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Compact CNC with a stepless 710W spindle and ball screws
Use with Easel Pro →
The NBX-5040 is NymoLabs' compact router, with a 508 x 408 x 97 mm working area, a 710W stepless spindle (7,000-30,000 RPM), NEMA23 steppers, and ball screws on every axis, with steel HSS linear tubes on the Y axis in place of a linear rail. It runs on open-source GRBL v1.1 with a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen offline controller.
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 NBX-5040's stepless spindle runs 7,000 to 30,000 RPM, covering the full range of the chart, on NEMA23 steppers with ball screws on every axis. Its Y axis rides on steel HSS linear tubes rather than the linear rail NymoLabs uses on the NBS-6040, so it's a step down in rigidity from that model. Take shallower passes here and build up gradually: 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, well within this spindle's 7,000-30,000 RPM range, so dial the knob to 16,000. 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.
The NBX-5040 runs GRBL 1.1, so it connects directly to Easel. Install the free Easel Driver and plug in over USB, or connect driverless with Rapid Connect in a Chromium browser (Chrome, Edge, or Opera). Design in the browser, then the Carve button homes, zeroes, and runs the job with live progress. You can also export G-code to run from the machine's offline SD card touchscreen controller. Select NBX-5040 in Easel's machine menu to size the canvas to its 508 x 408 x 97 mm working area.
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