looking for a mill

[New_Guy]

well i started a new job about a month ago sort of part time right now and its kind of hard to get to as i cant drive yet (ill be 18 soon) its an old school shop all most everything is done with the CNC's and they do use all the manual lathes but they dont touch the manual mills i had a chat to some of the guys and only one Bridgeport is ever used on a rare occasion and the rest (a second J head Bridgeport, a horizontal and a universal) are never used the second Bridgeport had its motor taken out for the first one and its not even the original so im fairly sure this mill is never going to be used for more than a storage table so....

would it be a bad idea (since im only casual) to ask what they have planed for it and if possible what sort of price they would let it go out the door for?

also when i got my lathe (new 12x36" great big head ach) i found it took so long to get up and running and i would have been so much better getting a smaller lathe at the time but now i find it a great size with heaps of power even so i told myself get a small mill like an X2 DONT GET a big bench one that will drain your cash!! and now im thinking of a Bridgeport!! am i just crazy come on someone help me.... stop me :-[

 

[rake60]

If you can find a Bridgeport that is within your budget, BUY IT!

If not, an X2 is a great start. If it isn't abused it can be sold or
traded in on a bigger mill at a minimal loss.

Rick

 

[vlmarshall]

Dooooooooooo it! Get that Bridgeport if you can.

 

[bearcar1]

Hiya New Guy,
If I may, *IF* you inquire as to the cost of that BP out the door, do your homework regarding the cost of any types of repairs etc. (you said it was missing the motor to begin with) it would require. Now this could be done prior to asking but then before doing so, and in order to better arm yourself with a good $$$ figure to throw out etc., take the time to thoroughly inspect the machine's condition. How much backlash is in the leadscrews, the condition of the ways, even have a plan and cost of how you are going to load and unload the beast and move it into position. All of these things should be taken into account BEFORE you jump on that hand grenade. If these problems can be resolved or are no problem than by all means, purchase the thing and do not look back. If the machine has been taken care of (hopefully) and can be bought for low dollars, (hopefully again) and you have a place to set it up and supply power to it, you won't be one bit sorry of your actions. HOWEVER, if the machine has been treated like crap, and quite a few of them have been, and it is in need of a high dollar rehab, it most likely would not be the best idea to pursue unless the shop is willing to give it to you in order to obtain the space. Even then, have a good idea of the repairs that would be needed and decide accordingly. Your call, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and the BP.

BC1
Jim

 

[New_Guy]

the machine is not in top condition but then again none of there machine are lol

the Bridgeport with out the motor is the newer one made in Singapore i think and was variable speed, has a factory powerfeed on X, a slotting head fitter (dont think they will want that they have a larger dedicated slotter), a horizontal attachment in a cupboard and some R8 tooling around the place

the other Bridgeport that gets some use (i dont think they would sell) is older maybe 40 years old and is labeled with Adcock and Shipley this machine is kept a little cleaner the bearing surfaces are cleaner with no rust (maybe chromed?) and i can see the normal wear that you would expect on an old machine, just a little odd is that it has a digital read out scale on X not the full length and no display box or anything.... ah what else oh yes this one has a coolant pump and tank but is missing its rear door im not sure if the other one has the coolant tank but i would bet it does to

im not really sure how much these machine would cost (and im sure they dont) i know dealers put ridiculous prices on old machines but what would be a good starting figure be? sorry forgot to mention im in Australia to

 

[speakerme]

Hello,

Consider a Birmingham milling machine, a bridgeport clone 9X40 3 hp 220 3 phase. I bought mine used $4500 it has power feed on the y & Z. The Hitachi 3 phase generator makes it a variable speed, I love it and it has done all that I have asked of it. I'm sure that here are some older Birmingham's out there that would be cheaper for you give them a good look before you make a final decision.

Best Wishes

Chuck M

 

[bearcar1]

"...a good starting point....?" Start out at 'free' and go from there NG. As I said, they may want the floor space. The tooling would be worth something at least but feel them out after doing your research on the availability/cost of parts required. Here in the U.S. I have seen terrific machines go for pennies on the dollar and I have also been witness to pieces of crap go for big bucks. It really is dependent on the overall condition of the ways and the spindle bearings. The table should be free of abuses as well. I am sorry I do not have any definite answers in terms of pricing but I would try to get it for as little as possible as with any transactions, hell, even ply them with a case of beer and see what happens. Get the serial number and do a look up on the BP website to find its age etc. They really are workhorses when it comes to milling, I own one that came from a small shop in San Diego California (shipyard territory) and is a round ram series one M head. It was manufactured in 1942 and is a dream to operate as it had been well maintained and I purchased it and had it shipped to my garage here in Illinois for a little over $1K. The only thing I really do wish that it had was a J head but for the work/play that I do it serves it purpose well.

BC1
Jim

 

[Blogwitch]

In the UK you can pick up reasonable condition Bridgies very cheaply. The main problem is GOOD transportation and getting it into your shop.

If I paid say 500 squid (UK pounds) for a machine, someone moving it on cheap but good logistics would cost around 300 squid (a lot of that is based on mileage charges). When I moved my slightly smaller clone in, I had silly quotes from reputable machine movers where they were going to charge over 1K squid, and then they wanted to remove a wall or take part of the roof off my shop to get it in.

It isn't the machine costs that are usually the main problem, moving a 1 ton lump is, unless you have very good, and strong friends.

Bogs

 

[New_Guy]

"...a good starting point....?" Start out at 'free' and go from there NG. As I said, they may want the floor space. The tooling would be worth something at least but feel them out after doing your research on the availability/cost of parts required

im not sure they would just give it away but should be worth a shot ;D im not sure they care to much about the space they have a whole CNC sitting that hasn't been used in years down the back thats a fairly expensive waist of space lol

transport shouldn't be an issue if i can get it i would take the head, the ram and table off put them on pallets then move them on a UTE or a trailer work has cranes and a forked lift then at home we shouldn't have much trouble using pipe rollers a chain hoist and brute force

i would really prefer a second hand machine this time and i know what ever machine i get i will have to strip it down which is ok i like rebuilding projects so im not bothered by replacing the motor i think it would be fun ;D

 

[compressor man]

Replacing a motor may be fun but can be costly as well. I would not even think about buying the thing without first determining the cost of a motor. Keep in mind that it was likely designed for a 3 phase motor which your home shop is probably not set up for. You will probably need to find a 220V motor that is the same frame as the original one.

 

[New_Guy]

im thinking i would just remove the whole cover and make a new slimmer mount and belt drive then just use a variable speed motor i wouldn't mind buying a good motor whats the disadvantage of using a single phase motor?

 

[Mainer]

You won't find a suitable variable-speed single-phase motor. Variable-speed single-phase motors on drills and fans and such are universal types, with brushes. You'll need an induction motor, and VFDs don't work well on single-phase induction motors because varying the speed messes up the motor's starting mechanism.

A 3-phase motor with a VFD, on the other hand, is a great combination.

 

[New_Guy]

already found a candidate as i said im not worried about the motor

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Products?stockCode=E120

its single phase made in Australia variable speed and i can get it in 1 or 2 HP the only problem is length and if it can be adopted to flange mounting

Edit found a link showing a few ideas for mounting the motor

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=28320

also measured up the shed to make sure i have enough head height for a knee mill and i have plenty ;D work tomorrow ill see what the head is like