We are flooded with them here too. I just wish I could fit one in my basement. Ceiling is too low, not to mention I don't know how I would ever get it down the stairs.
You can get one down in the basement just like Johnny Cash built his car, "One Piece at a Time". My Bridgeport mill started in the garage. After a couple years of heat and cold cycles it started to rust. I disassembled it and piece by piece took it to the basement shop. I did all except the column by myself using a refrigerator dolly. I hired a local moving company to move the 1,000 lb. column. It took 4 guys and a 1,700 lb. capable powered step climber dolly. In less than half an hour they had it through the house and down the stairs. They charged the company minimum of $300.00.
Once in the basement I reassembled the machine by myself. It's been in the shop about 15 years and makes chips almost daily.
Most high schools in our area gave up teaching shop classes in the early 1990's because as said "we don't make anything in this country anymore". That backfired only a few years later. Now there's more demand for skilled machinists in our area than the schools can put out. The highs schools have now partnered with the local technical colleges. Our local technical college has 4 huge shops. In total I'll bet there's over 100 pieces of high quality metal working machinery. One shop is equipped with over a dozen manual lathes and the same number of manual vertical mills. In that same shop there are half a dozen horizontal mills and half a dozen manual surface grinders.
Another shop is more dedicated to CNC machines. In this shop there are a dozen vertical machining centers and an equal number of horizontal machining centers. The machining programs have a waiting list. They even offer evening classes for those that are already employed and are looking to either change careers, or advance in their current careers.
I took some classes there a few years ago when I was looking for a new surface grinder for my shop. To use the machines you had to prove operating and safety proficiency to the instructor. Once you did that you had free reign of the facility. I was able to use over a dozen different brands and models of surface grinders to help me decide which would be the best fit for my shop. I also used more than half a dozen manual lathes, an equal number of vertical milling machines, and several horizontal mills.
It was a great experience bumping elbows with people still in the trades, and those looking to enter the profession. I loved using the machines. Every one of them looked and performed like they just came from the factory. The school has a round robin refurbish/rebuild program with several of the supplying companies. Every summer 3 to 4 of each style machine are sent out for inspection refurbishing and updating. This is a case of your tax dollars actually being put to a worth while cause.
I haven't taken a class in a few years, but I'm thinking about taking one next fall. As mentioned in another thread one machine I am looking to put in the shop is a jig bore. They have several Moore, SIP, Linley and other brands still in their shops. I'd like to try out a few before they go the way of the dinosaurs. Who knows I may even be able to talk them into sell one to make room for more modern machinery.
