What did I do? Bridgeport purchase

[Mill Lee farm]

The Mitutoyo DRO does not power up. I plan on opening it up and seeing what I can do. If I can’t fix it can I get a replacement DRO that’s compatible with the Mitutoyo connectors??

Check out the Touch DRO section of our forum.
If you can’t get your DRO working, the scales might be good and compatible with that system.

Yuriy was very helpful with identifying scales.
Just something to consider.

My dead Acu-rite DRO turned out to be a ribbon cable connector. A couple of the fingers lost tension and weren’t making contact with the ribbon cable. I carefully re-bent them and now it’s working again.
I’m probably still going to replace with Touch-DRO due to all the nice features etc.

 

[Defender92]

View attachment 444020
Check out the Touch DRO section of our forum.
If you can’t get your DRO working, the scales might be good and compatible with that system.

Yuriy was very helpful with identifying scales.
Just something to consider.

My dead Acu-rite DRO turned out to be a ribbon cable connector. A couple of the fingers lost tension and weren’t making contact with the ribbon cable. I carefully re-bent them and now it’s working again.
I’m probably still going to replace with Touch-DRO due to all the nice features etc.

Thank you. It’d be a shame to replace these scales with Chinese made ones. But I’m thinking I’m most likely going to buy a complete replacement DRO system from Amazon or somewhere. Maybe I’ll get the Mitutoyo box working but the wires are pretty shot looking. I’d feel better with a complete new system that has modern features. Like drilling holes in a circular shape would be helpful.

 

[BGHansen]

Thank you. It’d be a shame to replace these scales with Chinese made ones. But I’m thinking I’m most likely going to buy a complete replacement DRO system from Amazon or somewhere. Maybe I’ll get the Mitutoyo box working but the wires are pretty shot looking. I’d feel better with a complete new system that has modern features. Like drilling holes in a circular shape would be helpful.

The newer DRO's have added some nice functions like holes on a circle, ABS/INC coordinates, sub-datums, evenly spaced holes on a line, etc. Not that those functions can't be done manually, but it's nice to have it all handled by the "box".

Bruce

 

[Defender92]

UPDATE: She runs!

I finally got my VFD in today. Ran out to the garage in slippers and did a temporary setup with the VFD. It sounds very nice. There is a weird high pitched electronic sound like a dial up modem sound. I’m not sure if I should be concerned or not. But it doesn’t sound like a bearing or gear grinding.

The spindle is running in reverse. Should I swap the single phase input wires or the 3 phase output wires to correct this?

Next I will buy an enclosure for the VFD. I’m thinking maybe putting some sort of circuit breaker in the box because the outlet I’m using is a 50 amp and Hitachi calls for 30 amps. I want to also build an external control box with a power switch, e-stop, RPM readout and maybe more.

 

[Eddyde]

Swap any two of the three phase legs, to reverse.

 

[Shotgun]

If you plug it in, turn it on, and just start pushing buttons. . . .

You MIGHT be a man.

 

[Eddyde]

Oil that spindle!

 

[markba633csi]

The high pitched sound is probably the carrier frequency making the motor windings buzz- totally normal
The VFD can reverse the motor or you can swap any two motor wires- your choice
Good deal I would say! Great fun!
-M

 

[Defender92]

The high pitched sound is probably the carrier frequency making the motor windings buzz- totally normal
The VFD can reverse the motor or you can swap any two motor wires- your choice
Good deal I would say! Great fun!
-M

Thank you!

There’s a lot of functions the VFD has that I still haven’t explored. It’s like a computer! I think I still need to program the specifics of my motor into the VFD. I think it needs to know the amps or wattage??

I ordered an electrical enclosure I will mount the VFD in and onto the side of the base of the Bridgeport. Then I want to build a separate control box attached to the head with a power switch and forward reverse switch. I’m still trying to decipher the manual on how to add external switches.

 

[markba633csi]

Two considerations: prevent metal chips from entering the VFD (we had a couple members fry their units that way)
and ensure good airflow for the VFD if enclosed (add a fan if necessary)