In article ,
jim rozen wrote:
In article , Gunner says...

[ ... ]

Really the issue boils down to the moveable quill on the
machine. Vertical machines tend to have them, horizontals,
rarely. A moveable quill makes the machine less rigid and
makes the spindle itself smaller.

[ ... ]

Because vertical machines have motors that ride above
the spindle, they get real tall real fast. For a person
with limited headroom a horizontal has a distinct advantage.
Of course the lack of a moveable quill gives that machine
a distinct *dis*advantate when it comes to drilling holes.

I use a drill press for that.

One way around this is the way the Nichols mill does it. The
spindle is mounted to the column via a set of ways, with a lever and
segment gear engaging a rack to raise and lower the head. Add to that
the right-angle head for the machine and you have the ability to drill
or plunge mill. The spindle is a NTMB 40 taper, and the right-angle
head uses the same taper.

However, this is a fairly small machine, by comparison with a
Bridgeport.

Note that while the name is the same, as far as I can tell, I am
no relation to the person who built the machines.

Enjoy,
DoN.
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