ACMER ASCARVA 3S

About the Machine

The ACMER ASCARVA 3S is a DIY, modular CNC router with a 300 x 180 x 78 mm working area and a 500W spindle rated to 12,000 RPM (plus or minus 0.025mm accuracy). It runs the X, Y, and Z axes on lead screws riding on twin hardened round rails in an all-aluminum body, and ships with an E-stop, six limit switches, and a tool setter for zeroing.

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 ASCARVA 3S's 500W spindle tops out at 12,000 RPM, below the chart's typical 16,000 RPM recommendation for hard wood with a small end mill, so cap the spindle at 12,000 and use feed rate to control the cut. 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. The ASCARVA 3S is a light, modular DIY frame, so treat it like a lighter machine: 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 hard wood. The chart says 16,000 RPM, but this spindle tops out at 12,000 RPM, so run 12,000. With the bit maker's 0.025mm per tooth (0.0010 in): 12,000 x 0.025 x 2 = 600 mm/min (24 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.