FoxAlien 3018-SE V2

About the Machine

FoxAlien no longer sells this model, but owners can keep using it with Easel. The 3018-SE V2 is a compact desktop CNC with a 278 x 157 x 33 mm active working area and a 775-type 60W spindle (8,000 RPM). Its control board is based on open-source GRBL software. Specs were validated against an archived copy of the manufacturer's page.

Cut Settings on this Machine

Every cut starts with one formula: Feed Rate = Spindle Speed (RPM) x Chip Load x Number of Cutting Edges (flutes). Chip load is the thickness of material each cutting edge removes in one revolution of the bit. This number comes from the manufacturer of the bit, which publishes a chip-load chart for each bit diameter and material. Look up your exact bit and material, start from the middle of the published range, and you have the third number in the formula. The chart below shows the recommended spindle speed for each material and bit type.

The 3018-SE V2's 60W spindle tops out at 8,000 RPM, well below the chart, so leave it at 8,000 for everything and control the cut with feed rate. Soft woods, plywood, and acrylic are comfortable on this machine (speed the feed up if acrylic starts to melt), hard wood takes patience, and aluminum is engraving-only. Depth per pass is where the machine itself matters. A truly rigid machine with a powerful spindle can cut as deep as the bit is wide in a single pass, but that takes real spindle torque, a drive train and clamps that hold firm, a gantry that will not flex, and enough mass to soak up vibration. A compact machine like this one falls short of that bar, and the fix is simple: take shallower passes. Push too deep and the bit deflects and chatters, leaving scalloped edges, or it rubs instead of cutting and burns the material. The fastest way to dial in a cut is to see what has already worked for other people.

Worked example for feed rate: 1/8in (3.175mm) two-flute solid carbide end mill in soft wood. The chart says 22,000 RPM, but this spindle tops out at 8,000 RPM, so run 8,000. With the bit maker's 0.030mm per tooth (0.0012 in): 8,000 x 0.030 x 2 = 480 mm/min (19 in/min) feed. For depth per pass, start shallow and check Community Cut Settings in Easel for what works on this machine. If the cut sounds strained, reduce the depth, not the feed. Slowing the feed below the chip load makes the bit rub instead of cut.

Community Cut Settings shows the spindle speed, feed rate, and depth per pass other makers actually run for your machine, material, and bit.