BP Boss 5 related questions.

[sdeering]

Hi all I have a few questions I would like to try hear. I have been a member for quite a wile but haven’t posted.

I have a Bridgeport boss 5 rigid ram all stock. It had some electrical issues when I got it but I think all are fixed.

Are there any of you running a phase converter. If so how may HP. Any problems involved with use of one, besides keeping the made leg off of the 110v transformer input. How balanced does one have to be? 5%? Is 240 three phase ok? I see the main trans. has 220 on it as one of the inputs.

I am running a home made 7.5 hp RPC. It is balance with steppers on and quill motor running to 5%. With the motor and steppers off the made leg is about 250 could this be a problem? I don’t have a cap across the single phase supply to correct power factor, does this help? I have read 1mf/ 1/4 HP for PF correction. Anyone tried this?

I may have an issue, the gold resistors in the back door on the side cab area, these are (eclectically) between the drive transistors and ground, there are 6 pairs. The lower three pair are running quite hot. I have adjusted the amperage to 7.5amps I have a cheep meter so I adjusted to error on the cautious side. I measure 3.5v upstream of each resistor. I think they are 1 ohm 50 watts. This may be normal, not sure. Any advice?

The hot ones are circled.


I see that some people have been asking for repair manuals and I am cheep, so hear I ask. Does anyone have a copy? I have an operating manual on disk I could trade, or heck I would even pay for the trouble.

Hill Billy I have been reading on what you have been doing. Good job!! How is the retro working? Is the mill easier on driver transistors now? I am interested in retroing mine. I have a couple of your electrical diagrams on how you did it. Do you have any other info on what electrical parts are needed? If I remember you are running the original DC transformers no? What are you using for a program Mach 2? Is this the only program one needs to make this work? I have been downloading some code made by MC9 to the mill via rs232. But the machine is very limited storage wise. How many lines can you run with the program you are using? And can one post from MC9 to Mach2?
I would like to hear from all that are using this machine in its original state or retroed.
Thanks for any input.
Stephen

[sdeering]

H'mmmm mabe too many questions at once. I would really appreciate communicating with some of you. I don't expect all the questions to be answered by one person. Please.
Stephen

[sdeering]

Ok forget about the manual I just ordered one. Hmmm for some reason I feel like I'm talking to myself self self self.
Stephen

[Hood]

Well thought I would just say Hi so you know people are reading LOL. Afraid I cant answer any of your questions as the BOSS I have is being totally gutted and retro fitted with new stuff.
Hood

[sdeering]

Thanks Hood.
What rout are you going.
Stephen

[Eric]

I am with you. I have a BOSS 5 that I just acquired, but I have not powered it up yet. I still need to build a RPC for it. I was thinking I only needed 3-5 HP motor for it. Do you have a link to the RPC that you built.

As for the generated leg from the RPC, make sure it is connected to L3. L1 and L2 are shown going to the T1 isolaton transformer for all of the 120V accessories.

[HillBilly]

I sold the one I had It was running MaxNC deluxe. I just did a Boss 5 V Ram with Mach 3. Here is a picture of the breakout board. You have to use Mach 3 in MaxNC CL mode to get the phase drive signals needed for the original drives. By far the cheapiest and easiest retrofit I have ever done.

Darek

[sdeering]

Hey thanks for the replies guys. Glade to hook up with people to share experiences.
I am running a 7.5 Hp RPC I just rewiered the capacitor box. I followed a rule on a different forrum:

1 uF/idler motor quarter HP for the power factor correction cap, which is connected from A-C; 2 uF/idler motor quarter HP for the C-B run cap; 3 uF/idler motor quarter HP for the A-B run cap; and 30 uF/idler motor quarter HP for the A-B starting cap.

For a 10 HP idler, these values would be 40 uF A-C (power factor correcting); 80 uF C-B (running); 120 uF A-B (running); and 1200 A-B (starting).

I am going to ballance my RPC unloaded at the RPC. Then add capps at the mill motor and transformer, in order to keep the system ballanced all the time and not overbalanced when unloaded. Thus saving a little power.

I origionally had all the caps at the RPC thus it was a little overbalanced with the quill motor off and steppers off. Also if I add other 3 phase stuff the converter will always be ballanced, and then balance at each machine.

Eric if I were you I would use a larger motor 7.5 to 10. The larger the motor the less the voltage in the made leg will drop with load. I have a 10 and may upgrade to it in the future.

Darek I am very interested in your retro design. Do you have any other info you would like to share reguarding the conversion. I understand if you want to keep this to your self, its takes a lot of thinking to do this kind of stuff. You may want to make some cash selling. etc How much to perchase the bord, and details on how to retro.

Wow do you know it takes 12 beens to send a coppied manual on cd to Canada. What a joke

[Hood]

Originally Posted by sdeering Thanks Hood. What rout are you going. Stephen

I am basically gutting everything and starting from scratch. I have already converted a manual BPt and will be using the steppers PMDX and Geckos from it. Using a touch screen on this one, VFD for variable speed and will probably hook up to the computer at a later stage so that the motor is controlled by code.
Hood

[sdeering]

Sounds fun. Are you using the origional steppers?
Stephen

[Hood]

Originally Posted by sdeering Sounds fun. Are you using the origional steppers? Stephen

No, sold the originals on eBay, might have been tempted to try them but as I have new 916oz/in Hybrids on the manual conversion I will just be swapping them over onto the BOSS when the time comes.
Hood

[zcases]

I got two Boss 5's this spring, and just finished my retro on the first one about a month ago. I used the original steppers, Mach 2/3, PMDX breakout, PMDX power module with original transformers, KB 2HP VFD, CNC4PC variable speed spindle board. So far I am very happy with the machine and can't wait to do the next one and have the pair making chips together. I just listed all the "guts" on eBay if anyone wants spare parts.