Re: Re : minimum work CNC conversion

Hi Jon,

My mill a 10 year old bridgetport clone machine, it is still in good
shape. It was manufactued by a Yeong_Chin, a famous machine tool
manufacturer in here. They don't make manual mills now, instead they
become one of the biggest brands in CNC mills. Many CNC job shops I
ahve visited use their products.

So I do expect to have good results from this project.

Regards,

Horace.

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Jon Elson <elson@...> wrote:
>
> Horace, T.L.Ho wrote:
>
> >
> >What best results in precision we can get for such a converted
> >machine ?
> >
> >
> >
> That is very hard to answer. If you start with a well-built
machine in good
> condition, such as one of those legendary Bridgeport BOSS machines
with only
> 100 hours of use, and do the work carefully, it will be VERY good.
>
> If you start with a worn-out, poorly-made clone machine, use the
cheapest
> parts available, and leave belts and bolts loose and things in
poor
> alignment,
> then the results will be poor, too.
>
> But, there's way more to it that just the machine and the
conversion.
> Machining
> is a science, and you have to do everything right to get the best
> results. You have
> to use the right material for the job, the proper cutting tools,
the
> proper work
> holding and tool holding technology, be constantly aware of the
effects
> of temperature
> changes, etc.
>
> Just for a data point, though, I routinely make parts to +/- .003"
with
> no correction
> on a 1938 Bridgeport manual machine that I converted to CNC. This
was
> my first
> CNC conversion, too! This machine has significant wear on the
ways. I did
> put high quality, but used, anti-backlash ballscrews in it.
>
> See http://pico-systems.com/CNCconv.html for some very old
pictures of the
> retrofit. (I'm not using that hideous old Allen-Bradley control
> anymore, thank
> goodness!)
>
> Jon
>