Re: Re: Re: Bridgeport Series I verse Series II CNC Refit Candidates

> Those are the manual machines (apart from the EZ trak which was a beast
> on it's own). The CNCs are very different. The Series 1 CNC is based on
> the manual machines with a special rigid ram, often using 30 series
> quick change tooling. Drive is via a varispeed belt from a 3 phase motor.
> The Series 2 CNC is an altogether bigger beast and AFAIK there isn't a
> manual equivalent. They usually take ISO 40 tooling with a pneumatic
> drawbar. If I remember correctly drive is toothed belt from a DC motor.
>
> Les
>
>

Sorry I'm a bit late with this post but I sent it a couple of days ago and it hasn't appeared.

There are certain anomolies on Bridgeports build ups depending on where they were built.
In the UK we had Bridgeports built under license by Adcock and Shipley, Textron and also Bridgeport, Leicester.

The UK CNC model always had the rigid ram and fixed head with 30 INT tooling although R8 was offered as an option.
Remember that up to this time [ no imports] only Bridgeport used the R8, it was a US taper wheras we had been fixed on INT and NMTB tapers for years, hence large legacy supplies.
These were also suppied with the 'square' CNC table

In the US things were vastly different and the CNC version was offered with up to 3 different factory converted 2J heads and both the square table and the conventional 9 x 42 table.
Just why this happened I have no idea, Friday machines ? Whilst I can see the advantage of a long table, having a moveable and nodding head on a CNC is pointless.
Set the head to 20 degrees and do a circle, - interesting shape <g>
The rigid ram models with fixed head also had an eccentric cam fitted to one holding screw so you could tram in and them lock the head off which made it resiliant if you had a crash.
The swivel 2J heads are notorious for going off tram even in manual mode.

John S.



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