Looks like I have a decision to make...

[J. Ruby]

Hey everyone! I came across the chance to purchase a used BP Series 1 for a pretty ridiculous price from a machinery dealer near my area (about 20 minutes away from me).The guy was super honest and told me it was far from pristine, but it worked fine mechanically. I couldn't care less about the paint job, but I want to make sure the thing will last me and do my job with precision. Guy wants $1700 for it. Or, he offered to sell a much nicer condition Supermax YC-1 1/2 at the price of $4000. The money isn't too much of an issue, but of course if I can score a real BP for 1700 bones and possibly have it rebuilt according to what it needs, then that would be sweet! I'm a greenhorn, let's not mistake that. I am making simple projects ( cast iron tattoo machine frames) and I will be honest that I don't know too much about machining. Did well in machine shop 17 years ago in high school, but haven't ran a mill in a long long time. Anyway, what are some things to look for and be wary of when I go check out the machines? On top of that, would it be easier/more rewarding (possibly cheaper too,lol) to get the Bridgy and have her refurbished if needed, or spend a little extra and get the Supermax clone. I'm taking in consideration availability of spare parts, etc. Let me know what you all think! And thanks for taking the time to read this long post. I really gotta shorten these up haha!

Jesse

 

[xalky]

If the Bridgeport is in such rough shape that it needs to be refurbished, I'd stay away. If its mechanically sound then that's a decent price. I wouldn't consider a machine that is not usable in its current condition, it'll cost too much to have it refurbished, and should be bought for no more than the price of scrap, if its that far gone.

 

[J. Ruby]

If the Bridgeport is in such rough shape that it needs to be refurbished, I'd stay away. If its mechanically sound then that's a decent price. I wouldn't consider a machine that is not usable in its current condition, it'll cost too much to have it refurbished, and should be bought for no more than the price of scrap, if its that far gone.

Thanks for the advice! What are some things I should check for to see just how decent the Bridgeport is? Sorry for bombarding you with questions that may be hard to answer, but I will try to post a pic later

 

[DMS]

To some extent prices vary by area. Genuine bridgeports tend to go for a premium over clones, and dealers tend to have a premium over private sellers. You get some extra security when going through a dealer though, whereas, if you go through a private seller, you are pretty much on your own. Does that price include freight? If the machine is in good mechanical condition, then that is a good deal. Only way to tell is to go look at it, and if possible, see if a friend that has more experience will go with you. Main things to check are the condition of the ways, and the head. Run the X and Y axis through their full range of travel. Specifically you are looking for looseness in the middle, and binding at the ends (due to un-even wear in the middle). Keep in mind the cost to move unless you plan on trying it yourself. I think I spent around $500 to move my machine (a bridgeport clone). Moving things that heavy is not trivial.

Is this a variable speed head? If so, run it through the full speed range in both normal and back-gears and listen for any bad sounds. Check for the feed handle. Look for any gross mechanical damage that indicates the thing was dropped or otherwise mistreated.

Another thing to think about is where you are going to put it if you get it. Check ceiling heights and door heights. Dis-assembling a mill that size to ease moving is possible, but each of the components is at least 200 pounds (with the main column running around 700lbs, so it's still not something you can toss around on your own. Also, if you are going to install this on a raised floor, it will need to be reinforced. If it is in a garage with a concrete slab floor, you should be golden.

 

[alloy]

If you check everything like DMS said and it's in good mechanical condition and needs just a few small things you can do a lot yourself even without much experience. There is so much information on Bridgeports and so many parts available it's pretty easy to find parts for them. And you have American iron.

A few weeks ago I bought a 1962 step pulley Bridgeport for $1300 that looked pretty bad, but was in great shape mechanically. And by the time I took the day off work to get it, a trailer rental, a forklift, and $50 in gas my $1300 mill cost me $1800 to get home. Then I purchased a VFD to power it, and a digital readout for $600. So the costs add up quickly.

You can see my thread in this forum under "Just picked up a BP" It's been a lot of work cleaning, sanding, and painting it and a couple of small repairs but in the end I think it will be worth it and I'll be proud of the work I did on it. It's a labor of love for me

There are so many nice people on here you won't have a problem getting help with it. I'm very thankful I joined here.

 

[chuckorlando]

Out side of a broke casting your big concern is the ways. I would take a flat head with me and see if there is any gib adjustment left. How much back lash is in it. Most things are bolt on and thats no big deal. But you aint bolting on new ways. If they are not good you either need to learn to scrap or afford to have it done.

That goes for both machines. Just cause it looks nice dont mean it is and just cause it looks like scrap dont make it junk

 

[J. Ruby]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the info on what to check and look out for. Now, as far as the Supermax YC-1 1/2 VA is concerned : any thoughts on it? It was built in 1996 (Taiwan). From the pic I can see, it is in much better condition than the BP, but then again until it is checked out, none of that matters. Just wanna know if they are a good machine, and how it compares in size to the BP. I know the table on it is 9"x49" and the BP is 9"x42"...to tell the truth I would like the smaller/lighter mill between the two, but as far as I know they are roughly the same size/weight. Any comments or advice is welcomed!

Jesse

P.S. Whatever mill I end up with is only going to be used to remove a small amount of cast iron on 3"x3"x1" little tattoo machine frames. Only removing about 1/8" to 3/16" of material on certain parts of the casting. All straight cuts. I'm a tattoo artist and this is solely to make my own frames and build my own tattoo machines.

 

[AlanR]

P.S. Whatever mill I end up with is only going to be used to remove a small amount of cast iron on 3"x3"x1" little tattoo machine frames. Only removing about 1/8" to 3/16" of material on certain parts of the casting. All straight cuts. I'm a tattoo artist and this is solely to make my own frames and build my own tattoo machines.

You could easily do that with an RF31 style mill drill. Much smaller, lighter and cheaper. rf31 mill

 

[drs23]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the info on what to check and look out for. Now, as far as the Supermax YC-1 1/2 VA is concerned : any thoughts on it? It was built in 1996 (Taiwan). From the pic I can see, it is in much better condition than the BP, but then again until it is checked out, none of that matters. Just wanna know if they are a good machine, and how it compares in size to the BP. I know the table on it is 9"x49" and the BP is 9"x42"...to tell the truth I would like the smaller/lighter mill between the two, but as far as I know they are roughly the same size/weight. Any comments or advice is welcomed!

Jesse

P.S. Whatever mill I end up with is only going to be used to remove a small amount of cast iron on 3"x3"x1" little tattoo machine frames. Only removing about 1/8" to 3/16" of material on certain parts of the casting. All straight cuts. I'm a tattoo artist and this is solely to make my own frames and build my own tattoo machines.

Jesse,

You've made you're point quite clear from the beginning about what you are going to be doing. You don't need machine that big for tattoo guns. If you get a smaller mill and get smitten with the bug you can always upgrade...

But...$1700 is a good price if the machine isn't thrashed.

 

[J. Ruby]

Jesse,

You've made you're point quite clear from the beginning about what you are going to be doing. You don't need machine that big for tattoo guns. If you get a smaller mill and get smitten with the bug you can always upgrade...

But...$1700 is a good price if the machine isn't thrashed.

Cool! I figured I would explain my intentions in case the other guys didn't see my other post that went into detail about my plans. But I pretty much have come to the same conclusion. Something smaller will work and if I need bigger, so be it. I'm still gonna scope out the bridgeport because if it's in good condition, I'll probably nab it. Otherwise I'm going a tad smaller.