In this video, we will make some aluminum parts with this super cheap CNC 3018 Pro for the Sapphire Plus CoreXY printer. If you’ve watched my previous videos, this printer has a few minor issues, but considering that it costs less than $400 and has a very sturdy frame, it actually has a lot of potential. It’s able to print at 150mm/s with pretty good quality. But, when I try to print at over 200mm/s, the hotend couldn’t melt the filament fast enough. So, I decided to upgrade the hotend to a E3D V6 Volcano which should do a much better job than the stock one.

After all upgrades, the total price of this CNC machine is $230. I also made an enclosure, as this machine is quite noisy when it cuts things. I used less than 4 meters of 2020 aluminum extrusions, which cost around $35, 2 pieces of laminated MDF from Home Depot, which cost $12, and one piece of a oneeighthinch acrylic sheet and some magnetic tape, which cost $30. So, the total cost of the machine with the enclosure costs less than $300. It actually doesn’t look too bad, but the most important part is, can it really cut aluminum? Let’s find out.

Please also watch my 500w spindle upgrade video:
   • The cheapest $149 CNC 3018, cut and m...  

Affiliate Links:

Comgrow ROBO CNC (higher quality than CNC3018):
https://www.comgrow.com/collections/c...
Use discount code: AuroraTech
MSRP: $259 $45 (discount code) = $214 (Free sales tax, may save another $20 depends on where you live)

Comgrow Robo CNC review video:
   • Comgrow Robo CNC Review: The best fir...  

Comgrow Robo CNC 500W and 800W spindle upgrade video:
   • 500W or 800W spindle, which one is be...  

Comgrow Robo CNC spindle mount Fusion 360 tutorial:
   • Fusion 360 Tutorial for Beginner 006:...  


CNC 3018 Pro:
https://ebay.us/hsMbmC
https://amzn.to/3eSFcIe


500w Spindle:

500w Spindle with DC 110V power supply and mount:
https://amzn.to/3iINO5g ($99 Spindle + Power Supply + Mount + 13 pcs Collet)
https://ebay.us/P69eXv ($70 Spindle + Power Supply + Mount)


End Mill:

Speed Tiger Carbide 2flute end mill:
https://amzn.to/3kTO8AQ (1/8" $22.5 pack of 5)
https://amzn.to/3eTmFLT (3/16" $30.8 pack of 5)

Cheap High Speed Steel 4flute end mill:
https://amzn.to/3zxAFm9 (with 8 different diameters)
This set is not work as good as speed tiger carbide, but super cheap and have 8 different Diameter


Polymaker ASA Temperature Resistant Filament: (For 3D printing the Z carriage)
https://amzn.to/3i4PSFi


Other items you may need for this upgrade:

Nema 17 48mm stepper motor:
https://amzn.to/3ePsAkU ($13.99)

M3x35mm Spacer x4:
https://amzn.to/3x6lDlP ($4.49 pack of 20)

Power Cord:
https://ebay.us/dVb3RQ ($3.91)

45mm LM8uu bearings x2:
https://amzn.to/2UKvcd4 ($9.99 pack of 4)

M6*90mm Screws x4:
https://amzn.to/3iFlzEq ($9.46 pack of 10)

M610 TNuts x4:
https://amzn.to/2WjMDBG ($7.94 pack of 40)

16 gauge wire:
https://amzn.to/3iMvqZe ($6.95 25FT Red +25FT Black)

24v relay x1:
https://amzn.to/3iNGm8K ($8.5 pack of 4) (better deal)
https://amzn.to/2VcgMlW ($6.09 pack of 2)



For enclosure:

2020 Aluminum Extrusion (need 6M to make this 50x42x40 enclosure)
https://amzn.to/3ePt22r ($79.99 10M)

Corner brackets for 2020 extrusion (need 12)
https://amzn.to/3j14yF5 ($26.99 pack of 20)

Magnetic Tape for acrylic door: (Need 12FT, half inch wide)
https://amzn.to/3l10uH8 ($13.99, only need 1 roll as it's 1" wide, you can cut in half if you want to save money)
https://amzn.to/3kTOtn6 ($10.97, need 2 rolls, it's 0.5" wide, ready to use but you need 2 rows)

Acrylic sheet 18x24 1/8" thick"
https://amzn.to/2Wkgjyz ($45.99 pack of 2, you only need one for the enclosure)

LED Light inside the CNC Enclosure:
https://amzn.to/2V8XZbd ($18.49)