# $400 Bridgeport



## Barncat

What kind of head would go on this?








						Bridgeport mill
					

Bridgeport milling machine. No head. $400. May be able to load for free on a normal knee high trailer.



					grandrapids.craigslist.org


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## reds

Multiple heads.


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## Cooter Brown

Almost any head will go on that.... You can put 2 heads on that base....


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## matthewsx

Cooter Brown said:


> Almost any head will go on that.... You can put 2 heads on that base....



And two heads are better than one?

That one's been around for a while, probably good for parts? Must have been worked hard with that setup.


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## Buffalo21

I like the storage arrangements, nothing says I care like being uncovered in a field


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## ThinWoodsman

Buffalo21 said:


> I like the storage arrangements, nothing says I care like being uncovered in a field


Always try to buy free range tooling!


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## Bob Korves

Can't get $400 for it from the scrapper, and you may have to deliver it to them...


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## markba633csi

Look Dear,  the rare and elusive two-headed Bridgeport bird in the wild!


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## matthewsx

If I had space I'd buy it for the handles and tables. But I don't....


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## projectnut

I believe it was originally a "True Trace" a tracer mill.  One head would follow the pattern of the object being traced with a stylus.  The second head would cut the shape in new stock.

Here's a complete unit on eBay:








						BRIDGEPORT, DUAL HEAD, KNEE MILL, TRUE TRACE, PATTERN TRACER, PU.47.1  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BRIDGEPORT, DUAL HEAD, KNEE MILL, TRUE TRACE, PATTERN TRACER, PU.47.1 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




Here's a little newer unit.




__





						28" tracer mill, bridgeport tru-trace 3DA tra
					





					www.lislesurplus.com


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## markba633csi

I see the probe stylus unit and the control lines- but why the two powerheads?  Wouldn't one stylus and one powerhead do the trace and cutting?
I'm missing something there
M


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## BGHansen

Never have seen one of these in action - taken from Tony UK's lathe page on Bridgeports.

Bruce


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## talvare

markba633csi said:


> I see the probe stylus unit and the control lines- but why the two powerheads?  Wouldn't one stylus and one powerhead do the trace and cutting?
> I'm missing something there
> M



It cuts two identical parts at a time.

Ted


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## markba633csi

Aha, very nifty


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## projectnut

The one in the links I posted is a bit different than the one we had in the shop.  If I recall correctly ours was a converted Tree brand 2UVR.  I don't know if the conversion was done by the Tree company or an outside vendor.  It was already in the shop when I started there.  The milling and tracing heads looked almost identical.  Looking closer at the Bridgeport I see it has a considerably smaller tracer head on the right side, and mulitple cutting heads.

I never used the one in our shop.  It sat in the back of the room most of the time covered with pieces and parts of ongoing projects.  It wasn't a very popular machine.  It took about 1/2 an hour to warm up so all the functions operated smoothly.  Most people preferred the manual Tree mills or the "new at the time" Tree 325 CNC machine.  Even the 325 wasn't all that popular with the old timers.  Somehow programing a machine was seen as less skilled than actually turning the cranks.  In time one of the youngest guys was sent to school for the CNC machine and became the sole operator.

There are several YouTube videos showing the setup and operation of a True Trace milling machine.


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## PCFree50

markba633csi said:


> I see the probe stylus unit and the control lines- but why the two powerheads?  Wouldn't one stylus and one powerhead do the trace and cutting?
> I'm missing something there
> M


These were before NC and CNC mills. Production...cut two parts at the same time.


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## PCFree50

BGHansen said:


> Never have seen one of these in action - taken from Tony UK's lathe page on Bridgeports.
> 
> Bruce
> 
> View attachment 296459


The two-head unit on the left is drivenb by servos and many were converted to NC mills. The one on the right has a hydraulic table and can only be used as a tracer. No screws to move the bed.


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## PCFree50

I actually have one of these. While looking at an auction for a manual Bridgeport, I saw this and wondered what it was. I looked online and saw ones that were selling for around $2k so I felt safe bidding $105 just to stay connected to the auction. The next day I went online to see what it sold for...and I owned it!!! $128 out the door including auction fees...loaded on my trailer. The guy running the auction was glad I was going to keep it as most thought it would go across the scales at the scrap yard.
I don't have it up and running yet but will post pictures. A guy where I work use to set them up so when it is running, i will post what I can of it in action.


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