Bridgeport milling vise questions

[Investigator]

I got this vise with the Bayport clone I just brought home Honeoye mill. I was hoping folks could tell me about it. Do I need to get a "better" vise? What kind of quality are these. It has the swivel mount which i will remove most likely.. any information on refurbishment of these would be great.

 

[Chipper5783]

Quality? Does it matter (you own it now). Certainly if you've plenty of money, get a new top end vise. Otherwise, just clean it up and use it. Life is never perfect. After you have cleaned and serviced the vise, play with it a bit - find out if the fixed jaw is straight and square, is the bed square to the table, then try clamping a piece of material. Find out if the moving jaw is square to the fixed one, if there is lift and if the work can be tapped back down. It will probably work out to pretty darn good. Let us know the result.

 

[Winegrower]

Agree with Chipper 5783. But really I don't like the Bridgeport vise design much, because there is no gap in the bottom surface. It's easier to drill into your vise that way. Though if somebody was that dull, there are many other ways of messing up tools than that.

 

[extropic]

I suppose the Bridgeport vise was top drawer equipment when it was first designed and manufactured.
That one has been 'rode hard'. Maybe that particular vise was assigned to each newby that was hired.
The screw attached plate in front of the fixed jaw is a repair. Maybe just to cover some of the drilled/milled damage. Maybe worse.

If it holds your workpiece solidly and squarely, I suppose you don't "need" another. That is a big "if".

I doubt it would be economically prudent to have it reground to flat, parallel, square and tight enough to serve as new. Even then, the design lacks the moving jaw hold-down features common on more modern vises.

How much vise do you require? How much $$$ are available for a replacement. Can that vise be relegated to service in a non-precision application, so still be useful?

 

[benmychree]

"Rode hard and put away wet" pretty much says it all, I think you would be happier with an Kurt Anglock clone.

 

[projectnut]

I guess I would try it for a while as Chipper5783 suggests. Bridgeport did make a quality vise and many thousands are still in service. If the thing can be trammed properly and the moveable jaw doesn't show unreasonable rise when closed that's all that you need. I would be a shame to invest several hundred dollars in a new vise only to find the machine itself worn to the point it can't be accurately trammed.

As for the jaws themselves most shops consider them as consumables. Over the years I've made several sets of jaws for my Bridgeport vise. I currently have a number of sets of aluminum soft jaws profiled to hold specialty parts. I also have a few sets of hard jaws I ground on my surface grinder. There are several online vendors that sell relatively inexpensive replacement jaws.

Personally I have left the swivel plate on mine. It makes tramming a bit easier, and makes it more versatile if you do any amount of angle work. If all you want is a stationary vise remove the plate and put a couple pieces of key stock in the slots on the bottom to make it easier to locate and tram. Picture #4 in the link below shows the underside of a typical Bridgeport vise with the locating keys.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Bridgepo...936440?hash=item3d88408b78:g:vvwAAOSwnNBXaslI

Here are a couple pictures of my Bridgeport vise. It was originally purchased with the mill in 1972 for a local high school machine shop. It does have a few marks on it, but is still perfectly functional.



In the second picture the vise on the machine is an 8" Palmgren without the swivel attachment. The 6" Bridgeport vise weighs approximately 75 lbs., while the Palmgren is a little over 125 lbs.

 

[akjeff]

I'd sure try indicating it in, and cut some pieces with it, before spending the $$ on a new vise. You make just find out it works just fine. Can't hurt to give it a go. Maybe stick a 123 block in it, with an indicator on top, and see if, or how badly the moving jaw deflects up?

 

[ThinWoodsman]

"Rode hard and put away wet" pretty much says it all, I think you would be happier with an Kurt Anglock clone.

Agreed. My Bridgeport came with a Bridgeport vise, and finally I bit the bullet and forked out for a 6" Kurt. I was amazed at the difference the anglock approach makes. Much more reliable: with the Bridgeport vise, I was having to re-clamp the workpiece a few times before getting a good seat. With the anglock, you generally get a good seat the first time.