Messages

171

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: January 03, 2011, 10:09:43 AM »

Not sure what the first production parts will be.  This mill was intended for small runs of the same part.  I've been making one-offs and small run on the other machines, so the real intent is to off load the small runs onto the new BP412 Mach3.

Most likely it will be the conversion triple tops for import springer front ends to use standard risers and bars and/or these really cool sissy bar mounts for chops.

JH

172

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: January 02, 2011, 01:13:08 PM »

The Doors are installed!  Cleaned, Sanded, Welded and Painted.....  

We made a new door handle and welded it on, new rollers bearings on the bottom tracks and new chip whippers.   Also made new removable access panels for the sides, the stock one were completely rusted out.

JH

173

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: December 29, 2010, 02:40:43 PM »

I was planning on NEW glass for the windows, but the glass needs to 3mm think, not so easy to find here in the states without paying big bucks plus the work needed to cut it and clean the edges.... wine wine wine

Its only a milling machine that going to get dirty anyway?  Right?  What about those head lamp repair kits....the 3M rubbing and polishing compounds.  Turns out its the same stuff we use to buff out clear-coat.  After 15 minutes, the old glass is clean enough.   (its good enough for the girls I go out with)

JH

174

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: December 29, 2010, 02:31:21 PM »

Time for coolant!  But before we start, we need to add bubbles to keep it fresh.  Since the way oil will get into the coolant on this mill, you need bubbles to keep the O2 breathing bacteria alive, an oil skimmer will be added to remove the oil, however this will only once in a while. 

Using some SS, the bubble rocks are held in place at the bottom of the tank.  I then added a simple switch to the side of the mill to turn it on/off with out having to power up the mill.

JH

175

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: December 29, 2010, 02:25:10 PM »

JH,

   My Hat is off to you! That is a very, very nice macro, truely a work of art!!!

scott

Thanks....   If you posting code, make sure its clean

176

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: CNC Large Lathe Conversion pictures

« on: December 29, 2010, 08:30:33 AM »

What a BEAST !!!  Cool old IRON, I love it.

JH

177

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: AL54b (lathe) project from New Zealand

« on: December 24, 2010, 10:45:06 AM »

Retrofits require trade offs and in this case not reducing the depth section of the above cross slide is probably to the better.

Agreed, its not like this is a production machine running 8 hours a day... 

Its looking great and I know it will work great too.  Yours skills are good, so if you need to make additional modifications you can, this is the first pass, you my need to do a second pass as you learn how it works.  Just because you make something, doesn't mean its final.

JH

178

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: December 17, 2010, 06:31:35 PM »

Tweakie,

This entire thread is fantastic, the last project looks awesome.   Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing, I hope to do a laser project sometime, you have inspired me.  (and many others I am sure)

Thanks,
JH

179

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: December 16, 2010, 11:41:17 AM »

These probes, assuming its the same as I have, just have a battery and LED in them but rely on the material being conductive and the circuit being made via top half of probe, through bearings and body of machine, through work piece then to tip. I assume JH has removed the battery and LED and connected two wires instead. If thats the case then easy to make up a part to chuck, have a delrin sleeve then a probe tip inside that and you would end up with exactly the same.

Hood

Hood, your right on.  All you need is 1 wire from the tip, so I grabbed the wire just before the LED and removed the rest.  The ground is via the machine IRON

JH

180

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion

« on: December 16, 2010, 11:36:29 AM »

Here are the buttons that I used, not the best buttons however, but a starting point if you choose...  Also, if you look at the M1200 Macro, each button is processed via the switch statement below.  This allows ALL the tool probe code to be in 1 file, instead of spread across several. 

To use, just add the Macro and a VB Parameter to each of your buttons.

Your Mach3 Button Code might look like this for "X-"  M1200 P6

Code: [Select]

   
    ' Process the selected tool probe button
    buttonId = Param1()
    Select Case buttonId
        ' XYZ Buttons
        Case 1  buttonPosXNegY  ' X+Y-
        Case 2  buttonNegY      ' Y-
        Case 3  buttonNegXNegY  ' X-Y-
        Case 4  buttonPosX      ' X+
        Case 5  buttonNegZ      ' Z-
        Case 6  buttonNegX      ' X-
        Case 7  buttonPosXPosY  ' X+Y+
        Case 8  buttonPosY      ' Y+
        Case 9  buttonNegXPosY  ' X-Y+
       
        ' ID and OD Functions
        Case 10 buttonCircleID  ' C-ID
        Case 11 buttonCircleOD  ' C-OD
    End Select


Hope this helps,
JH