class typically share a working area around 300 x 180 x 45 mm and run a GRBL controller, but the exact numbers vary by seller, so check your own machine's listing or manual before relying on any figure here.

Cut Settings on this Machine

Every cut starts with one formula: Feed Rate = Spindle Speed (RPM) x Chip Load x Number of Cutting Edges (flutes). Chip load is the thickness of material each cutting edge removes in one revolution of the bit. This number comes from the manufacturer of the bit, which publishes a chip-load chart for each bit diameter and material. Look up your exact bit and material, start from the middle of the published range, and you have the third number in the formula. The chart below shows the recommended spindle speed for each material and bit type.

3018-class machines typically ship with a small brushed spindle motor, often in the 24V to 36V range with no published RPM chart, so check your own spindle's plate or listing for its actual top speed before picking a number off the chart. These are light, compact machines built on small aluminum extrusion and leadscrews, not rigid production tools, so depth per pass is limited by the machine's own stiffness. A truly rigid machine with a powerful spindle can cut as deep as the bit is wide in a single pass, but that takes real spindle torque, a drive train and clamps that hold firm, a gantry that will not flex, and enough mass to soak up vibration. A small 3018 falls well short of that bar, and the fix is simple: take shallow passes. Push too deep and the bit deflects and chatters, leaving scalloped edges, or it rubs instead of cutting and burns the material. The fastest way to dial in a cut is to see what has already worked for other people.

Worked example for feed rate: 1/8in (3.175mm) two-flute solid carbide end mill in hard wood. The chart says 16,000 RPM. Most 3018-class spindles do not reach that speed, so check your spindle's own plate or listing for its actual maximum and use that number instead if it is lower. With the bit maker's 0.025mm per tooth (0.0010 in), at a spindle speed of 16,000 RPM: 16,000 x 0.025 x 2 = 800 mm/min (31 in/min) feed. Scale the feed down proportionally if your spindle's real top speed is lower. For depth per pass, start shallow and check Community Cut Settings in Easel for what works on similar 3018 machines. If the cut sounds strained, reduce the depth, not the feed. Slowing the feed below the chip load makes the bit rub instead of cut.

Community Cut Settings shows the spindle speed, feed rate, and depth per pass other makers actually run for your machine, material, and bit.