"DoN. Nichols" fired this volley in
:

And I've seen a lot of other Bridgeports which did not have any
form of way covers.

Again, used by folks who never bothered to restore the original
equipment.

Just because you _received_ it without its important way covers doesn't
mean you should leave it that way.

To be fair, I know accordion covers are damned expensive, and it's
something of a hat trick to find just the right thickness and stiffness
of rubber that will make a proper apron that slides but never gets
snagged (especially under the Y-ways aft of the table, wipers installed
or not).

But those aren't excuses to run it without them.

A lot of guys have made a retractable "window blind" apron that covers
the rear Y ways and the knee dovetails completely, without the hassle of
snagging or bunching up behind the table.

You really should spend the time to do that one thing right. It'll also
help keep coolant and chips out of the Y screw and the knee gear. The
sliding-panel cover for the Y screw always leaks just a little.

You'll have a chunk of change in that machine after conversion, no matter
how cheaply you bought the raw iron. You should protect it properly.

Just sayin'...

LLoyd