Finally Got a Milling Machine

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twowheelinjim

twowheelinjim
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Yes folks, I had to announce that I have just found me an older but in decent shape Bridgeport mill. I'm very excited about this because it will open up opportunities to realize some projects I have been putting off for such a long time. One of the fellow board members has even volunteered to help me move it if I need his assistance. My biggest problem is transporting the mill about 60 miles and into my garage. Pictures will be posted as the dust settles, wish me luck......
 
I had a chance to buy a Bridgeport w/dro a while back for $250 in good working shape. The problem was moving it, where to put it, and it was 3ph so a converter would have been needed which cost more than the mill. Sure wish I had it sometimes though.
 
It's funny how I can't find anyone with a heavy enough trailer to get it home right away. A friend called me up and said that he will have an equipment trailer ready for Monday so now I have my fingers crossed.
-Grinder, I'll be on the look out for a phase converter and you're right, they can get quite pricy.
 
Probably cheaper to change the motor, than buy a converter. Plus, you can sell the old motor.

Let it be known that I know very little about the motors on bridgeport/knee mills!
 
You can set up a static converter for under a hundred$ or build a simple rotary converter. Lots of google about this. Leave the motor alone especially if it has variable speed.
 
twowheelinjim said:
It's funny how I can't find anyone with a heavy enough trailer to get it home right away. A friend called me up and said that he will have an equipment trailer ready for Monday so now I have my fingers crossed.
-Grinder, I'll be on the look out for a phase converter and you're right, they can get quite pricy.
Click to expand...
There are easy ways to run 3 phase motors on single phase power. There are numerous sources for these motor controllers. What you are looking for is a variable frequency drive. You need to know the electrical horsepower of the Bridgeport motor. it's full load amps. You need to know the voltage you wish to use to run the mill. Most home shops will be 115 volt or 230 volt single phase. You already know the mill is 230 vac 3 phase or possibly 440 vac 3 phase. With this information you can size the variable frequency drive to your needs. Here is one source of many: http://www.automationdirect.com/adc...15_-z-_230_-z-_460_-z-_575_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control)
Using 2 electric motors, one single phase motor driving a 3 phase motor to induce a sudo field in the Bridgeport motor is crap. These were the only solutions available in the days before digital controls. Don't waste your time. The Bridgeport motor will run hot, not have as much power, and in all likelihood will fail.
 
Purplezinger's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 274

Default Re: Finally Got a Milling Machine

Using 2 electric motors, one single phase motor driving a 3 phase motor to induce a sudo field in the Bridgeport motor is crap. These were the only solutions available in the days before digital controls. Don't waste your time. The Bridgeport motor will run hot, not have as much power, and in all likelihood will fail.

Bull Shit.
 
bobadame said:
Purplezinger's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 274

Default Re: Finally Got a Milling Machine

Using 2 electric motors, one single phase motor driving a 3 phase motor to induce a sudo field in the Bridgeport motor is crap. These were the only solutions available in the days before digital controls. Don't waste your time. The Bridgeport motor will run hot, not have as much power, and in all likelihood will fail.

Bull Shit.
Click to expand...
OK, so bobadame you say Bull Shit to my reply. Do you intend to present facts to show my solution is incorrect or are you just ranting rhetoric? I have over 40 years experience in Industrial controls. I have installed numerous variable frequency controllers on 3 phase equipment where 3 phase was not available or not easily available. So my conclusion is this, either your controllers were faulty or installed incorrectly or you have no idea what I'm talking about.
 
Alright fellas, here's my plan:
Teco-Westinghouse VFD 110ac 1phase incoming and 230 3phase outgoing to the motor. I have found a new 220 1phase replacement motor but the mill already has got an almost new 3 HP motor in it and the VFD is alot less expensive than the replacement 1 phase 1HP motor. I also have a surface grinder with 3phase running on a VFD. Some day I'll get a rotary phase converter to run all the equipment in my shop. When I got my lathe home, it had a 3phase motor in it. It was easier for me at the time to simply switch out the motor with a 110v that I already had. It's been running like that for a long while now.
I have began a quest for a digital readout to monut on this mill since my eyes are not a good as they once were.
 
twowheelinjim said:
Alright fellas, here's my plan:
Teco-Westinghouse VFD 110ac 1phase incoming and 230 3phase outgoing to the motor. I have found a new 220 1phase replacement motor but the mill already has got an almost new 3 HP motor in it and the VFD is alot less expensive than the replacement 1 phase 1HP motor. I also have a surface grinder with 3phase running on a VFD. Some day I'll get a rotary phase converter to run all the equipment in my shop. When I got my lathe home, it had a 3phase motor in it. It was easier for me at the time to simply switch out the motor with a 110v that I already had. It's been running like that for a long while now.
I have began a quest for a digital readout to monut on this mill since my eyes are not a good as they once were.
Click to expand...
Depending on the equipment sometimes it is easier to swap a motor, but older Bridgeports had a motor specific to Bridgeport. I've not used the Teco-Westinghouse, but I have used several Mitsubishi's and some other brands. If you size it correctly the T-W should be just fine. I like VFD's because you can control torque, acceleration, RPM and braking in ways you never could with relay logic. Go for it...
 
twowheelinjim said:
Alright fellas, here's my plan:
Teco-Westinghouse VFD 110ac 1phase incoming and 230 3phase outgoing to the motor. I have found a new 220 1phase replacement motor but the mill already has got an almost new 3 HP motor in it and the VFD is alot less expensive than the replacement 1 phase 1HP motor. I also have a surface grinder with 3phase running on a VFD. Some day I'll get a rotary phase converter to run all the equipment in my shop. When I got my lathe home, it had a 3phase motor in it. It was easier for me at the time to simply switch out the motor with a 110v that I already had. It's been running like that for a long while now.
I have began a quest for a digital readout to monut on this mill since my eyes are not a good as they once were.
Click to expand...
BTW some VFD's have a digital readout that lets you select which parameter to display.
 
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