Bridgeport Series I Boss 4

[millwrightguy]

Lookin at a series I Boss 4, dont know much at all about them. It has the tape reader. Is this a good machine? How much would it take to make it usable with a pc? Or even totally upgrade the motors and electronics? Any info would be appreciated. I don't know much at all bout this cnc stuff, but wanna learn. Also where on that mill is the serial number? Thanks, Pat.

[mc_n_g]

Good iron in the machine. Best bet is to retrofit. It will run you anywhere from $3K to $9K+ depending upon the retrofit style and who you go with.
Expect to pay at least $500 (conservative) for start up tooling and holders. That is if it does not come with anything. If it comes with nothing mulitple that price by 3 to 6.
Normally that does not include any CAD/CAM software only the controller. That will run anywhere from $100 to $20K depending upon vendor.
Need a PC to run it on.
Need to learn G-code and the format for your machine to determine what is wrong or pay for tech support.
If you have no computer skills and drafting skills you are going to be in for a bit of a learning curve.
Expect to spend time learning this. How much is that is $$$ ???

This is not to scare you off. Don't get into it just because it is neat. Don't think you are going to make a ton of money making CNC parts.
You will have the price of a used car into it without any problems. See if you have the budget for it. Mistakes are can be costly.

mc_n_g

[HillBilly]

Originally Posted by millwrightguy Lookin at a series I Boss 4, dont know much at all about them. It has the tape reader. Is this a good machine? How much would it take to make it usable with a pc? Or even totally upgrade the motors and electronics? Any info would be appreciated. I don't know much at all bout this cnc stuff, but wanna learn. Also where on that mill is the serial number? Thanks, Pat.

The serial # should be right above the Y axis belt housing. This is a good starter CNC. I sell a kit for less than $100 that uses the original drives and motors but replaces the BOSS CNC with a PC running Mach3 software. I have found the drives on these machines to be very servicable. Several members on this board can verify the ease of installation of the kit and also the power of the Mach 3 software, which includes a basic CAD/CAM system (EasyCAM).

Darek

[mike40272]

Hi,
I have done Three Bridgeports retrofits and used Three of Darek's Boards.
They worked great and Darek was great with his Help. All Three Machines
run Great and the People are really Pleased. I'm getting ready to retrofit
a series II Bridgeport and will again use Darek's Board and Gecko's, But
you don't have to use Gecko's, if you use Darek's board and directions.
Mike

[Agmachines]

I have found the drives on these machines to be very servicable. Several members on this board can verify the ease of installation of the kit and also the power of the Mach 3 software, which includes a basic CAD/CAM system (EasyCAM).

I will verify HillBilly's statements.

I did the retrofit of a Boss 6 for under $300 dollars, using the HillBilly board, and purchasing the Artsoft Mach3 software.
I had a running Series 1, Boss 6 CNC, and a extra computer. I took out the tape reader and the old logic boards and their power supply. Since, the mill was running, well, prior to the conversion, I could see no reason to strip all the drivers out. I kept the Boss drivers and their power supply.
It was a very quick and easy hookup to install HillBilly's board and make the old desktop computer control the Boss drivers and limit switches. I accomplished the complete conversion in a couple of days, working on it intermittently between other jobs.
Darek provides good instructions with his board for what needs to be hooked up.

The Boss machines are an excellent starting platform to learn the CNC "stuff" and cut some chips on a relatively rigid mill. There are a lot of conversion ideas out there and several different software packages that you could use. The limits are only dependent on how much money you want to throw at the project.
You may not need to do a conversion.

In the computer, I am using in the mill, the Mach3/Windows platform is very stable. I made the conversion to give me the capacity and versatility that Mach3 is providing, over, the old Boss system. The old Boss 6 system served me, well. It had been making chips for me for the past three years before the conversion, on what was a very "used" machine, before, I acquired it. I used a laptop computer to load the code to the Boss 6 using the RS232 interface the logic boards used and that was part of the limiting features that prompted the conversion.

Russ

[millwrightguy]

Thanks all, appreciate all the feedback. Anybody else have any more to add? Again thanks. Also anybody got ideas on what this thing is worth?

[Agmachines]

Originally Posted by millwrightguy Also anybody got ideas on what this thing is worth?

Whatever the going rate is, on the day you pick it up, for 2900± lbs of scrap metal if it is a V-ram; 3100± lbs if it has the rigid ram; plus, whatever else you feel it is going to take to acquire it, if, you really feel you need it.
That is for a machine, sight unseen.
I have heard of people getting them for hauling them away, others for only a few hundred dollars, and stories of people paying unbelievable sums to acquire a particular machine for some reason. I assume your machine is someplace in between. The CNC machines are not yet popular with most of the home hobby machinist types. The three phase power requirement scares some away along with the computer control aspect. Often times an old CNC will go for far less than a similar sized manual type machine. If the controls do not work, they are of no value beyond scrap to anyone who cannot or will not repair them. For production work where time is money, there are faster and more capable and more reliable machines rapidly becoming more available on the used market. The value of your machine beyond scrap value is anyones guess and related to how valuable the current owner thinks it is and how bad the owner wants to dispose of it. You might check the hour meter located in the very bottom of the back electrical cabinet. It is hard to find. It looks like a small horizontal thermometer. That might give you a better idea, however, it still will not tell you how it was used and maintained, or, how accurate it currently is.
Have you seen it under power? That could up its value some.