CNC 3018 extension kit
To be honest this is a great idea in theory. Who wished they had thought of it? Well I certainly do. What exactly is a CNC 3018 extension kit?
The 3018 CNC is a really good product. Sure it has a few short comings but lets be honest a working CNC machine for this price is crazy. Lets not forget its fantastic at doing some stuff. If you just want something to go on a desk top and make prototype PCB’s for instance. Is there anything better?
It’s also perfect for making project cases out of acrylic plastic. Also small front panels for eurorack synthesizers.
If your just discovering the 3018 CNC then I have more information here about how good it is.
The one thing up until now that was the problem was that of the size. You couldn’t go any bigger then 30 cm by 18 cm. For stuff like PCB’s that’s not too much of a problem but the more you use your machine the more size can become an issue.
The idea of having the same machine but bigger really starts to appeal. Even more so when you think you can start off with the 3018 CNC and then upgrade it to work on larger material.
If you were considering the 3018 but were put off by the size then its time for a rethink
What is the 3018 extension kit?
The upgrade or extension is basically an extension to the frame so the table mechanism can move further. The movement of the table gives you the Y movement and so the maximum size. The width of the machine remains the same at 30cm but the distance the table moves is extended from 18cm to 320cm. Confusingly this size makes the machine a 3040 but don’t go thinking you can cut 30 cm by 40cm.
To achieve this extra forward and backward movement of the table you have to replace some parts.
If you take a look at your original machine you can probably work out what you need to replace.
What parts are in the kit?
In the kit you get two new Y axis extruded aluminium longer sides to build a new frame. Along with those are two new longer rods for the table to slide up and down on, the linear rails. The other thing you get is the longer lead screw.
As there are so many slightly different and improved versions of the 3018 CNC you need to look clearly at the type you have as there are a few different extension kits designed for the various different 3018 designs and because of the differences they wont all fit.
I would double check what the kit says exactly but the major difference is the fitting of the linear guides, the silver rods. The front part of the 3018 has two holes either side of the lead screw for the linear rails. On some machines these are just holes for the bolts to screw through the frame. This is called “spot face” for the 3018 pro and MX3 but on some machines the holes are recessed or “counterbored” for the 3018 – PROVer and 3018 – PROVer mach 3.
If you get the wrong version, you could always drill out the holes. There are a few people who have had success by drilling out the frame to resemble to counterbored version.
Installing the CNC 3018 extension kit
The kit is very easy to install if you’ve built the 3018 yourself. I’m guessing most people will have so you’ve already done it but with shorter parts. It’s relatively easy to disassemble the original parts and replace then with the new ones. You don’t really need instructions.
The only problem you might encounter is if you’ve fitted limit switches. You will have to remove them to take the frame to pieces and you’ll now find that the wires to the Y axis one won’t be long enough. Again as you probably wired them yourself extending them won’t prove to be too much of a problem.
So now for the price of an extra £50 you’ve got the same machine by bigger. So there’s no having to learn new operating routines and software with a brand new machine. All is not quite finished though because your now going to need another upgrade. The observant ones amongst you may have already spotted the problem. The original table is now not big enough. If it were just made bigger you wouldn’t be able to move the machine as far forward and backwards as it would hit the frame.
The CNC 3018 Table
So you got a couple of options available as upgrades. An aluminium slot table upgrade or a spoil board upgrade.
With the Gemitsu CNC 3018 3040 upgrade, you get a pre drilled board and an aluminium T slot base which you use in conjunction with your original T slot base.
To be honest I thought these options were a little overpriced for what you actually get. Being priced at around £60 they were more than the £50 for the extension kit. Done get me wrong for £50 the extension kit is well worth it but I thought I’d do the table myself and save some money.
I used an MDF off cut and trimmed it to size and used another bit as a spacer so it was above the 3018 frame and fitted it using longer bolts. The intention was to make a much better board and drill in with threaded inserts but I haven’t actually got round to doing this yet as the MDF board has worked fine and I’ve saved some money.
Final thoughts of the 3018 CNC extension kit
Yes the extension kit for the machine is absolute 100 per cent worth it. In fact I’d go as far as saying if you have just got an a standard CNC 3018 your missing out on what you can achieve for £50 more. However I don’t think the new table upgrades are worth the money as the difficult bit is the frame and linear guides and lead screw. As for the table I think a lot of people will make something themselves to save money.
Most people will be able to do this as you wouldn’t have bought a CNC machine in the first place if you weren’t that kind of a person. If you don’t want the bother of doing it yourself then go ahead and get one of the the table options.