[daconfusion]

I found a local seller of a series 1 bridgeport mill:

Bridgeport Milling Machine


I was originally saving up for a PM 45 /RF45 style benchtop mill. If I can buy local and convert to CNC, I rather go with a good platform.


I am seeing posts that hint converting a manual knee mill (BP) to CNC is not worth it.

Is that true? Are there kits available?

Money (initial start up) is an issue, which is why I want to go manual first and convert.

Thanks for help in advance.

[TarHeelTom]

I'd go see the machine first, before you even try to start to make a decision. Is it really a nice machine? How much backlash? etc?

I bought a bigger (2hp) CNC Series 1 Bp for about $2000, and am spending a bit over $1000 to update it to modern electronics, Geckos, PC, emc2, etc.

You're going to have a bit more money in that one, as you probably need to buy some big steppers and ball screws, not to mention making lots and lots of brackets to mount things.

The up side is that you'd have a decent mill available to make those parts....

Tom

[daconfusion]

I do not mind spending 2k if the machine is already CNC, and only requires an update on its respective components.


Does anyone know of local sellers near Houston, TX that can source that kind of deal?

[thedave]

I'm in Houston and that Bridgeport has been listed for a while now I think since December. Don't know if that means anything about the condition of the machine. I Don't know anything about Bridgeports so I cant help you there. I do know that they tend to move fairly fast at that price, so check it out good.

[TarHeelTom]

I do not mind spending 2k if the machine is already CNC, and only requires an update on its respective components.


Does anyone know of local sellers near Houston, TX that can source that kind of deal?

Best source I've found is Craigslist. You need to check several editions daily. It would seem reasonable to drive to San Antonio, or Dallas, or Ft Worth, for example to pick up a good deal. And from my limited knowledge of Texas manufacturing geography, I'd suspect that there are a lot more machines, with a lot less rust, to be found in the DFW area than elsewhere.

Tom

[daconfusion]

Tom:

Didnt you want to sell me your set up?

lol



Also, how did you manage to ship or transport your mill to your location?

I dont have a truck, what is the most economical way to move a mill from DFW or San Antonio if it came down to that?

[daconfusion]

Also, how practical is it to buy the machine posted originally for the sole purpose of converting to CNC?


Is it the most economical route?


Or in the end, would it have been cheaper to have gone with maybe a bench-top mill with CNC conversion?

[gus]

a BOSS machine is usually cheaper than a manual bridgeport, has ballscrews and mounts etc. pretty much a no brainer

[rlwoodjr]

Craigslist is great, that is where I found mine, I had to wait for several months before I found one close enough and worth the money.

The guy I brought mine from delivered it for free. I have a little less than $2500 into it (geckos, power supply and phase converter...etc.). I use TurboCnc...

Mine is at:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/bridge...tml#post902991

I think that the CNC version would be worth waiting for. Easy to say now that I am not waiting.

[ichudov]

I would be very skeptical of converting a manual mill to CNC.

CNCs need many things that manual mills lack, like multiple lube points, electric luber, ball screws, limit switches, etc. Huge hassle and expense to add one. Just trinkets alone (limit switches etc) will cost a lot of $$$. Motorizing a Bridgeport quill is a pain.

I bought a CNC Bridgeport for $500 because it had a dead control. Refitting it with EMC was quite a bit of work, because I knew nothing about CNC when I started, but I had all the hardware right there, ready to be used. Plus it has box ways.

i

[daconfusion]

I found a Bridgeport BOSS 5:

"
Genuine Bridgeport Boss 5 CNC Mill.

Standard Bridgeport Knee Mill type Ram.

Was running when removed from service, but has sat for last 10 years in my garage.

2hp QC30 Spindle, 3-phase

Was going to retrofit it with new cnc controls but have never done anything with it.

Pics can be sent to interested parties.

Full set of Bridgeport manuals. "


He is asking 3000$ for it. Ad has been up for a while...hope it is still for sale. I dont have 3k, and I am hoping it is not worth that much.

Without going into the condition of the machine, what would I expect to pay for the machine just based off this description?

I am going to assume the seller cannot show much this machine running under power, and his word saying it worked 10 years ago is nothing. Wires corrode...mice move in..etc

Thanks for the replies so far...I am really falling for a BOSS as I read more.

[skullworks]

The big question is does it come with any of that QC30 (most likely its NMTB 30) tooling. That is the big deal maker.

When I bought my Hurco KM3P knee mill I also got a 6" Kurt and huge pile of tool holders and the 10HP rated phase converter for no extra cost.

If it does then the next question is moving cost.

I know when I found my deal it was a beg/borrow/steal what ever it took to make it happen event. There were machines closer - but what I got as the total package made the 1800 mile (one way) trip to fetch it, the $800 rigging fees to get it out of the building and loaded on our trailer and the basic cost of the machine seem like a steal.

[mjsaylor]

hello
just food for thought. where i work we bought a cnc knee mill from cnc automation in Mass. check out there website. this sofar is the only knee mill i've seen that the z axis is a servo motor on the knee itself not on the quill. the conversational programming that comes with the machine is very cool for the home machinist. there is also the tormach mills.

[TarHeelTom]

I found a Bridgeport BOSS 5:

"
Genuine Bridgeport Boss 5 CNC Mill.
<snip>
2hp QC30 Spindle, 3-phase
<snip>
Full set of Bridgeport manuals. "

He is asking 3000$ for it. Ad has been up for a while...hope it is still for sale. I dont have 3k, and I am hoping it is not worth that much.

Offer him $1500 to $2000 and see what he says. I've seen some on Craigslist for $3000 to $5000, and they're still for sale.

All you really know about the wiring is does the spindle motor run and do the steppers work. You're getting ready to throw (almost) all the rest of the wiring in the trash.

Easiest way to move it is on a car carrying trailer. Have him load it, probably with a fork lift, and on a sturdy pallet. Then you arrange a forklift at your end also.

Here's what mine looked like as we moved it:

Tom Wade -- Machinist Section -- New CNC Mill

Jim, my handyman, is a bit of a rigger, and works on cars. He had a trailer and a pickup, and only charged me perhaps $100 total, plus gas, to move it about 150 miles. Fork lift at my end cost me another $20 or $25.

Make sure you get all the manuals with it, and then start scanning them into a pfd so they can be posted on line.

Tom

[daconfusion]

I honestly only can afford <1500, maybe 2k in a few weeks... need to do my taxes.




I dont want to sell my motorcycle, but I think this investment, is an investment. I dont see a car or motorcycle appreciating in value.


I think I will have to rent a u-haul to transport this thing in pieces. So, rent a engine hoist and a u-haul. The seller is approx 150 miles away, and my new SUV cant haul crap. I honestly dont feel like putting a new cross-over through hauling anyways. (No good rating trailer hitch is available at the moment)

I estimate transport rental to be <300$



I got a hold of the guy, but I honestly dont know crap about machining. I dont know how to check for backlash, or give on the ways.

Any informative FAQ/how-to's on inspecting these machines?


Skull also brings up a good point. I dont think this machine comes with any tooling attachments. How rare is the QC30? How can I use this as a bargaining instrument to lower the price?

[ichudov]

I think that if you do not have $2k, you need to save money, instead of buying expensive new toys. Google for "financial planning" and try to put together a savings plan, to save money for a rainy day.

Too many toys and no savings, hardly can be a foundation of secure future. An old milling machine, needing repairs and sitting idly because you have no money for said repairs, is hardly an investment.

i

[daconfusion]

Thanks for the concern. I really did not take offense.

When I am talking about liquid spending, that is my liquid budget, not the rainy day budget.


All the savings nearing this 2k is from selling crap I no longer use around the house. So my money from the job is going into saving, and selling junk is funding more profitable hobbies.

[TarHeelTom]

I honestly only can afford <1500, maybe 2k in a few weeks... need to do my taxes.

I dont want to sell my motorcycle, but I think this investment, is an investment. I dont see a car or motorcycle appreciating in value.

I think I will have to rent a u-haul to transport this thing in pieces. So, rent a engine hoist and a u-haul. The seller is approx 150 miles away, and my new SUV cant haul crap. I honestly dont feel like putting a new cross-over through hauling anyways. (No good rating trailer hitch is available at the moment)

I estimate transport rental to be <300$
I got a hold of the guy, but I honestly dont know crap about machining. I dont know how to check for backlash, or give on the ways.

Any informative FAQ/how-to's on inspecting these machines?

Skull also brings up a good point. I dont think this machine comes with any tooling attachments. How rare is the QC30? How can I use this as a bargaining instrument to lower the price?

I really don't like the idea of a U-haul, the bed is too high. Makes it harder to unload.

One classic solution to a lot of problems is to walk into a machine shop with a big box of donuts. Explain that you need a machine inspected. Take the machinist who volunteers and negotiate a price with him. Drive the two of you us there next weekend and take a look.

I'm sure there is a machine shop in the area of this machine who might have someone to go take a look at it for you, let your fingers do the walking.

I suspect that when he says QC 30, he's talking about Erickson Quick Change 30, but I'm not sure. That's what my machine has. Here's a link to an old codger named Griz out in Oregon who's been buying truckloads of surplus tooling, and has tons of it for sale. Much of it in new, in box, old stock, and the price is right. I've bought maybe 20 pieces from him, and found it all to be as advertised. And he's got lots more that's not yet listed on the web site. Tools-n-Gizmos: New and Used Surplus Machine Tooling

I've also bought NMTB-30 tool holders from him as well. If you look at the specs for the Erickson QC-30, the only difference between the Erickson and the NMTB-30 is that the flange on the NMTB-30 is a few hundreds larger in diameter than the Erickson. A few minutes on my Sherline lathe and I had it cut down to size, and it works just fine.

Look around your area for someone who buys junk cars, or someone who works on cars in their back yard, or someone who runs demolition derby. They will have, or know someone, who has a flat bed trailer and a pickup who can help you haul a mill. I got lucky, as my guy was also a Bridgeport operator for a while.

There a probably some threads on inspecting this stuff on this site. Do a search for them.

Wish you luck with this one.

Tom

[tc429]

I would think you could find a dead CNC Bridgeport for 500~1k, there were quite a few on Ebay a year or three ago when I was looking for a spare x screw. we had a couple of these, the x screws tend to go before anything else- the screw is stationary, and the nut is belt driven...I cleaned/repacked mine, its OK, but has almost no preload left...

I brought mine home in my F150, completely disassembled- put it together with a big 4x4(used as a lever to lay down/stand up the base), a cherry picker and a couple chains...we moved a couple years ago, had to do it all again- the frickin control weighs about 500 pounds on its own

I got mine for free- talked my boss out of not dropping it in the dumpster. it had a freestanding Fanuc cabinet that was completely gutted, but the servos were still on it(size 0 DC- too small for anything else in the shop, so he was going to pitch the whole thing) and the drives were the only thing still in the cabinet. cost about 3k when all said and done-
mdi/crt, op panel, power supply all from ebay or trading ladder programming
work...
has a Fanuc zero M-A , got a BRAND NEW master board from GEF training dept along with some other parts real reasonable - the mother board someone had opened the box with a utility knife and cut clean thru about 4" of traces...so they had it as a scrap board 'example' for one of the maint classes- the guy was suprised I wanted it at all took a few hours to clear shorts and bridge all the cut traces, but its fine...
It pulls about 15 amps on 110 with all 3 axes in rapid. the old Fanuc 6047 drives will run single phase(but not full power) if you jump the second and third leg to fool the phase detection, put a transformer in to step the 110 up to 175 for the drives. will be putting a tiny 4th axis on it someday too...why, I dont know

[daconfusion]

what do you guys think of the following picture:

I notice a wear notch in this picture: