Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: CharliePatten on March 11, 2009, 08:43:37 AM

Title: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: CharliePatten on March 11, 2009, 08:43:37 AM

I have a 2 axis EZ TRAK SX CNC Bridgeport  that I would like to add a 3rd axis to, preferably on the knee, and change the control to something more modern and user friendly. Has anyone done this, or can anyone send me in the right direction?

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: poppabear on March 11, 2009, 11:05:11 AM

There is a user on here called "Hillbillie" who probably done every kind of BP on the planet........

send him a PM.

scott

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: CharliePatten on March 13, 2009, 09:37:46 AM

Scott:
Excuse my ignorance, but what is a PM and how do I send one?

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: fer_mayrl on March 13, 2009, 11:52:49 AM

PM stands for personal message.

His actual username is Hillbilly9749

Here is a direct link to sending one to him

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=19420

On the bottom part it says "Send this member a personal message." click there.

you can get to that page by clicking on his username on a post he has made.

Regards
Fernando

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: Hood on March 13, 2009, 02:48:40 PM

I and quite a few others have done retrofits of Bridgeport Boss CNC's and also manual Bridgeport conversions, in fact that was the first CNC conversion I did. It hads been the quill on my machines that was CNC'd but a few have done the knees. If you are contemplating steppers then the knee will be slow, if servos then as long as you have large enough servo then it will be fast but I reckon you will probably be looking at 2 or 3Kw motor to get that. I will be doing the knee on my Beaver mill at some point in time and I will be using a 4Kw AC Servo on it but it is a bit heavier than a series 1 Bridgeport.
Hood

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: poppabear on March 13, 2009, 08:18:06 PM

Hey Hood, Whos (brand) of Servos are you using for that 4 KWs.

scott

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: Hood on March 13, 2009, 08:30:35 PM

Allen Bradley

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: poppabear on March 14, 2009, 09:27:38 AM

WOW!!  YOU got MONEY!!!!

whats the price on a complete axis setup at 4kw? (Motor, cables, Drive, BOB)

scott

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: Hood on March 14, 2009, 10:23:36 AM

Definitely dont have money ;D
All my motors and drives have been from eBay, the most I have paid for a drive is the 22Kw ones I have for the lathes spindle, it was £200 or there abouts. The most I have paid for a motor was the 12.5Kw one on the Lathes spindle also and it was £250, both the motor and the drive were new :).
As for cables I make them up myself and if I dont have the sockets I certainly dont buy them as these military spec plugs/sockets are very expensive, what I have done in the past is remove the motor plugs and fit screw terminals inside a box mounted to the motor.
 Just bought a 8Kw motor a few days ago for £50 and its running sweetly on test, -3800rpm to 3800rpm at an accel of 262,000revs/s/s :)

Hood

Hood

Title: Re: Bridgeport CNC upgrade
Post by: fast89 on March 18, 2009, 12:26:29 PM

my knee moves at 150ipm