Got my Bridgeport

[themayor]

Well after some looking found my bridgeport needs to be cleaned up some but i think it is in good shape. what type of vfd should i get for it? and thanks for the help while i was looking

 

[darkzero]

Congrats!

 

[precisionworks]

Nice machine 🙂

Does the CNC controller and stepper drives work?

 

[themayor]

Ya it all works payed 3200 shipped from maine so i thought i got a good deal was used in a plastics shop

 

[wquiles]

Congrats!

 

[themayor]

thanks guys any help on the vfd?

 

[350xfire]

Sweet Mayor!!! VFD preferrence would be a nice NEMA 4x if you can pay about $400. Most of the guys here recommend the AC Tech. Make sure it's a vector drive. Some have a pot for adjustment of speed. That's what you want. Otherwise you will end up having to click the speed up and down which sucks. Match the horsepower rating of the VFD to the motor and make sure if you are using single phase power to buy a single in VFD with 3ph out.

That's one clean looking machine!

 

[precisionworks]

any help on the vfd?

Since your Bpt has the vari-speed head, the vfd serves little purpose other than phase conversion. That means you can buy an inexpensive vfd, leave it set at 60 Hz all the time, and use single phase power on your 3ph machine. For $150-$175, either the Teco FM-50-202C or the Teco JNEV-202-H1 will do great.

For well under $100, it's easy to build a rotary phase converter. For your 2hp Bpt, you'll want a 5hp idler motor.

 

[themayor]

thanks guy just ordered the teco fm50. What are some must have tools for the mill?

 

[StrikerDown]

The most important tool is a BFCC... Big .... Credit Card!

I know, that was not much help...

Start looking for a Good Quality Vise. I have a 6" Kurt that I love! It is so nice to have perfectly straight jaws!

Try to stay away from much/most of the Chinese tooling, I wasted a bunch of money learning that lesson.

It depends on what you intend to be machining mostly as to what and what type tooling you need.

When you have spent as much on tooling as you spent on the mill you will be moderately equipped!:sick2:

 

[precisionworks]

Start looking for a Good Quality Vise. I have a 6" Kurt that I love! It is so nice to have perfectly straight jaws!

Try to stay away from much/most of the Chinese tooling, I wasted a bunch of money learning that lesson.

It depends on what you intend to be machining mostly as to what and what type tooling you need.

When you have spent as much on tooling as you spent on the mill you will be moderately equipped!:sick2:

+1

The tool represents only the down payment. The tooling is the monthly cost of ownership.

 

[precisionworks]

Most Bpt owners want to use the factory Fwd/Off/Rev switch, which means that the switch will be connected to the logic terminals of the VFD. The power cable from VFD to motor can contain no switches or interrupting devices. A good electronics technician can help with this.

By contrast, a rotary phase converter (RPC) is plug-n-play, with no machine rewiring required.

 

[precisionworks]

Here's a good post on wiring an FM-50 to a Bpt: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...rters-vfd/wiring-teco-fm50-mill-lathe-220678/

 

[themayor]

Thanks now im just trying to make sense of the diagram