I'm off to look at a used Bridgeport mill Wednesday evening. I've been
using a pair of these, a '61 and a '63, both 9x42 with power feeds, DRO,
and belt speed change so I feel somewhat comfortable with the usual
issues about condition and options. But is there some nice web site with
serial numbers by year, model numbers, options, features, yada, yada?
Something similar to the Logan Lathe info at http://www.lathe.com/toc.htm

This one is unknown year, 9x36 table, collets, variable speed, 3 pahse,
and collets. comes with a static phase converter but I've built a rotory
converter before so I'll just do another one of those. I have a hunch
the price is too high but the only way to find out is to look at it.

Any special things to look for other than obvious wear and tear, drill
holes in the table, and uneven wear on the various gibs?

RoyJ writes:

This one is unknown year, 9x36 table, collets, variable speed, 3 pahse,
and collets. comes with a static phase converter but I've built a rotory
converter before so I'll just do another one of those. I have a hunch
the price is too high but the only way to find out is to look at it.

Any special things to look for other than obvious wear and tear, drill
holes in the table, and uneven wear on the various gibs?

A 9 x 36 will be ancient, even pre-war, and such are almost all badly worn
and broken down.

36" doesn't mean its old my dad bought his new in 1979 and its cut wood its
whole life. The machine for the most part is new.
"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
RoyJ writes:

This one is unknown year, 9x36 table, collets, variable speed, 3 pahse,
and collets. comes with a static phase converter but I've built a rotory
converter before so I'll just do another one of those. I have a hunch
the price is too high but the only way to find out is to look at it.

Any special things to look for other than obvious wear and tear, drill
holes in the table, and uneven wear on the various gibs?

A 9 x 36 will be ancient, even pre-war, and such are almost all badly worn
and broken down.

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 02:33:20 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

RoyJ writes:

This one is unknown year, 9x36 table, collets, variable speed, 3 pahse,
and collets. comes with a static phase converter but I've built a rotory
converter before so I'll just do another one of those. I have a hunch
the price is too high but the only way to find out is to look at it.

Any special things to look for other than obvious wear and tear, drill
holes in the table, and uneven wear on the various gibs?

A 9 x 36 will be ancient, even pre-war, and such are almost all badly worn
and broken down.


Bridgeport did make short tabled machines post war and IRRC..still do.

They are not terribly common though.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

For sure. Not too many people wouldn't pay the few extra $$ to get the
extra travel. I'd always wonder though why everyone didn't also get
chrome ways as well.
I still have serial number information going up till about 1973 for A
LOT of machines. If anyone has a Bridgeport (or other machine as well)
and either posts the serial number in the group or emails me directly
I'll try to identify the age. If you email me directly please put
"serial number" in the subject line.
Dennis in nca

Go to http://www.machinetoolclearinghouse.com/bridge.htm

--

Clif Holland, KA5IPF
www.avvid.com


"rigger" wrote in message
oups.com...
For sure. Not too many people wouldn't pay the few extra $$ to get the
extra travel. I'd always wonder though why everyone didn't also get
chrome ways as well.
I still have serial number information going up till about 1973 for A
LOT of machines. If anyone has a Bridgeport (or other machine as well)
and either posts the serial number in the group or emails me directly
I'll try to identify the age. If you email me directly please put
"serial number" in the subject line.
Dennis in nca

piggyback message
Looks like we have some people that actually know what they are
talking about.

I have a question. We have just gotten the school J-head
Bridgeport operational again after a move and about 1 year of
storage. Machine was little used but frequently abused [not
intentionally].

A quick power-on run through indicates everything is functional
[at least marginally] except the quill power feed. When the
access panels were removed considerable bronze or brass "saw
dust" was discovered, and a "ear" of the same material about 1 X
1 X 1/4 inch was discovered that had been broken off along one
edge.

Anyone know what this likely is, and how hard to fix? Before
tearing the head apart I would like to know if this is someting
we can likely fix in-house or will we most likely have to send it
out.

Also any ideas about parts costs/availibity/sources?

Thanks for your help.

GmcD

Ah ha!!! Thanks

Clif Holland wrote:

Go to http://www.machinetoolclearinghouse.com/bridge.htm

Sorry, it's been at least 25 years since I've had a Bridgeport head
apart (and none to play with now) but I seem to remember it was a
common problem and easily repaired (after the first time through it).
I'm sure many in this group have done this. Good luck.
Dennis in nca

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:15:26 -0700, F. George McDuffee
wrote:

piggyback message
Looks like we have some people that actually know what they are
talking about.

I have a question. We have just gotten the school J-head
Bridgeport operational again after a move and about 1 year of
storage. Machine was little used but frequently abused [not
intentionally].

A quick power-on run through indicates everything is functional
[at least marginally] except the quill power feed. When the
access panels were removed considerable bronze or brass "saw
dust" was discovered, and a "ear" of the same material about 1 X
1 X 1/4 inch was discovered that had been broken off along one
edge.

Anyone know what this likely is, and how hard to fix? Before
tearing the head apart I would like to know if this is someting
we can likely fix in-house or will we most likely have to send it
out.

Also any ideas about parts costs/availibity/sources?

Thanks for your help.

GmcD

Can you post a picture of the part? I have acess to a considerable
quantity of BP parts.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:33:14 GMT, Gunner
wrote:
snip
Can you post a picture of the part? I have acess to a considerable
quantity of BP parts.
Gunner

Thanks for the feedback.

Don't have the Bridgeport apart yet. I have the broken part I
fished out in my tool box but that's at our IPC building about 3
miles from the campus. I will stop by and get it and make some
pictures.

If the repair is "doable" its going to be the main fall class
project for my machining class and possibly one of the projects
for the machine repair & maintance class [I don't teach that
one.]

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:55:38 -0700, F. George McDuffee
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:33:14 GMT, Gunner
wrote:
snip
Can you post a picture of the part? I have acess to a considerable
quantity of BP parts.
Gunner

Thanks for the feedback.

Don't have the Bridgeport apart yet. I have the broken part I
fished out in my tool box but that's at our IPC building about 3
miles from the campus. I will stop by and get it and make some
pictures.

If the repair is "doable" its going to be the main fall class
project for my machining class and possibly one of the projects
for the machine repair & maintance class [I don't teach that
one.]

The power downfeed is a very simple mechanism. Simplified.... A worm
gear from the spindle turns a bronze clutch gear,,a "gear" that has
saw teeth that match another "gear" that is locked to the downfeed
handle shaft with a key and pressed together with that lever thingy
you see sticking out of the access plate on the left side of the head
just behind the depth gauge. If the quill gets stopped in its down
feed..the spring loaded clutch gears start lifting on the saw teeth
and engaging, again and again and again. Left to its own devices for
an extended period of time..the saw teeth wear off.

Its a simple matter to simply replace the two clutch gears (assembly).
It can be done in less than 15 minutes.

There are two tumbler gears in the head behind the downfeed "knob"
that reverse the power downfeed. Push the knob in..and it feeds down,
pull it out and it feeds up.

Ive seen several that got put into Up feed and walked away from for
some time, with the spindle running.

Gunner



"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner