Originally Posted by mactec54  Hi Sparky NY
No unless your old machine is a Boss type mill, none of the parts that you want to change will fit, one look will tell you this, the knee saddle table are very different to a manual mill. The head may change ok or parts of the head |
The machine in question here is a V2E3, a rare bird, not the much more common R2E3. The R2 version has a much different table (11in vs 9 on the V2E3), travels, iron etc. The V2E3 table/saddle/crossram, etc all look identical to a manual machine in a side by side comparision. It did share the boss8 control with the rigid head machines. The V2E3 has 25" X travel and 12" Y travel, much more than the R2E3 but identical to a 42 inch manual machine. The V2E3 has the same ram and head that tilts both ways like the manual machine.
I have since looked at the maintenence manual closer for the machine which has some (poor) pics of the top of the saddle showing the ballscrew mount and how it is adjusted. From the pics it looks just like a standard machine.
Quote from Chapter1 of the manual.... "Equipped with a V-Ram, the V2E3 is a standard series one manual machine modified by design to meet the demands of Computerized Numerical Control (CNC)" I wish they detailed the modifications more in detail other than the obvious motors, control, power oiling pump, column chip guard, ballscrews etc.
Also, ,my friend bought it new and in talking with him about my idea he told me back then bridgeport referred to the machine as a "retrofit" He bought it because of the head tilting in both directions for a angle drilling job he used to do on some shafts. Bridgeport gave him a R2E3 to use while he waited for delivery of the V2E3.
I do agree the more common versions of the boss mills are radically different than a manual machine.
As I said, its a rare bird so there is not a lot of info out there on it. I have the operator and maintenance manuals but not the parts manual unfortunately to directly compare part numbers.