ANNOYTOOLS 3018 plus CNC

Is there a place for the 3018 Plus CNC in my shop?

My workshop is more high-tech than most other ones. In addition to a large assortment of the usual woodworking stationery tools, I have two large format CNC machines, three 3D printers, and two laser engravers. My CNC machines can carve up to 30”x 60” pieces on one of the machines and a full 4’ x 88’ sheet of goods on the other one.

When I had the opportunity to review the ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC desktop CNC, I knew its size would be better suited to make many of the smaller pieces I create. The ANNOYTOOLS 3018 PLUS CNC has a bed size of approximately 12” x 7.” It also comes with a collet sized to accept my 1/8” diameter engraving bits.

Due to its physical configuration, the 3018 Plus CNC can achieve a vertical stroke of 80 mm. At over 3 1/8” of vertical cut capability, the 3018 Plus CNC can cut some jobs that my larger CNC machines cannot perform without splitting the parts. I also like the idea of a machine that will process various materials, including wood, plastic, acrylic, PVC, PCB, and soft metals like aluminum and copper.

While the larger machines can cut small pieces with 1/8” bits, the hold-down jigs, and fixtures are better suited for larger-scale work. Using the larger machines also means reducing the ½” native collet size down to 1/8” with a series of bushing reducers. While I cannot prove it, I always feel using these bushings creates less accuracy and represents a less safe process.

The ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC should fit nicely into my workflows and save time on the larger machines. As a result, I was looking forward to getting to know and use this desktop cnc machine.

ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC Specifications

For the readers who may not be familiar with these types of CNC specifications, I will summarize the list below. The ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC has:

• Lead screw-driven movement (a really good and accurate system)
• An industry standard GRBL computer (Means lots of ITO support and Users)
• Good-sized stepper motors to drive the X, Y, and Z axes
• A reasonably sized variable speed spindle at 500 Watts
• Fast Speed Capabilities for machine movements and production runs
• Very good machine accuracy (±About the thickness of 2 human hairs)
• Excellent safety switches for homing and machine/operator safety
• An Emergency Stop Button
• A probe for setting the vertical axis reference point after tool changes.
• Operating Software loaded on a Thumb Drive (Along with some trial files and documentation)

In summary, the specifications are perfect for a capable desktop cnc machine. The following image is the as-built machine.

Unpacking the ANNOY 3018 Plus CNC

One of the telltale signs of quality from a tool manufacturer is how they package and ship their products. Right after opening the shipping container, I was impressed with the care with which ANNOYTOOLS prepared the 3018 Plus CNC for shipping from Asia.

The equipment arrived without damage, and the parts were well-protected and well-organized. The following picture shows the sections that came out of the shipping box. You can see it is all intact.

I appreciated the initial parts of the manual that not only indicated what parts had been shipped and their location within the parcel. See a sample of the pages from the manual that tell the user ‘what’ and ‘where.’

The ANNOYTOOLS folks did a great job with the packing. Everything was named, easy to find, and included within the kit. This attention to detail certainly helps make the assembly of the machine much easier.

Assembly

I started in the CNC world when I designed and built my first CNC machine in 2013. Ten years later, the ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC assembly was very straightforward. I assembled it as though I had never done one before.  The Instruction Manual was quite detailed and guided my efforts with no issues. I also appreciated the spacer they include so that the tee nuts can be spaced out accurately before you assemble the X-Z portion of the machine. Great attention to detail.

The only ‘glitch’ in the entire process was a mismatch between the space between the 20×20 aluminum rails on the X-Axis and the size of the plate that supports the controller board. I worked around the issue by only supporting the board with the bottom two screws. I will solve the issue by making a couple of simple 3D-printed brackets to make up the difference.

Other than that single issue, the build process was smooth and went according to the ANNOYTOOLS instructions. I give the manufacturer high marks for the assembly instructions and the fit and quality of the parts. The completed assembly picture follows.

It lives!

As good and complete as the machine assembly documentation is, the following steps are complicated for a layperson. Moreover, the steps are not evident if one has never gone through the process before. I wish that the initialization steps were given more attention. Here is what I did and may be helpful to to get a new user a roadmap to follow. My procedure is certainly not the only way to complete the installation. It is simply a script that I documented and the results worked for me..

Initialization

• Plug the Thumb Drive into your PC and explore the directory
• You will find and install a driver file for getting your 3018 to communicate through a serial port on your computer.
• Install the Universal GCode Sender software in the USG(CNC) directory.
• GO to YouTube and search for UGS Software on 3018 and select an appropriate video
• I found one titled UGS Complete Setup and Starting a Job
• Follow their detailed instructions and create a machine that works correctly.

Air Cutting

Now, you are ready to do some meaningful work with your machine. At this time, it should be set up and running in the correct directions and for the correct distances.

• I learned to Home my machine and reset the machine to an X=0, Y=0, and Z=0 point on the machine bed. I repeated this process with the spindle pulled up and no bit installed. That way, I could be sure I was not going to hurt myself or the machine. I did bottom out the machine a few times and learned to reset and reestablish the starting coordinates consistently.
• I learned that UGS has excellent tools for setting up a machine and that Candle may be a better “run-time” software. Since I had a few issues loading GCode files into UGS, I installed Candle and began to use that as my primary file processing and production software.
• I kept the spindle raised artificially high and “Air-Cut” a few of my standard GCode files. I developed these in Vectric VCarve Pro. In VCarve, I found a machine post-processor that read .nc files and worked well with the 3018 Plus CNC mine. The post-processor I selected is named “USBCNC (mm) (*.nc).”
• After running numerous gcode files. I decided to tighten up the leadscrew backlash nuts following the instructions in the installation manual. I finished my preparations by lubricating the three lead screws with the supplied lubrication and brush. I felt I was ready to tackle an actual production file.

Load the Bits

The cutters that come with the ANNOYTOOLS Plus CNC are single-fluted Vee Bits. These bits have an angle of 23.5 degrees and a cutting height of 5 mm at that angle. I needed to set this new tool type in my VCarve bit library to cut the first project accurately. I found a production job well suited for such a Vee bit.

In addition to these supplied bits, I also have several small bits that I have used on the larger cnc machines. As you can see in the picture, some of these bits are small and susceptible to breaking. I look forward to how well these will work in the 3018 Plus CNC machine. I hope to confidently dial in the new machine to enable these small bits to work effectively.

Production Runs

I was ready to cut my first job with the machine tweaked, the design set, and the right bit geometry in the post-processor. However, I had no idea how fast I should run the bit through the wood material. As a result, I chose a conservative group of settings for the first job. I decided to run the job at 200 mm/min for the bit advancement and a plunge rate into the material of 100 mm/min.

Step-over is another critical setting. This is a distance or a % of the bit diameter the subsequent toolpath moves into the material for the next pass. This setting often determines the apparent quality of the cut (especially for flat-bottomed tool paths). I chose a conservative setting of 9% of the bit’s diameter for this cut. That translates to (3.13mm x 9%) removal of .28 mm of stock for each subsequent pass. That seems small, and I believe the machine and the bit revolving at 12,000 rpm would have no issues handling the load.

Fine Tuning the Feed Speed

I was correct, and the machine produced an excellent cut on the first production piece. Looking at the time it took to process the work, I could increase the chip loading (the single-factor summation of all the speeds and settings I just discussed) by at least a factor of four. I can accomplish this by deepening the cuts, increasing the speed of the bit’s advancement, or increasing the step-over to take off more material. There are many variables in CNC work, and it takes time and repetition to adjust all of these parameters to get to your own “sweet spots.” The picture of the first cut, complete with the untouched cut edges, follows: This was a 4” x 4” approval proof for a set of several dozen coasters.

The following “job” I decided to cut was a larger format sign (12” x 5 1/8”). I used a 1.6 mm four-fluted bit (1/16”) and designed the sign to reduce the number of sharp corners. I increased the feed speed to 500 mm per minute and the stepover % to 25%. The ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC had no issues plowing through this set of parameters. I routed the sign into a painted board, which produced extremely sharp edges.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

The ANNOYTOOLS Plus CNC is a great entry-level machine. But it is also a capable production machine for more advanced users, too.  I will use the 3018 in my shop when I need to create finer or smaller scale work. The 3018 will free up the production of my larger format cnc machines by offloading appropriately sized work.

I looked up the price of the 3018 Plus CNC at www.gearberry .com, and it lists for a price of $389.00 plus taxes and shipping. That is an exceptional value for such a capable cnc machine. But do not forget that this package also has the bonus of an integrated laser head. So, for this low price, you can have a multi-function cnc router and laser engraver.  My book, this product offering equates to an exceptional value.

This link will connect you with the specifics of the product.

Annoytools 3018 plus CNC Router Machine

By the way, Gearberry’s Double Eleven (11.11) event is here with an array of exciting offers. Participate in the Wheel of Fortune Drawing for guaranteed free gifts and savings of up to $399. This promotion expires 12NOV23.

I have just begun to explore the capabilities of the ANNOYTOOLS Plus CNC. Here is what I want to cover in a future review.

• Adding in the Z-Probe function
• Fitting up the Laser Head and discovering its capabilities.
• Fitting up a dust control vacuum fixture to reduce dust migration.
• Exploring what other 1/8” bits are on the market to add to the production possibilities.
• True 3D carvings

Stay tuned for more reviews of the ANNOYTOOLS 3018 Plus CNC. It will be fun!

ANNOYTOOLS 3018 plus CNC Product Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

A Seed Change in the CNC World

Many of us have heard the expression “Seed Change.” It means a disruption in the status quo.  The origin of the term comes from the agricultural practice of rotating entirely new and radical crops. The modern meaning acknowledges a complete change of the perception of a field of knowledge or practice.

I have seven years of experience with CNC Machines and workflows. I recently had the pleasure to test out and review a truly unique and revolutionary CNC machine. That machine is the YetiTools, LTD, SmartBench.

Getting into the CNC World

I dove headlong into the CNC experience in early 2013. My son had recently purchased an antique house in need of 18 steam radiator covers. Their first child was on the way, and they were very concerned with a crawling child running up against a hot steam radiator. The covers they found in various places ranged in price from $400 – $650 each, finished and installed.

Of course, each radiator in the house had a different shape and size, so there were no real production efficiencies in fabricating them. They were looking at a project worth between $7,200 and $11,700.

I made my son an offer to take $2,500 of his radiator cover budget and give it to me to purchase the electronics and supplies needed to build a CNC machine. After fabricating the CNC, I would make the covers for him for the cost of materials. The transaction was agreed to, and it turned out to be a great deal for both of us.

I designed and built “La Machine” (named by one of my daughters) in July of 2013 and fabricated his covers soon after.

Since 2013, I have fabricated over 1,970 different projects/pieces on my CNC machine. La Machine is still going strong, although I have made many machine upgrades and improvements over seven years. Almost every upgrade made La Machine a more robust structure to improve both speed and accuracy.

My Introduction to the SmartBench

As part of the Toolboxbuzz crew, I have had the great pleasure of meeting many people from all over the construction and tool industry. It has been an enriching experience for my vocational and my avocational interests. Moreover, Toolboxbuzz has put me into contact with tools and people I would never have met on my own.

In late 2019, when Toolboxbuzz started to plan a Head-to-Head competition for cordless track saws, we were quite interested in attracting and testing the best saws in the world. While many manufacturers and tool companies knew Toolboxbuzz, we were a relatively unknown entity to the US distributor of Mafell equipment, Timberwolf Tools. We wanted to test a Mafell cordless track saw in our upcoming Head-to-Head and sent an invitation to Timberwolf Tools.

President of Timberwolf Tools, David Powell, was interested in the Toolboxbuzz invitation to join the cordless track saw Head to Head. However, he wanted to meet with Rob Robillard and me first. David wanted to interview us to determine our testing capabilities and understand our proposed testing procedures for the cordless track saws. David had many questions that we could best answer in person.

Rob and I met with David Powell in late December of 2019 in my barn to discuss the cordless track saw test and review. David planned to be in Connecticut and was traveling to his home in Maine. So it was convenient for him to stop off in Concord/Carlisle, Massachusetts, for the meeting.

When David arrived, I slid open the barn door to my workshop, and the first thing David saw was my CNC machine. We had a brief discussion about how and why I made the CNC, and then we began the meeting on the cordless track saws. When the meeting was breaking up, David asked if I would be interested in taking a call from him to dive into more depth and details on CNC machines. We talked a few days later.

The discussion was far-ranging about my experiences with the development and use of the CNC machine. At the end of the conversation, David told me about a CNC machine from the UK called SmartBench that he had an opportunity to import and sell and asked if I had any interest in reviewing it for him. David offered to send over a unit from the UK, and I offered to use the device in my work and to give him my frank opinion on its performance and design

First impressions on the SmartBench:

While waiting for the delivery, I looked at all of the media I could find on the SmartBench. The first thing that struck me was the SmartBench’s ability to process a full-sized 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood. Its large capacity is a by-product of the innovative machine design that uses a two-piece traveling gantry on the long axis to ‘clamp’ the material between the two halves of the Y-axis gantry. The upper and lower gantry pieces contain rollers that keep the material clamped tightly with the spindle head and machine bed during the gantry travel.

I also learned that the YetiTool designers thought a critical design feature for the SmartBench machine was its ability to be transportable from Jobsite to Jobsite. It was an interesting perspective as my experience has me believe CNC machines are stationary tools that do not move between job sites.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the SmartBench was how its unique physical configuration creates an accurate and strong machine. Having designed a CNC machine, I have gone through the tradeoff decisions of machine stiffness vs. cost vs. deflection. The first image I saw of the SmartBench told me the SmartBench design eliminates a great source of backlash (slop) by its unique configuration.

Here is a rundown on the characteristics of the SmartBench.

SmartBench Features:

• Full Sheet 4′ x 8′ portable 3D CNC Router
• Cutting height of nearly 6″ (cutter length dependent) with quick and accurate Z-axis calibration for each tool
• Easily transportable with van, truck, or SUV
• Setup and breakdown SmartBench in 3 to 5 minutes, and < 1-minute tool change-outs
• Brilliant, easy to read color interface with programming functions
• Fast and easy Wi-Fi or USB drive file transfer
• High-efficiency dust collection and removal with an attached vacuum (accessory)
• Finished part accuracy +/- 0.02″ or better, depending on feed rates and number of passes
• Autonomous cutting (set it up and let it run while you prepare the next project)
• Compatible with many materials, including  wood, composites, hard & soft plastics, and non-ferrous metals

SmartBench Specifications

Moment Forces Acting in a CNC Machine:

Let me give you a quick explanation of what I mean by this term and why it is an important design consideration.

Accuracy and repeatability are perhaps the two most essential factors in designing a commercial CNC machine. The YetiTool engineers seemed to have recognized and taken on those two design challenges.

A bending moment is a reaction in a structure when external forces are applied at a certain distance.

Most of us learned about moment forces and reactions at an early age from climbing trees. When you put your foot on a limb far from the trunk, the branch bends. Depending on how heavy you were, the branch bends farther the more you weigh. When you climb near the top of the tree, and the branches become smaller in diameter, you placed your feet closer to the trunk. I was always amazed at how much weight a small branch could take when you put your feet right next to its trunk. When the tree climber’s moment force exceeds the branch’s strength, the result may well be broken bones.

In the CNC world, the same situation applies. As the machine moves the cutting bit into the workpiece, the driving forces create a moment that the machine components must resist. In the case of my CNC, if I apply a force of 380 oz on the X-axis to move the cutting bit, my Y-axis gantry must resist this force to ensure the bit remains horizontal with little or no deflection. A greater applied force will move the gantry faster. The structure must resist the increased moment. That is why many conventional CNC machine designs appear sturdy enough to go off and fight in a war. Their designers made them with tall gantries, rigid structures and heavy-duty enough to counter the moment forces created by high-speed/ high force usage.

La Machine’s design locates the centroid of its Y-axis 12.5 inches above the machine bed. If I apply a 380 oz force in the Y-axis direction, the resulting moment is 297 in-lbs. (33.5 Nm for metric). The image below shows this moment diagram.

Now let us calculate the same 380 oz force acting in the Y-axis direction on the SmartBench configuration. In this case, the centroid resisting the load is located 3.2 inches above the machine bed, resulting in a moment of 76.0 in-lbs. (8.59 Nm). The moment diagram shows this result.

A SmartBench can resolve a 380 oz force with its structure needing the stiffness to resist only 25.6 % of the moment compared to La Machine. Another way to analyze the numbers assumes the SmartBench structure to be capable of withstanding the same 297 in-lb moment as La Machine. Theoretically, then, SmartBench could achieve and tolerate a force of 1,344 oz.

In summary, the SmartBench puts it’s ‘feet much closer to the trunk,’ or the driving force much closer to the cutting bed. That is how the SmartBench can handle similar pushing forces with a smaller lighter design. This is a well-conceived design and produces impressive results.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the tradeoff that the SmartBench has given up. La Machine can process material heights up to 10.4 inches above the bed. The SmartBench, given a short cutter, may get up to 5.9″.

In summary, I think the SmartBench has made the correct tradeoff decision. I cannot remember processing any material in La Machine that was taller than 4 inches in over seven years.

First Impressions of SmartBench

On May 12^th, the YetiTool SmartBench arrived in the US from YetiTools, Ltd, in Clevedon, Bristol, UK. The SmartBench arrived in three large containers. Two shipping boxes contained the X-axis gantry and the Z-axis head. The final shipping crate was over ten feet in length and housed the machine frame/ Y-axis. The picture shows the shipping containers in my freight elevator on the way to the 5th-floor workshop.

For many of us, first impressions may well be the most important ones we form.

The quality of the shipping containers and the care with which YetiTools packs the components impressed me. Short of a transport disaster, the SmartBench parts will arrive in the very same condition that they leave Clevedon, UK.

When I unpacked the machine parts and checked them against the YetiTool’s Bill of Materials, I was ready to see how quickly I could build the machine. You see, YetiTools has several videos and literature that tout the ease and quickness of the SmartBench assembly.

In my case, the assembly from start to finish was, indeed, rapid. I assembled the SmartBench from its unboxed components and had it booted up in just under 18 minutes. That is an impressively short amount of time to go from a pile of parts to a complex working CNC machine. (The second time I assembled the SmartBench was well under 10 minutes.)

The equipment’s fit and finish were flawless, and I ran into absolutely no issues in its initial build. The instructions were self-explanatory and easy to follow.

I give the SmartBench very high marks for ease of initial assembly and startup.

By the way, I have now used the machine in my shop for a couple of months, and while I do not see a great need to cart a CNC machine around to different job sites, I have taken this CNC apart and moved it several times.

The ease of assembly/disassembly makes the SmartBench ideal for a shop with space constraints whereby the user can free up space when needed by taking it apart and setting it up quickly when the work requirements demand it. My CNC machine simply takes up a chunk of space, and if it is not in current use, I use it for storage. It is 40″ x 72″ with a separate computer console beside it. I have not moved it since occupying my new workshop space.

The final first impression of the SmartBench was the spindle. I designed my CNC with a 3 ¼ hp router with a ½” bit capability. The SmartBench came with an 800-watt AMB spindle with a ¼” maximum shank size.  Actually, the AMB spindle will accept 8mm shank diameter (3/8″) bits, but when was the last time you saw an 8mm diameter bit for sale in the US? I thought it would be interesting to use a CNC with approximately 1/3 of the power and substantially smaller diameter bits.

Initial SmartBench Project:

I wanted to give the SmartBench a fair and rigorous trial for its initial project.

The first project I made on the SmartBench was a full-sized Paulk workbench. If you are not familiar with this type of bench, it is a lightweight cube that is held together with puzzle joints and has a myriad of holes for clamps and bench dogs. Building a Paulk bench was a good test for the machined parts’ accuracy over the full 4′ x 8′ CNC bed.

Not only did I need this type of workbench, but I thought that cutting full sheets of plywood with the accuracy necessary to fit the puzzle piece joints together would be a decent challenge for the SmartBench. I had purchased a set of plans for the Paulk Bench, and, of course, I modified these plans to suit my needs. My design added hundreds of holes that I would use with trim head screws to hold the workbench together and saved the Gcode files as a GBL mm file format. For software, I use Vectric Vcarve Pro for the design program and tool path development and Mach 3 for fabrication.

When I loaded the Gcode files and set out to load it into the machine, I discovered that my design and the SmartBench’s native configuration differed. I designed the Paulk bench orientation for the X and Y axes on my CNC.

I caught this difference during the initial exploration of the SmartBench operating software. The program will show you the bounds of the work area superimposed over a graphic of the machine. It was evident that the Gcode would not produce what I intended. I went back to Vcarve Pro and made the appropriate adjustments in the work piece’s orientation to the SmartBench machine.

One of the other software features that will assist the user in ensuring the code and machine are in sync is having the machine trace the cut file’s outside limits/boundaries. If the user uses hold-downs, this will give them the satisfaction of knowing that the clearances are correct before making mistakes with finished materials. I find this feature very handy to use – especially for newer SmartBench users.

Getting to know SmartBench

They say that old habits die-hard, and I immediately added a ¾” piece of high-quality plywood as a base material/spoil board to cover the machine bed. I added the plywood piece parallel to the long Y-axis and screwed it to the machine bed’s plywood portion. Now I was almost ready to cut my first piece of the Paulk workbench.

I am a licensed pilot, and I require a sterile cockpit and use a checklist during every takeoff and landing – without fail. Even in my CNC work, I use a checklist and create a quiet workplace when starting a cut. I used my La Machine checklist, clamped down the new plywood sheet, and started the SmartBench’s perimeter tracing routine. The SmartBench began tracing the perimeter of the outside limits of the workpiece. When it nearly reached the far end of the X gantry, the SmartBench abruptly stopped, and the Z-axis head immediately began flashing RED. Whoa.

Chalk this one up to a new experience. I clamped down the workpiece at the very far corners. That certainly works on La Machine but not on SmartBench! SmartBench has an aluminum safety bar at the front and back of the X-axis that breaks contact upon hitting any object in its path. Even though placed at the corners, my clamps interfered with the travel of the SmartBench. You can see the clamp in the upper left corner and the aluminum safety bars with red caps on them in the following picture.

That incident led me to make a SmartBench Pre-flight Checklist and create an item on the checklist that I call “Check for Sterile Work Surface,” meaning no materials or clamps extend above the bottom rollers of the upper half of the Y-axis gantry.

Since using the SmartBench, I have learned new “Sterile Work Surface” ways for various hold-down techniques. The new methods are double-sided tape or using CA glue and accelerator on painters’ tape to apply to the machine bed and the workpiece. When called for, I also screw the workpieces directly onto the machine bed. In the latter case, make sure you know where the Y-axis structure is before inserting the screw. You might hit the aluminum structure or put a screw into the moving Y-axis gantry path.

Since the initial attempts at a first cut, I have maintained a Sterile Work Surface for every other SmartBench project and experienced no crashes.

Now the First Fabrication

Armed with the initial experience, I cut the top of the Paulk benchtop. The work progressed flawlessly, and soon I had a Paulk top with a large number of 20 mm and 1.5 mm holes in it. Then I cut the sides, internal partition, and end pieces. Again, the work went along without a hitch.

I measured the pieces and compared the actual dimension to the as-designed measurements. The SmartBench fabricated the first project pieces to the exact intended sizes within a high-quality tape measure’s accuracy. I measured all three axes, and each was perfect.

The spot-on accuracy was not the only thing that impressed me during the initial workpiece. The SmartBench comes fitted with an exhaust port and an exhaust hose on the Z-axis side away from the SmartBench computer. I attached a small shop vac to the port under the machine and plugged the vac into an electrical outlet provided by SmartBench for this purpose. When a project starts on the CNC, the shop vac automatically starts up. It also shuts off at the end of the piece fabrication.

I took videos of the initial cut from overhead, and I have enclosed one of those frames for you to see the lack of dust on the workpiece. YetiTools gets high marks for the effectiveness of its dust collection on SmartBench.

Fitting the Paulk Together

When I dry-fit the top, sides, and internal stiffener pieces together, the assembly mated perfectly. No tools were necessary for assembly. I did not need as much as a rubber mallet to fit the parts together.

After fabrication, I dropped the bottom piece into the subassembly with perfect tolerances.

I was impressed with the precision with which the SmartBench created these Paulk parts.

Next Projects and New Learning Experiences with the SmartBench

While cutting the Paulk Bench, I noticed that the roller wheels on the upper half of the gantry made marks on the work piece’s top surface. This defect may not impact some projects as the surface can be lightly sanded to remove these roller marks. The next project I wanted to cut consisted of three round and engraved cake plates. I certainly did not want to see roller tracks on the finished hardwood surface, so I made some modifications to the spoil board.

The solution I settled on was to install two hard-maple ‘runners’ the full length of the spoil board. In that way, I could adjust the roller sets on either half of the gantry to contact the runners instead of the workpiece. I fixed the runners to the spoil board so that they were parallel to the Y-axis travel. In that way, I could have confidence when I mounted a workpiece, the edge would align with the Y-axis travel.

I also made a series of 90-degree brackets to establish a ‘zero’ point for the three cake plates as I designed them identical in size. That way, I could use the same setup to machine all three pieces. I also wanted to test out accuracy and repeatability using this type of fixture. I was hoping to remove and reinstall a workpiece multiple times and register the toolpaths identically each time. The following picture shows the SmartBench with the runners, one of the brackets, and the maple cake blanks ready to machine.

During the fabrication, I carved both sides of the cake plates and removed and reinstalled the workpieces about a dozen times. I am pleased to say that the machine accuracy and my fixturing technique worked very well. For the second project made on the SmartBench, these finished pieces were precisely what the client wanted.

These plates were a replica of a cake plate that my client’s grandfather made, and she was fond of the design. However, she did want the new ones to be made larger than the original ones. I have included a picture of the first piece I made a couple of years ago next to the original work.

In summary, the first two projects I made on the SmartBench turned out exceptionally well, and I learned a lot about the new machine. I must give it the highest marks for ease of use and accuracy.

Glowing Review So Far, But Did Anything Go Wrong?

The short answer is yes. I ran into some issues that taught me a great deal about the SmartBench machine and a lot about YetiTools and Timberwolf Tools. Every customer, manufacturer, and distributor has an excellent day when everything goes very well. When issues arise, the cream rises to the top, or the dregs sink to the bottom.

First, I had an issue with the SmartBench spindle. It simply quit during a cut. I contacted David Powell at Timberwolf, and within a day, I had a new spindle shipped to me from his office in Maine. YetiTools also sent me a new spindle from the UK. YetiTools asked me to return the dead spindle to them for analysis. The new spindle arrived the next day. I was up and running the day the replacement spindle arrived—a great conclusion to that issue.

The broken spindle was an A+ service experience.

During this time, I had an opportunity to meet and discuss the spindle issue with the UK’s YetiTools personnel. I sent them the Gcode cut files, and we talked through the spindle settings and what other problems might have caused the interruption of service. I knew that the parties would handle my situation on a timely basis because I was reviewing their product, but I am confident that any customer would have had the same rapid response in a similar fix.

In a few days, David called me to let me know that a higher precision Z-axis was under development, and asked if I would be interested in looking at it. Of course, I was curious, and the new Z-axis equipment sounded like it had some compelling improvements.

First, YetiTools replaced the AMB spindle with a 1000 watt unit manufactured by Mafell under contract to YetiTools. (The YetiTools spindle is based upon an existing 1000 watt spindle that Mafell currently sells, the Mafell FM 1000 Milling Motor. The YetiTools’ spindle has additional software control and data monitoring capabilities).

The new head has two lead screws to drive the Z-axis instead of the single lead screw on the current unit. This design would cut down on any backlash introduced by pushing down one side of the collar that houses the spindle. See the picture below for the twin lead screw design.

Another improvement was a new laser to verify that the XY zero point was in a repeatable location. That sounded like a worthwhile enhancement. Finally, new software in the processor would monitor and control the Mafell spindle. YetiTools added a USB data cable between the spindle and the processor. The user can also change the spindle speed on the console and can see if the spindle may be overloading in real-time. All of those changes are quite compelling.

The new assembly arrived in a few weeks. The new equipment upgraded the CNC I was using to the SmartBenchPrecision PRO level. Surprisingly, it took me 7 minutes to upgrade the processor’s software, which was longer than it took me to install an entirely new Y-axis gantry and new head. Everything worked as advertised, and I was quite pleased with the latest improvements. I decided to cut a side section for a Thein Baffle using the new configuration. A Thein Baffle is a clever device used for cyclonically separating sawdust and debris from vacuum extractors.

Uh Oh!

I wanted to get started cutting, but I was careful and decided to ‘air-cut’ the new Gcode file for the Thein Baffle side. So I mounted the workpiece, loaded the G Code file, and changed the Z-axis to a registration zero point about two inches above the actual surface for the air-cut. Finally, I started the carving routine.

My heart almost sank to the floor when the spindle stopped about 15 seconds later. What had I done wrong? I was baffled and did not want to be “That Guy,” the spindle wrecker.

But this story ends quite well.

When I first started using the SmartBench, I was very pleased with the small AMB spindle’s performance. I liked its power and performance and wanted to substitute a smaller spindle for the 15-pound monster router I currently had on my CNC.

As a result, in July, I had purchased a Mafell FM 1000 Milling Motor from Timberwolf Tools to put on La Machine during an upgrade I intended to start later in the year. The Mafell FM1000 and the YetiTools’ spindle shares the same exterior dimensions and mounting collar diameter.

The apparent solution became clear. I mounted my Mafell spindle into the SmartBench head, plugged it into the wall, and kept on cutting. The thein baffle side turned out very well, and the 1000 watts’ additional power and increased accuracy were evident.

I contacted Aaron Thorogood (my contact during the earlier spindle issue) at YetiTools and explained that I somehow broke the new spindle. Over the next couple of days, we conducted a thorough and specific diagnostic and trial procedure to troubleshoot the source. Consistently, the spindle worked for a time without interruption, but as soon as I started a job on the CNC, the identical shutdown occurred.

YetiTools asked me to send them the Gcode during the forensic trials. The good news was that the failures were very repeatable, and the spindle seemed to be operational – mostly. The bad news was that we could not figure out what was causing the fault condition.

Around the fourth day of the examination, Aaron asked me what version of Vcarve Pro I was using. I told him that I had recently upgraded from version 5.06 to 5.07 around the same time as I upgraded the SmartBench software and installed the new head.

The YetiTools engineers tracked down the problem to a software bug in the new Vcarve Pro software version 5.07. It seems that the software arbitrarily added an “S0” code into a line of the Gcode. The “S0” command tells the machine to stop the spindle (provided the particular spindle is equipped with the electronics to utilize software control capabilities). In my case, the Gcode told the spindle to stop running, and the machine software told the SmartBench to stop moving and raise the spindle from the workpiece.

Nothing was flawed – everything worked as planned. The errant “S0” code simply prevented the SmartBench from fabricating the work.

I took a look through my Thein Baffle G Code file, and sure enough, there was an “S0” string in the 13^th line of code. I then deleted those two characters and saved the revised Gcode file. Next, I reinstalled the YetiTools spindle, hooked up the data and power cables, and loaded the modified Gcode to start the cut routine. The SmartBench went about its business and cut me a perfect Thein Baffle side. I encountered no further issues whatsoever. (I am now running Vcarve version 5.08.)

The reason I took the reader through this long-winded story is to provide the background as to why I give the Timberwolf and YetiTools an unqualified thumbs up for customer service and technical expertise. I have experienced many different successes and failures with manufacturers’ and distributors’ customer service organizations over the years.

Without reservation, I rate this combination of Timberwolf Tools and the YetiTools team at the top of my list.

Would I Change Anything or Have Any Recommendations?

The short answer is I would change very little about the SmartBench. But I do have a few items to recommend.

I would fabricate some new dust collector pieces to insert into the cutting head base for those times I plan to cut a project thinner than the height of my runners. The dust extraction does not work as well when there is a gap between the bottom of the factory-supplied dust collector unit and the workpiece. In fact, I would fabricate a set of deeper inserts to provide for the common thin materials I process.

I will pitch another modification to increase the dust collection port’s size that sits between the head and the dust collector hose. Occasionally the G Code steps call for chips to be cut along the grain direction, making ‘noodles’ – long stringy chips. These noodles have caught in the opening to the dust collector hose and choked off the airflow. This modification will take some surgery as the dust collection does pass through the head’s aluminum base plate. Any larger dust port means a redesign of that aluminum plate. This redesign should also take care of a small amount of dust that currently leaks out of the current fittings.

I recommend that the new SmartBench users be comfortable with using the metric system. It will make their experience easier as the machine firmware and operating system require the Gcode to be compiled in the metric form of GRBL for VCarve Pro’s G Code files. I am now designing all of my SmartBench Vcarve files in metric dimensions. I suppose other VCarve users might create in imperial measurements, but the user must then convert that design file to metric dimensions and compile that file in metric GRBL form.

Finally, I spent seven years getting used to designing and fabricating pieces with the X-axis as my long travel and Y-axis as my cross travel in the configuration I have on La Machine. The SmartBench configuration has these axes in reverse of La Machine. I still like to use the cut files that I designed years ago on the SmartBench. When using older files, I catch myself going back and changing the orientation and reference point on these Vcarve files. I would recommend a way for the initial X-Y configuration to be user selectable at the time of purchase.

I am an old dog, and new tricks are tough for us. But seriously, a company with its current machines configured differently from the SmartBench will cause a steeper learning curve for their personnel and may introduce wasted materials for that company.

Other SmartBench features that I like but have not even mentioned thus far:

• The user interface software is intuitive, user-friendly, easy to learn and navigate.
• The Z-axis uses a lead screw drive.
• The X-axis and Y-axis have a rack and pinion drive.
• The SmartBench has a well-designed location for the drag chains that house the interconnection cables between moving machine parts. Most CNC drag chains are close to machine components but are basically exposed and subject to damage. The SmartBench drag chain can be seen tucked away under the drive rack in the picture, below.

• YetiTools made the dust collection insert from plexiglass and allowed the user to observe the cutting bit and material.
• I have not even used the included Shape Cutter routines in the SmartBench software because of my years of experience. The software is intuitive and gives a new user a rapid capability to cut simple shapes.

• The files can be loaded over a wireless connection or by sneakernet with a USB drive.
• The head’s LED lights are a good check on the machine status. From across the room, I can instantly see the machine state by color. Green is good and red is bad. Other colors and flashing sequences represent various machine actions and states.
• SmartBench is a set-and-forget machine (after you know how to use it), allowing me to perform other tasks simultaneously in my workshop.
• This CNC is easy to knock down with one person and store in my shop when I need additional space for other projects – like testing cordless track saws.
• The three current models and offered features appear in the following table

SmartBench Economics

I have nothing but the highest honors to bestow on the YetiTools SmartBench. It is a fine machine in its standard configuration and a nearly perfect machine with the upgraded head. It will cost you some money to purchase, however.

The most compelling question is whether the SmartBench is a good value in the CNC marketplace?

I did a bit of research on the Internet to compare how SmartBench stacks up against other market offerings. To create a basis for comparison, I decided to create a metric for the analysis. Of course, the Internet was where I went to determine the published purchase prices of 9 additional CNC machines (with a computer included).  The metric is the fully loaded purchase price divided by the cutting bed area. How many dollars does it take to buy a square foot of the CNC bed area?

In the SmartBench case, I used their listed price for the SmartBench PrecisionPRO machine at $8,145  and a cutting area of 33.6 Sq. Ft (4.1 x 8.2 Ft). The SmartBench metric of $242.41/Sq. Ft is the yardstick against which I measured nine other CNC machines.

A word on my research: I tried, as best I could, to ensure that each machine was complete with a CPU and machine software included. In some cases, I could not find those specifics. When I discovered a CPU necessary for a complete configuration, I added $750.00 to the manufacturers’ published prices. Note that these prices do not include shipping costs.

Finally, I limited my search to nine other CNC machines. These machines were familiar from my social media exposure and personal market knowledge. I did not conduct an extensive search for any other machines.

In no case do I suggest that this list is an all-inclusive analysis. I invite any readers to do their own metric comparison if they have a particular machine in mind.

It is interesting to note that the SmartBench is truly a plug-and-play machine. It comes complete with everything you need to create a workpiece. All you need is a compatible Gcode file and cutting bits. I am not 100% certain that every machine included in my research can make that claim. Purchasing a CNC machine is involved, and the buyer needs to make sure they have everything necessary to operate.

The SmartBench metric of $238.10/Sq. Ft is truly impressive. The next closest $/Sq. Ft metric is a machine with a bed that is 1/8 the area and costs 2.4 x more on a $/Sq. Ft basis.

Timberwolf Tools also offers a financing option for SmartBench that starts at $171 per month. For the machine billing rate I charge for La Machine, I could pay for that SmartBench monthly payment in less than one half of one day of billable time.

YetiTools SmartBench is genuinely an exceptional value.

Summary

I close this review by restating that the YetiTools SmartBench is a Seed Change in the CNC marketplace.

SmartBench is designed and manufactured by an exceptionally talented, innovative, dedicated, and responsive set of personnel in the UK. In addition, the SmartBench is distributed by a uniquely responsive and caring company that sells and services a series of the highest quality and innovative tools in the US – Timberwolf Tools.

I look forward to seeing SmartBench’s progress in the marketplace, and I give YetiTools the highest marks for creating a revolutionary machine. It has been a pure pleasure to use and review the YetiTools SmartBench.

Postscript:

Since finishing the final draft of this review and its publication, I learned that the unique clamping system on the SmartBench is under patent consideration in the US and EU. Also, YetiTools is considering a 63mm (2 ½”) dust port for the SmartBench.

www.yetitool.com

www.timberwolftools.com

YetiTool SmartBench CNC Machine is a post from Tool Box Buzz