Bridgeport BOSS 3 or Lagun ftv-3

[cncxyz123]

Hey everyone, I am in need of some guidance. I work at a machine shop for an aerospace company and we use machining centers from daewoo and matsurra mostly. I want to get my own cnc mill for hobby use, but am not familiar with bridgeports and similar mills. This guy has a bridgeport boss 3(which I think is a series 1) which seems to be in very good condition. He also has a lagun ftv-3 with Anilam Crusader Series M controls. The condition on both machines seem to be good. I have looked at them and jogged all the axises and the ways seem to be unscratched (the bridgeport ways look brand new). I am going back to his shop to look at them one more time before I make a decision. I'm not going back until June 1st so I have a couple days for you to either talk me into or out of one or both of these mills. The price on the mills are similar although the FTV-3 is cheaper by a little bit. So.... i would like to know if anyone has used both or would know the benefits of one over the other. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

FYI- I am into paint balling and for fun sake i want to try and mill out my own marker(gun) and anodize it. I also want to try and make a ar15 receiver. I really am not sure of everything I want to make with it but those are two things I want the mill to be capable of doing. Thanks again

[cncxyz123]

Also: I forgot about this part. The bridgeport was a boss3 that was updated to a software called machine masters. I cant find much about this software which worries me, but it seems pretty user friendly when I was messing with the mill.

[Karl_T]

The BOSS 3 machine is very likely an old stepper unit. if so, these steppers don't work that well with today's step drives. The other machine MAY have DC servos and probably resolvers. You'd have to install encoders and get drives compatible with your control. Not cheap, but you'd have a good machine.

For your AR15 lower, have the pocket for the magazine wire EDMed. The rest is easy on a decent CNC mill.

Karl

[cncxyz123]

Thanks for the response. I contacted the company that made the software "machine masters" that the BP has on it and the guy was telling me that with these controls I should have no problem with the stepper motors, but there is no way for me to really know. I also asked him that with this model BP could I be able to do 3d machining and he kept saying the software can do it, but I wanted to know if the machine had the capabilities. If anyone has further insight on the capabilities of 3d machining on a BP (year 1983-1984) please let me know. THANKS AGAIN!!!