# Bought a Bridgeport



## Tobias2017 (Mar 3, 2018)

Hello, So I just bought a Bridgeport mill.  I just looked at it, and was able to get power to it and the varispeed head sound pretty good.  This thing will need some clean up and a lube of everything, but overall I am hoping there is a good machine hiding under the grime.  It seamed tight to me.  I am sure I will have many questions, but my initial one is does any one recognize the long handle with the ball end that is sitting laid across the vice in this picture?  If it is mill related I will take it with the mill when I pick it up next week.


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## projectnut (Mar 3, 2018)

It's not any part of a Bridgeport I've ever seen.  I have an almost identical machine in my shop built in 1972.  When I moved it to it's current location I disassembled it as far as I could to make the pieces light enough to get down the stairs.  It came apart in about a dozen pieces, and nothing looked like that.  It's been running in it's current location for 12 or so years and nothing seems to be missing.  Here are a few pictures of my machine:


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## dlane (Mar 3, 2018)

The x powerfeed is different than what I’ve seen , is it on both sides of the table ?.
 Don’t recognize the ball shaft but ied take it too , think material. 
Welcome to the site.


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## Tobias2017 (Mar 3, 2018)

dlane said:


> The x powerfeed is different than what I’ve seen , is it on both sides of the table ?.
> .



Yes, I told the guy I would take everything that was even remotely mill related. It is in at a school, and the mill has not been used in a long time.  The shop teacher was new (industrial arts teacher now?) and sold the mill to get the students a cnc plasma machine.  I feel my money is going to a good cause.
For the power feed it does seem that the mill has 2 on the 'x' axis.  One is the bridgeport original and one is a Lyman MK 4 (the large thing on the left.)  We could not get either to work, so I am starting to do my homework on them.  Going to get this thing home and see if one of them can be fixed.


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## T Bredehoft (Mar 3, 2018)

Make sure you get any tool holders that go with it.  Singly they're not too dear, but if there are a dozen, that's 12 you won't have to buy.


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## chips&more (Mar 3, 2018)

Hi and welcome to the HM. That ball thing with the rod is not Bridgeport. And that that thing on the left of the table is not Bridgeport either. The power feed on the right is original Bridgeport. Good Find!...Dave.


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## projectnut (Mar 3, 2018)

I'm guessing there's a power feed on each side because the original Bridgeport one on the right side died.  If they removed it there would no longer be support for the X lead screw or an X handle on that side of the machine.  They probably gutted the box and just left the shaft connected to the lead screw and handle in place.  On that series power feed the shaft for the handle went through the box and coupled to the lead screw about 6" under the table.  

My machine had a similar situation when I bought it.  However in my case someone had removed the feed box and handle.  There were so many parts missing from the assembly it would have cost more than the machine to try to resurrect it.  Instead I chose to make an extension shaft and coupling for the existing short lead screw and put on a new manual endplate, bearing, set of dials, and a handle.  If you look at the last picture I posted you'll see the new bearing plate, dials, and handle.  I got lucky in that a local machine surplus dealer had just bought out a Bridgeport rebuilding shop in Milwaukee.  I was able to purchase all the parts I needed for $10.00.  The normal retail prices for the items I needed was well over $300.00 and that was over 15 years ago.

One thing to look for is whether you have both metric and Imperial dials on the X and Y  feed handles.  Mine was also from a local high school.  At the time there was somewhat of a push for the machining industry to go metric.  Most of the manual lathes and mills sold to the local high schools came with both metric and imperial dials just in case the initiative was successful.  Now days no one worries about it.  If you have a metric job or an imperial one you just switch the DRO to the preferred measurement scale.


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## Tobias2017 (Mar 3, 2018)

Thanks for the info projectnut (Mr. Nut?) That is what I am assuming, that the original power feed on the right of the table failed and they replaced it with the Lyman mk4 that is mounted on the left of the table. I will hopefully be able to figure it out after I move it and can start tinkering with it.  The move will likely be a little stressfull but I have a low trailer that should make it do-able.


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## Richard King 2 (Mar 3, 2018)

That ball and bar looks like it's off of a press brake,you put it in the hole and lift the brake  I bet they had one in the shop or have one that no one knows how it works.  I agree on the power feeds.   The bridgeport on has a little box on the right side of mill collum that has a electronic board that gets fried and they are expensive. I would look on Ebay for a board and remove the Lyman.   Does the machine have chrome ways?   Rich


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## middle.road (Mar 3, 2018)

projectnut said:


> It's not any part of a Bridgeport I've ever seen.  I have an almost identical machine in my shop built in 1972.  When I moved it to it's current location I disassembled it as far as I could to make the pieces light enough to get down the stairs.  It came apart in about a dozen pieces, and nothing looked like that.  It's been running in it's current location for 12 or so years and nothing seems to be missing.  Here are a few pictures of my machine:
> 
> View attachment 260547
> View attachment 260548
> View attachment 260550


How in the devil do you make chips and keep it that clean? I keep plugging away and keep failing at it.
I'm going to get these images printed out at 8x10 and put them on my shop door so I can attain that level of shop organization.


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## projectnut (Mar 4, 2018)

middle.road said:


> How in the devil do you make chips and keep it that clean? I keep plugging away and keep failing at it.
> I'm going to get these images printed out at 8x10 and put them on my shop door so I can attain that level of shop organization.



I clean the shop religiously after each use.  We have 2 Cocker Spaniels that love to come into the shop.  They also love to take things back into the house and be rewarded for it.  The last thing I want them to do is pick up swarf from drilling, tapping, and/or turning into the house for a treat.  I'm afraid they could swallow something, or get it caught in their paws.  The last half hour in the shop is spent cleaning which includes vacuuming and wiping down all the machines I've used, vacuuming the floor, and putting away all tooling.  

I have 4 vacuums in the shop.  One is mounted to the wall by the mill.  It's on and the suction hose is in position when I do anything more than drill a hole.  There's a second hooked to the surface grinder that is on anytime the grinder is being used.  There's a third in the area of the 2 lathes that I use to clean the floor, and a fourth on the opposite side of the shop by the woodworking equipment.  The woodworking machines are also connected to a home made central dust collection system to help keep things clean.

Once the cleaning process is complete I open the sliding partition between the shop and the stairs and let them come in.  It's a real pain in the --- to be continually cleaning the place, but I couldn't live with myself if the dogs got injured because of my laziness.


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## projectnut (Mar 4, 2018)

To help keep the mess in the shop to a minimum I made a fixture to hold the vacuum hose in place on the Bridgeport.  This isn't my design.  I borrowed it from a member of the Practical Machinist bulletin board.


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## dlane (Mar 4, 2018)

Projectnut that’s quite a Contraption to suck up the swarf. Any prob with hot chips melting hoses ?.


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## projectnut (Mar 4, 2018)

So far no problems with hot chips.  I've been using it for around 5 years.  I must admit that if I do need to remove substantial amounts of material 90+% of it is done with roughing mills.  They make considerably smaller chips that cool almost instantly.

Here are some pictures of the original:


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## Ropata (Mar 10, 2018)

projectnut said:


> So far no problems with hot chips.  I've been using it for around 5 years.  I must admit that if I do need to remove substantial amounts of material 90+% of it is done with roughing mills.  They make considerably smaller chips that cool almost instantly.
> 
> Here are some pictures of the original:


The only problem I've had with my multiple vacuum's is that the oil seems to weaken all the plastic thus shattering when tugged or hitting the ground. I think I've made more vac adaptors than other parts in my shop.


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## JimDawson (Mar 10, 2018)

Tobias2017 said:


> I am sure I will have many questions, but my initial one is does any one recognize the long handle with the ball end that is sitting laid across the vice in this picture? If it is mill related I will take it with the mill when I pick it up next week.



No idea, but not part of any mill I have ever seen.  Good find, congratulations.


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## projectnut (Mar 11, 2018)

Ropata said:


> The only problem I've had with my multiple vacuum's is that the oil seems to weaken all the plastic thus shattering when tugged or hitting the ground. I think I've made more vac adaptors than other parts in my shop.



So far oil hasn't been a problem.  The vacuum that gets the most oil is the one by the mill.  The original vacuum died over 15 years ago.  It was an indoor/outdoor commercial vacuum I purchased in the 1970's.  I still use the original hose from that vacuum.  I don't know what compound it's made of, but it still remains flexible and works just fine.


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