Is this an aftermarket kit or did Bridgeport sell these CNC mills?

[P-Ritch]

I was browsing craigslist and came across this interesting BP series I mill.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/tls/d/mesa-bridgeport-milling-machine/7426076820.html

It looks like it was set up as a CNC and since it has the Bridgeport Textron label on the electrical cabinet it seems like it was a factory option.

How difficult would it be to convert something like this back to a manual version. Most of the CNC specific items just seem to be bolted on, but the motor is mounted upside down and the quill housing portion looks quite a bit different.

Just thought it was an interesting junk find and was curious about it.

Thanks

 

[mmcmdl]

Interesting mill . For $500 , it may be a keeper . BP heads are available rebuilt and ready to go on Ebay and other sites as well .

 

[seasicksteve]

I would look at it for that kind of money. I cant tell if there are manual x,y and z controls from the pics but that would be helpful since its likely the control will not work after being exposed to the elements for a lengthy time. If it has ballscrews and is decent a cnc retrofit kit could be added at a later date

 

[FOMOGO]

Buy it. It's worth way more than that in parts. Mike

 

[sdelivery]

That machine has some great parts on it.
The castings for the Z axis(quill) motion mean this was a full 3 axis cnc.
If you are looking for a plain manual Bridgeport it can be converted but unless you can get the parts affordably probably would be expensive.
Your unit has ball screws and without the motors to control/ restrain the axis motion can be......interesting.
I have done what you are talking about....biggest issue is the cutter can make the uncontrolled axis move, in fact spin the handle right out of your hand.
Price is right though

 

[Tinkertoy1941]

The mill is a Bridgeport Duplicator Or Tracer depending where you live!

 

[mmcmdl]

The mill is a Bridgeport Duplicator Or Tracer depending where you live!

Don't think so . BP Tru Tracers have the dual heads , at least the ones I've run in the past . They also had a line-a matic with dual heads which was basicly a tracing mill . Both models had the larger table type holder for the dual heads .

 

[P-Ritch]

The mill is a Bridgeport Duplicator Or Tracer depending where you live!

Well that sounds pretty interesting. Do they work in the same way as a lathe tracer? My current job has a big old poreba lathe that used a hydraulic tracer and a form bolted to the floor next to it to get an eccentric pattern on the OD of composite tubes before CNCs were super common.

I'd imagine this would be closer to a gun stock duplicator, but it further raises my curiosity.