[BSims66173]

Hello to all. First I would like to say that this is a great forum. I am amazed at all the knowledge and skills of the people on this site. I really look forward to reading all the post and seeing pictures of what you people have done. Keep up the good work.
I recently was givin a 1969 Bridgeport J Head step pulley mill with a 1 hp motor. I used an Automationdirect GS2 VFD to power the machine. The machine came from my uncle who owns his own CNC machine shop. This mill is in very good condition and he just had it gone through completely before he gave it to me. The ways have very little if any wear and no play that I have found. X and Y axis have some backlash but for a machine this old it is expected. This is the first mill I have ever used and I am learning new things everyday. Now that I have learned a few basics on milling I am interested in maybe retrofitting this mill to cnc. I know very little about this stuff and think that a retrofit kit would be the most viable option. This will be for hobby and practice and will be using mostly mild steel and alum material. I have searched the net and looked at several kits. My budget is around 6 grand. I would like to know what the experts think is the best route to go. I am leaning toward the CNC Masters Supra Kit
(http://www.cncmasters.com/CNC%20Supr...fit%20Kit.html), but would like to know if this is worth the money or is there something better that I havent seen. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advace for any replies. Again, keep up the excellent work you people do on
Best Regards
Barry Sims

[kdoney]

IMHO for hobby and practice you should do it yourself. You will learn a great deal about the mechanical and electrical work you will be using. You should design the custom components (end caps, nut holders, etc.) and mill them up on the manual machine before you start replacing pieces though.

[gus]

...think you can BUY a used cnc mill for 6 grand, and it will already be sorted.......