Bridgeport Series 1 CNC R2E4 (??)

[l u k e]

I have an opportunity to pickup a 25 (?) year old Bridgeport Series 1 CNC R2E4 with Boss 9 control from a local machine shop. The machine seems to be in good (great) shape and the shop owner and one of the machinists that used it says it’s ready to go.

Can anyone give me ANY insight on the machine, pros and cons both? As I understand it, it will accept G-code but its set up for on the fly programming, and is supposed to be user friendly.

What do you suppose this machine is worth? I know it’s a tough question but I’m just looking for a ball park figure. From what it sounds like I can put it right to work.

As a side note, I’m fairly new to the trade. I’m self taught for the most part but have been at it for a few years. I’m running a small internet business (part time) and have realized that I really need a CNC machine to survive.

Again, any information would be greatly appreciated.

[machintek]

I bought one of these new, when I worked for Bridgeport.
What shape is the front panel? VERY expensive to replace.
What shape is the CRT?
Does it have the fan and filter in the side electrical cabinet?
You WILL need a PC or terminal attached to the machine. It is a dog to program and edit at the front panel.
Put the machine in a slow feed rate. Does it move smooth? If not the motors may need brushes or cleaning. Remember that the electronics are 20 years old and repairs may get expensive.
Any rattles in the head?
Finish good (good spindle)?
Does he have all the manuals?
Go to the BOSS and Fist event monitor. See if there are any recurring fatal errors.
For value, look at completed items in EBAY. Tooling and vices are worth money as well.

George

[l u k e]

Humm, you have me running scared. This machine is in storage so I can't run any tests on it.....

[machintek]

Just trying to advise you in advance of what to look for. I do not know how deep your pockets are but before you buy something that you cannot afford to fix, I thought I should give you some knowledge to make a wise decision. If your pockets were deep, you would not be looking at this machine.

George

[l u k e]

Please don't take my post wrong, you may not have said what I wanted to hear, but you may have saved me a ton of money in the long run. I know nothing about CNC was looking to get started as cheap as possible so I could learn as I go. But, I think I need to consider a different route.

Thanks for the input.