Latest addition to a small garage

[AlanD]

Unfortunately I have a single car garage - 12'x24'. It has worked out ok except for never being able to put a car in it. I recently bought a Grizzly G4003G 12"x36" lathe and decided I would eventually need a mill. About 3 months after I got the lathe I had to deploy overseas with the Navy for 7 months.

While deployed I kept checking around for a mill and was really looking at a Grizzly since I must admit their service and support has been top notch. I was browsing Craigslist while at sea and saw a Bridgeport come up back at home. I thought it was a great deal and sent the wife out to look at it. She paid the guy and he was nice enough to hold it at his shop until I returned so she wouldn't have to worry with moving it. It is a 1986 Bridgeport J-head with Proto Trak Plus DRO and CNC. Not the newest thing on the block but excellent for the price. Just got it home and hooked up and wanted to share a pic of it.

Now on to a question about it. I'm told that this CNC is capable of hooking to a computer and storing or downloading programs. I'm looking for the software. If anyone would happen to have it available or know where I could find it, I would be very grateful. Thanks for any help,
Al

 

[justinmc]

Wow.. holy cow. I'm operating in a similar garage.. roughly 14x25.. I luckily work on & drive small cars so I actually have a a bit of room to spread out and work. I can't imagine having a mill like that in my garage though. VERY COOL...

Now you have justification to build a bigger garage when you get back home.. but.. honey see we just filled the garage.. now I need another! haha.

 

[jmack]

It is a 1986 Bridgeport...
I'm told that this CNC is capable of hooking to a computer and storing or downloading programs. I'm looking for the software.l

Are you sure about that? Considering in 1986, state of the art was an Apple Macintosh and the computer mouse started rolling out.
I would be skeptical that your machine could interface with a computer.

 

[dipper]

Are you sure about that? Considering in 1986, state of the art was an Apple Macintosh and the computer mouse started rolling out.
I would be skeptical that your machine could interface with a computer.

The proto trak is what interfaces with the computer, and it probably drives stepper motors to move the table around. Even cars were pretty high tech in the late 80's with computers and fuel injection.

 

[jmack]

Ah, so the item in question is the ProtoTrak Plus. Ok, looks like that was manufactured from 1990-1992 and uses standard rs232 (serial) communication. According to the manufacturer website, there is no one specific software to use. You can use any CAD/CAM software so long as it can postprocess using the Fanuc 6 protocol, so just check for that spec before you buy software.

 

[AlanD]

Awesome info there jmack. Thanks for all the help on that. I'll have to check into CAD software out there and see what it will do. Based on the manual you are right though. It is very primitive. The way to send the program back in forth is from the DOS command line with a 'COPY filename COM1' command. Luckily a lot of it like bolt circles and pockets etc can be programmed from the face of it.

It is a very tight squeeze in the garage. I work on Fieros and right now there is still not enough room to get one of them in there. Doesn't help I'm walking around a cradle for one of the Fieros with a 3800SC on it it is in the middle of the floor while I am mocking everything up. If I could just talk the wife into getting rid of the standup freezer and move the water heater elsewhere, I may have a bit more room I can use for more toys

 

[67pete300]

Those look cool. Lots of guys seem to have them. I have to imagine they're pretty expensive.

What do you use it for?

 

[t. jones]

Is it 3 phase? I just purchased a Holke mill hope to have it up by Christmas.
Thanx Trevor

 

[toolchaser]

The Prototrac is also "conversational program " capable. Yours appears to be a 3 axis machine. you can make program paths from the onboard screen by "filling in the blanks" IE; inside pocket, outside pocket, bolt circle programs that are part of the onboard software. I learned on one in CNC technical school. Prototrac and Southwest Industries are still in business. If you want more info you should have a local dist. Go to the Practical Machinist Forum and post your question there, lots of folks there with more smarts than me! What area of the country are you located?

 

[AlanD]

It is a 3-phase machine. I bought a static convertor with it after talking with the people at Enco. Got it in and installed it and the motor would start about 1/3 of the time in forward and never start in reverse. Called them up and despite a no-return policy on them had no trouble getting a return and I'm now waiting on a rotary convertor. I could have just put a different motor on it and I probably will down the road but for now the converter will get it operational.

I got fairly lucky on the price I think. It ended up being $2000 after the tow truck bill to get it moved. Cost of tooling however - whew!

Honestly I have no idea what I will be doing with it. I may possibly start turning out some brackets for a disk brake upgrade for the Fiero and the neighbor already wants to use it to mill flats on a custom steering shaft for his Triumph. I'm sure the projects will show up for it. Always seem to find uses for the newest toy to justify it.

toolchaser: I'll check out the site. I located in Virginia Beach, VA. Didn't realize it wasn't in my profile. I'll have to fix that.

 

[Smokey]

Nice find!

Welcome home and thanks for your service!

 

[AlanD]

Thanks Smokey for the welcome home. I'm 2 years from retirement if I leave at 20 and I'm very ready to pack up and head back down your way to Hartsville, SC. I miss the small city life I grew up in. Even the Hampton Roads area is too metropolis for me

 

[Smokey]

Thanks Smokey for the welcome home. I'm 2 years from retirement if I leave at 20 and I'm very ready to pack up and head back down your way to Hartsville, SC. I miss the small city life I grew up in. Even the Hampton Roads area is too metropolis for me

You're Welcome. I retired back in 94 (Army) and tinkered around for a bit, until my wife said it was time to find job, she caught me painting the raised white letters on my push mower! Hope to get to retire again in a few more years.

Small town America is a very neat place! I wanted to be in a much smaller place the Rock Hill and looked down towards Lancaster, but the JOB is in RH and I hated the long commute I had at the last place.

Hartsville looks great, enjoy

Chris