Tell me what you think....Series 1 CNC

[StreetbikeDepot]

I bought this Series 1 CNC today. It came out of a Vo-Tech and its supposed to be fully operational. I was originally thinking of retro-fitting it but if everything works do you think I should just learn the system and use it? I don't have any experience on this type of CNC control my only CNC experience is with Mach 3 on my plasma. I picked it up for just under $1600.

[ichudov]

Looks like a great machine. If I was in your situation, I would retrofit. If you know Mach3 already, it should work well.

I have a Series II and I retrofitted it with EMC2, I am very happy. It is capable of many more things than it was with the old control.

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[slowlearner]

I think you got a good deal. Retrofit it and make a profit from all the same as new parts you wont use.

[Huckmeat]

Looks just like the one I started retrofitting!

Most of the unused stuff is getting sold for scrap, nobody even wants to bay shipping to get working parts. My control was working... Until I removed all the bits I wasn't using!

I have my axis moving under EMC2 now, just buttoning up some details and working on getting coolant/spindle/etc finished up.

[TarHeelTom]

The old BOSS electronics were not adequate to the job. I've heard them called the "transistor fryer", and other less flattering names. I'm in the tail end of putting together an almost identical machine, with EMC2, Geckos, etc.

Here are the pics: Tom Wade -- Machinist Section -- New CNC Mill

One tip. I cut all the cables loose inside the cabinet. If I had to do it again, I'd undo each wire from the terminal strip, preserving the wire numbers. Wasted a lot of time tracking down wire numbers when starting to rewire it. This especially applies to each of the numerous cables which enter the cabinet from the mill.

One thing you need to check very carefully is the lube system. My maintenance manual shows a total of about 12 lube points. In reality, my machine has 31. Of the 31, only 1 worked, and the Bijur pump didn't work either.

Tom