Which Milling Machine To Buy?

Andrewlcox said:
This thread is very similar to my situation. I am clueless about milling. I want to get into the hobby and have about $3,000 to $5,000 to spend. I too will want to bring a mill into my basement. I love a good challenge and can hire some help to disassemble a Bridgeport and move it piece by piece into my basement if that is what I eventually end up with.

Do you think I would be thowing good money after bad buy starting out with a small hobby mill? Size is a slight concern but not a deal breaker. I love the fact that there are so many training videos for the Bridgeport. I just feel like I may want to end up with a Bridgeport so why mess around with a temporary mill if I can just start with a Bridgeport. Too aggressive? Should I start small with baby steps?

Is a Bridgeport too much mill for a rookie?

Thanks for the links to the many choices of mills in this thread and thanks for any guidance on my situation. Sorry to hijack the thread.

Andy
Click to expand...

Welcome to the Hobby Machinist Andy

As far as being rookie and buying a BP, I don't see a problem there. Seems like a reasonable place to start. Getting it into the basement is doable, but may be a bit challenging depending on your layout. A basic 9x49, J2 BP weighs about 2100 lbs, but will disassemble into about 7 major pieces.

Best of luck
 
Easier to do good work (even on the smallest projects) on a bridgeport than on a small bench top mill. The nice thing about this is you are working to your own skill limitations, rather than trying to use your newfound skills to overcome the mill's problems.

A couple things:
- 1000#+ for individual castings are nothing to sneeze at. If you have outside access to your basement, it might be doable. Inside only? hmm Even when you strip a bridgeport down to the smallest parts, those parts are not that small.
- What is the overhead space in your basement? A bridgeport won't fit underneath an 8' ceiling.

You might consider a "2/3 bridgeport". PM sells a very popular Taiwan 9x35 that might solve the overhead problem (but not the weight problem). If that won't work, he also sells an 8x36 (those numbers are table size in inches; a full size bridgeport is 9x42, 9x49, 10x50 or 10x54). Go over to the PM forum here to read nothing but good things about the 9x35.

http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-935HighPrecisionMills.html
 
My basement floor to bottom of floor joists is measured at 91.5". I think a Bridgeport should fit.

I just like the fact that there is so much support for the BP in terms of parts availability and tooling.

Thanks,
Andy
 
pretty sure my bridgeport is 79" with a round ram I thing my boys dove ram is the same ht. just need to turn head to remove the collet bar, if necessary
 
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