# Really shiny



## dsh1001 (Feb 28, 2014)

We just got a brand spankin' new Bridgeport machine in our shop. I have attached pictures and the manual. Feast your eyes gentlemen.


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## churchjw (Feb 28, 2014)

Wow I have heard of these but never seen one.  :thumbsup:

Jeff



dsh1001 said:


> We just got a brand spankin' new Bridgeport machine in our shop. I have attached pictures and the manual. Feast your eyes gentlemen.


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## Cactus Farmer (Feb 28, 2014)

Handle is on backwards, but I can fix it for you........


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## architard (Feb 28, 2014)

That's a very nice looking shop. What do you make there?


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 28, 2014)

Beautiful machine


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## toag (Feb 28, 2014)

I'm in no way a bridgeport fan, but I think thats just swank!


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## brasssmanget (Feb 28, 2014)

Wow - they really do exist! I don't think I have ever seen a brand new one.:thinking:


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## kd4gij (Feb 28, 2014)

If I where you I would send it back.












The head is on upside down:roflmao:


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## epanzella (Feb 28, 2014)

New bridgeports are like baby pigeons. You know they must exist but you never get to see one.


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## dsh1001 (Mar 1, 2014)

architard said:


> That's a very nice looking shop. What do you make there?



This is the shop at the Business and Technology Campus of Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City Missouri. The primary product we produce is broken cutting tools. 

- - - Updated - - -



kd4gij said:


> If I where you I would send it back. The head is on upside down
> 
> I managed to fix that, but those handles sure do pinch the fingers... especially in power feed.
> 
> ...


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## calstar (Mar 1, 2014)

dsh1001 said:


> This is the shop at the Business and Technology Campus of Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City Missouri.


 
I'm happy to see some community college's machine shop/courses are still up and running(and expanding as evidenced here). Way to often shops of all types are being eliminated(as is the case with our local one) not only in CCs but high school as well.:nuts:It would be interesting to see a list of CCs still offering machine tech programs on a state or regional basis.

thanks for posting, nice looking BP.

Brian


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## toag (Mar 1, 2014)

dsh1001 said:


> This is the shop at the Business and Technology Campus of Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City Missouri. The primary product we produce is broken cutting tools.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


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## itsme_Bernie (Mar 1, 2014)

DROOL.  I didn't even know they were still being made new!  Wow!



Bernie


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## m.batz2 (Mar 1, 2014)

That's a nice looking Bridgeport.  As far as Community Colleges having trades classes, Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA has an excellent machine shop and program, everything from manual machines to laser, EDM wire, water jet and press brakes.


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## jtwade (Mar 2, 2014)

You are a very lucky guy. I have heard that new Bridgeports were still being made, but have never seen one in person in a shop, much less a community college. Like others have said it seems that most schools are shutting down machinery courses, if they haven't already done so.


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## chuckorlando (Mar 2, 2014)

Them new ones are a joy to work on for sure. Our first lesson the first day of class was cleaning and tramming in the 4 new sharp BP clones. Just so smooth next to the old ones. We also got a new big haus and new real big haus. But we dont have way oil:nuts:


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## dsh1001 (Mar 2, 2014)

jtwade said:


> You are a very lucky guy. I have heard that new Bridgeports were still being made, but have never seen one in person in a shop, much less a community college. Like others have said it seems that most schools are shutting down machinery courses, if they haven't already done so.



Yes, I see schools closing their programs on an alarmingly regular basis. Ours has had its ups and downs but is thriving at the moment. We have had full day and night classes for the last three semesters. Our most popular program is the 16 week certificate in either lathe or mill. Students learn manual machines and if they pass that portion of the course they are allowed to move on to some CNC machine operation. The last 6 weeks is a paid internship with one of our local business partners. In addition to the Bridgeport, we have been lucky enough to receive grant money to help us purchase 4 Haas mini mills and 4 more CNC lathes; two of which have Y-axis capability. That brings us up to 8 CNC mills and 8 CNC lathes total. On the manual side, we have 17 each 15" Clausing lathes and 18 each manual mills. 14 of those are Bridgeports.


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## hman (Mar 3, 2014)

dsh1001 said:


> In addition to the Bridgeport, we have been lucky enough to receive grant money to help us purchase 4 Haas mini mills and 4 more CNC lathes; two of which have Y-axis capability. That brings us up to 8 CNC mills and 8 CNC lathes total. On the manual side, we have 17 each 15" Clausing lathes and 18 each manual mills. 14 of those are Bridgeports.



Good grief!  

How's the housing market in KCMO? :thinking:


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## frostheave (Mar 3, 2014)

If anyone just can't wait, buy one brand new online here:

http://www.kneemills.com/index.asp?html=prods&catID=1


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## TOOLMASTER (Mar 4, 2014)

that's a lot of bondo..


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## mrsonnet (Mar 4, 2014)

When I lived in CT Bridgeport Machine was one of the customers Id visit. As a result I got a couple shop floor tours. It was all very very interesting...Bridgeport machines making Bridgeport machines.


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## george wilson (Mar 4, 2014)

Nice to see a new bridgeport. But,it's really too bad they have completely degraded the formerly beautiful Bal-crank handles into what they now are. No taper to the shaft,and the handle is just a tapered cylinder. I see no need for that since everything is done CNC anyway,and they certainly still have drawings for those handles. Guess they don't teach the art of machine design in Singapore any more.

If I had that machine,the first thing I'd do is throw them away and make new,artistic Bal-cranks for it. I see they did,at least, retain decent handle shapes for the table locks.


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## jmhoying (Mar 4, 2014)

That looks really nice, but since they eliminated the door/storage area in the column, I would just keep the old one that is in the background of your photos! )

Jack


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## dsh1001 (Mar 4, 2014)

hman said:


> Good grief!
> 
> How's the housing market in KCMO? :thinking:



Not bad. Less expensive than Tempe I'd reckon.


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## drs23 (Mar 4, 2014)

Yes, really nice & shiny. I was going to ask but George answered my question already as to where they're make now. Those Singaporeisiens sure build a pretty machine.

Nice machine!


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## hvontres (Mar 4, 2014)

jmhoying said:


> That looks really nice, but since they eliminated the door/storage area in the column, I would just keep the old one that is in the background of your photos! )
> 
> Jack



Well, my 1984 didn't have that either.... btw, what exactly does one keep back there ?????


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## hdskip (Mar 4, 2014)

3 of my students have competed in the SkillsUSA contest in each of the last three years. I thought I recognized the picture in the first post. Folks this is seriously one of the 2 nicest shops I've ever been in in my 42 years in this business. I'm not sure how many staff members you have but I know how much work it takes to keep a shop looking that nice. You should be very proud of of it. If possible please post more pictures of the shop so we all can drool over it. Hopefully we'll be there again this summer. For those of you in the Kansas City area stop by the SkillsUSA contest. It's the first part of July. You'll see that there is serious hope for the youth of America. There are many vocations represented there. It is a REALLY big deal for vocational education. Check out the SkillsUSA website.


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## coolidge (Mar 4, 2014)

Okay...I want one!


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## jmhoying (Mar 4, 2014)

hvontres said:


> Well, my 1984 didn't have that either.... btw, what exactly does one keep back there ?????



It was a joke, as I had notice the lack of a door, as the older ones I'm used to all had them.  When I bought my last one, the shop apparently used it for storage for all the extra parts for their mills.  There were 4 quill fine feed hand-wheels, three complete sets of table feed ends from when they installed power feeds, hand cranks, DRO brackets, lots of bolts, etc.

Jack


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