Thinking about Buying a Bridgeport Mill

[CJ5Dave]

It was a litle different. Shaft has a longer section, 5/8 diameter, with the hollow gearbox shaft slid over it, with a slot that engages in a roll pin on the lead screw. Turns out one friend may have one similar to give away, another has a new lead screw if the correct length that would allow adding an aftermarket power feed.

 

[CJ5Dave]

This video at 4:35 shows the difference between a manual leadscrew shaft (which would take the aftermarket drive) and the gearbox drive leadscrew shaft.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Got a chance to buy a Bridgeport vertical mill. J head, 1 HP, 3 phase. Belt Drive, not variable speed drive. Not run in a while, but has been in storage and in dry. Seems good condition, X and Y tight, power feed missing, no digital stuff, all manual. Can't run it where it sits. I have phase converter on my lathe I can easliy hook up. No tooling, but he said he would give me some end mills with it, I have a few already, he has LOTS of mill tooling to sell, new and used. He wants $2000 for it, may can get it a little less. Looks good, just dirty. I plan to take my machine shop friend over to look at it next week. Worth the money? I am in Tennessee, a machine tool desert.

Did everything move smoothly? not chunky?

 

[CJ5Dave]

Yes, the guy loaded it for me with a large tractor loader and forks. Hauled it in the dark. Got it home and my neighbor unloaded it with a skid steer. Not much wrong with it but this table feed and the quill feed. I bought $450 worth of tooling, a $50 phase converter, and he threw in a collet set, a head indicator and some end mills. There was come confusion on the tooling I bought - he knew I did not know what I was doing and he sold me some unusable stuff, but overall I am sure I got a bargain on the tooling. For one thing, I thought I was getting extra collets to supplement my set - got 10 - 7/16 collets. Need any ?

 

[CJ5Dave]

I called a local machine shop guy who has a Bridgeport junkyard of sorts. He said the only gear drive power feed he knew of was this one. He sold another friend a mill, he wanted to go manual, was scrapping this Lyman Mark 4 power feed. Does have drive gears, but variable speed, fast speed to run back to end, 120 volt. . I don't like how the manual handle goes on, but it will do for a beginner to learn how. Another friend thinks he has a new in box manual lead screw I could add a Servo-type power feed later, if the right length. The Lyman is great for free. I don't see any provision for limit switches. What does a Lyman do when it crashes? Blow a fuse?

 

[CJ5Dave]

Also, the spindle feed handle pulled nearly all the way out and was a pill to get back in. I assume a snap ring is missing? Gotta get a service manual.

 

[CJ5Dave]

I was cleaning up to paint and found these 2 voids/cracks/slag inclusions in the knee of the mill. Not worried as it has functioned with this defect since 1966. Just curious if this is common.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I was cleaning up to paint and found these 2 voids/cracks/slag inclusions in the knee of the mill. Not worried as it has functioned with this defect since 1966. Just curious if this is common.

Yes, even on Brigeports.