An Intro To Designing and Cutting on the Sainsmart CNC Using Easel (part 1)
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- EASEL HAS TO BE IN MM FOR IT TO SEND THE CORRECT DIMENSIONS
This video is an instructional video on how to set up Easel by Inventables to work with your Sainsmart Genmitsu CNC router or any GRBL based CNC router.
The issue I had with it not cutting all the way through is entirely my fault, not the machines, EASEL HAS TO BE IN MM FOR IT TO SEND THE CORRECT DIMENSIONS MULTIPLY MATERIAL THICKNESS AND CUT DEPTH BY 2.54. I need to hurry up and attach my waste board so that I can easily mount pieces for cutting.
Link For Easel by Inventables
easel.inventabl...
Wiki link for machine
wiki.sainsmart....
Facebook group link for machine
/ 2051281978515959
Link to buy the machine(Not affiliate link)
www.sainsmart....
Super helpful, the lack of instruction is why I haven't picked one of these up yet for our school. This gives me a little more confidence we could get one of these and give it a try.
I have given up on laser machines, gauging the kerf of the cuts ( ie burn out thickness) is waaayyyy too variable it feels, I'd prefer good 'ol CNC.
Thanks Caleb. Very Timely and VERY thorough video is much appreciated.
I am glad you enjoy it! Is there anything else you would like for me to cover if you plan on using this in a classroom? And if you do decide to use a CNC machine in your classroom make sure to join the Facebook group (link in description) that way you can get help quickly if you need it or it break, because things tend to break easy in a classroom. Lasers definitely require a lot of practice to get right if you want to cut, but then again it's a lot safer because you don't have essentially a sharp knife spinning really fast. Lack of documentation is one of the big reasons why I started making these videos, they are such amazing machines, but there is almost no documentation on how to operate them, especially in video format
I 2nd the motion to join the FB group. Even if you don't have a machine yet. It will help you see what all people are doing with the machine, the issues, and build confidence that you can get help if you have issues. You can also feel free to jump into the group and ask questions on any areas you're unsure of.
This is the best video I have come across to help set up a 3018 using Easel by far!
Really easy to follow "bite sized" steps, unlike so many others that presume I have a certain knowlege or skill level.
Thank you Caleb, you have gained a follower.
Thanks for the vid as it was easy to follow. Made a small box with the second go with my son’s name on it with the box app in Easel. I did snap a bit first go before I saw this as I’d not thought to reduce feed rate but I’m glad as I see what happens now when they break. Easel much more friendly to use than others I’ve tried this week.
I'm glad it helped! Easel is by far the best entry one and the only software I would use besides it is autodest fusion 360. Also don't forget to multiply the material thickness and cut depth by 2.54 so that it will cut the correct depth!
Caleb Builds 3D yes I noticed that first go. I was not sure first time I did the multiplying so had a thick waste board just in case. Working really well now just made some key rings. It’s addictive.
@@decc2007 lol, it definitely is addictive, but a good addiction
Thank you for the video, a great source for new users. Please keep them coming.
Thank you! Hoping to make some more but college is a killer
Forget multiplying your thickness by 2.54, just tell Easel your dimensions are metric mm and accurately measure thickness of your wood to be carved.
When you plan a through profile cut, Easel will confirm that us what you want to do & offer including tabs. You can set the tab size too.
I love that your mill has a "build platform".
Awesome, thank you. I just got my first cnc, this Sainsmart, and this video was quite helpful. One of the items I’ll be using it for is phone cases/case backs. Could I message you somewhere to ask a few questions?
Generally, leave small bridges between the part you are cutting and the "waste" To prevent the part from knocking free early and getting ruined or kicked out by the spinning bit (or breaking the bit)
And you want a waste material under what you are cutting so you can cut through deeper than the desired product to ensure you do cut through.
Nominal 1/4 inch plywood is not really 1/4 inch when you measure and varies thicker and thinner. All materials have a tolerance of labeled vs actual thickness.
I usually leave the tabs, it was just a quick cut and I didn't care if this cut failed, because then I could make an example out of it. Also it didn't cut all the way through because there was an issue with the machine running with mm and the software sending IN without it being converted, it was easily fixed my multiplying material thickness and cut depth my 2.54. lately I have been getting in the habit of always measuring all of my materials in multiple different spots to try and get the best results possible. Thank you for the advice!
I’ve got my software for easel finally connecting to my cnc but something still isn’t right well in my head like I made a file to cut a simple design but I can’t find the name or size of the bits I got with the machine and all I can figure out is I got the milling bits ten of them but I can’t find even a bit from the list that looks like this bit...your video has been a help...
Not sure if you were having some technical problems but your video sounded weird and bad at times. However your content was amazing it actually helped me so that you very much.
Nice tutorial to get one started on cnc .
Excellent video. Used your other video to build the machine and this one to use Easel.
Thank you! I'm glad my videos could help! For easel make sure multiply material thickness and cut depth by 2.54, that way it converts between metric and imperial
Ho much praisr
Thanks pal that helped me a lot ! you defo earned sub !
Incredible video and one of the most comprehensive thus far. I had two questions to ask: 1. When I set the depth of the material in Easel and loaded the g Code to the Universal G Code, my 4030 CNC router
The board thickness is 13.55mm and I had to set it at 25mm in order for it to cut through. Any idea why this is happening?
Also, how come when I use the entire 400x300 space in Easel and download the g Code to the Universal g Code tool, it cuts it out much smaller? Even the visualizer in the Unniversal g Code tool shows that it's going to cut it out using the entire 400x300 space.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Starting to get frustrated!
Very he;pful, thank tou for making this video available.
Hi there nice video, I have never used a CNC but I have always wanted one. Is this unit really that easy to use even for a novice? Also I dont know how long you have had this unit but what is your opinion on it so far? Thanks.
It's a nice machine for beginners, and it definitely is a capable machine. I would recommend it, just don't get the MX3 one. It will take time to get good at, and you will brake bits, but it is so satisfying to see the progress you make and to bring stuff from your computer into real life. Check the Facebook group if you want other opinions and to see what people are making
Thank for an excellent instructional video. It really helped me to get started with my 3018 Pro max.
I see your router didn't cut all the way through your work piece. I experienced the same problem using either Easel or UGS nightly build.
Did you manage to find out how to rectify the problem?
Have you done any instructional videos on the laser using this machine?
maybe his board more thick than the one he setup on easel? can u tell me if u already figure it out
I see someone posted a similar question regarding the depth of cut. Any solutions?
have u find the solutions? pls tell me if u do find it
Thank you man! I have a quick question if you happen to see this, thanks again!
Fuck flixzone
Thanks for the helpful video. question, I can't get easel to remember my machine settings. Every time I start a new project I have to setup a "NEW" machine and I have problems with ease finding my machine sometime it doesn't find it for hours sometimes I'm luck and do something to get it to recognize. Please help anyone a simple 4 min file takes me days because of this issue
Thank you for your video. It was very helpful.
You are welcome! I'm glad you found it useful!
Thanks for the vid! Easel doesn't have the bits that came with the machine in their library?
P.S. Not sure how you were using the calipers to measure when the battery and cover were clearly missing, but, that's a whole other topic. LOL
You have to search the type of bit you have, and then enter it in, the machine comes with 30 degree 3.125mm v bits. Also my calipers electronics part stopped working, even with new batteries, so I just use the numbers printed on the side, it is still a fairly accurate way to measure, but not nearly as good as it was when o first got them. I need to invest in a much nicer pair
Many thanks. A helpfull video. My queston is what can be the reason my sainsmart works so slowly? Hope you can help me.
Feed rate / cut rate
Hi so can this machine cut out wooden letters ?
Why is the setting for machine type = X-Carve, but the video says "Designing and Cutting on the Sainsmart"?
Did you use easel pro or free version?
Hello, my router is starting to cut from right to left. Is there any way to make it cut from left to right again?
Thanks
Under set up, when setting up your machine, you can swap which direction is X+ and X- , which is your left and right direction. If that did not answer you question, let me know and I will see what I can do to help you
A little oil on the machine threads would certainly help!
Definitely, and I highly recommend using a dry lubrication over a wet one. Dust sticks to it less
Thank you, Caleb.
You are welcome!
What specification did you use when setting up easel to sainsmart 3080
I will have to check in the morning. But the machine is a 3018 pro laser/ cnc engraver. Can I contact you tomorrow ?
I used a random machine, they are all CNC machines so it's not that big of a deal, I think I showed which one I choose in the video, it was probably grbl CNC machine or something like that. It's been a while
how do you determine your feed and speed?
Easel estimated it from their library or machine & material types. You can override if you need faster or slower cutting.
If your cut takes tooling, if you're using a thin v cut bit, not very good for cutting largeish flat areas. Swap to a 1/8th or larget
Easel used to work with my 3018 Prover. For whatever reason, it no longer does. Every other CAM software works fine, but not Easel. It's a shame too because I really like Easel since I could do everything from design to carve from it. Sad.
2.54 CM is in one inch. That's 25.4mm per inch. Basically, inches to millimeters, multiply by 25.4. Other way, divide by that.
Best stick to metric as its more straight forward.
@@vapoureyes No, it's not
@@phil2082 sorry you disagree as I’ve been a toolmaker for forty years , started off on imperial but later changed over to metric which made life much easier , imperial is old school these days so better to move on . Think America is the only country still using it .
That’s my opinion but is ok to disagree
@@vapoureyes Unit conversions are not that hard, and the fact that people struggle with them this much is just wrong
Your opinion was not any part of this
@@phil2082 I don’t struggle , I just think it’s out of date.
Ok, I have the MX3 and I have it all set up and I'm using Drufel as I dont like Mach 3 , I have exported the Gcode from Easel, them imported it to Drufel which opens the file with gcode errors straight away. I have the zero point tool and have zeored and homed the machine and I get the spindle in the right place then set 0,0 press start, the machine runs and seems to go in the right positions but the spindle does not turn, I can turn the spindle on manually in drufel and off and I can move the bed around and I have checked all the settings to make sure the machine is correctly seen by Drufel and the x, y, z is all correct but for the life of me the gcode will not start the spindle. Any ideas please Caleb..... Thanks
Not all gcodes are the same, Easel is designed for grbl based machines, and mach 3 based machines don't like that flavor of gcode. What you have to do is design your part in a piece of software that can export in the mach 3 flavor of gcode, otherwise you will keep getting those errors.
@@calebbuilds3d223 Thanks Caleb, you're the first thats actually told me that, not even Sainsmart support knew that, I'm changing it anyway for a full grbl board soon when the all ali machine comes out, although the board is good Mach 3 and Drufel I have to admit are not the best products for a non machinist to use, Drufel is ok but Mach 3 very confusing for a new starter. Any ideas on the best software that likes Drufel in the Meantime thanks.
I'm glad I could help! I do not know of any other software for that sadly. Grbl is definitely the best for beginners and also the most user friendly, especially considering that you can use easel. I will be making a mach 3 video, but it's nearing final season, so I haven't had time lately. Sainsmart is actually making a new CNC machine, which is being released soon, it's basically the mach 3 one but it has a grbl board instead, which is what they should have done in the first place.
@@calebbuilds3d223 yes i think it was a mistake to release the mx3 with purely a mach3 board on it. They would have sold many more if it had been grbl....
problem was solved by Drufel they had to dial it , it was because i was running windows on a boot-camped mac and that was casing a problem for Drufel, they altered the parameters and now it works perfectly.
Good job, this video helped.
Thank you! I'm glad this video helped, just remember to multiply material thickness and cut depth by 2.54
Good catch. Instead in the advanced menu of easel , "Machine Inspector", I changed the z $102 value to 800 to match x and y (was previously 320). Cause I kept forgetting to multiply manually. $100 X steps/mm, $101=Y steps/mm, $102=Z steps/mm
@@MrTheoryboy thanks for the tip! I will probably end up making a video on that, because that is definitely valuable information! I will make sure to mention you in it
awesome! @@calebbuilds3d223
I want to order a .125mm fiberglass sheet and mill it down to 1mm exactly. How could I go about doing that with my CNC 3018? All 1mm sheets come from China and I’m trying to avoid that.
Watched your video and it looks like maybe I could set a square shape to match the exact size of the .125 sheet and in the settings just plug in .025 and let it work the entire area...
my solution for Z- is change $102 = 320 to $102=800, it works for me
Thank you for that information, I bet it will help a lot of people!
Every time I do a carve with easel it will carve it upside down. Would you happen to know why that is?
Incorrect settings for Y axis or your anchor point??
The depth of my Sainsmart is not constant through the cutting process. It will go deep and the next letter won't touch the the wood on the first two passes. How can I solve this?
level the spoil board, its bowed.
Caleb, I love your videos and all, but it is so annoying that your audio is always screwed up. It glitches and has low quality. please fix it
Thank you for the feedback, I have been trying to fix that, which is part of the reason why I haven't been recording videos lately. It bothers me too, but I figured some people need the information in it, and it can help them, and hopefully they can get over the audio for the time being.
Caleb Builds 3D okay thanks.
Thanks a lot for making this video! I'm wondering if this works with mac or there is a way around it...
Easel is designed to work for Mac too, so you should be able to follow the same steps in this video. I use to use easel on a Mac to run an X-CARVE at work
@@calebbuilds3d223 Wow thanks a lot for such quick reply! I tried it but the COM port box doesn't appear nor could I install candle...
I would recommend asking around in the Facebook group to see how others did it(link in description). The Mac I used is now dead, and I am a Windows guy, but we do have Mac users in the Facebook group that can be of more use than me
@@calebbuilds3d223 checking already thanks a lot for the guidance
How do you move the control bar from dropping down to instead be like yours because mine covers part of the design window
Double click the base bar or click the downward chevron in lower left corner
I have an issue whit the same machine in this video, it does not cut at the right depth that i set it up. I have to set it up to carve 10 mm in easel to carve 4 mm in the material. Ever happend to anyone?
Can Easel create a cut depth greater than 6mm?
It can go as deep as you set your material thickness. Just remember to multiply material thickness and cut depth by 2.54 to convert it from inches to mm
@@calebbuilds3d223 can't I just click the slider to change the unit of measurement from inches to millimeters?
Yes, but it doesn't change how it sends it to the machine. It still sends it in inches, just as a fraction instead, which means your machine will think it is doing the right thing, but it's not
@@calebbuilds3d223 I am confused. If you flip over to mm does it still use inches. I have been trying to drill 1/4" deep holes and they are always half as deep.
I want to make miniatures out of thin (2.5mm)wood with it that have holes drilled in it. Can it cut out simple shapes AND drill holes with a 1/16" bit, or would I have to change bits to get that done?
You can definitely do all of that with a 1/16" bit on this machine quite easily
@@calebbuilds3d223 Thanks mate! Just ordered one, lol. I'll let you know how it goes. I got the small version to be specific, i'll let you know how it goes.
@@punkfingerboards6283 awesome! You should have a fun time with this machine!
Hello- hoping someone has an idea of why this issue is happening. I have yet to get a successful carve using my 3018 Pro, yet I’ve changed all the settings dozens of times.
The issue is that the sliders on the bottom (I guess it’s the Y axis) have a bearing inside of the plastic piece. But when I do a carve, the bearings come out of those plastic pieces! That obviously makes the table wobble off-level, ruining the carve. I can’t those bearings to stay in the plastic pieces and there’s no way of tightening them. Any ideas on why this would be happening or how to fix it??
I also changed the settings to make it carve better but man, is it slow now. It would take 16 hours to carve a fairly simple piece now. I’m wondering if I could increase any of these setting at all:
Feed rate: 7in/min
Plunge Rate: 5in/min
Depth per pass: 0.02in
RPM: 1,000
Thanks so much for any help!!
Hi Jim. Ive had mine for 3 days and had some success. Im getting a lot less vibration around 200-300mm .5mm depth of cut on 5mm ply. also same speeds for Acrlic both using the flat mill bits bits. I also placed it on some foam yoga mat! the bearings on the z axis were shaking out so I added some super glue which appears to be holding. when the 30 day Amazon return runs out, if It is OK i will then probably drill and add a small grub screw. Im also thinking, the control board should come off, as i wonder if the vibration could be detrimental to the componants. Good luck.
Could you please make a video on how to calibrate the machine? I followed someone’s tutorial and it completely screwed up my mill
I can definitely make one of those, I have just been super busy, hopefully I can do it with better audio too
Caleb Builds 3D haha thanks. I can barely find anything on calibrating and the one video I followed messed it up so now my mill thinks that 3 centimeters=1 centimeter
Messing up that much is pretty hard. Maybe if you fallow my firmware update video you can fix that issue, if you haven't already. And if there are just incorrect ones out there, then I will definitely work on making a hopefully decent one
Caleb sorry to bother you again but I just downloaded the software that you sent me the link to this morning and got all the way to the grblcontrol page and when I press the arrows to move right/LEFT and to turn on spindle nothing happens any suggestions. Thanks for the help
First thing you need to do is make sure your machine is plugged in, or that the power strip it is plugged into is actually on, I made that mistake before. Then make sure you have the easel drivers installed on your computer. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the machine to actually connect. If you have anymore questions fell free to ask me or the Facebook group. Have a great day and good luck with your machine!
Thankyou so much for all your help I just hit your subscription botton
did you have to install FTDI CHIP DRIVERS? for your usb to be recognized?
The only driver I installed is the one that comes in the folder for the machine, which can be found under the announcements section of the Facebook group, link is in the description
Good job!
Thank you!
I have a question for you I got everything set up but when I use the laser attachment or the CNC attachment it doesn’t turn on but the CNC moves is there anything I can do to fix that because it used to be as soon as I would press the button to turn the machine on the spindle would automatically turn on??
It could be that you are using the wrong gcode to trigger the laser. What laser software are you using?
I think I may know the problem I accidentally deleted the stock software that came on the motherboard but I can’t find it anywhere to re-download it I don’t even know what it was to be honest and I don’t know how to configure all the settings to just update it to a new software
Hello TS, the laser uses litefire software to engrave with.
I ran into this today. Make sure under the machine settings in Easel that the spindle is set to Automatic and not Manual control.
Caleb I need your help.i just got the Genmitsu cnc 3018 pro and can't down load the software with the disk that was sent with it.can you direct me to some where that I can download it digitally. This is my first time so I need a user friendly software. Thanks for the help
Here is a link to everything that was on the disk. wiki.sainsmart.com/index.php/101-60-280PRO
Also, I would recommend easel if this is your first time. I made a video on it already. You will need to multiply the material thickness and cut depth by 2.54, but other than that it is the best software for beginners. In the comments of that video there are multiple people who gave instructions in how to make it where you do not have to multiply by 2.54. Have fun with your new machine and happy making!
Thankyou Caleb.
@@brianhughes7429 To convert inches to millimeters, multiply the inch value by 25.4
Do you know if this will work with the 3010? The board is grble woodpecker 3.2... I just wonder because on easel it says will not work with 0.8 or newer...
It should work just fine. It worked on my machine, you just have to make sure to multiply material thickness and cut depth by 2.54, otherwise it will be off
@@calebbuilds3d223 thanks bro, thanks for the quick reply too. I'll sub your channel for sure
@@calebbuilds3d223 it all works except only for a minute or so and then stops and says it's done 🤔
It does this every single time and I can't figure out what is wrong
You are welcome! That's interesting, maybe run that by the Facebook group, there are a few people that where writing some scripts for easel. However, you could also just export the gcode for your design and use candle instead
@@calebbuilds3d223 Is that supposed to be 25.4mm to get the thickness and cut? 2.54 would be cm.
Does anyone know if this machine will engrave pewter sheet?
Have you thought about a laser to engrave , more precise and clean .
EDIT: figured it out. After entering the COM port manually in the main window, the machine setup worked.
Easel tells me "Plug in your USB cable and turn on the machine." after I entered the machine settings, but it does not recognize my machine. (the part with the COM port isn't even showing up). It works with Candle perfectly. Any ideas? (easel driver is installed, I tried Firefox & Chrome)
I'm glad you got it figured out, I am sorry I took so long to respond. Have a good time with you new machine!
if you have a peice like you have in the prosition, how does it know to cut below the platform (where it facing outwards)?
I am sorry, but I do not understand your question, could you please rephrase it?
@@calebbuilds3d223 you no how you had you peice lenth wise, i want to no how you progame the cnc to cut below were you have the piece hooked in
Bellow as is up and down direction (z), or forward and back(y)?
@@calebbuilds3d223 where you carved the CB3D forwards and backwards
@@taranagnew436 if you move the design you want to cut down in easel, than it will cut lower, even if it leaves the cut area in easel. Does that answer your question? If not I will try to still help
Thank you.
You are welcome!
Good video. Where is Part 2?
Thank you! On good because of college and work sadly.
Hi, Can this CNC support autoleveling . If so, how to do it ? Thank you dear
This machine does, and I have not done it yet, but members of the Facebook group have, I do plan on making a video on how to do it though
hopefully you can help me I followed this video step by step and used the same feed rate spindle feed cut area etc. I only picked to cut a rectangle that is a shallow cut. the problem is when I export the g code it gives me an nc file which I think is correct. but when I put that onto an sdcard that goes in the 3018 pro remote module (lets it cut without a connected pc) I can see the file I select press print and it crashes the module. it has example nc files that came preinstalled that work just fine. I even tried importing them to easel but easel has a problem and cant import any of the test codes. do you have any idea how to get it to work. or could you please upload a g code test file from easel to the description in the video so we could test out a code to trouble shoot if its my pc and setting or the remote module not being compatible but it should be since it has nc files for test patterns that work. btw I did set the machine to both inches and mm to see if either would work but no luck. I have the same 3018 pro just with the offline module. I used easel but did not install it (used the browser version which works the same just no direct connection to the machine). I also set up the machine parameters to match yours in the machine tab. 290x290mm 9000rpm and auto spindle (I even tried manual). just to the point of banging my head into a wall.
also I am using the stock module to run the g code if that wasn't clear. so step 1 make my pattern step 2 make and export g code step 3 load gcode onto sd car step 4 put sd card into 3018 pro module select file and print step 5 instant crash after I press print. (as I said the other test pattern like words prints just fine). have you tried running you gcode from grbl candle?
Have you tried to run the gcode through candle instead of your offline controller? It could be that the offline controller prefers a different flavor of gcode., Also you might need to multiply the material thickness and cut depth by 2.54.
@@calebbuilds3d223
The remote appears to have problems and not reliably cut a project that cuts fine with the same file sent via USB.
@@calebbuilds3d223 25.4 not 2.54
Your stock seems much thicker than .25” that’s probably why it did not cut through.
It was 0.25", the issue was converting between metric and imperial, the cut depth and material thickness had to be multiplied by 2.54, or you can do some other methods to fix it which are also listed in these comments.
I like it
Thank you!
can this software work on cnc 3018 ?
He's it can work on the 3018, that is actually what I used. Just make sure to multiply material depth and cut depth by 2.54
@@calebbuilds3d223 Why is the 2.54 needed ? Sorry just starting out...........
@@davecook2297 it converts it from in to mm, easel wants to run in Inches, and the machine wants to run in millimeters. Nothing wrong with just starting out, feel free to ask questions and learn!
@@calebbuilds3d223 Makes sense, Thanks !
@@calebbuilds3d223 As you surely know, multiplying by 2.54 would convert inches to centimeters. You multiply by 25.4 to convert inches to millimeters.
Nunca disen. El presio
how did you get easel to recognize your machine? i keep unplugging usb and power but it keeps asking me to plug in my machine. it works on GRBL...
You have to make sure to press the blue carve button in the top right corner of the screen, and then check the box that says "Enter COM port manually", then enter the com port. That should work, and if not let me know
I bet you owned a Dell when making this recording. I would like to apologize for the DeKey that messes your voice while typing.
Look for the MaxxVoice settings and turn it off.
I just mess up and dont know to make my 6050 to obey me
Same lol. I'm getting wrong dimensions every time.
you need a new microphone.
1:47 WTF fix your clamping style lol.thats not proper way doing it. you are pushing part side ways more than clamp it down table
the audio on these videos is horrible. I have my speakers cranked all the way up and can't hear anything you're saying
I'm sorry to hear that, I am still learning and that is one of the reasons why it is taking so long for me to make new videos, and audio is not my strong suit, maybe if you have subtitles on you can read what is happening, or you can find another video. Thank you for the feedback, and I am working on it
@@calebbuilds3d223 dude that is awesome that you are doing this and I honestly didn't mean to sound as rude as it came out... But I would recommend to record with your phone recorder and sync up until you can get a microphone?
@@brianwilkins9702 this one was recorded on both my phone and computer, but my phone was further away so it was too quiet, I'm looking into a blue tooth headset for audio, that way I can still walk around. Also I didn't take your comment as rude, I appreciate it when people point out areas I can grow in