Meissa CNC Meissa 3

About the Machine

The Meissa 3 is a DIY CNC router: you 3D print the frame parts yourself (Meissa states 35 to 50 hours of print time for the full set) and assemble it around a 20.5 x 14 x 2.5in (520 x 356 x 63 mm) working area. It runs on 4 NEMA17 stepper motors with belt drive, controlled by GRBL firmware on an Arduino UNO board, and takes a compact router mounted in a 65mm or 70mm tool holder (router not included). It is a light-duty hobby machine, so plan on shallow passes.

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.

Meissa CNC does not publish a spindle RPM for the Meissa 3 since you supply your own compact router (mounted in a 65mm or 70mm tool holder), so check the plate on yours before you start. As a 3D-printed DIY frame running on 4 NEMA17 steppers with belt drive, it does not have the mass or rigidity of a metal-frame router. A truly rigid, powerful machine 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 frame that will not flex, and enough mass to soak up vibration. The Meissa 3's printed, belt-driven frame falls well short of that bar, so take shallow 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. Meissa CNC does not state a spindle RPM for the Meissa 3 since you supply your own tool, so check the plate on yours and use its actual top speed in place of 16,000 if it is lower. With the bit maker's 0.025mm per tooth (0.0010 in): 16,000 x 0.025 x 2 = 800 mm/min (31 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.