Re: Attempting a Boss retrofit...

Hello,

Duane at machine master? sells an ah-ha! retrofit that is a "plug
this wire here, unplug that wire" type installation.

The bridgport drive (and these special "reactors") has been discussed
in the archives of the group, available online. It is an interesting
scheme to get better speed using the technology of the time, without
burning the motors up.

The Gecko drives work fine with size 42 motors, AFTER you have
specified that this is what you will be using them for (Mariss makes
some internal changes in the drive to better suit it to the large
motor characteristics.)

Older Bp drives are known for blowing transistors, so you may BE
better off just "tearing it all out, and starting over. (Certainly
your description of a "full minute kicking job" would STRONGLY lean
me that way!)

Anyway, contrary to the typical retrofit turning this into a "toy",
you need to be careful the "other" way", IMO. That is to say, the new
setup will allow the machine to EXCEED its original specs. Tipping
one over is not unheard of...

Hope this helps.

Ballendo

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "audiomaker2000" <audiomaker@s...> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I've just gotten my second Bridgeport Boss CNC. The first one I had
I
> started researching a retrofit but couldn't get any good
information
> on the actual proceedures so I gave up and sold it.
> Now I'm going to try again.
>
> First, let me say that I have a machine shop and all the tools
needed
> to complete the installation. I also am a used machinery dealer so
I
> have access to all kinds of mag starters, breakers, transformers
and
> such. This machine I am doing for myself.
> I've never done this before so I am at the very beginnings and
could
> really use some serious babysitting. I don't understand electronics
> that well although I'm ok with electrics and computers.
>
> My goal is to get this Series 1 Boss CNC machine working (this one
> has most of the electronics destoyed already). I like the look and
> feel of Master5 so I'll give that the first shot as the software.
> All the original componants seem ok, but it really appears as
though
> somebody opened the panel on the power box and kicked the internals
> with a hard boot for about a minute. Basically all the plastic
wire
> holders and bridges are broken so I cannot apply power safely to
the
> machine as it is. The transformers, reactors, mag starters, etc,
all
> look fine, but the wiring has ends broken off...etc. Everything on
> the CNC side (side panel) is untouched.
>
> Now some questions.....
>
> First, even though I will eventually switch the original amps for
> Gecko's or something similar, I would really feel better if I could
> figure out how to use the original drives right off. The original
> boards are probably ok in this machine although I have no clue how
to
> hook them up? With something like the Geckodrive, you get some sort
> of instructions as to what wires go where but finding the location
> that the originals would accept step/direction signals is a total
> mystery to me.
> The same thing goes with the power supply. The original machine has
> what appears to be a large 460/230---> 60/70/80v transformer in it.
> It states it is 3 phase and each "leg" seems to be going to what
the
> BP installation manual refers to as an axis "Reactor". I'm
wondering
> if this transformer is still useful...aftermarket drives or not?
> These "Reactors" look like transformers but I'm guessing they might
> be rectifiers for the axis motors (which are DC right?). I should
> mention that this machine has the standard Nema 42 steppers.
> So, does anyone know enough about the original BP electrics and
> drives to assist me in using the original transformer, "reactors",
> and motor drives to interface with a PC parallel port? In some ways
> I'd rather use at least some of these componants as they are
already
> mounted and rated for the machine....which leads me to.....
>
> The next step....
>
> I fear that the answer I will likely get is "Tear it all out and
> start from scratch with Geckos".... which is ok, and I will if I
have
> to.
> I do wonder though how the performance of the Gecko's 201 is with
> these large 42 sized axis motors? As we've seen lately,
aftermarket
> sofware is getting closer and closer to being true CNC and
> less "hobbiest" so I wouldn't like the idea that the machine itself
> doesn't have the power that it did umpteen years ago even though
the
> control software has far exceeded the original Boss. What drives
> (aside from the originals) have no performance loss over the
> originals? Bridgeport Boss machines are professional machines even
> though they are steppers and I don't want to turn it into a toy.
> Also, does anyone know how I would use the original power supply
with
> these aftermarket drives? It's a beefy sucker and I trust that it
has
> plenty of power for the motors (of course)?
>
> Unfortunately, I am going to need some "find this wire and attach
it
> to this wire" type of assistance. I don't expect that for free and
> will find some way to help out the people who can help me through
> this first project. Perhaps because I am in the machinery dealer
> circles I could offer to help people find things and transfer them
at
> my cost or something similar. Regardless, I would be very
> appreciative to people who could help me through this.
>
> Please feel free to email me.
> audiomaker@s...
>
> Many Many Thanks
> Sean