....from cheesy web pictures.

Local enough, price seems tolerable (but probably indicates wear/age as
well as the short (32"?) table.) Don't know if it's inconvenient 480V 3
phase which the last overpriced one I didn't bother looking at was....

I don't know enough about Bridgeports to decipher what the head is. The
lister "listed it for a friend" and says answers to my questions will be
a few days - but I can go look at it in person, so I don't think we're
looking at any Nigerian scam artists here.

I also don't know what I don't know about looking at a Bridgeport, to
some extent. I guess it has the dovetail ram, which is a good thing, as
I understand it. I've done a lot more with lathes than mills, but I'm
looking to add either a mill or a shaper to the line-up, and shapers are
few, far between, and really hard to move if they are big enough to do
much work.

http://images.craigslist.org/3m23p53...2a14c31bd3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o73...90f4341445.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3o03...59755e19a6.jpg

Anything good, bad, indifferent, useful, sucky about the mills in the
pictures you can tell from the pictures would be helpful. Where to look
and what to check for (I guess I know that scraping patterns worn away
indicate bed wear, but I'm really limited on "common problems of the
Bridgeport to look out for"

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

On 05/11/2011 05:01 PM, Ecnerwal wrote:

I don't know enough about Bridgeports to decipher what the head is. The
lister "listed it for a friend" and says answers to my questions will be
a few days - but I can go look at it in person, so I don't think we're
looking at any Nigerian scam artists here.

http://images.craigslist.org/3m23p53...2a14c31bd3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o73...90f4341445.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3o03...59755e19a6.jpg

Anything good, bad, indifferent, useful, sucky about the mills in the
pictures you can tell from the pictures would be helpful. Where to look
and what to check for (I guess I know that scraping patterns worn away
indicate bed wear, but I'm really limited on "common problems of the
Bridgeport to look out for"

Both are 2J, I think. (The one in background is a bit dim, but looks to
also be 2J.) That is the vari-speed, 2 Hp milling head. The middle pic
looks to be a standard spindle, not quick-change. Make sure it is R8 or
that you are happy with whatever spindle taper it has. Bridgeport did
have a proprietary spindle taper available, mercifully those machines
are rare.

Most motors are 230/460 V, the worst you'd have to do is swap some wires
to convert to 230. The motor plate will say.

If under power, check that the varispeed pulleys don't rattle, a common
failure is the bushing in the sheave wears out and then the pulley
wrecks the motor shaft. Check spindle bearings for nasty noises.
Check X and Y axis screws for too much looseness at the middle of the
travel.

Not that much else can go wrong with them.

Jon

Jon Elson wrote:

On 05/11/2011 05:01 PM, Ecnerwal wrote:

I don't know enough about Bridgeports to decipher what the head is. The
lister "listed it for a friend" and says answers to my questions will be
a few days - but I can go look at it in person, so I don't think we're
looking at any Nigerian scam artists here.

http://images.craigslist.org/3m23p53...2a14c31bd3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o73...90f4341445.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3o03...59755e19a6.jpg

Anything good, bad, indifferent, useful, sucky about the mills in the
pictures you can tell from the pictures would be helpful. Where to look
and what to check for (I guess I know that scraping patterns worn away
indicate bed wear, but I'm really limited on "common problems of the
Bridgeport to look out for"

Both are 2J, I think. (The one in background is a bit dim, but looks to
also be 2J.) That is the vari-speed, 2 Hp milling head. The middle pic
looks to be a standard spindle, not quick-change. Make sure it is R8 or
that you are happy with whatever spindle taper it has. Bridgeport did
have a proprietary spindle taper available, mercifully those machines
are rare.

Most motors are 230/460 V, the worst you'd have to do is swap some wires
to convert to 230. The motor plate will say.

If under power, check that the varispeed pulleys don't rattle, a common
failure is the bushing in the sheave wears out and then the pulley
wrecks the motor shaft. Check spindle bearings for nasty noises.
Check X and Y axis screws for too much looseness at the middle of the
travel.

Not that much else can go wrong with them.

Nope, solid machines, parts available, easy to work on, not insanely
heavy to move. An oddball spindle taper is the only thing I'd worry
about. Even bad spindle bearings will only set you back a few hundred
dollars and a weekend of work to replace.

On Wed, 11 May 2011 18:01:05 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:


I also don't know what I don't know about looking at a Bridgeport, to
some extent. I guess it has the dovetail ram, which is a good thing, as
I understand it. I've done a lot more with lathes than mills, but I'm
looking to add either a mill or a shaper to the line-up, and shapers are
few, far between, and really hard to move if they are big enough to do
much work.

http://images.craigslist.org/3m23p53...2a14c31bd3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o73...90f4341445.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3o03...59755e19a6.jpg

Anything good, bad, indifferent, useful, sucky about the mills in the
pictures you can tell from the pictures would be helpful. Where to look
and what to check for (I guess I know that scraping patterns worn away
indicate bed wear, but I'm really limited on "common problems of the
Bridgeport to look out for"

Crank the table X and Y to the center position..and then engage the
lock just a smidge..just so you can feel each axis dragging..and then
crank both in and out..and all the way to the left and the right

If either gets noticably harder as you go towards the end of the
travel...you have significant way wear.

Its not a deal breaker...but a heads up.

Look at the dials on the cranks. Turn one way until the table moves.
Then turn the opposite direction until the table again moves. This
indicates how much wear there is on the screw and nuts...the
difference between the two numbers....Id think hard about spending
very much money on a mill that had more than about 60 thous backlash
in either axis. Its not...not..not a deal braker...just something to
be aware of .

How much?

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 Wed, 11 May 2011 17:30:23 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:

On 05/11/2011 05:01 PM, Ecnerwal wrote:

I don't know enough about Bridgeports to decipher what the head is. The
lister "listed it for a friend" and says answers to my questions will be
a few days - but I can go look at it in person, so I don't think we're
looking at any Nigerian scam artists here.

http://images.craigslist.org/3m23p53...2a14c31bd3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o73...90f4341445.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3o03...59755e19a6.jpg

Anything good, bad, indifferent, useful, sucky about the mills in the
pictures you can tell from the pictures would be helpful. Where to look
and what to check for (I guess I know that scraping patterns worn away
indicate bed wear, but I'm really limited on "common problems of the
Bridgeport to look out for"

Both are 2J, I think. (The one in background is a bit dim, but looks to
also be 2J.) That is the vari-speed, 2 Hp milling head. The middle pic
looks to be a standard spindle, not quick-change. Make sure it is R8 or
that you are happy with whatever spindle taper it has. Bridgeport did
have a proprietary spindle taper available, mercifully those machines
are rare.

Most motors are 230/460 V, the worst you'd have to do is swap some wires
to convert to 230. The motor plate will say.

If under power, check that the varispeed pulleys don't rattle, a common
failure is the bushing in the sheave wears out and then the pulley
wrecks the motor shaft. Check spindle bearings for nasty noises.
Check X and Y axis screws for too much looseness at the middle of the
travel.

Not that much else can go wrong with them.

Jon

A bad motor shaft can be remilled 90' off from the original groove.

And new bushing isnt very much money from the net.

Worn ways....thats another thing

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.

I'd agree with Gunner about the backlash. My old vertical mill has about
that much backlash. I added a 2 axis digital readout 10 years ago (the
inexpensive Canadian one) and it takes most of that issue away. The only
time it still is a problem is if I am milling a rectangular pocket. I
really have to tighten the "other" axis to keep the table from moving into
the cut.

My other comment:
I wouldn't put a shaper in the same sentence as a vertical milling machine.
Once upon a time I had to have a shaper. I got one. I used it a few times,
most notably for making square holes in 2" thick blocks of steel. Other
than that, it mostly sat there. Almost anything that I wanted to do could
be done on the mill. One main selling point for the shaper is that you can
grind your own tools. If that's real important, maybe that's a selling
point, but a shaper will never be a milling machine. On the other hand, I
think there are still plenty of them out there- they are just hiding in
corners in older shops. I'll bet that, if you seriously advertised for one
you'd get a lot of interest, as long as you'd pay over scrap price.

Pete Stanaitis
---------------

"Pete S" wrote in message
.. .


I'd agree with Gunner about the backlash. My old vertical mill has about
that much backlash. I added a 2 axis digital readout 10 years ago (the
inexpensive Canadian one) and it takes most of that issue away. The only
time it still is a problem is if I am milling a rectangular pocket. I
really have to tighten the "other" axis to keep the table from moving into
the cut.


Excessive backlash only means the nut hasn't been changed out with a new one
recently.

And a lack of excessive backlash could very well mean that someone recently
replaced the nut on what is otherwise a thtrashed machine.