Sold my babies to buy a bridgeport

get some social skills...

I was looking for a Bridgeport and ended up getting a WongFu really cheap. Already has power feed on one axis. And the Taiwan stuff seems to be the best of the import stuff. Still keeping my eye out for a Bridgeport though...

 

If you know machinists around you, that's the fastest learning curve you can get. There are a bunch of basics that can be learned in 2 or 3 days from someone who's good on one, that'll save you figuring them out the hard way.

Also, if you could get one of those guys to go with you to inspect it would be about the best thing you could do. Especially if it's under power and you can do some test cuts, do some climbing and see if the table bucks or shudders, etc. Like he said, buying a Bport with junk ways is garbage. You'll never be able to do anything but rough things out, it'll never give you repeatable close tolerances. Look at the s****ings, the first clue is if this pattern is worn smooth.

As far as moving it, I move mine with solid 1" round bar stock, cut 4 about 10" wider than the base, roll it, when one comes out, take it around and start it on the other side & repeat. I can move mine by myself just pushing it with no pinch bar, you can turn it and turn corners with this method also, just twist it and straighten the bars as you go. The easiest way I've found to get it up on the bars is the clam shell spreader on your Porta-Power....the lips will fit right under the gap of the base in the middle, pump it up and slide one bar under, go around and do the other side, then get your 3rd one started and you're off and running.

While you're shooting for the moon with v/speed, digital readout is a big help. I got lucky when I found mine, it already had it. Instead of watching dials and counting revolutions and cranks, you can just do the math and crank away until you get there. I wouldn't want one without DRO.

(I splined it by making a new pilot & broached the splines on the Bport by running the quill up and down by hand)

 

I was told by the guy the ways are in great shape. I will try to get my buddy to come with me and look at it. I am really thankful for all the help I have received.

 

When transporting it put the table all the way down. Then turn the head upside down to lower center of Gravity. Lift it by the eyehook behind the head. They weigh less then a ton, not too bad to move.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't cry over carbs when I could have a Bridgeport instead. Like somebody said make some money with it and buy'em back if you can't live without em. I built a angle iron frame with 8" casters for the mill to sit in to help move my Bridgeport Series 1 (VS) off a flatbed trailer and into my shop, then I put the head back on with a chain hoist. I unfortunately couldn't use the Egytian method to unload. Bonus is now I can move it from place to place in my shop, I haven't taken any cuts hard enough or deep enough to make it flop around any. Seems like the machine has enough weight (2000-2400lbs)to it to make it solid enough as it is, although it is bolted to the roller frame. I would use HSS (High speed steel) tooling to use until you learn what you are doing, save the carbide for later as it would be expensive to destroy as you are learning feeds,speeds and workholding. More cost effective to destroy a 7$ endmill then a $25 endmill. Speed Kills (endmills and drills)! Mcqueen shows what somebody that really knows how to optimize his manual mill and tooling effectively can do, kinda becoming a lost art these days. If your really good you can make round parts on a mill and square parts on a lathe.

 

I would gladly trade rare speed parts for a good Bridgeport and lathe. I had the great fortune to work in a small company as an inspector/industrial engineering technician and my boss felt to do a good job I should know how to run the equipment. This guy was an absolute ARTIST when it came to machining and he taught me how to use the Bridgeport, lathes, TIG welder, etc. and being a gearhead too encouraged me to bring in home projects. If I had spare time and the machines weren't running a job I had permission to use them whenever possible. I had been working with tight tolerances and doing layouts for several years so the set ups were a breeze for me and I had a great teacher but even at that as my blonde sister-in-law says, "It ain't rocket surgery". The pay was **** but the bennies were awesome, I really miss having that access now..........

 

Only a couple hours to go and it is finally here!! I missed out on the first mill and had to turn that 600 into 1500 via the hamb, craigs list, and ebay. My visa still takes a 400 dollar hit for delivery but after much deliberation I feel it is a wise decision. Fork lift rental alone is $225. I cleared out an 8 by 8 foot area in the corner of my shop and painted the corner bright white. I will detail the mill the best I can and repaint her haze gray. I scored an incredible amount of tooling from craig's list. I still need a set of collets but that's chump change. I still want a lathe but I gotta pump some money back into the family piggy bank first. Bridgeport delivery varies from 300 to 950 so really look around. The place I am going with is ****hurt that the salesman said 400. So ****hurt in fact they won't put it in my shop for that. Gotta do the egyptian pipe roll from my driveway in. I'll try to get some pics. Keep an eye out for some *****in model a speed equipment coming soon.

 

Yes indeed, that is a good board. Thanks

 

Now that you own a Bridgeport, you need a copy of "The machinists Handbook". Handy book.

 

Good on ya!
If you haven't gotten enough free advice yet, I would recommend checking the floor for level too. When I was a machinist we were in an old WWII hanger, so we'd get some self leveling concrete out every time we got a new machine or moved one around the shop.

 

^^^^What he said about level.

If the floor ain't level, use steel plate or sheetmetal pieces to level the machine. Just like you would with a pool table. Gotta be level to work nice.

Good luck, and it's really fun to make stuff. I got two Brigeports and a 10" South bend, and don't know how people can do without this stuff! Almost everyday I find an excuse to make chips.

FRank

 

a mill + a lathe = nothing you cant make.

 

I was going to suggest this as well.......I've never machined anything, but I have the "book"....and it's loaded with info, even for non-machinists. I'll double check, but I think the last printing of mine is late 30's.

Good decision Sawracer.

 

*******it, i love a good ironic statement.

 

There she is in her freshly painted digs, I am detailing her from the top down, most of the "rust" is an oily film that comes off easily with steel wool and common household cleansers. So there ya go, a happy ending.

 

looks like a 1/2 horse! That's what mine are. Nobody liked to use them in the machine shops, so they are usually not worn real bad. All the "real" machinists byp***ed those and went to the bigger HP machines to get the work done faster.
I've got a WW2 vintage one which is almost like new for this reason. My other one is older and more worn , but still OK. Mine will outlive me.

Frank

 

My dad just picked up a 3 or 4 horse bridgeport. He drove to Ohio during that last snow storm to get it. His shop is a disaster so its gonna take a few days to get sorted out. He's doin the same pipe trick to move it. I cant wait to learn how to use it. He's proficient already with em'

 

If your actively building anything with metal that requires close tolerance work you'll soon believe that the Bridgeport was/is the best thing you ever bought. After becoming familiar with it and it's capabilities only your imagination will limit you . That is providing you have acess to a lathe. The first time you take an odd shaped piece and make it square and to size you'll have a whole lot less respect for a magician.

Frank

 

Power feed. Good score!!

 

I sold my soul to ROCK`N ROLL
And all I got was a t-shirt

​

 

The power feed is still on 3 phase, gotta figurethat out and a whole lot more figuring. Gonna take my sweet time loooking for a lathe as this beast has disrupted my garage greatly.

 

Here's the book my dad gave me a while back.....It was my granddad's. @ 6" x 5" and @ 2 1/2" thick. Latest printing of 1946. It is full of info...everything from how to operate a mill or lathe, making/cutting gears, to "how to draw", and trigonometry/calculus/physics....

A local hydraulic shop recently went out of business and had a shop tool sale.....sold off all of their mills and lathes....I saw guys with a lathe that barely fit on a car trailer. I didn't have the $$$ to get anything. Most of the good stuff has been sold by now