BP Series 1 Boss 5 Problems (Z Axis)

[Bayliner]

Hi everyone i'm new to the zone and hope i'm not about to ask a question you have already answered but here it goes. I just bought a BP Series 1 Boss 5 cnc machine off ebay (mistake) the price was good ($1625) so i took a shot. The man i bought it from said everything works great but when i got it home and powered it up i got some problems. First the Z axis works fine when you step it in .001,.010,.100 but when you try to use 1.0 or jog it stops moving and the motor just whines kind of like a bad starter motor on a car. I have read alot of the threads and everyone with a Z axis problems is told it's a transformer is this the case? The other problem is that the DRO doesn't switch over whan you flip the X,Y,Z switch. It always stays on the X but it does give you readout of the X. The switch does work to the point that it changes the axis you control it just doen't let you use the DRO for the Y,Z axis which without being able to get the position of the Y&Z this machine is almost useless. PLEASE help..

[creep_pea]

Hi

Your Z axis definitely sounds like a transistor, this is a easy fix, if you do a search on here for 2N6547 you'll find lot's of info on how to replace them.

For the DRO this sounds normal, when you flick the switch from one axis to another the DRO doesn't change, you have to change it by pushing the appropriate button on the key pad, I can't remember which buttons they are but if you look above the buttons (not the letters/numbers on the buttons) there should be a X,Y & Z if they haven't been rubbed off.

Hope this helps

Chris

[Eric]

For your Z-axis, try removing the front cover to expose the quill and limit switches. Flush the quill area out with WD40 or kerosene or? I have the same problem on my BOSS 5 if I let it sit unused for a while. I think you just need to flush out the gunk. Run the Z up and down, flush, repeat. Once I do this, my machine will work great all day long.

[Bayliner]

Thank you very much i feel foolish about the DRO problem. I don't think i have to say that i don't know how to run the machine yet, I think that was obvious when you read the question.

[Bayliner]

How can i tell if i have a bad transister or if i have some other problem. And are the transistors the gold looking things on the back panel they all say "Dale" on them.

[HillBilly]

The dale's are high wattage resisters. What you are looking for are 4 T03 metal case transistors mounted on a plate then attached to the heat sink. The transistor package is identical to the big transistors at the back of the SMD boards.

Darek

[Bayliner]

Sorry it's taken so long but THANK YOU for everyones help you guys have a wealth of knowledge. Everything is now operating fine thanks to your help. Now it's time to start making parts. I'm also getting ready to buy another CNC bridgeport Ser. 1 boss 9 (R2E3) I'll keep you posted with some pictures this time.

Thank Again,
Chad Uzarski

[fredhh47]

Man, don't buy yourself a peck of trouble. If you're new to CNC, buy another Boss 5 or Boss 6, maybe even a Series 2 (more travel). But for cryin' out loud stay away from the Boss 9. They were ill-concieved, thrown together from a junk-box of parts, and prone to many types of problems. The only good Boss 9 is one that has been retrofitted with some other control, such as a Centroid. If you absolutely have to buy one, make sure it has SEMS servos, not the Contraves (Powertron?) servos. The way they were set up, the motor was operating at peak output all the time. That's sort of like driving down the interstate at 65 mph in first gear. You can do it, for a while....