Finally Got a Milling Machine

[bobadame]

OK, Purple Zinger, I'm an old dude too. Fortunately one doesn't need 40 years of experience in industrial controls to hook up a 3 phase converter to run a Bridgeport. Even I can do it. I bought mine from a guy down in Florida who had a little back yard company called Reliance Electric. I found the kit in the back pages of Mechanics Illustrated for, I think, $35.00. This was back about 1974. I bought the converter to power a Cincinnati Toolmaster mill, then a Kerney and Trecker horizontal mill, then a South Bend lathe, then a big Delta belt grinder , then a delta horizontal band saw and finally, about 15 years ago, a Lagun vertical mill. This static converter has not failed me once. It has not caused any problems with any of my machines ever. Recently I bought a Leadwell Vertical Machining center and a big Pratt and Whitney lathe. The VMC came with a rotary converter. I use it for the big machines. I also have a Nibbler Junior, sort of a Pullmax type of machine that I power with a variable frequency generator. I got that because of it's ability to easily change the motor speed. It works well too. I don't have any proof of any kind other than my own experience using that simple little converter. In the last 6 years I've operated a small part time business that I call Sunset Machine LLC. I've earned an extra $180,000 in that time, part time. Every time I turned a machine on it was started by that little $35. converter. It has not failed ever since 1974. That's all the proof I can offer. And I think the word you were looking for was " puesdo".

 

[mrriggs]

...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.

Using a single phase motor to spin up a three phase motor is a pony start rotary phase converter. That is still a good solution for generating three phase power especially if you need over 10 hp. It doesn't generate a "pseudo" field but honest to goodness three phase power. The single phase motor is only used to get the three phase motor spinning before applying power to it. A simpler solution is to wrap a rope around the motor shaft and give it a pull. Once the rope leaves the shaft you flip on the power. The idler will spin away and you can turn on and off any number of machines in the shop just like they were hooked to utility three phase.

If you only have the one small machine then a VFD is probably the best option. If you are planning to drag home more machines then the rotary phase converter starts to make sense.

Don't waste your time. The Bridgeport motor will run hot, not have as much power, and in all likelihood will fail.

This sounds more descriptive of a static phase converter. Which is a misnomer since they don't actually convert anything, but simply cap start and run the three phase motor off of single phase power. You only feed power to two of the three power leads so the motor puts out about 2/3 the power, runs rougher, and gets hotter. VFDs don't cost much more than a static converter so I would agree, don't waste your time with a static "converter".

 

[ReycleBill]

Cool, we'll go play!

 

[ReycleBill]

I almost said yes to hauling it in my pick-up but logic and reason got the best of me. Be very careful how you lift it. If possible, move it by the bottom with a fork lift or by rolling it on lots of pipes. Last year I sold one only to discover my guys broke it by lifting it via the head.

 

[bobadame]

mrriggs gave you some good advice on the 3 phase stuff. Now to move the machine, lower the table all the way down. If you need to make the mill shorter to clear a door header you can tilt the head 90 degrees. I've moved mine a couple of times by hiring a common 1 ton wrecker with a telescoping boom. cost about $50. to lift it onto my trailer, follow me to the new place and lift it off. I've also hauled it in the back of my old '68 Ford camper special. Once you get it on the ground you can scoot it around with a pry bar. There are notches in the base that are meant for this. Good luck with the nes tool.

 

[twowheelinjim]

The previous owner has a forklift where the mill is located. When we get home, I'll call a friend with a towtruck to boom it off the trailer and into my little shop where I have already cleaned off a spot to begin the tear down/clean up/gease/oil/ and repaint before it is moved into it's final resting place. I have a friend who may paint a mural on the mill's column. I was simply painting it industrial gray but my friend wants to paint a battleship scene from the pacific with guns blazing, and kamikaze airplanes diving.
Hi Bill, I have a friend with an equipment trailer helping me this coming Friday. I'm very excited to say the least. Bobadame, you are right on the money with a tow truck. A man told me how he moved an even bigger machine by himself using prybars and 3/4" steel rods-with a bad back....I'm already figuring the worst part is not moving it but rather getting power set up followed by a thorough clean and lube, that's all these machines ask for and they run forever. My lathe was built in the 40's and is still as accurate as newer lathes of comparative size.

 

[Purplezinger]

OK, Purple Zinger, I'm an old dude too. Fortunately one doesn't need 40 years of experience in industrial controls to hook up a 3 phase converter to run a Bridgeport. Even I can do it. I bought mine from a guy down in Florida who had a little back yard company called Reliance Electric. I found the kit in the back pages of Mechanics Illustrated for, I think, $35.00. This was back about 1974. I bought the converter to power a Cincinnati Toolmaster mill, then a Kerney and Trecker horizontal mill, then a South Bend lathe, then a big Delta belt grinder , then a delta horizontal band saw and finally, about 15 years ago, a Lagun vertical mill. This static converter has not failed me once. It has not caused any problems with any of my machines ever. Recently I bought a Leadwell Vertical Machining center and a big Pratt and Whitney lathe. The VMC came with a rotary converter. I use it for the big machines. I also have a Nibbler Junior, sort of a Pullmax type of machine that I power with a variable frequency generator. I got that because of it's ability to easily change the motor speed. It works well too. I don't have any proof of any kind other than my own experience using that simple little converter. In the last 6 years I've operated a small part time business that I call Sunset Machine LLC. I've earned an extra $180,000 in that time, part time. Every time I turned a machine on it was started by that little $35. converter. It has not failed ever since 1974. That's all the proof I can offer. And I think the word you were looking for was " puesdo".

"pseudo" is correct, I saw it after I posted, for some reason it wouldn't let me edit. Your are correct about motor/generator sets, industrial M/G sets run for years and are relative trouble free. Years ago I saw a unit that someone had built from plans I wasn't impressed. Mr Riggs is also right about the static phase converter, that's the one that overheats motors. Considering the equipment you have, I'm surprised your power company doesn't supply 3 phase to your shop. That said, none of these options have the flexibility and capability of VFD's.

 

[twowheelinjim]

The Mill is home!!!!
With the help of a friend, we were able to get the mill home safely. I'll unload it in the morning. The gentleman that sold me the mill also has a Clausing 16"X60" lathe that he may cut me a deal on but that's another story...
I'm starting to lean on a rotary phase converter simply because I may be running at least two 3 phase machines at the same location.

 

[ReycleBill]

The previous owner has a forklift where the mill is located. When we get home, I'll call a friend with a towtruck to boom it off the trailer and into my little shop where I have already cleaned off a spot to begin the tear down/clean up/gease/oil/ and repaint before it is moved into it's final resting place. I have a friend who may paint a mural on the mill's column. I was simply painting it industrial gray but my friend wants to paint a battleship scene from the pacific with guns blazing, and kamikaze airplanes diving.
Hi Bill, I have a friend with an equipment trailer helping me this coming Friday. I'm very excited to say the least. Bobadame, you are right on the money with a tow truck. A man told me how he moved an even bigger machine by himself using prybars and 3/4" steel rods-with a bad back....I'm already figuring the worst part is not moving it but rather getting power set up followed by a thorough clean and lube, that's all these machines ask for and they run forever. My lathe was built in the 40's and is still as accurate as newer lathes of comparative size.

I once moved a 40,000 lb concrete block machine with a hundred or so steel pipes and a bobcat.

There are many a 100 year old lathes and milling machines churning out accurate work in production shops every day. A relative of mine has been doing machine work for 50 years and the same old production lathe has followed him from one company to the next.

 

[Ghetto]

I have a Bridgeport as well. Very good machine to have around!

 

[twowheelinjim]

Well now that we managed to shoehorn it into my little shop, I started cleaning, lubing, prepping for a coat of paint to keep it from rusting to death. I managed to scratch my building door all to hell in the process of moving it inside. I think a roll up door will need to be added to my little shop before long. The actual doorway bottom is off the floor by about a foot since I tore the existing wood flooring out of the biulding to access the concrete flooiring beneath it.

 

[bobadame]

That machine seems to have some non stock motors adapted to the table and saddle. Also the head of the machine might be something other than Bridgeport. Not a bad thing, just different.

 

[Ghetto]

Some bridgeports had a motor powered table for a slide mechanism. We would chuck parts in it and hit the switch and it would auto slot parts. Died a long time ago on us so we just manually crank them through. Do you have an indexing head for it? Makes drilling out rotors a snap!

 

[ReycleBill]

Well now that we managed to shoehorn it into my little shop, I started cleaning, lubing, prepping for a coat of paint to keep it from rusting to death. I managed to scratch my building door all to hell in the process of moving it inside. I think a roll up door will need to be added to my little shop before long. The actual doorway bottom is off the floor by about a foot since I tore the existing wood flooring out of the biulding to access the concrete flooiring beneath it.

I remember that step down into your shop. That was probably the hardest part of your move.

 

[twowheelinjim]

Well fellas, the mill is almost all cleaned up and aside from tramming the head and getting the vise set, she is ready for power. I met a retired gentleman through craigslist that can build me a rotary phase converter. We made a deal on a 5 HP converter. He determined since I'm needing about 8-10 amps to start the mill that 5 hp is all I should need until I get more equipment. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hopefully by Wednesday everything will be hooked up. It's been repainted using a lighter shade than the factory gray. I'm thinking of painting the bottom 8" of the mill black to hide dirty oil and drips plus it may be easier to touch up in the future. I'll post some "after" pictures when it's done. I can't wait to make a mess in the shop.......

 

[ReycleBill]

Cool, I'm almost finished building my foundry!

 

[flyguyeddy]

i prefer the side table feeds that are gear driven off of a motor underneath the table. i just think the bolt-on table feed devices are a little cheezy

 

[Dusty]

You can tell that is an old cast (the good ones) because the word Bridgeport is cast into the the top of the machine. Not just a bolted on plate like the newer ones. It's great that you got power feed, now a dro,and you're all set. Great buy!!

 

[I am Carbon]

the bridgeport I use is out of a navy ship machine shop. one very useful tool

 

[twowheelinjim]

After a little research on the Practical Machinist forum I discovered my machine was born in 1966. I already have a few projects lined up and ready to work on. Recyclebill, we need to make some chips next time you're in town....