NEW MEMBER: Boxford VMC 190 (and a Denford micromill) [Archive]

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Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 06:46 PM

That's what I've ended up with anyway, along with a few other bits and bobs from a school job lot. I'm only interested in keeping the Boxford for making motorcycle parts, as part of my hobby/business - I restore older motorcycles or stick two stroke engines in newer ones. Anyhow, I have one of these:

http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae89/Screwdriver/file-71.jpg

and one of these:

http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae89/Screwdriver/file-74.jpg

I think the little Denford is a bit too small for my purposes so of the two, I plan to hang onto the Boxford.

So hello first of all and secondly, assuming these machines are in good standard working order, what do I need to get them going?

Screwdriver.

irving2008

14-09-2012, 08:06 PM

Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 08:25 PM

Welcome...

Normal procedure is a guts transplant. keep the steppers and spindle power and replace everything else with new drivers, breakout board and PC running Windows/MACH3 or Linux/EMC2 or a few lesser favoured flavours...

Ouch!

That seems a little severe! What is the reason for that? I assume the machine is capable of creating simple shapes, brackets etc. as it stands. Perhaps when I become a little more creative I can think about upgrading the Boxford. At the moment I just want to drive the Denford, prove it works and sell it on.

I am looking at the Mach3 software at the moment as it happens but I haven't got to the bit where it needs me to "rip the guts out". ;)

Here is my understanding:

I need a physical connector either a serial or parallel lead, either to the serial or printer or USB port of a suitable PC
Machine specific driver for the above for the Denford or Boxford (or is the driver universal?)
Machine control program (Mach3, VR Milling, <something else for the Boxford) I assume this program handles the 3D model to machine control interface
A 3D design package (I am a Google Sketchup expert but I don't think that's gonna help!)

I have some experience with PC packages and 3D packages and I think I'll be able to unravel the process for inputting this into a CNC device. It's early days though and for now I'd be happy to be able to simply dirive either or both of them with a very simple program just to convince myself they work.

Many thanks.

Screwdriver.

i2i

14-09-2012, 08:37 PM

bare minimum to get the boxford going, is a breakout board and a 0-10v spindle board or one combined £55.

Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 08:43 PM

bare minimum to get the boxford going, is a breakout board and a 0-10v spindle board or one combined £55.

Ok. I'm not sure what that means. There is a serial port on that machine and I assume I connect it to a PC to drive it CNC. Are you saying I can test the machine and drive it manually with a separate piece of electronics? Incidentally I am well aware I am displaying breathtaking ignorance in this subject but this is day one for me. I am however very well versed in electronics, not my favourite subject but one in which I am well qualified.

Screwdriver.

Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 08:54 PM

I'm missing a reply pending moderation. I'll redo it if it doesn't turn up...

i2i

14-09-2012, 08:58 PM

Don't worry we all started where you are.
Most home/hobby/light industrial conversions on these machines remove the existing old outdated and slow controller, and replace it with a computer with Mach3 installed as a controller.
This uses the parallel port as a machine controller, this uses a breakout board to interface the computer port to the existing drivers and relays. The spindle will need a specific board (0-10v spindle board) to interface the speed control from mach3

Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 10:05 PM

Thank you. Yes that makes perfect sense however at this very early stage and still by way of "introduction" ;) I should explain how I operate for example with motorcycles.

I like to buy "project bikes" which usually turn up in a variety of plastic buckets. I buy them super cheap and, if it's a buy to sell, I'll pick a target value and perform a rebuild/refurb commensurate with the equity. The more they are "worth" the more time and effort I can spend on them. I think you can see where I am going with this - I have "no idea" of the inherent value of these machines.

As a newbie to this forum, I don't want to be so boring as to bang on about values but the Denford is less interesting to me since it can't do steel. So really I just want to make it work and let it go.

So at the risk of being booted out of the "hello" section: what might I expect to sell an unmodded Denford micromill for and how much is my unmodded VMC190 "worth"?

Screwdriver.

WandrinAndy

14-09-2012, 10:54 PM

Screwdriver

14-09-2012, 10:57 PM

This current auction may help ... DENFORD CNC MICROMILL WITH COMPUTER & SOFTWARE | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DENFORD-CNC-MICROMILL-WITH-COMPUTER-SOFTWARE-/170907958521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27cae87cf9)

Yes I'm watching that one thanks. Won't know until the last second of course...

To get my Boxford, I had to buy a whole bunch of stuff from a school (including a MINT condition Harrison M250) so I don't even know what it's cost me yet! I already have an old Colchester so the lathe also gets sold to fund the Boxford.

S.

irving2008

16-09-2012, 10:07 PM

Screwdriver

17-09-2012, 10:15 AM

Well £457 for the Denford... though I think thats on the low side, there were only 5 bidders. With a proper MACH3 conversion and modern drivers you could add maybe £200-£300 to that (I'm guessing) but whether it would make sense to do so is another question...

I don't know if that's cheap, I'd let mine go for that but in the meantime I'll see if I can get it going as it stands.

Guess it's time to take this into an appropriate section. See you in another thread ;D

Screwd.