Restoring a BP series II CNC

[unterhaus]

Originally Posted by NEATman Eric- I am interested in the EMC interface. Is there a way that I can demo this without being a software engineer? From what I had seem on the EMC website, that programming went right over my head. I this something that you have tried out already? Or is this something that needs to be tweaked and set-up for each individual machine?

I have never gotten EMC working, because I've never been close to having a running machine. It actually can be pretty easy to set up if your computer is compatible with the BDI-Live disk which runs off of a CD. I think it has made very good progress recently. If you are comfortable with linux, it's the best bet. Basically, the most common way to do it is to install linux and EMC together. No software engineering required. For a step and direction machine, setting up your particular machine is a matter of tweaking things in files, unless you want to wire the parallel port in a non-standard way. I'm not so sure about servos.

Originally Posted by NEATman Say, You don't work for Aerotech do you?... Also, my parents were going to name me Eric, until they saw my red hair. I had a bad enough temper without being called Eric the Red. Keith

I don't work for Aerotech, I have some of their motion stages. Pretty good stuff. My mother says she named me Eric because I was screaming my head off when I was born and very red. It wasn't so common back then.

[unterhaus]

Only progress so far is to take some pictures. I'll try to post them this weekend.

Things I haven't decided how to do:

The variable speed was originally driven by an air motor. Don't know if I can get that back working again. I wish it just had a wheel like the standard variable speed head. Too bad they put a right angle gearbox so the motor would be vertical, I could just put a handle on the existing shaft. And they cast most of it into the plate that holds the speed dial, so I can't just replace it. Anyone parting out a variable speed bp head?

The spindle brake was driven by a pneumatic piston. I haven't decided if I want to hook it back up that way. My preference is not to have to use a compressor to run the machine. Easiest solution is to make a handle to go on so it doesn't hurt so bad to actuate the spindle brake. It doesn't have a tool changer, so this seems to be too much.

I haven't got the wiring designed for the drives and limit/home switches. I have 2 electrocraft and one Pacific Scientific. I'm thinking of putting on a third electrocraft so the wiring is the same and just selling the PacSci. The wiring is fairly complex, lots of details to work out.

I have to wire up the control circuitry for the VFD. I think I have it pretty much designed, as I'm just turning it on/off and reversing.

I need to figure out how to wire up the oiler.

Finally, set up the computer.

I haven't figured out what kind of breakout board I will use, if any.

[unterhaus]

finally got some pictures up. Don't know why they are so small, I cut them down, but not that much. Pics are in my gallery
http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/showg...r/1053/cat/500

[CNCadmin]

email them to me paul@cnczone.com and I will fix them.

[unterhaus]

After years of ignoring the mill, I finally am getting it hooked up. I bought a m5i20 PCI board from Mesa Electronics. I am reading from the encoders into EMC, have to get the emergency stop, limit, and home switches working.

I spent a weekend boring out the motor mount on the head to allow me to pass a timing pulley through it, this makes the motor selection and mounting process a lot easier. Would have been nice to do the job with a mill, as it was, I wore out a batch of 1/8" drill bits and a hole saw.

Hoping to get a 13 tooth timing pulley, someone on the EMC mailing list told me that he might be able to tell me a source.