Bridgeport Manual to CNC conversion...

[lucan07]

Just to throw a spanner in the works may be completely irrelevant but on my travels today saw a bridgeport (couldn't tell you the model) converted to CNC, that used original and a 24k spindle slightly different setup to your plan.

The 24k spindle was mounted literally beneath the original in a frame so when changing between spinles he just had a Z offset to consider but apparently with Knee or second Z thats not a problem, frame actually locked into a collet then connected to frame, his spindle was shorter than mine and he lost a fair bit of Z travel but this still left a good amount of travel on Z for what he used the 24k for.

Just thought I would share unfortunately I was out on the road bike (lycra man) to escape idiots for a while so no phonewith me to grab a picture.

[Davek0974]

Should these collars just slide off, it feels like they are hitting a hard stop?



Probably surplus on a CNC machine anyway but don't know yet.

[lucan07]

Just a thought, have you tried tapping them round had similar collars in a different setting but they were threaded.

[Davek0974]

No, one of them slides about 3mm and then stops, the other is stuck fast

[Davek0974]

Can't go much further ;)




Stripped most of the poor paint job off now, will be sanding and painting this weekend, not filling the dents in as it's a machine not decoration ;)

[Davek0974]

Now for the spare parts :(

The knee lift-screw bearing is dead, it looks like a 3306-2RS Double row angular contact 2 rubber shield item - 30mm ID, 72mm OD, 30mm W

Can anyone confirm that please?

Also is there a good source for the tubes and fittings for the lube system in the UK, might replace the lot as it looks like some of the points on the knee lift ways were doing nothing, luckily i always backed up with the oil can;)

[lucan07]

Off subject just making sure you have this came across it looking for something else looks interesting

http://neme-s.org/Shaper%20Books/bri...%20Rebuild.pdf

[m_c]

I got replacement Bijur metering units for my mill from Lubetec. They do have a web shop, but it's just a generic skinned airline/pneumatics one used by lots of similar suppliers, and doesn't contain any of the lubrication stuff.

They do however have their own catalogue online, which contains all the centralised lubrication stuff.

I did consider the Arc Euro parts, however the threads were wrong and the genuine Bijur ones weren't that much more expensive. Just checked and they were £5.54+VAT each a few years ago, so not worth the hassle of retapping threads and changing fittings.

You'll need to get the flow rate of the existing metering units, as well as the thread/style/direction of flow if you need new ones.
I removed all the metering units from my mill, connected them up, and then left the lube system running overnight (it's an electric motorised one designed to lube every few hours). Any that were still dry in the morning, I replaced as they're pretty much impossible to clean properly once gummed up, and a few metering units is far cheaper than the potential damage from lack of lube.
One trick I did use, was to fill the system with ATF fluid and leave it running for a day. You can then check that all the slides have a nice coating of red oil, which tells you the system is working and getting oil to where it should.

For replacement pipe/fittings, I just used whoever could supply them. My mill originally had aluminium distribution pipe, which had corroded where it had been sitting in coolant, so I replaced it with the same sized copper pipe.