Written by Christian Treier
I have owned the SainSmart Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2 CNC router for about three months now, and I am still experimenting to discover what the machine is truly capable of. To push it to its limits, I decided to take on a large and complex 3D relief project – a real-world stress test for this CNC router.
If you would like to see the official specifications and current pricing, you can visit the product page here: Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2 CNC Router – SainSmart.
Project Overview: A Challenging 3D Relief Test
As the ultimate test, I selected the following STL model from Etsy: Roaring Bear Waterfall 3D Relief.
The design is a roaring bear waterfall 3D relief with a recommended minimum diameter of 500 mm. I also wanted the outer contour to be circular, as machining a round outer edge represents a greater challenge for the machine and is a good way to evaluate the accuracy of the ProVerXL 2x2 over a large work area.
After some searching, I found a sawmill that produced a 600 × 600 × 40 mm basswood panel for me. This gave me enough margin around the relief and created a substantial workpiece to truly test the CNC machine.
Why I Chose Basswood for This Project
In my experience, basswood is perfectly suited for 3D relief carving because it is relatively soft and fine-grained. This combination helps prevent tear-out even in the finest relief details and allows the Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2 to show what it can do in terms of surface quality.
For anyone planning similar 3D relief projects on a CNC router like the ProVerXL 2x2, basswood is a very forgiving and predictable material.
CAM Software and Toolpath Preparation
As my CAM software, I use Vectric VCarve Desktop. Over the past three months, it has proven to be very reliable and feature-rich.
The STL file purchased from Etsy was quickly imported into VCarve, and the toolpaths were programmed without difficulty.
For the roughing strategy, I chose Z-Level machining, as it reduces movement of the Z-axis and is easier on the machine during long machining times – an important factor for a large 3D relief on a hobby-grade CNC router like the ProVerXL 2x2.
Cutting Parameters: Roughing and Finishing Toolpaths
Roughing Toolpath
For the roughing operation, I used the following setup:
- Tool: 8 mm single-flute end mill
- Cutting depth: 2 mm per pass
- Stepover: 60%
- Cutting speed: 1,000 mm/min
- Spindle speed: 16,000 RPM
- Strategy: Z-Level roughing
This combination removed material quickly while keeping the load on the machine reasonable.
Finishing Toolpath
For finishing, I chose a 6 mm ball nose cutter with a 1 mm radius – a good compromise between overall machining time and the level of detail in the relief.
- Tool: 6 mm ball nose cutter (1 mm radius)
- Stepover: 8% (relatively low, but a good balance for surface quality)
- Cutting speed: 1,400 mm/min
- Spindle speed: 20,000 RPM
The small stepover, together with the fine-grained basswood, produced a very clean surface right off the machine.
Estimated vs. Actual Machining Times
According to the calculations in VCarve, the relief would require the following machining times:
- 12 hours roughing
- 31 hours finishing
- 1 hour outer contour
Fortunately, over the past few weeks I noticed that the actual machining times were around 30% shorter than the estimates. Even so, the total machining time was still very long – but that was exactly the point of this “ultimate test” for my Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2.
How I Managed a Multi-Day Job with gSender
Since I cannot leave my machine running overnight, I took a closer look at the resume function in gSender.
A single mouse click is enough to continue machining from virtually the exact same position after stopping the machine. Ideally, you should restart a few lines earlier in the G-code, but this can all be configured directly within gSender.
Both the roughing and finishing operations completed flawlessly. The interruption and resume process in gSender also worked perfectly together with my ProVerXL 2x2.
For anyone considering long and detailed 3D carving projects, this combination of ProVerXL 2x2 + gSender works very well in real-world use.
Machining the Circular Outer Contour
Even after many years of experience in metalworking and with professional CNC machines, machining the circular outer contour on such a large wooden workpiece was still a fascinating operation for me.
Here is a short video of the process:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7x9m-C0SI1Q
Watching the ProVerXL 2x2 cut a precise circular outer edge on a 600 mm panel gave me a lot of confidence in the machine’s rigidity and accuracy across its entire working area.
Post-Processing and Finishing the Relief
Here is a picture of the finished relief – the cola can serves as a size reference and shows just how large this 3D carving is.
Due to the relatively small stepover and the properties of basswood, post-processing required very little effort.
As a simple finishing method, I found that brush attachments for electric drills work extremely well. They are available in various grit levels and reliably remove the raised fibers from the basswood while leaving behind a smooth surface. This is especially important for the subsequent staining process; otherwise, these “fuzzy” areas tend to absorb a large amount of stain, resulting in very dark spots in the relief.
After applying a thin coat of Liberon walnut wood stain and allowing 24 hours of drying time, I lightly sand the surface using 240- and 400-grit sandpaper. The goal is for the stain to remain in the deeper areas while the raised surfaces become lighter again, which beautifully emphasizes the 3D effect of the relief.
Here is a video of the final result:
Final Verdict: Is the ProVerXL 2x2 Worth It?
In conclusion, I can say that producing this relief was a great deal of fun – every single step of the process was exciting.
My Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2 proved to be an extremely reliable and capable CNC machine. It handled a very large, time-consuming 3D relief project without any serious issues, and the final result exceeded my expectations.
For hobbyists and makers who want to carve large, detailed 3D reliefs and need a CNC router that can run long jobs reliably, the ProVerXL 2x2 is definitely worth considering.
You can learn more about the machine, its specifications, and available bundles on the official product page:
SainSmart Genmitsu ProVerXL 2x2 CNC Router
