I'd be interested to see how you get on with the heavier spindle and upgraded stepper motor. I'm about to upgrade my 3018, but I plan to redesign and rebuild the X gantry and make a few other changes. There are three things a CNC router or mill needs: (1) rigidity, (2) rigidity, and (3) rigidity. A 3018 doesn't have much of those. Yet :-) I thought about adding a third linear rail, forming some sort of triangular arrangement, but decided it needed to be too far back from (or in front of) the existing ones to be a good solution. I plan to use self-supporting linear bearings of some sort, have much less overhang, and extended Z travel. More weight so, like you, a bigger stepper motor, eventually. The stepper you used looks like one of the largest NEMA 17 types, rated for 2A, and I'm not convinced you'll get much more torque out of it than with the original. Having divorced the spindle power from the original power supply, the PSU probably has the capacity needed for one larger stepper. However, the control board probably can't deliver significantly more than it already was. The drivers regulate and limit the current. I don't know which type you have, but if it's a Woodpecker with the blue heatsink, the drivers are Polulu A4988s and can only deliver 1A. A CronosMaker with stepsticks has the same A4988s, though you can replace those with DRV8825s or TMC5160s.
Wouldn't 2040 extrusions be better for the uprights and Delrin polymer bearings replacing the messy ball bearing ones on all axis (less worry with dust accumulation and easier to keep clean)?
Maybe you can mill out your gantry parts. Maybe even go with a slightly bigger gantry. Maybe look into a Duet, or similar board. I know the plastic mount can warp. I would go with PC if you can print it. Then mill out new parts. Maybe enlarge the Z gantry a little and change the part cooling. This looks like an awesome starter tool.
Nice job! on those improvements, i think you are on the right track, and BTW if you want to see all the changes i have made to my 3018 DIY cloner i will send you some nice pics of what i have made so far! if you are Curious!✌😎
Great video! Does anyone sell this as a retrofit kit? I don't have a 3D printer and kinda just want to use my cnc for fun vs. spending too much time on upgrades or improvements.
Great videos thanks. I am having trouble finding a 300W spindle but there are loads of 500W spindles about. Do you know if the CNC3018 could be upgraded to a 500W spindle without having to reinforce or change the Z stepper motor? Thanks
You already had the best 45 degree braces - the original uprights. Buy some 45 degree brackets that fit the 2020 extrusion like the right angle ones. You are going to need major upgrades to fix the z-axis wobble. Don't bother trying to modify what you have.
The 45 degree brackets that I printed are excellent to be fair! although I do agree with you and I did mention it in the video, this machine isn't worth upgrading any further. I'd say I took it to the limit, and if you want more you're better off buying a more capable machine!
I have a 3018 and upgrade to 20000 spindle but rather than put more money into the 3018 I am saving for a cnc router with square linear rails with bearing blocks
@@thehardwareguy most people dont realize what production cnc machines are, I had my own machine shop for 10 years ( hated small business) I really miss machining just picked up a used hardinge lathe and will be buying a quality cnc router, it costs to much to run a 10 hp cnc machining center or lathe
All this upgardes is bullshit, because this machine have 10mm bars and this bars bent from any touch... With original extruded Z axis block and spindle(1.1kg) they bent at the middle of X axis about 0.5 mm. Stepper motors is wery wake to(X axis can produce 6.2 kg force), should be replaced... There is only one solution, change this bars with SBR bars(for one axis price is about 26EUR)... But more cheepeast way is make you own machine parts with this machine, and put this on the chest of drawers for nice memories...
Depends what you expect to get out of it I guess. The upgrades have definitely improved the machine, at very low cost. The upgrades I did mean that I can now cut harder woods instead of just softer woods. For me, that was worth it. Someone like you is probably expecting this machine to cut space grade steel, it’s not going to happen.
@@thehardwareguy No, I don't expect cut stell, I understanding this machines capability. I have this machine to. Right now I watching you video about adding 3-rail for X axis...What I tell in my previous comment about X axis? You find the same isuue of this machine...Next is Y axis, I think there is possible add more 2 rails on bottom for more rigidity. But, actually,as I sad, better is meke one new machine, with more bigger space and bigger rigidity. But this is next level. This is hard to do with chinese parts, because they are low quality. Yust measure, for example, distance on each side of bar stand holes and you see tahat there is not poosible meke this machine run in proper dimensions. Yes, you can do souvenirs, but this is all of capabilityAlso you can't work with any metal, excepting situation, where you quality requirements is wery low. This you idea with 3 rail is good, but I don't have 3D printer.
