Thank you very much for making this video--it's very helpful! Just wondering if you're still using your Evo One now and if you have any new thoughts/comments since posting the video?
Great job on this video. A good looking machine. I loved the fit and finish of the components, especially under the table where most would never look. Sadly, no US dealers I could find yet. Thanks!
Thank you very much. I made a mistake that someone clocked in that the shariff doesn't have a water cooled spindle, not sure where I got that from :) Re the finish of the machine it is really really nice to behold in the flesh. I'm working on an update video as I've made a torture/repeatability test (which went well) and tried some harder material inc stainless (heads up it does cut stainless). On the dealer front they are direct only but they ship worldwide for free, think there are a few US users.
@@bounce2159 I agree with you on DMC2 x axis linear rails being mounted to thick wall box tubing. They just seem like they can vibrate mounted like that. I'm thinking they should have filled that box tube with epoxy granite at a minimum then surface ground the mounting surface. Of course I'm no expert....
@@bounce2159 Very nice video; thanks for sharing! I have the DMC2 arriving soon (shipping has started after a lot of delays in acquiring all the parts!); give me a shout if you'd like any info on it, and I'll try to help 👍😊
@@hamiltonpianos thank you! I'm really looking forward to seeing videos of the dmc2 cutting, as I say in the video I may have missed something with my linear rail comments but you do seem to get an awful lot for your money.
@@bounce2159 There are quite a few tutorial type videos up already; the feeds and speeds one shows some nice cutting action! I wasn’t aware of the Evo One Pro when I backed DMC2, but am pretty sure I’d still have gone with the DMC2 as I’ve already built something kind of similar to the Evo! (I was aiming to replicate the Nomad3, but it turned into a bit of a monster…!!😁)
Hello nice review. Just to clarify, the DMC 2 does not have a water cooled spindle. The closed loop is via closed loop steppers, the controller does not close the loop, it is done at the drives. The hand wheel pendant is optional. The biggest advantage yours has over it is that you actually have yours! I have a DMC2 on order, supposed to ship by end of March now. I went with it because of the ability to do steel. I too didn't like how the rails were mounted but in the end there is always something on a machine that can be done better.
Nomad 3 owner here. I just learned that the Makerdreams Evo One Pro exists - I'd say the company has a very real marketing problem. I have been looking for something to upgrade to, and this looks really good. The Nomad 3 is a great machine, but there are things I'd like improved: * The work area is really small, especially given the stock table isn't very well designed. You end up losing Z height for an additional plate, and you lose a lot in X and Y for fixturing. The machine could easily accomodate a larger table, where you could place some of your fixtures outside the work area. * Z height: especially with the way the software stops smack dab over the middle of your workpiece for tool changes, this really limits the tools you can use, because you will often be unable to change the endmill. * Spindle: it is not nearly powerful enough, and stalls easily. This makes it unpredictable. There are things that I really appreciate about it, though. The BitZero probe is very convenient (albeit not precise enough for 2-sided milling operations). Automated tool length probing is fantastic, I really don't know how people get around without it, most of my work has several tool changes. I'm looking at the Makerdreams Evo One Pro and I'm hesitant - on one hand, the work area and the built in table look really good. On the other hand, I don't like the lack of an integrated tool length probe and no good stock probing options. Also, the spindle - while it's much more powerful than the one on the Nomad, I'd really like a *faster* spindle, for really small tools (1mm). 24k on the Nomad is already limiting, and I'd have to stick to
Yeah it's a big step up from the generic Chinese motors you see on ali express etc. I've not been able to overwhelm the motor yet going full depth with a 6mm 3 flute cutter × 0.9mm step over. You can see an example cut in my shorts.
@@ipadize to be honest I'm not sure how best to measure the tip of the tool (with a single or a three flute anyway) and didn't try with a dowel, but I can tell you in the taper/register I could barely get anything to register, like 0.001mm.
@@ipadize I only wish I could wear them out 😀 I've used this machine a lot, like 20 hours per week run time using the supplied cutters, emuge franken and datron. I've literally replaced two cutters and both times because I bumped them. You can see a 6mm pocket on a vice where I accidentally pressed the wrong button and plunged the tool 🙃
I have the ove one but I had some problems with the machine. I can't generate the G code for the Evo one. What program do you use to generate the G code. Also I wandered if you can help me to make it work?
Hi, I use fusion 360 for cad/cam work. I'm on the paid version but there is a free hobby version. You should check out some TH-cam videos demonstrating how to model and then machine a part.
Thank you for the video, very helpful. I’m making a decision between a Nomad3 , the Bantam and the Evo one, I do have a few questions, I’m hoping you might have some insight: -The bantam software is one thing that makes it attractive, it seems very user-friendly and intuitive. How does the Evo One’s software compare to it? For me the software being easy to learn/approachable is a big factor. -How is customer support with the Evo One in your experience? -From what you’ve seen, how would you say the real world accuracy of the Evo One compares to the specs they advertise? Thank you so much and thank you again for the review.
Hi, I haven't used bantam tools software so can't give a comparison but my thoughts are still as per the video really, the only feature I would like on the evo is stock probing, but that is not enough to pull me towards the bantam as the evo has a way bigger work area, better build, more power with a better material removal rate. Accuracy of the evo was better than quoted on their site for repeatability (no load) and spindle run out, but can usually better +/-0.03 mm in x and y no problem without thinking about it. Z is a little trickier if you are flipping a part but this is down to the operator and workholding rather than the machine. I have only used support once but had a very quick response, a couple hours and minor issue (which turned out to be my computer rather than the machine) resolved shortly after. There is a small FB group and the company owner usually jumps in there, but personally I wouldn't use a FB group for support as would feel guilty for jumping into a worker's personal space. I get the impression that MD is a much smaller company than carbide 3d for example (who I love too btw) but it feels like they all work really hard and genuinely care about their product.
Nice machine and review. How would you lubricate the ball screws on this machine? I think I did not see any grease nipples on the nut housings and the x-axis one is hidden?
I've have been cleaning everything down with isopropyl and then lubricating with Kluber, I use the machine a lot and have only done this twice in a year. No grease ports on the rail carriages.
@@bounce2159 Northern Ireland, going to continue to make vape accessories. Currently do alot of acrylic panels but I'm looking to expand into some aluminium and brass parts :)
@@daniellyness5180 I've got a pal in the US that makes vape bits on a taig. This will be far better suited if you were making batches and no gibs to adjust.
@@bounce2159 what's a taig? No Gibs to adjust? I'm currently doing everything on a Stepcraft 420d and the repeatibility just isn't there, have to work to a 0.02mm tolerance and with the Stepcraft I have to constantly change my tool paths to try get consistent results. Also if I zero my work co-ordinates then home the machine then go back to zero it's always off by like 0.2mm on X/y. I plan to be using pallet fixtures for side 2, the Evo one pro seems ideal as they're very small work pieces
@@daniellyness5180 a taig is a desktop milling machine, it's a col mill so smaller work area. The axis use dovetails for motion and gibs to adjust as parts wear, which means more maintenance over linear rails. Don't get me wrong I'm quite fond of the taig and having used one they are better at steels. However the work area, spindle speed and fixturing makes the makerdreams a way better option for materials like aluminium for me. On your homing issues there will always be limits in accuracy of your homing switches if you hit home again. On my lathe build I used servos which have an encoder, so you home off the switch and then the machine seeks a single input from the encoder for your zero position. This makes it way more accurate. That said 0.2 sounds awful. I frequently power up the makerdreams, hit restore origin and carry on where I was on the previous day.
Hi, and thank you for the review! I'm looking for a CNC with the capabilities of EVO one, but also capable to process some very small things (less than 0.5mm). With Nomad they did a test engraving some very small size text on a piece of carbon. I need to do a similar job on brass. Do you think EVO One 2021 is capable of?
Hi, No problem hope you liked it. If the nomad can do it I see no reason why the makerdreams can't. The keyring in the video for example had the crest of Huddersfield Town Football team on it. If you have a Google of the crest and compare it to the video for scale some of those details at a guess we're sub 1mm for sure probably less. I must admit I haven't milled carbon so not sure if there should be any concerns about longevity of the linear rails with the dust or maybe dust in the electronics. That said with the original machine I bought makerdreams supplied some carbon fibre tooling so I guess it will be OK.
Thanks. I use 2 x inception machine vices from inception machines (IM) in the UK and next to them 2 x makerdreams (MD) vices. There are positives to each, inception needs slightly less material to hold onto but the step is actually slightly higher than the MD. IM actually starts to lift the stock slightly more than MD as the MD has an extra set of bolts to pull down the female jaws so keeping parts parallel is harder in the IM. MD has a central notch in the jaws, handy for round stock, but IM has the ability to bolt removable soft jaws for you to machine in situ, handy for second op parts. I've been playing around with different cut recipes since this video (examples in my shorts) and although IM vices have the serrated jaws and cut into the stock, I think I could reach max material removal rate with either vice. Both are handy to have. Hope this helps.
@@melchvanleeuwen2166 cool! I've spent a lot of time trying to up the material removal rate since this video and I've made some good progress, getting some awesome rooster tails flying off in aluminium. Feel free to give me a nudge if you want to chat numbers.
I saw some posts on instagram where I guy had some of the dmc2 parts remade/milled flat/re-coated. Actually gutted to hear it but I'm sure Shariff will lean a lot from this first outing and improve, it's a massive undertaking. Glad you liked the video , thank you :)
hey great vid, im thinking of getting one but am quite new to cnc ,though i have a manual mill a fair amount i have experiences with inventor cad but im airly new to inventor cam and fusion 360 , how hard is it to get started ? and can i run it with a euro plug 230v 50/60hz ? and can it run steel ? what i heard it cant
If you can create a model within fusion and you have an understanding of surface speeds, chip load etc then I'd say you are getting on half way there. There are loads of tutorials on TH-cam showing how to set up and create g code. Mine came with a UK plug so I'm guessing that makerdreams ship with whatever plug is applicable to your country. As for steel I have milled 303 stainless and en1a on the makerdreams. It's fair to say that you aren't going to want to do it all day every day but it's possible with some nice finishes if your expectations are realistic.
sprry to bother you, after this summer (17 & working holidays) i finally would have had the 3700€ together and now its 4600€!! ☹️so should i save up and buy this next year or buy a nomad 3 now ? i dont plan on priducing parts or anything, but i want to get a cnc to learn and make some custom parts (if 3d printing isnt strong enough)
Not sure how to answer that to be honest, you see things like a clean cut correct chip load, no chatter is what is important. I've run as fast as 3500mm feed rate and it's not necessarily any different accuracy wise to 450mm but there are just too many other variables. For example the geometry of the part, naturally there is some acceleration and deceleration so with some geometries you couldn't actually reach the higher feed rate. I have found the makerdreams to be very accurate. You would have to check the website for the current price.
Hello , I'm a product designer and I'm looking to get into CNC machinging and figured this machine would be best for me at my level. Any books or info you could recommend for beginner machinists ? I have some knowledge of 3D printing and hand tools etc but would really love to get into CNC machining and offer clients this type of service as far as prototyping parts for products etc. Thanks !
To be honest I'm not trained in cnc, only in manual machining. Most of my information on cnc was from youtube and fusion360 tutorials and although I have chipped a few tools I've had no major incidents. I'd recommend reading up on standard g and m codes so you can modify any g code that you produce and understand what the outcome will be. But I find with fusion 360 even with simple easy to hand code programs I'm just as quick making a quick model and letting fusion take care of the g code. Also some time understanding feeds and speeds so when people talk about surface speed, chip load etc you will understand what they are talking about. Hope this helps.
Great thoughts and comparison! I ordered the Nomad 3 over the makerdream, but just before the new one dropped. I had not gone for the nomad again. Endless issues on mine, but excellent community and support. Having resolved most I am very happy, and it has not held me back after learning its weaknesses. The repeatability of the touch probe is not that good...
That's interesting to hear about the touch probe, surprised to hear about issues though. I did really like the look of the nomad especially for the price but now I have the latest makerdreams there is no doubt in my mind.
@@bounce2159 within one of these imperial thousands, 0.1mm to maybe as much as 0.2mm. I do really like the Nomad even with the issues. And it is tiny and fits on the edge of my table. The issues where moistly with the QC on the spindle. i returned 4 spindles before they changed the bearing type on the fifth.
@@pauketju I feel like Carbide 3d are a good company, nice to hear they worked to sort it out and I keep wanting to get into larger wood parts so would be interested in the HDR.
Very similar to the one I want to build. Not quite as beefy but very impressive. Fine looking and effective milling. Your software should be able to thread mill, put it your sales video !! internal and external. Use a single thread for various pitches in one tool.
Oh I didn't build this one nor am I selling it, just a customer 🙂. I must admit I haven't done much thread milling, good point you make I have a 3 tooth m5 cutter but generally I just mill and tap because of the price of thread mills.
As a new prospective buyer for a cnc I wish you had slowed a bit when throwing out the numbers and described chip throw and how to get mirror finishes. Also would like to know About harder materials.
Noted, maybe I'll do a seperate video. For the most part I think people tend to go too slow and not allowing the cutter to actually take a chip. I'd start by looking at speeds and feeds videos/apps and whatnot. Just by seeing them in front of you and an explanation of what the figures mean will probably help. Just remember most figures you will see are for industrial machines so will not work with a desktop cnc. I tend to start small in terms of width and depth of cut but I keep the chip load higher. Harder materials are something I am am going to try but haven't gotten around to it yet. I think materials like 303 stainless will be possible but I wouldn't go so far as to say you would want to do it every day. Just a guess at this stage.
BTW there is a link in the description with the timestamp for the cutting demos. They have some figures but you can comfortably go quicker than those examples with a shallow cut. I'm running 1850 feed at 12k spindle with a single flute, 3mm woc, 0.5mm doc
Nice video - thanks. That machine looks to be really well designed & put together. The DMC may look better on paper, but *I* think the design is pretty shoddy. I think you made the right choice. Me? I'm trying to make my own.
Thank you very much, I dithered and circled around for months before deciding but really happy with my choice in the end. I'll be posting a few more videos soon with some different materials and projects to give people a more in depth view of what they can expect
@@bounce2159 not sure, I passed it up some months back and it was on sale for 3600 but it’s not worth anywhere close to 5k.. sorry, for that much I can buy a new fully converted precision Mathew’s cnc mill with far better capability..
@@CryoftheProphet I know some guy did some calculations to see how much that machine cost and in was under $1k total…. Feel like they price it a bit to much
@@TheOfficeTurtle what makes the bantam mill so appealing is mostly gimmicks like auto zero and user interface. It’s certainly not a bad mill by any means, but the makerdreams absolutely destroys it with its 600w spindle and ball screws as well as it’s larger work area
For 5k you could order a Shapeoko HDM with free shipping and let me tell you that thing is a beast for milling aluminum and has a very nice cut area of 27" x 21" with your choice of a 1.5kw or 2.2kw spindle for it. The Evo 1 machine is better than the Nomad or Bantam and C3D for sure missed out on sales not upgrading the Nomad line to linear rails.
I love this review and I feel like you really explain what makes this a solid performing machine. I have a question if you dont mind friend. I only have experience with my epilog laser cutters, but Im fascinated by the idea of milling small aluminum components and would love to get something like this after seeing the bantam tools cnc machine. Is this something a fairly competent first timer could buy and confidently use to start making parts with relative ease? Bear in mind, my experience is non existant when it comes to cnc, or making tool paths for example, and Ive only worked with 2d vector files for my lasers. I can make a 3d part in fusion, but Im more concerned with the process of setting up and actually milling the component. My understanding is that you have to create tool paths for the parts geometry and then convert that into a g code that is then recognized by software and then communicated to the machine.
Hi, thanks for the compliment! In answer to your question I think this is about as accessible as you are going to get in terms of cnc. I started with 3d printing before cnc but I had been manually machining for a while and I think it's fair to say there is more to think about, chip load depth of cut, width of cut, surface speed etc. However I find machining far less frustrating than 3d printing as all the figures have already been established for you such as cutting parameters recommended by the manufacturer. All you need to do is work out the machine limits which means starting small. This is compared to 3d printing where every material, even those of the same type can behave differently. With machining if you buy 6082 aluminium you will know where you stand with a particular cutter and there are lots of guides online showing you how to calculate the parameters. As for tool paths etc I use fusion 360. This is probably over simplified but you tell fusion which solid body is your part, sit it inside another part and tell fusion that is the raw stock. Then tell it where the origin is, like the corner of some square stock, then touch off on the stock with your machine and set the machine to zero. Then tell fusion which cutter you are using (how many flutes, diameter, length of flutes), how fast, deep etc that you want to go and it works out the rest. There are tons of tutorials that can take you through an example part, so whilst it may take several hours to get going (you won't be unwrapping the machine and pressing start that's for sure), it quickly becomes second nature and I rarely manually machine anything now. By the way I have no formal cnc training. Hope this helps.
@@bounce2159 That actually helps a ton! I have two Epilog fusion pro lasers and while its no where near as complicated as cnc, its basically working on the same principle, only with 2 axis, you have your speed and power to worry about, but Id like to think in terms of cnc I have a pretty solid grasp on the overall process. I think for me its just using the actual software, and getting used to it all. I want to get a cnc router, but honestly I really just want to mill aluminum parts and design and fabricate them myself, and I love the idea of this particular machine because of how capable it is, I love that it has ball screws and it seems to have a pretty decent work area as well. I can't find a lot of people who have one or any tutorials about it online like there are with other machines, but I think its probably worth the investment to go ahead and just buy it and learn as I go. Fusion 360 is something I use, granted Ive never had to create tool paths before so that will be interesting, but I feel like I should be able to figure it out, I suppose nothing is going to replace practice. I want to get a 3d printer, but only because it seemed like an easier way of creating components, but in reality, Id prefer to machine components with a proper mill.
@@CryoftheProphet if you are already familiar with fusion you are off to a great start. The work area on the makerdreams is definitely a big positive and also the fact that it's enclosed really helps v a router. I think for aluminium parts you would not be disappointed.
@@bounce2159 sorry to bother you, but one more question, how is the software that maker dreams uses as an interface? Intuitive? Will it run with any other software?
@@CryoftheProphet they use cremov which is a branded version of candle. I don't know of a way of using any other software with the existing board but tbh I'm not sure why you would want to, yeah there are more sophisticated options out there (i also use centroid cnc12) and I have thought about converting mine to use a DDSCV 3.1 just because I like the idea of standalone, but I like cremov, in particular the graphic helps spot when you have messed up when post processing or have accidentally selected the wrong file (which I have done, a few times). 🙂
Thank you very much for making this video--it's very helpful! Just wondering if you're still using your Evo One now and if you have any new thoughts/comments since posting the video?
Thanks. Still used daily, zero issues for me. It also mills a lot of stainless (303) cutting dry without issue.
@@bounce2159 Milling stainless on a desktop machine? Amazing!
@@LeoMakes just uploaded a short for you to see it.
Great job on this video. A good looking machine. I loved the fit and finish of the components, especially under the table where most would never look. Sadly, no US dealers I could find yet. Thanks!
Thank you very much. I made a mistake that someone clocked in that the shariff doesn't have a water cooled spindle, not sure where I got that from :)
Re the finish of the machine it is really really nice to behold in the flesh. I'm working on an update video as I've made a torture/repeatability test (which went well) and tried some harder material inc stainless (heads up it does cut stainless).
On the dealer front they are direct only but they ship worldwide for free, think there are a few US users.
@@bounce2159 I agree with you on DMC2 x axis linear rails being mounted to thick wall box tubing. They just seem like they can vibrate mounted like that. I'm thinking they should have filled that box tube with epoxy granite at a minimum then surface ground the mounting surface. Of course I'm no expert....
@@bounce2159 Very nice video; thanks for sharing!
I have the DMC2 arriving soon (shipping has started after a lot of delays in acquiring all the parts!); give me a shout if you'd like any info on it, and I'll try to help 👍😊
@@hamiltonpianos thank you! I'm really looking forward to seeing videos of the dmc2 cutting, as I say in the video I may have missed something with my linear rail comments but you do seem to get an awful lot for your money.
@@bounce2159 There are quite a few tutorial type videos up already; the feeds and speeds one shows some nice cutting action!
I wasn’t aware of the Evo One Pro when I backed DMC2, but am pretty sure I’d still have gone with the DMC2 as I’ve already built something kind of similar to the Evo! (I was aiming to replicate the Nomad3, but it turned into a bit of a monster…!!😁)
Hello nice review. Just to clarify, the DMC 2 does not have a water cooled spindle. The closed loop is via closed loop steppers, the controller does not close the loop, it is done at the drives. The hand wheel pendant is optional. The biggest advantage yours has over it is that you actually have yours! I have a DMC2 on order, supposed to ship by end of March now. I went with it because of the ability to do steel. I too didn't like how the rails were mounted but in the end there is always something on a machine that can be done better.
Ah my mistake, I could have sworn I read water cooled somewhere but perhaps not. Anyway hope you get your machine soon!
Nomad 3 owner here. I just learned that the Makerdreams Evo One Pro exists - I'd say the company has a very real marketing problem. I have been looking for something to upgrade to, and this looks really good.
The Nomad 3 is a great machine, but there are things I'd like improved:
* The work area is really small, especially given the stock table isn't very well designed. You end up losing Z height for an additional plate, and you lose a lot in X and Y for fixturing. The machine could easily accomodate a larger table, where you could place some of your fixtures outside the work area.
* Z height: especially with the way the software stops smack dab over the middle of your workpiece for tool changes, this really limits the tools you can use, because you will often be unable to change the endmill.
* Spindle: it is not nearly powerful enough, and stalls easily. This makes it unpredictable.
There are things that I really appreciate about it, though. The BitZero probe is very convenient (albeit not precise enough for 2-sided milling operations). Automated tool length probing is fantastic, I really don't know how people get around without it, most of my work has several tool changes.
I'm looking at the Makerdreams Evo One Pro and I'm hesitant - on one hand, the work area and the built in table look really good. On the other hand, I don't like the lack of an integrated tool length probe and no good stock probing options. Also, the spindle - while it's much more powerful than the one on the Nomad, I'd really like a *faster* spindle, for really small tools (1mm). 24k on the Nomad is already limiting, and I'd have to stick to
Thank you for the review. Please do a video in which you mill stainless steel or ferrous metal.
Thanks! Will do.
looks like solid improvements. Finally a real rigid spindle and not a ER16 collet slapped onto a weak motor
Yeah it's a big step up from the generic Chinese motors you see on ali express etc. I've not been able to overwhelm the motor yet going full depth with a 6mm 3 flute cutter × 0.9mm step over. You can see an example cut in my shorts.
@@bounce2159 whats the runout on the spindle and at the tool tip?
@@ipadize to be honest I'm not sure how best to measure the tip of the tool (with a single or a three flute anyway) and didn't try with a dowel, but I can tell you in the taper/register I could barely get anything to register, like 0.001mm.
@@bounce2159 thats great to hear. Runout is a big concern with spindles because tool life depends on it as well.
@@ipadize I only wish I could wear them out 😀 I've used this machine a lot, like 20 hours per week run time using the supplied cutters, emuge franken and datron. I've literally replaced two cutters and both times because I bumped them. You can see a 6mm pocket on a vice where I accidentally pressed the wrong button and plunged the tool 🙃
Is the Evo one (first version, not the pro) have linear rails on all axis (X, Y and Z) ?
Not 100% but every version I have seen has linear rails, there have been a number of changes over the years.
I have the ove one but I had some problems with the machine. I can't generate the G code for the Evo one. What program do you use to generate the G code. Also I wandered if you can help me to make it work?
Hi,
I use fusion 360 for cad/cam work. I'm on the paid version but there is a free hobby version. You should check out some TH-cam videos demonstrating how to model and then machine a part.
Thank you for the video, very helpful. I’m making a decision between a Nomad3 , the Bantam and the Evo one, I do have a few questions, I’m hoping you might have some insight:
-The bantam software is one thing that makes it attractive, it seems very user-friendly and intuitive. How does the Evo One’s software compare to it? For me the software being easy to learn/approachable is a big factor.
-How is customer support with the Evo One in your experience?
-From what you’ve seen, how would you say the real world accuracy of the Evo One compares to the specs they advertise?
Thank you so much and thank you again for the review.
Hi,
I haven't used bantam tools software so can't give a comparison but my thoughts are still as per the video really, the only feature I would like on the evo is stock probing, but that is not enough to pull me towards the bantam as the evo has a way bigger work area, better build, more power with a better material removal rate.
Accuracy of the evo was better than quoted on their site for repeatability (no load) and spindle run out, but can usually better +/-0.03 mm in x and y no problem without thinking about it. Z is a little trickier if you are flipping a part but this is down to the operator and workholding rather than the machine.
I have only used support once but had a very quick response, a couple hours and minor issue (which turned out to be my computer rather than the machine) resolved shortly after. There is a small FB group and the company owner usually jumps in there, but personally I wouldn't use a FB group for support as would feel guilty for jumping into a worker's personal space. I get the impression that MD is a much smaller company than carbide 3d for example (who I love too btw) but it feels like they all work really hard and genuinely care about their product.
@@bounce2159 thank you so much!
Nice machine and review.
How would you lubricate the ball screws on this machine? I think I did not see any grease nipples on the nut housings and the x-axis one is hidden?
I've have been cleaning everything down with isopropyl and then lubricating with Kluber, I use the machine a lot and have only done this twice in a year. No grease ports on the rail carriages.
Ordered one :) should be here in 8 weeks orso, sooooo excited!
Great stuff, where are you based Daniel? Whatya going to be making?
@@bounce2159 Northern Ireland, going to continue to make vape accessories. Currently do alot of acrylic panels but I'm looking to expand into some aluminium and brass parts :)
@@daniellyness5180 I've got a pal in the US that makes vape bits on a taig. This will be far better suited if you were making batches and no gibs to adjust.
@@bounce2159 what's a taig? No Gibs to adjust?
I'm currently doing everything on a Stepcraft 420d and the repeatibility just isn't there, have to work to a 0.02mm tolerance and with the Stepcraft I have to constantly change my tool paths to try get consistent results. Also if I zero my work co-ordinates then home the machine then go back to zero it's always off by like 0.2mm on X/y.
I plan to be using pallet fixtures for side 2, the Evo one pro seems ideal as they're very small work pieces
@@daniellyness5180 a taig is a desktop milling machine, it's a col mill so smaller work area. The axis use dovetails for motion and gibs to adjust as parts wear, which means more maintenance over linear rails. Don't get me wrong I'm quite fond of the taig and having used one they are better at steels. However the work area, spindle speed and fixturing makes the makerdreams a way better option for materials like aluminium for me.
On your homing issues there will always be limits in accuracy of your homing switches if you hit home again. On my lathe build I used servos which have an encoder, so you home off the switch and then the machine seeks a single input from the encoder for your zero position. This makes it way more accurate.
That said 0.2 sounds awful. I frequently power up the makerdreams, hit restore origin and carry on where I was on the previous day.
Hi, and thank you for the review! I'm looking for a CNC with the capabilities of EVO one, but also capable to process some very small things (less than 0.5mm). With Nomad they did a test engraving some very small size text on a piece of carbon. I need to do a similar job on brass. Do you think EVO One 2021 is capable of?
Hi, No problem hope you liked it. If the nomad can do it I see no reason why the makerdreams can't. The keyring in the video for example had the crest of Huddersfield Town Football team on it. If you have a Google of the crest and compare it to the video for scale some of those details at a guess we're sub 1mm for sure probably less.
I must admit I haven't milled carbon so not sure if there should be any concerns about longevity of the linear rails with the dust or maybe dust in the electronics.
That said with the original machine I bought makerdreams supplied some carbon fibre tooling so I guess it will be OK.
Thanks for the awesome review, I’m thinking of getting an Evo One pro myself. What are those low profile vices you are using?
Thanks. I use 2 x inception machine vices from inception machines (IM) in the UK and next to them 2 x makerdreams (MD) vices.
There are positives to each, inception needs slightly less material to hold onto but the step is actually slightly higher than the MD. IM actually starts to lift the stock slightly more than MD as the MD has an extra set of bolts to pull down the female jaws so keeping parts parallel is harder in the IM.
MD has a central notch in the jaws, handy for round stock, but IM has the ability to bolt removable soft jaws for you to machine in situ, handy for second op parts.
I've been playing around with different cut recipes since this video (examples in my shorts) and although IM vices have the serrated jaws and cut into the stock, I think I could reach max material removal rate with either vice.
Both are handy to have.
Hope this helps.
@@bounce2159 thanks a lot, super informative! I’m looking forward to any new video you put out 😀
That was awesome man! I really want one now. Just have to save up a bit
Think it will be worth the wait, hope your wait isn't too long :)
Great video this pushed me towards the evo. Thanks
Thank you very much, sure you will love it!
@@bounce2159 I ordered mine today :D cant wait to get started!
@@melchvanleeuwen2166 cool! I've spent a lot of time trying to up the material removal rate since this video and I've made some good progress, getting some awesome rooster tails flying off in aluminium. Feel free to give me a nudge if you want to chat numbers.
Your comments on the painted steel of the DMC2 are looking awfully prescient right now! Great vid btw.
I saw some posts on instagram where I guy had some of the dmc2 parts remade/milled flat/re-coated. Actually gutted to hear it but I'm sure Shariff will lean a lot from this first outing and improve, it's a massive undertaking. Glad you liked the video , thank you :)
hey great vid,
im thinking of getting one but am quite new to cnc ,though i have a manual mill a fair amount
i have experiences with inventor cad but im airly new to inventor cam and fusion 360 , how hard is it to get started ?
and can i run it with a euro plug 230v 50/60hz ?
and can it run steel ? what i heard it cant
If you can create a model within fusion and you have an understanding of surface speeds, chip load etc then I'd say you are getting on half way there. There are loads of tutorials on TH-cam showing how to set up and create g code. Mine came with a UK plug so I'm guessing that makerdreams ship with whatever plug is applicable to your country.
As for steel I have milled 303 stainless and en1a on the makerdreams. It's fair to say that you aren't going to want to do it all day every day but it's possible with some nice finishes if your expectations are realistic.
sprry to bother you, after this summer (17 & working holidays) i finally would have had the 3700€ together and now its 4600€!! ☹️so should i save up and buy this next year or buy a nomad 3 now ?
i dont plan on priducing parts or anything, but i want to get a cnc to learn and make some custom parts (if 3d printing isnt strong enough)
Does slower travel speed, rpm, and cut direction affect precision ? How much and how accurate is your machine?
Not sure how to answer that to be honest, you see things like a clean cut correct chip load, no chatter is what is important. I've run as fast as 3500mm feed rate and it's not necessarily any different accuracy wise to 450mm but there are just too many other variables. For example the geometry of the part, naturally there is some acceleration and deceleration so with some geometries you couldn't actually reach the higher feed rate. I have found the makerdreams to be very accurate. You would have to check the website for the current price.
Hello , I'm a product designer and I'm looking to get into CNC machinging and figured this machine would be best for me at my level. Any books or info you could recommend for beginner machinists ? I have some knowledge of 3D printing and hand tools etc but would really love to get into CNC machining and offer clients this type of service as far as prototyping parts for products etc. Thanks !
To be honest I'm not trained in cnc, only in manual machining. Most of my information on cnc was from youtube and fusion360 tutorials and although I have chipped a few tools I've had no major incidents.
I'd recommend reading up on standard g and m codes so you can modify any g code that you produce and understand what the outcome will be. But I find with fusion 360 even with simple easy to hand code programs I'm just as quick making a quick model and letting fusion take care of the g code.
Also some time understanding feeds and speeds so when people talk about surface speed, chip load etc you will understand what they are talking about.
Hope this helps.
I think you did a great video. Very well covered in depth. Good job.
Thank you very much, nice to read such a comment and I'm glad you liked it.
Great thoughts and comparison!
I ordered the Nomad 3 over the makerdream, but just before the new one dropped. I had not gone for the nomad again.
Endless issues on mine, but excellent community and support.
Having resolved most I am very happy, and it has not held me back after learning its weaknesses.
The repeatability of the touch probe is not that good...
That's interesting to hear about the touch probe, surprised to hear about issues though. I did really like the look of the nomad especially for the price but now I have the latest makerdreams there is no doubt in my mind.
@@bounce2159 within one of these imperial thousands, 0.1mm to maybe as much as 0.2mm.
I do really like the Nomad even with the issues. And it is tiny and fits on the edge of my table. The issues where moistly with the QC on the spindle. i returned 4 spindles before they changed the bearing type on the fifth.
@@pauketju I feel like Carbide 3d are a good company, nice to hear they worked to sort it out and I keep wanting to get into larger wood parts so would be interested in the HDR.
Very similar to the one I want to build. Not quite as beefy but very impressive. Fine looking and effective milling. Your software should be able to thread mill, put it your sales video !! internal and external. Use a single thread for various pitches in one tool.
Oh I didn't build this one nor am I selling it, just a customer 🙂. I must admit I haven't done much thread milling, good point you make I have a 3 tooth m5 cutter but generally I just mill and tap because of the price of thread mills.
As a new prospective buyer for a cnc I wish you had slowed a bit when throwing out the numbers and described chip throw and how to get mirror finishes. Also would like to know About harder materials.
Noted, maybe I'll do a seperate video. For the most part I think people tend to go too slow and not allowing the cutter to actually take a chip. I'd start by looking at speeds and feeds videos/apps and whatnot. Just by seeing them in front of you and an explanation of what the figures mean will probably help. Just remember most figures you will see are for industrial machines so will not work with a desktop cnc. I tend to start small in terms of width and depth of cut but I keep the chip load higher.
Harder materials are something I am am going to try but haven't gotten around to it yet. I think materials like 303 stainless will be possible but I wouldn't go so far as to say you would want to do it every day. Just a guess at this stage.
BTW there is a link in the description with the timestamp for the cutting demos. They have some figures but you can comfortably go quicker than those examples with a shallow cut. I'm running 1850 feed at 12k spindle with a single flute, 3mm woc, 0.5mm doc
@@bounce2159 much appreciated!
Nice video - thanks. That machine looks to be really well designed & put together. The DMC may look better on paper, but *I* think the design is pretty shoddy. I think you made the right choice. Me? I'm trying to make my own.
Thank you very much, I dithered and circled around for months before deciding but really happy with my choice in the end. I'll be posting a few more videos soon with some different materials and projects to give people a more in depth view of what they can expect
Dude the bantamtools went up to 5k in the last day, that's crazy..
Wonder if it's aluminium prices? I have noticed quite a jump with suppliers.
@@bounce2159 not sure, I passed it up some months back and it was on sale for 3600 but it’s not worth anywhere close to 5k.. sorry, for that much I can buy a new fully converted precision Mathew’s cnc mill with far better capability..
@@CryoftheProphet I know some guy did some calculations to see how much that machine cost and in was under $1k total…. Feel like they price it a bit to much
@@TheOfficeTurtle what makes the bantam mill so appealing is mostly gimmicks like auto zero and user interface. It’s certainly not a bad mill by any means, but the makerdreams absolutely destroys it with its 600w spindle and ball screws as well as it’s larger work area
For 5k you could order a Shapeoko HDM with free shipping and let me tell you that thing is a beast for milling aluminum and has a very nice cut area of 27" x 21" with your choice of a 1.5kw or 2.2kw spindle for it. The Evo 1 machine is better than the Nomad or Bantam and C3D for sure missed out on sales not upgrading the Nomad line to linear rails.
You should always start your vidz off with "Oi mate" 😆
I think that would work better with cockney accent 😂
I love this review and I feel like you really explain what makes this a solid performing machine. I have a question if you dont mind friend.
I only have experience with my epilog laser cutters, but Im fascinated by the idea of milling small aluminum components and would love to get something like this after seeing the bantam tools cnc machine.
Is this something a fairly competent first timer could buy and confidently use to start making parts with relative ease? Bear in mind, my experience is non existant when it comes to cnc, or making tool paths for example, and Ive only worked with 2d vector files for my lasers. I can make a 3d part in fusion, but Im more concerned with the process of setting up and actually milling the component.
My understanding is that you have to create tool paths for the parts geometry and then convert that into a g code that is then recognized by software and then communicated to the machine.
Hi, thanks for the compliment! In answer to your question I think this is about as accessible as you are going to get in terms of cnc.
I started with 3d printing before cnc but I had been manually machining for a while and I think it's fair to say there is more to think about, chip load depth of cut, width of cut, surface speed etc.
However I find machining far less frustrating than 3d printing as all the figures have already been established for you such as cutting parameters recommended by the manufacturer. All you need to do is work out the machine limits which means starting small. This is compared to 3d printing where every material, even those of the same type can behave differently. With machining if you buy 6082 aluminium you will know where you stand with a particular cutter and there are lots of guides online showing you how to calculate the parameters.
As for tool paths etc I use fusion 360. This is probably over simplified but you tell fusion which solid body is your part, sit it inside another part and tell fusion that is the raw stock.
Then tell it where the origin is, like the corner of some square stock, then touch off on the stock with your machine and set the machine to zero.
Then tell fusion which cutter you are using (how many flutes, diameter, length of flutes), how fast, deep etc that you want to go and it works out the rest.
There are tons of tutorials that can take you through an example part, so whilst it may take several hours to get going (you won't be unwrapping the machine and pressing start that's for sure), it quickly becomes second nature and I rarely manually machine anything now.
By the way I have no formal cnc training.
Hope this helps.
@@bounce2159 That actually helps a ton! I have two Epilog fusion pro lasers and while its no where near as complicated as cnc, its basically working on the same principle, only with 2 axis, you have your speed and power to worry about, but Id like to think in terms of cnc I have a pretty solid grasp on the overall process. I think for me its just using the actual software, and getting used to it all.
I want to get a cnc router, but honestly I really just want to mill aluminum parts and design and fabricate them myself, and I love the idea of this particular machine because of how capable it is, I love that it has ball screws and it seems to have a pretty decent work area as well. I can't find a lot of people who have one or any tutorials about it online like there are with other machines, but I think its probably worth the investment to go ahead and just buy it and learn as I go. Fusion 360 is something I use, granted Ive never had to create tool paths before so that will be interesting, but I feel like I should be able to figure it out, I suppose nothing is going to replace practice. I want to get a 3d printer, but only because it seemed like an easier way of creating components, but in reality, Id prefer to machine components with a proper mill.
@@CryoftheProphet if you are already familiar with fusion you are off to a great start. The work area on the makerdreams is definitely a big positive and also the fact that it's enclosed really helps v a router. I think for aluminium parts you would not be disappointed.
@@bounce2159 sorry to bother you, but one more question, how is the software that maker dreams uses as an interface? Intuitive? Will it run with any other software?
@@CryoftheProphet they use cremov which is a branded version of candle. I don't know of a way of using any other software with the existing board but tbh I'm not sure why you would want to, yeah there are more sophisticated options out there (i also use centroid cnc12) and I have thought about converting mine to use a DDSCV 3.1 just because I like the idea of standalone, but I like cremov, in particular the graphic helps spot when you have messed up when post processing or have accidentally selected the wrong file (which I have done, a few times). 🙂