Boss 6 series 1

[creep_pea]

I just bought a boss 6

It all looks in fairly good nick for the price, little wear on any of the slide ways but there quite a few things been removed for some reason.

I need to connect it to a pc some time, I been looking at this kit http://cgi.ebay.com/RS232-Cable-For-...QQcmdZViewItem on ebay but I can't find the ERS board, found a RRS board but this didn't have dipper switches as shown on the ebay item.

One of the black round 8 pin connectors comming out of the front of the m/c control box is dangling inside the box with 3 of the wires pins 6,7 & 8 cut, are thes used for the rs232 connection if so how?

The Y axis mechanical position reader/counter thing is disconected, I presume it just needs some kind of tiny timing belt but don't know where to get one from.

The electronic speed controller and auto brake has been removed from the head, some of the bits are still there but not all of them, is it worth replacing them or making handles and change the speed manually.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

Chris

[Jamf2]

Is this a cnc machine? I have a boss 6 series I cnc machine? I have one that i am starting to retrofit.

[creep_pea]

Yes, I thought all boss machines were CNC, could be wrong tho.

Would love to put a new control, electronics ect on but it's to expensive for me. Hope all goes well with your retrofit, you doing all the work yourself?

[Jamf2]

Yes I'm doing all the work. The boss all could be cnc. I'm not sure. Do you have a maintance manual for yours?

[Agmachines]

The kit from jcmblasko/RS232kits comes with good instructions, as, to which of the connector wires coming from the old connector and the ERS board will be used and which get terminated. You will not use the old connector and it probably is cut for the same reason you will do it, when, you get the instructions from the kit.
I used his kit on a Series I Boss 6.

Get a Maintenence Manual, you will need it for trouble shooting, later on, or getting the mill up and running. It contains the testing procedures and meter values for troublehooting the various components.

Pay attention to Machintek's posts and advice, either, here or on one of the other forums he frequents.

Good Luck!

[machintek]

I thought an RRS was used with a BOSS 7. The baud rate was set by a miniature rotary switch. This board should have 2 soldered onto the board.
Correction: BOSS 4, 5, and 6 used a ERS. The BOSS 6.1 and 6.2 used a RRS. I never saw one!
A BOSS 6 should have a LSI-11, ZDI, ZCK, NTP, and ERS boards in the logic card rack.
It sounds like someone could not pick up a catalog and order a 8 pin round AMP connector (reverse sex) and instead cut the wires and used them direct.
Tech bulletin 7 is about communication to a BOSS 8 and 9.
I have BPT tech bulletins on communication to a BOSS 4 through 6. Just need your email address.


George

[creep_pea]

Thanks alot for all the replys so far.

I've not got the maintenance manual yet, got to go and pick it up along with some tooling and other bits and bobs, should get it tomorrow tho.

I don't really know which model it is, I was told it was a Boss 6 when I bought it, how can I find out the exact model? It's definatly a Bridgeport series 1 CNC but I can't see any reference to which Boss number it is.
It has got a RRS board with the 2 rotary switches soldered on in, the logic card rack there is LSI/2 TEST ZDI NTP ZCK RRS in that order but there is no card in the TEST slot or the slot under the LSI/2 card.

I would be very gratefull of the tect bulletins you have.

Cheers

Chris

[machintek]

At first I was going to say that the 1/2 size LSI was used in the BOSS 7 (BTC-1) but you did not mention the CPL card nor a tool changer. I must assume that the RRS is used in conjunction with the 1/2 size LSI. I have been fixing BPTs since 1982 and have never seen a machine such as yours.
Usually if you have a teletype hooked up or a PC in edit mode and press the "edit" button on the machine, it will type out what build level it is.
It would be interesting to know what is the part number on the maintenance manual, and if it is specific to the BOSS 6.1/6.2.
There was a Bridgeport at Leichester in the UK. Terry Town was the engineer there. I sent him a email recently and did not receive a reply. I thought if you were close, you could see what is left, if anything, and pick his brain, if any left of that also.

George

[creep_pea]

There is definitely no tool changer on the machine nor does it like there ever has been.

I haven't got a teletype nor PC connection yet (it could be a while) so I can't check the model that way, should be getting the maintainance manual tomorrow so I'll see what that says when I get it.

I live near Sheffield which is about 60 miles away from Leicester.

Cheers

Chris

[creep_pea]

Went to go and pick the manual up today from were I bought the machine, the bloke couldn't find the manual so I can't tell the model number. Will have to wait till I get a PC connected.

Had a look at the serial no. on the machine today
540
CNC 15570680E
checked this with http://www.machinemanuals.net/web_pa...hine_seria.htm would I be right in saying it was made in 1973 or do those serial no. have nothing to do with boss machines?

I think this is the round 8 pin AMP socket if anyone is interested http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/su...eID=uknetscape
3rd one from the bottom will also need 8 pins to go with it sold separate I think.

[machintek]

This gets better and better. The BOSS 6 was being built in the late 70s. I joined BPT in 1982 and the BOSS 7 had just come out.
That serial number must be British as the 8 digit number implies S1STD iron but the E at the end means a CNC conversion.
In the early 70s there were the NC type machines. Most were series 2 with a 4 HP head. There was a series 1 NC. I only saw one of these.
I need to do some research. Maybe this was converted to a BOSS 6.1/6.2 from a NC.

BTW the link did not work on this side of the pond.

George

[creep_pea]

Sorry the link dosen't work for me now either, I've done a screen shot as a pdf if you want to look.
www.trialstalk.co.uk/pictures/Picture.pdf
www.trialstalk.co.uk/pictures/data.pdf