Vfd's roockk!!!!!!

A

alinwa

oft dis'd member
I've never owned my own mill, the mills in school 30yrs ago were towering leviathans and we used them under supervision..... never set them up, and I've never even looked at a VFD.

Before today.

While researching this project I was told by several that the belt-drive Bridgeport with a VFD drive was a versatile option and good value. Found a BP mill for 2 grand.

I had the old Bridgeport delivered last week, it's got a big ol' "480 volts" sticker on the side, my shop is single phase. I ordered a VFD (200 clams) and shifted the wires in the box thingie on the head drive motor. I wired in the VFD today, took about an hour start to finish, and she HUMMMSSS. Very smoothly, very quietly.

YEAHHH BAYBIEEEEEE!!!!!!

It's a beautiful thing......... now I'm off to find an owners manual, I dunno even know what's broken and what works on this old thing, don't even know what the levers are for....and a bunch of them are in a box for transport.......this is gonna' be FUN!!

:)

al
 
Manual for BP

AL can you tell me what series you have is it a 1.
I may have a manual I can copy and PDF it and send that for you.
Denton
 
alinwa said:
I've never owned my own mill . . .
al
Click to expand...
Just remember -- you already know it, but it's not "in your fingers" yet -- the tools used in a mill are every bit as sharp as used in a lathe, and now, they're in places you're not use to dodging. Go slow, be careful.
 
oldpup223 said:
AL can you tell me what series you have is it a 1.
I may have a manual I can copy and PDF it and send that for you.
Denton
Click to expand...

I don't know Denton. Tell me what to look for?

Here are the numbers I can find.

model # 94979

serial # J92128

motor model 6-1155

It's a 1hp belt drive with forward/reverse switch housed up on the motor. It also has a rectangular box down on the "back" with two large square pushbuttons, a crossfeed that seems to be dysfunctional (motor spins when I plug it in but nothing works,) crossfeed drive is the type with the large cast-iron speed-changer (gearbox?) using a cast handle running in slots not the electronic one with the pot dial.

Thank you guys for your help and Charles....
Just remember -- you already know it, but it's not "in your fingers" yet -- the tools used in a mill are every bit as sharp as used in a lathe, and now, they're in places you're not use to dodging. Go slow, be careful.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU for this reminder, good advice. I really do try to remember, my hope is that my first "real" warning is only painful, not debilitating! I'm setting the machine up in a place where I can hang collets, tooling and most importantly my brushes and picks close to hand.
 
Lots of good video for these old machines on you tube. I learned quite a bit about my old BP Mill from watching them. Take a look! Lee
 
On a personal note, I went down to the used tool place last nite and picked out a set of collets, a 3/8 holddown kit, an R8 hand chuck and an 8" vert/hor rotary table w/4jaw chuck and floating tailstock. I think all's I need now is a dividing head of some sort, trying to decide if I need the cranky type http://www.grizzly.com/products/Dividing-Head-Type-BS-0/G1053 or if the cheaper spin index will do http://www.grizzly.com/products/5-C-Spin-Index/G5649

All new to me :)

thanks for your help guys!

al
 
Al, for practically no dollars you can add braking resistors to your VFD for instant braking when you turn the switch off. I have VFDs on both of my step pulley Bridgeports and if my lathes weren't variable speed they would have VFDs also.
 
RWO that manual will be a lifesaver, THANK YOU, but I'm still stymied. I can't get anything but backgear, I THINK I've got to fiddle with the topmost lever called "spindle clutch lever" (it's up by the lock lever, a ring surrounding the spindle area where the drawbar drops in) which is supposed to be rotated, LOOKS like clockwise... but it's very tight. I don't want to break anything. Does this assembly tend to lock up from setting? Right now when I move the backgear selector to "out" position I've got nothing but freewheel on the spindle and that upper lever doesn't want to move. It looks as if that upper lever is supposed to rotate a beefy ring of steel with camming slots thru about 30degrees.

Also, the quill drops. I think it needs a coil spring called the balance spring???

Butch, I'll look into locating those braking RFD's, if they're what I think they are there's NO wear and no downside to these things, they just cause the motor to "generate" back into the grid for braking right?

Anyways.... If I can find the main drive speeds... and a spring for retraction of the quill....

Where do I find a balance spring?

Thanks
al
 
The thing I'm trying to describe above is the "cam ring" which is actuated by the "spindle clutch lever" do I just yarnk on it until it turns? I'ma' go tap-tap-tap it while holding pressure on the hannle...see can I get it to budge.

al
 
Al,
On the right side of the J head their is a lever that either puts it in or out of backgear. The lever on top, maybe your "camring" has to be pushed to the right. The cammy thing raised the gears on the spindle.
 
OK, so is what I DID is.... I took a sludge hammer.....

No, really, I went out and tap-tap-tap and lever-over and SHE DID cut loose. Problem is, the whole cam ring come loose and was just floating there on the screws. So I DID, I removed the drawbar, took a hunk of 2X4 and a 3lb sledge and (c a r e f u l l y) started whanging on the bearing race.

And I fetched it.

She turns backwards BUT SHE DO TURN!!! And FAST! Now I got sumpin'...... As far as I can speculate it's now a matter of switching a couple random wires on the out-feed of the VFD and I'm rolling forward thanks to RWO and Butch.

YIPPEEEEEEE!!

Now if I can just figger out how the quill trip-lever shoe goes back on....and then tear into the X-feed gearbox... but right now I CAN MAKE PARTS and dial in my alignments and measure the runout and squareness, see if she's a loosey-gooosey chatterbox or a bulldozer.

al
 
Al try this link and see if one of these are what you need
bridgeport.askmisterscience.com/bridgeportlit.htm

Bridgeport Factory Literature - Down in the Engine Room
you can choose and download what you need for free
Denton
 
well I cant seem to be able to add a link so just paste this in your browser (bridgeport.askmisterscience.com/bridgeportlit.htm)
and take a look at this file as I think that is the one you will wish to save and have on hand. I think it has everything you will need, but if you need more just drop me a pm and I will copy any parts you cant find in this one.
Bridgeport Installation/Users Manual for all Bridgeport Models (PDF 8.64 MB)
 
X-feed drive FIXED!!!! So far the only parts I seem to need are......one part, the quill balancing spring.

Happy Days

al
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top