Considering Buying A Bridgeport Mill

From the pics you posted it looks like its under power. Turn it on, run the head up to full speed, the all the way down. Have him put it in back gear and run it. Try the power feeds, move the table and quill and check for play and full travel.

Check the ways closely.
Look for any broken or missing parts.

Hopefully others will add to my list of things to check.
 
Looks like a Bridgeport series I with a 2J head. In my neck of the woods, that price and condition is just OK. I would not run to the phone or truck trying to buy it. But would entertain it if you know what I mean. If the choices in your area are slim, then most definitely buy that iron. Replacement parts are not a problem at all. And plenty of documentation for the Bridgeport mill is out there. Resale value ain’t bad either…Good Luck, Dave.
 
alloy said:
From the pics you posted it looks like its under power. Turn it on, run the head up to full speed, the all the way down. Have him put it in back gear and run it. Try the power feeds, move the table and quill and check for play and full travel.

Check the ways closely.
Look for any broken or missing parts.

Hopefully others will add to my list of things to check.
Click to expand...

That pic was before it was moved, so unfortunately it's not under power. From working with the lathe, I feel comfortable checking out the ways for slack.

chips&more said:
Looks like a Bridgeport series I with a 2J head. In my neck of the woods, that price and condition is just OK. I would not run to the phone or truck trying to buy it. But would entertain it if you know what I mean. If the choices in your area are slim, then most definitely buy that iron. Replacement parts are not a problem at all. And plenty of documentation for the Bridgeport mill is out there. Resale value ain’t bad either…Good Luck, Dave.
Click to expand...

It must be about location... I imagine in the northeast or in Cali, these things are common, but I don't run up on them that often in the southeast. At least not through the grapevine or craigslist. I don't have a chance to go to many equipment auctions. I've seen on other forums where people say they get them 900-$1500 fully tooled, but I just don't see it around here. Hell, I had a "Buddy" try to sell me a series I J head with slop in the table, no power feeds, no vice, no tooling for $2,500. Hell, I just chuckled... Ebay prices are around 2,500 and 5,500. The good thing is, I don't have to have one, it's more of a want than anything... It'll sit in the corner unplugged for a few months until I get a chance to mess with it, then I'll have to learn how to use it. I may check it out and if the ways look tight, I may haggle with him.
 
If you buy one with no goodies, figure $400 for Kurt vise, 400- 1000 for a DRO worth a darn, 100 for a few good collets. Drill chuck, end mills, add another hundred or lots more, and if you want power feed, the Chinese ones are approximately 300 per axis. Tooling adds up but it can be bought later. Accuracy is very expensive to buy later. I know guys who have bought clapped out lathes and mills who constantly complain that holding 1 or 2 thousandths is very difficult. If you are inexperienced on a machine it would serve you very well to take someone knowledgeable with you to check one out if you are spending money you can not afford to loose. Any machine I see with fresh paint on , is a huge red flag to me, I immediately suspect is falls in the polishing a turd category. Great machines don't need stinking pretty paint jobs to sell them, the feel of the movements and measurements of parts machined prove their worth.

The dealer is long gone but I believe his treatise on buying a used mill is still online somewhere, I believe his company was Mermac, or something similar. Reading that years ago kept me from buy a lot of crappy machines that were enticing.

cheers
michael
 
Depending on what the factory made,it may have just been use by maintenance dept who knows.The play may just be the screw nut???(I think)Crank the table all the way to the column where the table normally seats which will be right under the quill take a look at the ways which is where most he wear will be.I say that parts are still available either new or used,but 2K is a chunk of coins for something that is unproven.If the ways are good to go then anything else is repairable.By now if he still has it then I would look it over carefully and maybe offer 1500.
 
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