What is your opinion of this Bridgeport? Buying Advice

[JetMech]

Looks too good to be true to me- those scrape marks look too fresh- may be lipstick on a pig- be careful. Those vari-speed heads can be a bear to rebuild too, I personally would hold out for a step-pulley model.
I would be surprised if that mill is not badly worn
mark
ps just a bit of cynicism to offset the optimism

No problem I'm happy to hear all opinions. I will of course run the table back and forth, in and out and all that before I commit to buy. I"m looking into the vari-speed rebuild right now, there are some vids on it. If I buy this I will be prepared for it to need the $300 rebuild kit for that, I'm sort of figuring that into the value.

Buy it!!!!!

Heh heh, one more vote for "go for it!" Thanks.

 

[markba633csi]

You may have to budget more to rebuild the head depending on condition of bearings and shafts, etc. Just sayin'
Like the scouts say "be prepared"

 

[projectnut]

I have a 1 1/2 hp series 1 built in 1972. This one looks to be in similar shape to mine. I did not view the videos in that I am out of town and have a very poor internet connection. BP's are good machines and are probably the cheapest of any to tool up.

If you're interested I would offer something in the neighborhood of $2,200.00 to $2,500.00. Both the DRO and power feed are ancient. The DRO likely will cost more to fix (if parts are even available) than it would to replace should it fail. The same is true of the power feed. There are several companies that sell parts, but by in large it's more cost effective to replace them with a more modern unit.

At this time I wouldn't worry about a VFD. The machine will run perfectly well on the static converter. I have been running mine on a Phase A Matic 3 hp converter for nearly 20 years with no problems. The speed change is easily done with the shift mechanism crank handle. Wait until you become more familiar with the machine and it's current capabilities before making changes. I think you'll find you'll want to spend the money on tooling rather than a fancier control system.

The downside is that you don't know much of the history behind the machine. Ask the current owner who was auctioning off the machine. Was it in a production shop, a repair shop, or possibly a local school? Some history would be helpful to determine how the machine has been treated over the last 30+ years. The serial number should be stamped near the front on top of the knee. Copy it down and go online to find the actual year it was built.

Here's a link to one of the many serial number charts available:
http://northeastprecision.com/calculators-bridgport.html

If it's in good condition, and the tooling you describe isn't all beat up I would say go for it at $2,500.00 or less.

As a side note mine came from a local high school. It didn't come with a DRO, power feed, or much tooling other than an original Bridgeport vise. I added a DRO later. Although it was several years ago the machine was in excellent condition, and I paid less than half what the owner is asking for this machine. So far I've spent less than $200.00 in repairs and upgrades other than the DRO.

 

[JetMech]

You may have to budget more to rebuild the head depending on condition of bearings and shafts, etc. Just sayin'
Like the scouts say "be prepared"

I'll keep it in mind.

I have a 1 1/2 hp series 1 built in 1972. This one looks to be in similar shape to mine. I did not view the videos in that I am out of town and have a very poor internet connection. BP's are good machines and are probably the cheapest of any to tool up.

If you're interested I would offer something in the neighborhood of $2,200.00 to $2,500.00. Both the DRO and power feed are ancient. The DRO likely will cost more to fix (if parts are even available) than it would to replace should it fail. The same is true of the power feed. There are several companies that sell parts, but by in large it's more cost effective to replace them with a more modern unit.

At this time I wouldn't worry about a VFD. The machine will run perfectly well on the static converter. I have been running mine on a Phase A Matic 3 hp converter for nearly 20 years with no problems. The speed change is easily done with the shift mechanism crank handle. Wait until you become more familiar with the machine and it's current capabilities before making changes. I think you'll find you'll want to spend the money on tooling rather than a fancier control system.

The downside is that you don't know much of the history behind the machine. Ask the current owner who was auctioning off the machine. Was it in a production shop, a repair shop, or possibly a local school? Some history would be helpful to determine how the machine has been treated over the last 30+ years. The serial number should be stamped near the front on top of the knee. Copy it down and go online to find the actual year it was built.

Here's a link to one of the many serial number charts available:
http://northeastprecision.com/calculators-bridgport.html

If it's in good condition, and the tooling you describe isn't all beat up I would say go for it at $2,500.00 or less.

As a side note mine came from a local high school. It didn't come with a DRO, power feed, or much tooling other than an original Bridgeport vise. I added a DRO later. Although it was several years ago the machine was in excellent condition, and I paid less than half what the owner is asking for this machine. So far I've spent less than $200.00 in repairs and upgrades other than the DRO.

I looked up the serial, it is a 1982 model. Thanks for your detailed advice. I appreciate the pricing information.

I agree I should live with the vari-speed for a while, might not really need any updating. It might be noisy, but I bet it isn't as noisy as my unisaw or routers.

 

[JetMech]

I drew a quick sketchup to se how it wold fit in my garage bay. Trying to have woodwroking an d metal working in one oversize bay is a challenge.



The orange box is the lathe envelope and the red bar is the bore, extended out so I could see that long pieces could fit through if need be. I usually work on really short stuff though.

I saw a guy put his on 3x4 tube, so he could pick it up with a pallet jack which was stored under the mill, I like this idea and will likely copy that when I do get a mill. User Piniongear on PM is who I plan to copy:

 

[JimDawson]

The veri-speed sounds a bit noisy, probably the plastic bushing on the motor shaft, or maybe just the belt. A VFD or the static phase converter will run it just fine.

The dings in the top of the V are from chips getting between the saddle and the ways, not a big deal, it's not a wear surface, just clearance. A way cover would eliminate that problem. The ways look good from what I could see.

The power feed is a bit noisy, sounds like it could use some grease. Could also be that the ways are dry and the machine just needs to be cleaned and lubed, or maybe the table lock is snugged up.

Machine prices vary by region and availability. I would probably not pay $3250 for that machine around here, but there are several similar machines available, including the rather hopeful fellow who wants $8000 for one exactly like we are talking about here.

 

[vocatexas]

I recently made a deal on a barely used 1965 Vari-Speed similar to yours. We agreed on $3800. The seller bought the mill new and has hardly used it since. It also came with a pretty nice pile of tooling. If your area is like mine, machinery is not easy to find and I was very lucky to come across this one. Prices are going to tend to be higher in areas where machinery is harder to come by. I'm also getting his 14 1/2x72 South Bend of like vintage with some attachments still in their original boxes.

 

[killswitch505]

I recently made a deal on a barely used 1965 Vari-Speed similar to yours. We agreed on $3800. The seller bought the mill new and has hardly used it since. It also came with a pretty nice pile of tooling. If your area is like mine, machinery is not easy to find and I was very lucky to come across this one. Prices are going to tend to be higher in areas where machinery is harder to come by. I'm also getting his 14 1/2x72 South Bend of like vintage with some attachments still in their original boxes.

That’s a score!!!!!

 

[FOMOGO]

I have a 1974 version of the same mill, 1.5 hp. I think the power feed would be a fairly easy fix, most likely an electrical contact issue, and the bridgeprt version is IMHO better than the aftermarket versions. There should be a oil level window on the front of the power feed, should be about half full. With the advent of VFD's, everyone seems to want the belt and pulley versions, but I've had no problems with my variable speed head. I paid $2500 for mine 6-7 years ago, and I spent several years actively looking. In the Denver area, the average price is around 4-6k. Anything under that is rarely seen, and gone in a heart beat. If you've been to the supermarket lately, you know nothing is getting cheaper, and that's true of vintage machinery too. Good hunting, Mike

 

[Chipper5783]

Get out there an buy it. If you want to buy a mill, then quit dithering and get at it. That is not a "bad" machine. You are buying a used machine off Craig's list - there is no guarantee. Even if the seller is totally genuine, the machine may fail the first time you try it. Even if you buy a new machine, that still does not ensure there is no problem (yes there there will be a warranty, but there may still be problems). That is not a "bad machine" - all used machines need TLC - that is what puts it in your price range. Of course you will need to do some cleaning and fixing.

As others have said, just clean and service it. You will discover a number of things that need repair - so fix them, and start using it. Once you know what you actually have - then you can decide how you want to fancy it up.

That machine is fine. Don't expect it to be perfect. The base machine seems to be fine, so buy it, haul it home and get to work.

Strictly speaking the price does not really matter (a few hundred extra is fine). You can easily blow more than that if the transport is further or if you have to spend much time mucking around. There are lots of other costs in this game, and you are going to own the machine for many years. Within reason, the purchase price does not matter very much. I bought my first lathe 35 years ago for $10,000. I paid about double what I should have - I have long since forgotten about that extra cost. I have since bought about 7 more machines - and all put together they come to about what that first lathe cost (sort of dollar cost averaging). Don't sweat it, just get in the game.