Bridgeport Manual to CNC conversion...

[Davek0974]

Good points, thanks.

By direct, I gather you have the screw nut coupled to the front where the depth-stop used to sit?

[JAZZCNC]

It's slippery slope and quickly your into it $$$ before too far to stop.!! . . . Don't Do it Listen to John S.

[Davek0974]

awww, bum, damn that cold hard logic JAZZ ;)

In my defence, it would pretty much fit in with exactly what i want though!

So, the alternatives then -

Find a donor machine and hopefully just fit the electrics?

Downsides I can see...

space - nowhere to put it.
would like a big table again - this seems to mean a big machine (see point above)
transport costs
unknown wear & tear
different tooling probably

This seems not too bad, but its bed is quite small, although it does have an ATC - would that be the sort of stuff to search for???

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1821213470...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[JAZZCNC]

Yep I'd take that every time over converting BP.

[Davek0974]

Hmm, looks like a no-go then - it weighs 4,500kg and has a 7.5kw spindle - i could not get that sort of power in the shop and anything much heavier than BP would be a bitch to get into place.

The bed is poor too - 500x600 not much bigger than my mini-mill!

[JAZZCNC]

Hmm, looks like a no-go then - it weighs 4,500kg and has a 7.5kw spindle

Can't beat fat lass with bit of muscle.!!! . . . . But ye got to be practicle. .

[Davek0974]

That's the thing - I know mass rocks when it comes to machines, and also see the point of having a pre-ballscrewed donor but as you say - I need to be practical if I bother to do this.

It would have to be viewed as what it is - a computer controlled Bridgeport Knee Mill NOT a VMC wannabe. I really can't squeeze anything much bigger than a BP in and have no expansion options as we are residential so have to be careful a bit ;) There is no garden left to build a bigger shop.

In the past I have had bigger stuff - a Colchester Student lathe, a large horizontal mill and a vertical slotting machine - all the stuff i used when building traction engines for fun. Back then I would have killed for a CNC bridgeport but had neither the cash or the knowledge. Using a boring head to machine a 25mm hole out to 100mm and only being able to take small cuts gets old real fast - that job would be seconds with CNC ability.

I'm still not convinced and a bit pissed that the machine I linked to above costs less than the ballscrew kit alone :(

[jamesgates1000]

Why don't you trade your Bridgeport in for a Bridgeport interact and convert that to Mach3?

[Davek0974]

Why don't you trade your Bridgeport in for a Bridgeport interact and convert that to Mach3?

Something like this???

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bridgeport...sAAOSwYmZXD2Iq

[jamesgates1000]

Looks like a pretty good deal, I have used them before with the heidenhain control and they are good machines. Best wait for some advice from the others regarding suitability for Mach3 conversion.