REVIEW – Have you been looking for a hobby CNC (computer numerical control) machine to help you create awesome 3D designs on wood? Me too. When the TwoTrees TTC-450 Pro CNC Router Machine was offered to the Gadgeteer to review, I was allowed to try it out.
I discovered just how cool it is to create 3D relief carvings in wood. However, I needed to solve some issues when setting up the CNC and it was a huge challenge to use it as a newbie. There’s a daunting learning curve to overcome with all the different types of bits, settings, and software you need to learn to create anything.
This is a huge review, so I provided a Table of Contents with links to the sections. The review represents my journey into CNC machining. Because I was completely lost as to what to do initially, this “review/how-to” summarizes everything I did to test the TTC-450 Pro from start to finish.
*Click on images in this review to view a larger size.
The TwoTrees TTC-450 Pro CNC Router Machine is a device that uses bits as tools to carve designs on wood, MDF, plywood, resin, PVC, ABS, carbon fiber, acrylic, aluminum, and brass.
TwoTrees 500W high-speed air-cooled spindle motor kit (sold separately):
TwoTrees CNC Vacuum Cleaner Monster (M1) Kit (sold separately):
TwoTrees 4th Axis CNC Rotary Module Kit for TTC450/TTC 450 Pro (sold separately):
I assembled the TwoTrees TTC-450 Pro CNC according to the assembly video.
I find assembly videos immensely helpful when putting together a device like this.
Because the video is clear, I will skip the details and broadly cover what I did to assemble the CNC.
I installed the X-axis assembly on the CNC base and screwed the Z-axis assembly to the X-axis. I also installed the touchscreen control panel on the frame.
I affixed the 80W spindle motor to the Z-axis.
I then connected all the cables according to the installation video.
After assembling the CNC, I noticed four small cables left over. None of the videos or documentation explained them. Hmm, I wonder what those are for.
The CNC frame, the X-axis gantry, and the Z-axis are made of metal and are very robust and sturdy. Movement along the axes is accomplished by using screw bars instead of belts. According to the TwoTrees website, the TTC-450 Pro’s XY axis positioning accuracy is 0.05mm. It can be adjusted if needed by tightening or loosening a brass adjustment nut on the X-axis screw bar behind the Z-axis assembly.
When I received the 500W spindle motor in a later shipment, I removed the 775 spindle (an 80W spindle) and installed the 500W one on my machine.
Installing this spindle proved to be a bit frustrating. There was no documentation on installing it and connecting the cables to the CNC. I tried looking on TwoTrees’ YouTube channel, but only found videos for the older model CNC, which has a different design than the Pro.
I finally contacted TwoTress, and they sent me the correct video, which isn’t available on YouTube.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rdjUOf1-GES2HCo4CLPID7ZzqVjnxPXo/view?usp=drive_link
The above link is the 500W spindle motor installation video on the TTC-450 PRO.
Another reason why it was a challenge to connect the 500W spindle cables was that my machine had no labeling on the front part of the control box underneath the touchscreen panel (my machine is the one pictured on the left above; the other is a screenshot from the TwoTrees installation video).
In summary, there are no spindle installation instructions available, the installation video isn’t posted on YouTube, and my machine isn’t labeled. It’s like TwoTrees tried to make this as difficult as possible.
Here’s how I connected the 500W spindle cables. I plugged the spindle cable (the one already attached to the spindle) into the box on the back of the Z-axis (first photo above). I then plugged the AC power cable and a 4-pin spindle motor power cable into the spindle motor box (shown in the second and third photos above).
The opposite end of the spindle motor power cable has special connectors. Remember the small cables I had left over from the CNC assembly? I needed two of them to connect to the end of that cable (as shown in the last photo above). Since these small cables weren’t sent with the 500W spindle, it wasn’t at the top of my mind that I needed them for this.
I matched the connectors and fastened them together (first photo above). I then plugged the ends into their proper ports on the control module (second and third photos above). The last photo above shows the spindle motor box and the associated connections.
So, what are the other two small cables for? After searching and digging and searching some more (ugh), I finally found that they are for an optional 20W laser module. That may be important for some of you out there.
The TwoTrees CNC vacuum is a relatively small plastic desktop vacuum. On top is a power button, an area to attach the vacuum hose, fan vents, a USB-A port, and a power port (first photo above). The vacuum has two sections, a top and a bottom (second photo above). The top fastens to the bottom using two plastic handles opposite each other that flip down and snap onto the bottom. On the underside of the top is a tiny replaceable filter cartridge (third photo above). You install the vacuum bag inside the vacuum by sliding the opening on the bag onto the red hose opening on the underside of the top (third photo above).
The vacuum kit includes a plastic dust shoe (fourth photo above). The dust shoe has two attachment areas, one for your TwoTrees spindle and the other for your vacuum hose. This device helps vacuum up debris from your carving projects, keeping your work area clean.
The top and bottom of the dust shoe attach magnetically. The top cleverly contains LEDs to illuminate your carving project (fifth photo above). I haven’t seen any other CNC dust shoes that include this feature, and it’s AWESOME!
The top of the dust shoe attaches to the TwoTrees spindle using screws (first photo above). I then connected the vacuum hose and USB cable from the dust shoe to the vacuum and connected power to the vacuum (second, third, and fourth photos above).
On top of the dust shoe are two switches/buttons (photo above). One controls the LED lights, and the other controls the automatic dust collection function. When the “Auto” button is pressed, the vacuum is supposed to start and stop automatically when a project starts and ends, respectively. Using the manual On/Off button interferes with the “Auto” feature, so if it doesn’t work, press the “Auto” button again to turn it off, unplug the vacuum’s power, then plug it back in, press the “Auto” button to turn it on, and it should function.
If you want to do a rotary project, you’ll need the TwoTrees rotary module. TwoTrees sends you several items with the rotary module kit. Most are screws, washers, square nuts, and two cables. You only need four screws, four washers, and one cable (the cable with one white four-pin connector and one black four-pin connector).
Using the four-pin cable, plug the white connector into the rotary stepper motor (second photo above). The claw end and the thimble (TwoTrees calls it this) end screw into the threaded areas on the wasteboard/spoilboard using two screws (with washers) each. They should both be the same distance from the edge of the CNC bed (third photo above). Lastly, plug the black four-pin connector into the rotary port under the touchscreen control panel. This port isn’t labeled on my machine, but I noticed the rotary port when connecting the cables for the spindle – it’s the four-pin port on the front of the control box under the touchscreen control panel.
Here’s a video of the rotary installation. I swapped the claw end and thimble end in the video. It is important to install it as I did in the video. If it’s installed differently, the carving results will be backward (I discuss this later).
The touchscreen control panel can now control the rotary module.
I needed to install the Windows driver to connect the CNC to my laptop. TwoTrees sent a TF card and a USB flash drive containing the CNC files. I tried the USB drive, and none of our computers could read it. I then tried the TF card and found a zipped file. Thank goodness they sent both options because you can’t download them from the website. I copied the zipped file to my laptop, extracted it, and hunted for the driver.
The driver is located in TF卡资料-TTC450Pro-A1 > 02- Install the software (安装软件) > ENGLISH > software（Window) > GRBL-En > driver > CH340SER.EXE. Oh boy, those Chinese characters are sure to be an issue…
Sure enough, when I launched the executable, this is what I saw (screenshot above). I tried doing an internet search about the issue, looking for YouTube videos, and even deleting the Chinese characters, but I kept seeing the error. I had to contact TwoTrees’ technical support via WhatsApp for help.
They told me to “drag the software installation package from the TF card to the desktop and then try to install it.” I dragged the .ZIP file to the desktop, extracted it, and then placed the CH340SER.EXE file on the desktop too (shown in the screenshot above) for the file to run properly, which it finally did.
This is the third TwoTrees device that I have reviewed, and there always seems to be something that needs to be worked out before I even get the machine running (Two Trees TTS-55 DIY Laser Engraving and Cutting Machine review – cutting things with light is awesome! and Two Trees TTS-20 Pro 20W laser engraver review). However, I will say that the build quality of their machines has certainly improved over time.
Whew, now I was able to start using the CNC. Using the machine’s touchscreen control panel, I tested the X, Y, and Z axes’ movements using the jogging controls.
All worked well, but I had one issue pop up on one particular day. The machine locks when you encounter a limit switch. Thus, there was one instance where I triggered the Z-axis limit switch while using the control panel and couldn’t keep the device unlocked to move the spindle away from the switch. Each time I unlocked it, the control panel detected the limit switch and locked it again. I couldn’t reach the Z-axis screw bar to manually move it out of the way because the spindle was impeding my access (I guess I could have taken it off, but I didn’t want to).
I had to install and use CNC controller software on my laptop (I used Candle – an open-source, free software provided by TwoTrees, which I will talk about later) to jog the Z-axis module away from the limit switch.
The machine has a “Probe” function that tells it how close it is to the carving material. But first, I needed to install a router bit.
I chose to install one of the 30-degree V carving bits. I removed the bottom of the dust shoe and then proceeded to unscrew the collet nut a little too much so that it came off, but it revealed a 3mm ER-11 collet inside. I screwed it back on and inserted the bit into the collet until it stopped, then tightened the nut using open-ended wrenches (provided by TwoTrees). I decided to keep the bottom of the dust shoe off because the brush was blocking my view of the bit.
To start the probing process (lol), I inserted the probe’s connector into the “Probe” port on the black box on the back of the Z-axis (shown in the first photo above). I then clamped the alligator clip to the tip of the bit and set the probe under it.
Using the touchscreen control panel, I tapped on “Tools” > “Probe.” As the video above shows, using the touchscreen panel “Probe” function is rather a slow process, so I sped up the middle of the video 10x.
As I used the CNC, I noticed that when the left X-axis gantry arm moves toward the front of the machine, it scrapes against the control box wall (well, it actually scrapes against a plate that acts as a wall for the control box). One time it prevented the X-axis gantry from moving toward the front of the CNC. I tightened the screws for that plate and bent it away from the arm so that the gantry can move, but it’s still scraping.
I clamped the test material (a polypropylene sheet provided by TwoTrees) to the workspace. TwoTrees sent six clamps. Each clamp consists of two bolts, a wingnut, and a thick black flat metal plate. The longest bolt has a wingnut threaded on it. That long bolt sits in a slot on the black plate where it moves freely. The short bolt is threaded into the black plate. You adjust the short bolt up or down so that the bottom of the plate is level with the surface of your material. Then, screw the long bolt into one of the threaded holes in the waste board (or spoilboard, which is the surface of the CNC base). Next, tighten the wingnut until the clamp is tight against the material.
The clamps are really sturdy and work well. They keep the material in place. My only complaint was that the dust shoe sometimes ran into the bolts because they were so long. With subsequent projects, I carefully positioned the clamps to avoid this issue.
Okay, so I had the machine set up and the material ready.
Next, had to learn how to run a test file, and to do that, I had to choose a bit to carve a test file. TwoTrees sent me the following bits:
Bits. There’s a LOT to learn about bits – and sooooooo much more.
Here’s what I understand so far about bits. Almost all of the following is from the YouTube video “CNC Router Bits – Everything You Need To Know Tutorial and Review” from IDC Woodcraft, an excellent source for CNC beginners. Some supplemental info is from the YouTube video “Upcut or Downcut CNC Bits | How and When to Use Them.
If you are unfamiliar with CNCs and you’re not an engineer, then this might help you. I initially thought ER-11 was the actual size of the collet and that it held a particular bit-shank size, but no, no, no – I was so wrong. There’s a whole world of information about collets. All of the following information comes from MellowPine and Techniks.
In addition to understanding bits, it’s important to understand all the cut settings when using your computer-aided machining (CAM) software (I discuss CNC software in the next section). Knowing these will improve the outcome of your carved projects.
The cut settings are also referred to as “feeds and speeds” in CNC jargon. These include the feed rate and speed of the spindle.
There are different types of software available to CNC machine users: CAD (creates models), CAM (creates the code that tells the machine how to make the model), and CNC control (sends the code to the CNC machine, which interprets it and runs it).
I connected my laptop to the CNC using the blue USB-A to USB-B cable sent with my machine. I tried to connect the CNC to my WiFi, but every time I turned the machine off, I had to re-enter my WiFi password. It’s a long password, so I gave up using WiFi. What a shame.
To get you up and running, TwoTrees provides you with CNC controller software called “Candle” to run its test files (TF卡资料-TTC450Pro-A1 > 02- Install the software (安装软件) > ENGLISH > software（Window) > GRBL-En > grblControl > Candle > Candle.exe).
I installed and launched Candle. To connect your CNC to Candle, do the following:
I then opened a TwoTrees test file. The screenshots above show the CNC controls in the right sidebar. Move your mouse to the middle of that sidebar, then scroll down to view and use the Jog controls for the CNC (second screenshot above).
At first, I had no idea what kind of bit I needed to use to run my first project. At the time, I didn’t know anything about bits. So, I decided to go ahead and use one of the 30-degree V-bits (or V-carving bit).
I clicked the “Send” button at the bottom right of the screen to run the carving (the third screenshot above). It finished in 00:01:02.
The first photo above shows that the bit didn’t quite hit the material to carve the first letter “T” of the “TTC-450 CNC”, but the rest came out fine. When I ran the second test file of a flower, it took quite a bit longer, and the result looked a bit rough.
I ran the files again using the same 30-degree bit but with a solid piece of scrap pine. The results (the top right carving and the bottom carving in the above photo) were much better.
Positioning the spindle over the starting point of my projects:
Before starting every project, I needed to move my spindle over the starting point of the material. This is the 0, 0, 0 positions for X, Y, and Z (the work position, I think it’s called). That starting point – whether it’s in the center, upper right corner, or lower left corner – is set using your CAM software. I set the lower left corner as my starting point for each project using my CAM software (Easel or Carveco Maker).
For each project, I moved my spindle over the lower left corner of my material, then lowered the Z-axis until it touched the material’s surface (this was easier than using the probe to get the correct distance from my material). I then zeroed the X, Y, and Z-axis coordinates in the controller software. Afterward, I elevated the spindle 1mm over the material so I could start the spindle without carving into the material. Zeroing the coordinates before elevating the spindle allows you to go back to those coordinates when you need to.
Starting the spindle:
I learned early on that I needed to manually start the spindle just before sending my projects to the CNC. To do this, I used either the spindle button on the touchscreen control panel on the CNC or the spindle button in the Candle controller software.
There is a command that you can enter in the console area of the controller software that turns the spindle on (“M03″). I tried this and it didn’t work for me. As I watched the code being processed in the controller software, I saw that the spindle starting code existed in the project files, but the TTC-450 Pro wasn’t responding to it.
Rather than dive into the issue, I decided to manually start the spindle before starting each project. This ensured that I wouldn’t drive the bit into the material without it spinning – yep, I did that.
Easel is an all-in-one CAD/CAM/CNC controller application and is easy to use. There’s a free version and a paid version. The paid version has a free 30-day trial after which it is $24 + tax per month, $233 + tax per year, or $599 + tax for 3 years. I used the free 30-day trial for new users to get started on most of my projects. The trial gives you access to some Pro features.
I ran a couple of my free 3D STL projects using one of the 1/8” (3.175mm) cut-diameter upcut ball-nose bits that TwoTrees sent me just to see what it could do. And without really understanding all the Easel settings, I got the results my impatience deserves (lol).
So, it was time to slow down and learn how to use the application.
*Click on images to view a larger size.
I could also hold down the left mouse button and move my mouse around to rotate the view around the project. I could slide the project around to better view it within the computer screen by using “Ctrl” + left mouse button or “Shift” + left mouse button.
Next, I set up my material.
Then I learned to position the model on the coordinate planes.
Next, I learned how to position the cut depth in relation to the model’s depth (7mm) in the material.
Next, I went through the rest of the Easel settings and set them up. Since I already entered my material settings, I just needed to finish the others.
Cut Style: There are three cut styles to choose from. To visualize the differences, I selected each and then generated the tool paths (red box in the first screenshot above).
To get the kind of detail that I wanted, I manually entered a slower feed rate because I was using a 1/16” (1.5875mm) cut-diameter downcut single flute bit that I didn’t want to break and I decreased the “Step-over” to 5% which means that each pass overlaps with other passes by 95% (i.e. each time the bit moves to cut a new area, it only cuts away 5% new material; the other 95% of the material was already cut away in a previous pass).
When I finished setting up my project in Easel, I clicked the blue “Carve” button in the upper right corner of the screen (red box shown in the first screenshot above).
Easel then stepped me through the process to make sure I was ready to carve my project.
Yeah, now that’s more like it! Here are my Easel settings for the Labrador carving shown above:
I also carved a cat relief. I did this several times using different bits and different Easel settings.
Here’s an example of one of my relief carvings of a hawk/eagle. I used a 1/8” (3.175mm) cut-diameter upcut ball nose bit for roughing and a 1/16” (1.5875mm) cut-diameter down-cut single flute bit for finishing. I changed the feed rate to 800mm/min and a Step-over of 5%.
Next, I created a simple design to carve on aluminum. I entered the text, “Kathleen’s workshop” and set up the following.
When I clicked”Carve”, Easel took me through the process of checking to see if I was ready to carve my project.
I sprayed the carving area with WD-40 to lubricate the bit because I read that the router runs better on metal when lubricated and avoids heating the bit from friction and possibly destroying it or even the spindle.
Because I placed cardboard under my aluminum sheet to elevate the material so the router could reach it, clamping it down caused the aluminum sheet to bow slightly in the middle because the cardboard wasn’t rigid and flat after clamping the material. Thus, during the carving process, the bit started cutting out the letters in the middle of the sheet instead of carving them into the metal. At that point, I stopped the project. It was doing rather well before that point. I like how it carved the first few letters. Note to self: use rigid material to clamp the aluminum and maybe use double-sided tape to secure the project to the surface in addition to using the clamps.
Easel doesn’t do 4th-axis projects (projects using a rotary module). So I had to learn another CAD/CAM application that does. It was between Carveco Maker and VCarve Desktop (Blendercam, an add-on for Blender, is rotary capable but doesn’t have many tutorials). I decided against VCarve Desktop because its trial version only allows you to carve its sample projects to see if it works with your CNC. If it does, it costs $349 for a perpetual license. A perpetual license means you own it. Vectric, the makers of VCarve state, “Any major version of the software released within 12 months of you purchasing the software is supplied free of charge. Minor updates are always free to anyone who has the same major version.”
I decided to go with Carveco Maker. It has a subscription for $15 per month or $180 per year. You can purchase the perpetual license for Carveco Maker Plus for $1200 with upgrades for one year. I went with a monthly subscription to Carveco Maker for now.
Here are the results of my simple cylinder project. The rotary module worked, but the carving was inverted. I contacted both Carveco and TwoTrees about this issue.
TwoTrees suggested I place the claw on the right side of the CNC instead of the left and it worked!
Here is one of my latest projects carved on oak. Yeah, I need a lot more practice.
I used Carveco Maker to create the design and the toolpaths. I used a 6mm cut diameter downcut end mill and a 1.5mm cut diameter downcut end mill, and lastly a 3mm cut diameter 30-degree V-bit.
After learning how to use the CNC, I noticed that the vacuum hadn’t automatically started. Initially, I assumed the vacuum would turn on when the spindle began running and would stop when the spindle stopped. I pressed the Auto button and then turned on the spindle using the touchscreen panel, but the vacuum didn’t start. I turned off the “Auto” button, unplugged the vacuum (the manual says to do this for the auto feature to work), plugged it back in, pressed the “Auto” button, turned on the spindle, and still nothing happened.
So, I reached out to technical support again. I showed them videos of the issue, and they told me to step through that same process again, only this time, try to carve a file. The test engineer said, “The automatic dust collection function requires the machine to sense vibration and significant noise.”
I later carved one of the test files, but the vacuum still didn’t start automatically.
A day later, I had an idea. I adjusted the spindle height within its clamp so that the vacuum hose port on the dust shoe touched the spindle clamp (shown in the yellow circle in the photo above). Voila! The vacuum came on automatically when I ran a test file and shut off automatically when it finished!! YAY!! Remember that if you want the automatic dust collection feature to work. The only problem is there’s a second or two between the project starting and the vacuum turning on, thus leaving the initial wood shavings scattered over the CNC. Other than that, it works like a charm! I love it! It keeps my workplace clean.
The addition of the vacuum is a must, in my opinion. It drastically reduces the amount of wood chips and dust when carving my projects. I usually turn it on manually to catch the initial wood shavings that the “Auto” feature doesn’t. I also love the dust shoe LEDs, which shine light on my projects.
Using the TwoTrees TTC-450 Pro CNC Router Machine was quite a laborious task, mostly because I went into it not knowing anything about CNCs. The machine itself is robust and sturdy. Carving 3D reliefs was really cool, and it ran fine until just recently. Now, when I start the 500W spindle using the touchscreen panel, it just sits there. It requires me to manually turn the top of the spindle to get it started. Additionally, my machine has recently been disconnecting from the controller software, which causes the project to stop mid-carving with the spindle still running. I guess I have to reach out to TwoTrees technical support again.
In addition to my current spindle issue and the CNC disconnecting from the controller software, there were several other important issues that I encountered. I was able to solve most of them with the help of TwoTrees’ technical support via WhatsApp (+86 177 2282 6689). These included the following:
Additionally, if you’re new to CNC machining, there’s a great deal of technical knowledge that you need to have to create decent results.
I used the TwoTrees TTC-450 Pro CNC Router Machine to carve some cool relief projects. The machine is robust and sturdy and the attached vacuum is a wonderful accessory (sold separately) because it significantly decreases the amount of wood chips and dust created when carving.
However, I’m conflicted about the TTC-450 Pro because of the issues I encountered. I solved most of them with the help of TwoTrees technical support, but as I continue to use it, new issues seem to crop up like the 500W spindle not wanting to start without my help and the machine disconnecting from the controller software causing the project to stop carving (this might be due to the vacuum running on the same circuit – just a guess).
There’s also an incredibly steep learning curve because I had no prior knowledge of CNC machining. The pressure to learn a huge amount of information was amplified due to being on a deadline to publish this review. If you are a newbie and have ample time, you might not feel as overwhelmed as I was.
If you decide you’d like to try it, the TTC-450 Pro seems like a decent hobby machine. I highly recommend the vacuum cleaner kit to keep your work area clean. And when it works, having the 500W spindle motor makes quicker work of your projects than the 80W spindle that comes with the Pro. I would hold off on the 40-piece bit kit – it doesn’t include any downcut bits, which is key for producing finished-looking reliefs on wood (I had to purchase my downcut bits from Amazon). Lastly, the rotary module might be for those who are more experienced/comfortable with CNC work.
