As I research machine tools I'm seeing other names than "Bridgeport"
although this is the name that I routinely associate with "milling
machine".

Just where does this brand rate in the great poobah list of the best
milling machines, and why? Is it the same old "buy what you can get
parts for in your neck of the woods"? Or there other, more esoteric
considerations?

Thanks!

V

Vernon wrote:
As I research machine tools I'm seeing other names than "Bridgeport"
although this is the name that I routinely associate with "milling
machine".

Just where does this brand rate in the great poobah list of the best
milling machines, and why? Is it the same old "buy what you can get
parts for in your neck of the woods"? Or there other, more esoteric
considerations?

Deckel seems to be the hands-down winner
for snob appeal. Personally, I'm thankful
to be able to use anything with a knee.

Jim Stewart wrote:

Vernon wrote:
As I research machine tools I'm seeing other names than "Bridgeport"
although this is the name that I routinely associate with "milling
machine".

Just where does this brand rate in the great poobah list of the best
milling machines, and why? Is it the same old "buy what you can get
parts for in your neck of the woods"? Or there other, more esoteric
considerations?

Deckel seems to be the hands-down winner
for snob appeal. Personally, I'm thankful
to be able to use anything with a knee.

Bridgeport is kind of the "Kleenex" of milling machines, common to the
point of becoming a generic term. A Bridgeport is a very good and
serviceable machine for a typical home shop. It is heavy, but not to the
point of being unmanageable for an average HSM'er and it uses (well,
most use) the very common and inexpensive R8 spindle taper.

Other machines are arguably superior in various ways, but those
advantages mostly applied to production use pre-CNC days and has little
relevance to a typical HSM'er. Other machines are more rigid, but this
also makes them much heavier and difficult to move. Other machines have
more power, but this makes issues like VFDs and phase converters more of
a problem and also typically moves them to other spindle tapers which
are considerably more expensive than the R8 equivalents.

On Oct 22, 1:50*pm, "Pete C." wrote:
Jim Stewart wrote:

Vernon wrote:
As I research machine tools I'm seeing other names than "Bridgeport"
although this is the name that I routinely associate with "milling
machine".

Just where does this brand rate in the great poobah list of the best
milling machines, and why? *Is it the same old "buy what you can get
parts for in your neck of the woods"? Or there other, more esoteric
considerations?

Deckel seems to be the hands-down winner
for snob appeal. *Personally, I'm thankful
to be able to use anything with a knee.

Bridgeport is kind of the "Kleenex" of milling machines, common to the
point of becoming a generic term. A Bridgeport is a very good and
serviceable machine for a typical home shop. It is heavy, but not to the
point of being unmanageable for an average HSM'er and it uses (well,
most use) the very common and inexpensive R8 spindle taper.

Other machines are arguably superior in various ways, but those
advantages mostly applied to production use pre-CNC days and has little
relevance to a typical HSM'er. Other machines are more rigid, but this
also makes them much heavier and difficult to move. Other machines have
more power, but this makes issues like VFDs and phase converters more of
a problem and also typically moves them to other spindle tapers which
are considerably more expensive than the R8 equivalents.

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V

On Oct 22, 3:27*pm, wrote:

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V-

Good choice if you have the space, ceiling height and don't have to
move it down stairs.

If not, a Clausing-size knee mill or a mill-drill should be mostly
adequate for a home shop unless you plan to rebore an engine block or
air compressor.

Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:27 pm, wrote:

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V-

Good choice if you have the space, ceiling height and don't have to
move it down stairs.

If not, a Clausing-size knee mill or a mill-drill should be mostly
adequate for a home shop unless you plan to rebore an engine block or
air compressor.

I'm happy as a Murff with my RF45 clone ... a perfect companion for a
10X30 lathe .
--
Snag
Makin' motorcycle parts for fun and profit .

On Oct 22, 6:51*pm, "Terry Coombs" wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:27 pm, wrote:

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V-

Good choice if you have the space, ceiling height and don't have to
move it down stairs.

If not, a Clausing-size knee mill or a mill-drill should be mostly
adequate for a home shop unless you plan to rebore an engine block or
air compressor.

* I'm happy as a Murff with my RF45 clone ... a perfect companion for a
10X30 lathe .
--
Snag
Makin' motorcycle parts for fun and profit .

Hey, Terry. What kind of stuff do you make? V

On Oct 22, 5:12*pm, Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:27*pm, wrote:



Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V-

Good choice if you have the space, ceiling height and don't have to
move it down stairs.

If not, a Clausing-size knee mill or a mill-drill should be mostly
adequate for a home shop unless you plan to rebore an engine block or
air compressor.

We would love to be able to machine small engines although, given our
skill level (zero) that seems like a laughably unrealistic ambition.
I see your point about "going down stairs". We're still struggling to
get a 650# bench mill / drill over a 6" threshold. But that's only
because I'm old and wimpy and my forklift has gone kaput. We are
starting our machine shop in a back room of a farm house (cement
floor). As soon as the forklift's back in business I intend to simply
cut a hole in the back wall and shove it through. I will frame up the
hole and put in a door. V

Vernon wrote:
On Oct 22, 6:51 pm, "Terry Coombs" wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Oct 22, 3:27 pm, wrote:

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V-

Good choice if you have the space, ceiling height and don't have to
move it down stairs.

If not, a Clausing-size knee mill or a mill-drill should be mostly
adequate for a home shop unless you plan to rebore an engine block
or air compressor.

I'm happy as a Murff with my RF45 clone ... a perfect companion for a
10X30 lathe .
--
Snag
Makin' motorcycle parts for fun and profit .

Hey, Terry. What kind of stuff do you make? V

I've done a few sets of front axle caps , relocation brackest for luggage
racks , and a couple of sets of swingarm bushings for rubbermount baggers .
I've done backrests and add-on luggage racks , and turned bushings for
transmission gears . I don't really do much for profit , mostly bits and
pieces for friends .
Current projects include a taper attachment for the lathe so I can build
tools to rework roller races on the motor and tranny of the '39 I'm
rebuilding - "restore" wouldn't be accurate .
--
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:04:55 -0700 (PDT), Vernon wrote:


We would love to be able to machine small engines although, given our
skill level (zero) that seems like a laughably unrealistic ambition.
I see your point about "going down stairs". We're still struggling to
get a 650# bench mill / drill over a 6" threshold. But that's only
because I'm old and wimpy and my forklift has gone kaput. We are
starting our machine shop in a back room of a farm house (cement
floor). As soon as the forklift's back in business I intend to simply
cut a hole in the back wall and shove it through. I will frame up the
hole and put in a door. V


Cut a 4' long 2x4 diagonally to give two triangles. Nail 3/4" ply to the top
of the triangles with an overlap at the pointy end of the triangles. Use a
belt sander, plane or planer to chamfer the end of the ply to match the
underside of the triangles. Rest the thick end of the construction on a bit of
1" scrap (ply offcuts) and push or pull the mill up the ramp you have just
made. 650lb is quite manageable on rollers with a gentle ramp. If age and
infirmity (or common sense) require more control, use a rope from the mill,
around a solid post beyond the threshold and back to you to belay the mill
whilst you lever it forward on the rollers.


You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.


regards
Mark Rand
RTFM

Snip


As soon as the forklift's back in business I intend to simply
cut a hole in the back wall and shove it through. I will frame up the
hole and put in a door. V


Cut a 4' long 2x4 diagonally to give two triangles. Nail 3/4" ply to the
top
of the triangles with an overlap at the pointy end of the triangles. Use a
belt sander, plane or planer to chamfer the end of the ply to match the
underside of the triangles. Rest the thick end of the construction on a
bit of
1" scrap (ply offcuts) and push or pull the mill up the ramp you have just
made. 650lb is quite manageable on rollers with a gentle ramp. If age and
infirmity (or common sense) require more control, use a rope from the
mill,
around a solid post beyond the threshold and back to you to belay the mill
whilst you lever it forward on the rollers.



You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
wrote:





You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!

On 2008-10-26, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!


It s true about moving a heavy item on a flat surface, but not so true
about loading and unloading top heavy items from trailers.

i

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:27:02 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


Other machines are arguably superior in various ways, but those
advantages mostly applied to production use pre-CNC days and has little
relevance to a typical HSM'er. Other machines are more rigid, but this
also makes them much heavier and difficult to move. Other machines have
more power, but this makes issues like VFDs and phase converters more of
a problem and also typically moves them to other spindle tapers which
are considerably more expensive than the R8 equivalents.

Thanks for your most helpful and logically presented explanations.
Metinks me will not aspire to anything more grandiose than a
Bridgeport, if even that. V

vernon
"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

almost no one can stump up the price of a bridgeport new unless they
are going to make money from the work done on it.
if you can good on you! truely!

second hand bridgeports are more than likely pretty well flogged to
death by the time they are disposed of on to the home workshop market.
their reputation was given them by the users and they arent traded
unless they are stuffed.
all the ones I saw were very well worn, basket cases in fact.

so I bought a new hafco HM50. it is a chinese mill with dovetail
slides and a knee. about 7ft tall and weighing 700lbs. it uses er32
collets. I've routed wood parts for an Auster on it, made lots of
metal swarf.
I havent found a problem with it in all honesty.

consider that any half reasonable chinese mill bought new will give
better and more accurate service than a totally worn out bridgeport.

in a flash I'd have a bridgeport but I've been totally happy with my
chinese mill.

Stealth Pilot

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy" wrote:

Snip


As soon as the forklift's back in business I intend to simply
cut a hole in the back wall and shove it through. I will frame up the
hole and put in a door. V


Cut a 4' long 2x4 diagonally to give two triangles. Nail 3/4" ply to the
top
of the triangles with an overlap at the pointy end of the triangles. Use a
belt sander, plane or planer to chamfer the end of the ply to match the
underside of the triangles. Rest the thick end of the construction on a
bit of
1" scrap (ply offcuts) and push or pull the mill up the ramp you have just
made. 650lb is quite manageable on rollers with a gentle ramp. If age and
infirmity (or common sense) require more control, use a rope from the
mill,
around a solid post beyond the threshold and back to you to belay the mill
whilst you lever it forward on the rollers.



You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.



Oops. I missed out the word "don't". Somewhat changes the meaning of that last
sentence :-(


You don't absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.


Mark Rand
RTFM

"Ignoramus3071" wrote in message
...
On 2008-10-26, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these
is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!


It s true about moving a heavy item on a flat surface, but not so true
about loading and unloading top heavy items from trailers.

i

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/
I don't read much about it in equipment moving threads, but using jacks
and/or pry bars with PROPER cribbing makes it easy and safe to move heavy
equipment vertically. House movers do it regularly.

Don Young

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:26:02 -0500, "Don Young"
wrote:


"Ignoramus3071" wrote in message
m...
On 2008-10-26, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these
is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!


It s true about moving a heavy item on a flat surface, but not so true
about loading and unloading top heavy items from trailers.

i

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/
I don't read much about it in equipment moving threads, but using jacks
and/or pry bars with PROPER cribbing makes it easy and safe to move heavy
equipment vertically. House movers do it regularly.

Don Young

****.....I sure hope so. Later this week Ive got to pull the
verticle 10' x 4'x 3" thick press brake plate from a 10: Wysong 50 ton
press brake, and send it off for remilling.

This is gonna be really really interesting to do, and not get anyone
turned into a street pizza

after its been remachined..its gonna be really fun putting it back
into place.......


Gunner


Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your
wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do
something damned nasty to all three of them.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:56:47 -0700, the infamous Gunner Asch
scrawled the following:

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:26:02 -0500, "Don Young"
wrote:


"Ignoramus3071" wrote in message
om...
On 2008-10-26, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these
is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!


It s true about moving a heavy item on a flat surface, but not so true
about loading and unloading top heavy items from trailers.

i

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/
I don't read much about it in equipment moving threads, but using jacks
and/or pry bars with PROPER cribbing makes it easy and safe to move heavy
equipment vertically. House movers do it regularly.

Don Young

****.....I sure hope so. Later this week Ive got to pull the
verticle 10' x 4'x 3" thick press brake plate from a 10: Wysong 50 ton
press brake, and send it off for remilling.

This is gonna be really really interesting to do, and not get anyone
turned into a street pizza

after its been remachined..its gonna be really fun putting it back
into place.......

I sure hope your liability insurance is in place, mon. With that kind
of tonnage, **** flattens.

--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:31:50 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:56:47 -0700, the infamous Gunner Asch
scrawled the following:

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:26:02 -0500, "Don Young"
wrote:


"Ignoramus3071" wrote in message
news:numdnXox5JtgnpnUnZ2dnUVZ_s7inZ2d@giganews. com...
On 2008-10-26, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:04:01 +1100, "Grumpy"
You absolutely have to have a forklift for that sort of job.

No. The only things you ABSOLUTELY need when moving heavy equipment is
patience, rollers blocks and a long crowbar. The most important of these
is
patience. Take it slow and careful, and you can move nearly anything.

Roger that!


It s true about moving a heavy item on a flat surface, but not so true
about loading and unloading top heavy items from trailers.

i

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/
I don't read much about it in equipment moving threads, but using jacks
and/or pry bars with PROPER cribbing makes it easy and safe to move heavy
equipment vertically. House movers do it regularly.

Don Young

****.....I sure hope so. Later this week Ive got to pull the
verticle 10' x 4'x 3" thick press brake plate from a 10: Wysong 50 ton
press brake, and send it off for remilling.

This is gonna be really really interesting to do, and not get anyone
turned into a street pizza

after its been remachined..its gonna be really fun putting it back
into place.......

I sure hope your liability insurance is in place, mon. With that kind
of tonnage, **** flattens.


Ayup.

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your
wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do
something damned nasty to all three of them.