Need help ientifying Boss model

[Dennis Storzek]

Hi,

Just joined this forum after spending some time reading through previous messages… very knowledgeable.

I've been running an old Series I Boss for a couple of years making injection molds, using it mostly to cut graphite EDM electrodes. This small cutter work requires high speeds, and the head is getting noisy. Which brings me to my point; I don't have any service manuals for the machine. I've learned here that manuals are available on CD from www.machinemanuals.net, but I need to identify exactly what I have so I can order the correct manuals.

The machine is a Series 1 Boss with a rigid ram and a 2 HP spindle motor with the air opperated speed changer, marked CNC 3303 S/N 1150. Which model Boss is probably unimportant at this point, as it has been upgraded with new Centroid control and sevo motors, but the machine originally had stepper motor control. Can anyone point me at which specific manuals I need ?

Dennis

[machintek]

Pretty much the head on the BOSS 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are identical. The noise in the head is due to the wear in order of probability:
The vari drive bushings.
Associated bearings,
Spindle bearings.
Mating of the teeth on the splined gear hub to the spindle pulley hub.

The iron varies between the series 1 type (dove tail) and the series 2 type (box way).

George

[Dennis Storzek]

George,

Thanks. That was faster response than I get from most companies customer service.

So, what is this head called? I noted in some of the archived messages that a “J head” is the step pulley head, and the heads with the manual crank vari-drive is a 2J head. This is similar, but the motor mounts under, rather than over the belt housing, and has the air operated brake and air motor to drive the vari-drive. I’m sure most the internal parts are common with the 2J head, but if I’m going to pay for a manual, I might as well get the one specific to this head.

Also, in archived messages you’ve mentioned that the older vari-drive disks have applied linings that can’t be renewed in the field, while the newer versions have a bonded surface. Are these still available? From Hardinge, or from some after market supplier? Is there some danger that these parts will become unavailable? There must be thousands of machines that use these still in service.

And now, for a blast from the past, over the years I’ve had two Bridgeports with the old half horse M heads, one of which was 110V single phase (it may have been a conversion). That one was junk, but the three phase machine was a sweet little machine; I’m almost sorry we sold it.

Dennis

[creep_pea]

I think the head is called a ridged ram but I could be wrong.

Have a look at this Ebay Shop I believe they sell the linings you are after http://cgi.ebay.com/BRIDGEPORT-MILLI...em150043625769
Don't know if their the genuine items or not and if not how good quality they are but it seams cheap to me.

Chris

[colin1544]

Hello Dennis the machine you probably have would have been a Boss 5 or 6 the mechanical parts that you are concerned about are virtualy all the same but with your Centroid conversion all of the electrics will only control the pnuematic brake and spindle speed change also the switching on and off of the spindle motor and the coolant pump, if you look on ajax CNC.com you can download a instalation manual and also a programming manual this is the D I Y version of the Centroid system they also offer Accesories to fit the system one of which is a speed control option which fits into the com port of your computer with this you can use a VFD inverter drive and get programmable spindle speeds with this option in place you can fix your spindle drive pulleys to a convenient speed by inserterting fixed spacers between the pulleys and then control the speed electronicaly. hope this might help mine works very well with this setup and has also quietened it down considerably. Cheers Colin

[machintek]

Clarification.
Older moving vari-discs had a this black plastic insert epoxied in. This type is replaceable but I do not recommend it. Newer heads had a thick green insert in the motor pulley but retained the thin black insert in the driven adjustable pulley.
Yes your motor is inverted. The addition of the ball screw raised the belt housing up and allowed this. This also reduced the overall height or the machine, a desirable feature. I have installed more than one where the head is between the floor joists of the above living space.
There were minor variations in the head of the machine as you have noticed. Some had an air brake, air motor speed change, and some were rigid ram and some were not. But as mentioned either a BOSS 5 or 6 book would work for the head. The BOSS 5 moved in .001 inch steps, the BOSS 6 in .0005 inch steps. The BOSS 5 was available in series one only, the BOSS 6 as a seires one or two. This is where you may want to be more specific in the manual you want to buy.
If you have a VFD, get some timing pulleys and a timing belt and forget about the varidrives discs.

George

[Dennis Storzek]

Thanks, George. I'll see if I can obtain the service manual for a Boss 5 or Boss 6.

Anyone have the URL of a website for the VFD motor control that Colin mentioned? I hadn't considered this, as the machine runs fine on the available 240V 3 phase, but if vari drive parts become difficult to obtain, this may be a cost effective way replace a whole lot of obsolete parts.

Dennis