The smell of fresh paint without cosmoline here.

[Doug_C]

Someone had to be first to post here. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif"%20alt="[/img]

Can't say I'd have many questions, but willing to offer help if I can.

Here is my reason for being here,

Experienced with PC based Bridgeport and Milltronics controls in operation and repair. Also some CNC Press brakes, Shears and punch presses.

Familiar with AutoCad and a little bit about Cam software.

I do CNC at home on an early 90's 2 1/2 axis Bridgeport EZTrak.

It would be great to convert my lathe to have CNC capability, but that might take a miracle in both time and funding. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif"%20alt="[/img]

Let me be the first to welcome others to our new environment and thank Mike, Adam and Marty for the room to grow along with the enormous effort in house keeping.



Can we get Drape's, Carpet and maybe a wetbar with Guinness on tap? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif"%20alt="[/img]

DC

[Marty_Escarcega]

Doug, glad to see your post! I have an earlier BOSS Bridgeport, I picked it up for a song. No control. Have accumulated most everything I need to convert it to PC Base control. Am going the way of Linux and EMC. I will be using Gecko Drive 201's to drive the steppers. I will be posting HERE my progress. I already have the PC loaded with Linux and EMC. Now I just need the time to build the control!

Marty

[Doug_C]

Hey Marty,

I have followed some of your previous posts on this.

The BP II iron was a fair machine. The control lifespan and emerging technology helped seal its early fate.

I hear these make nice conversion machines. Considering the lower price of the iron alone. Many of the ones I have seen did not have much wear on them with dead controls. The smallish table did not make them all that desirable in terms of retrofitting them for industry.

Will the new control have an open loop system or encoder feedback? The Gecko system will drive them huge steppers?

If Linux is your operating sytem, then I take it EMC? is your machine interface.

I'm trying to keep up with what is out there in case my control fails at some time. I would rather have a screen to watch the process.

I just seen a company chuck about 15-20 of them stepper motors. Nothing I could do. I had no use for them. I figured if they could not find a home for them, neither could I.

I look forward to seeing your progress here.

DC

[Marty_Escarcega]

Actually, my machine looks JUST like a manual machine, swivel knuckle and all. Yet it has a table like the Series II. Perfect size for my home shop.
Yes, Gecko drives will run the Nema 42's with a tiny modification. The sacrifice is that with the Gecko current/voltage limitation at 10 amps and 80volts (on a heatsink) I won't get the high rapids like the original, but it matters not to me. I'm not in production but I want to learn.

Shame you didn't keep any of the steppers, I would like to have a spare one or two. When the controls died, I heard they might take a stepper motor out with them on that axis. No feed back. Open Loop. Not the best but as long as you don't over drive it they don't loose steps.

EMC has lots of versatility. Very configurable. Though its not perfect. If I had the money I would have gone with the Ah-Ha! Retrofit keeping the steppers.

Marty

[Doug_C]

If I had known someone still in need of them, I surely would have kept some of them motors. To late now. They are probably on there way back here in the shape of Toyota starters! :shocked:

Interesting that BP put out so many versions of iron combinations. Seems to me I had just seen one with a standard head mounted on one end of the ram and a bigger head on the other end of the ram. Reminded me of a Dr Dolittle creature. I think that was a BP anyway.

Eh, put a fan on them heatsinks and push the envelope a bit. :crazy:

Code: Select all

We had a gantry router that had steppers on it. That thing could barely move itself around without losing a step or 2. Start cutting phenolic or fiberglass and have your calipers handy. It got to the point of rehoming almost every hr or so. We finally had the manufacturer pull it out.

They replaced it with a servo version that was not much better. Never would circular interpulate a hole round until I re-aligned everything square and parallel to the linear bearing rails.

Most of the time it would shut down on a servo fault. I found the linear rails not parallel and tilted on their base mounting. So far it has been running well unless there is a crash. Then it is back to the alignment process all over again.

The Boss control had .0002 resolution didn't it. That should be fne for home shop stuff. I had heard some complaints of its ability to interpulate. It could hunt and peck with plenty of overshoot. I would think that a condition of the math tabulation not the resolution itself.

I will try my hand here at attaching a PIC. This is off my EZTrak mill at home. It is Flywheel for a Miser differential temp engine. I modified the spoke for flare factor

[Marty_Escarcega]

Nice part! I'm impressed. Some day....

[gezr]

all be darned, I thought I was the only one who played with EMC or linux for that matter, I interact directly with that community. very fun stuff. Did you go with the bdi install? or did you compile from source, heck, I hardly watch the emails anymore. And havent had a running control box in about 6 months. just bought a home, so things are still a bit hectic. if there is anything linux you need help with I can pretty much cover all the bases. Still some things I dont know, but been using it for over 4 or so years now, play on the net mainly with a win box that I keep my cad stuff on.

[Doug_C]

Thanks Marty.

Now I need to learn how to polish it without rounding off the corners to much.

Here is a site that might interest you. I have passed along a note to the Gent, inviting him on this board.

Even if the chances are slim for most here to invest in this system, we could learn much from his experience in conversions here.

I did not look it over real close, but that price does not look so bad as retrofits go.

http://machinemaster.com/controler.html

DC

[Marty_Escarcega]

BDI is what I used. Though its probably an old release now. Might need your advice as/if I ever progress on the project!
Marty