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Posted: 2/28/2011 5:12:52 PM EDT
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What would be a fair price for this mill without actually being able to see it in person?
http://rochester.craigslist.org/for/2237438556.html |
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong.
The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. |
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Shoot! - I'll take a semi load of 2J B-ports in any state of repair near that one for $500 each 
I would guess a more realistic price to be about $1400 - I'n my neck of the woods it would bring $2500 easy-peasy in that condition. (Yes, I've rebuilt more B-ports than probably anyone on here as well - I'm talking more than a rustoleum rebuild) If you have any specific questions about those machines, I can help PM me Chipmaker |
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Everyone says this but I can't find a decent priced Bridgeport to save my life. Any idea as to where I should be looking? |
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Where can you find them? Anywhere but Alaska. There is a machine tool drought up here. I thought NY had a fair sized tool and die industry. I am geographically challenged re: the lower 48 - I thought Nevada was one of those flat desert states...
I've only partially rebuilt mine I bought for ~$2000, and it needs much more work. Looking at fleabay prices about what is selling and not sellling, I thought $500 was a good price sight unseen with an unknown condition mill sitting for years - bad motor, bad spindle bearings, frozen ways, missing 'minor' parts, you name it. |
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Everyone says this but I can't find a decent priced Bridgeport to save my life. Any idea as to where I should be looking? All through NY and up into New England; you're sitting in the mother lode of machine tools. Check ebay and the for sale forums at www.practicalmachinist.com and other machinist forums. That one is probably worth $1200 up there if it can be run and demonstrated. The cost of some "minor parts" is $100 to $200, so look it over carefully for anything missing. I'm real cautious about buying anything I can't operate, so my offer goes down drastically. |
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Shoot! - I'll take a semi load of 2J B-ports in any state of repair near that one for $500 each
I would guess a more realistic price to be about $1400 - I'n my neck of the woods it would bring $2500 easy-peasy in that condition. (Yes, I've rebuilt more B-ports than probably anyone on here as well - I'm talking more than a rustoleum rebuild) If you have any specific questions about those machines, I can help PM me Chipmaker I'll make a note of that. I have a Bridgeport I'll be working on as soon as the weather gets a little warmer and I get power to the garage. I would really like to get mine overhauled, but right now my plan is to run it and find out its weaknesses, then worry about an overhaul later. Photos: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=49&t=331916 |
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Good project machine, Cleaned up they can be real nice for the hobby shop/part time gunsmith.
Let me know if you need any help, I've rescraped more than I would like to admit and also done a s-pile of CNC conversions as well. Soak it in WD-40 for a couple days, most of the dried gunk will come right off. Chipmaker |
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Just how bad can a Bridgeport's ways be and still be a viable CNC candidate? There are deep grooves in mine, but no binding at the ends of travel. This machine would be my best CNC conversion candidate as I already shocked Mrs Blues with my little CNC lathe budget.
The head is in decent shape, but the rest of it.... |
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Quoted: Just how bad can a Bridgeport's ways be and still be a viable CNC candidate? There are deep grooves in mine, but no binding at the ends of travel. This machine would be my best CNC conversion candidate as I already shocked Mrs Blues with my little CNC lathe budget. The head is in decent shape, but the rest of it.... If the factory scraping is worn off, it's very well used. I would have passed on one with gouged ways. Check the gibs. I have seen several mills that felt fine when cranking the hand wheels, but if the gibs were properly adjusted for the usual work travel range, they would bind pretty quickly if you moved outside that area. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Everyone says this but I can't find a decent priced Bridgeport to save my life. Any idea as to where I should be looking? All through NY and up into New England; you're sitting in the mother lode of machine tools. Check ebay and the for sale forums at www.practicalmachinist.com and other machinist forums. That one is probably worth $1200 up there if it can be run and demonstrated. The cost of some "minor parts" is $100 to $200, so look it over carefully for anything missing. I'm real cautious about buying anything I can't operate, so my offer goes down drastically. The cost of some "minor parts" is $100 to $200? If you buy bridgeport parts, most of them start at $100.00  If it needs head work, the pullies, shieves, and bearings are expensive. Make sure the variable speed head is in good shape(it's not like putting parts into a step pully head), otherwise it might not be worth it.
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Um, you would want to see that in person. Sitting in the garage for years, missing some parts, etc., makes it look like someone's project that never got off the ground. There is a lot that can potentially be wrong. The guy is dreaming if he thinks he can sell it without "giving it away." Without seeing it running on power, I would guess $500. You have your pick of machines on the east coast. Everyone says this but I can't find a decent priced Bridgeport to save my life. Any idea as to where I should be looking? All through NY and up into New England; you're sitting in the mother lode of machine tools. Check ebay and the for sale forums at www.practicalmachinist.com and other machinist forums. That one is probably worth $1200 up there if it can be run and demonstrated. The cost of some "minor parts" is $100 to $200, so look it over carefully for anything missing. I'm real cautious about buying anything I can't operate, so my offer goes down drastically. The cost of some "minor parts" is $100 to $200? If you buy bridgeport parts, most of them start at $100.00 If it needs head work, the pullies, shieves, and bearings are expensive. Make sure the variable speed head is in good shape(it's not like putting parts into a step pully head), otherwise it might not be worth it.Maybe we don't agree on "minor parts". A back gear cam plate is more than $100 and less than $200; that's a minor part. A nice new handle to fit a power feed is more than $100 and less than $200. That is a minor part. A table is less than $500, but I don't classify that as a minor part. We'll probably both agree that the cost of some of the parts is obscene. |
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Is $1000-$1500 for a Bridgeport doable or do I need to cough up some more money? Absolutely! If you don't mind driving a couple hours each way. My advise is to get your cash in hand and have you trailer hooked up and ready to go. Keep looking and looking and looking and then you will find "the deal" and you need to be able to jump on it ASAP. |
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All through NY and up into New England; you're sitting in the mother lode of machine tools. This is seriously untrue. Well, it may have been true 40 years ago, but not now. I've been onto this for years and I truly believe there are just as many machines elsewhere as there are here. I have traveled all over the Northeast to buy machinery for myself and for others, and the machines just are not there anymore. |
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All through NY and up into New England; you're sitting in the mother lode of machine tools. This is seriously untrue. Well, it may have been true 40 years ago, but not now. I've been onto this for years and I truly believe there are just as many machines elsewhere as there are here. I have traveled all over the Northeast to buy machinery for myself and for others, and the machines just are not there anymore. Try to find one in the midwest more than 100 miles from Minneapolis, Chicago, or Detroit. Your rarity looks like y'all are swimming in machines from this perspective. That is based on searching through dealers, ebay, auctions, and machinist forums with a "for sale" forum. Other parts of the country are worse. Plus, there is no need to ship a machine tool 2000 miles if you're already amongst them. |
| I doubt that it needs to be mentioned what a sad state of affairs our American-made machine tools industry is in. If anyone started a new US-based machine manufacturing facility, producing affordable fine-quality mills, lathes, and surface grinders, they'd be backlogged for years with orders. |
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I doubt that it needs to be mentioned what a sad state of affairs our American-made machine tools industry is in. If anyone started a new US-based machine manufacturing facility, producing affordable fine-quality mills, lathes, and surface grinders, they'd be backlogged for years with orders. They can't sell small manual machines for the prices that have to be charged. The last South Bend Heavy 10 lathes made in the US sold for between $17k and $20k. Very few hobbyist users will pay that price, let alone what they would cost now. I have to wonder how much cost could be scrubbed out of a new American made lathe designed from the ground up to reduce touch labor. It is substantial, but the investment in NC machinery would also be substantial. Cost of the basic materials is trivial. Bearings are expensive, but not obnoxiously so until the sizes get huge. Simplifying the drive with VFD's and the thread cutting function with NC would simplify the mechanicals in the headstock, but where is the romance in that! |
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I doubt that it needs to be mentioned what a sad state of affairs our American-made machine tools industry is in. If anyone started a new US-based machine manufacturing facility, producing affordable fine-quality mills, lathes, and surface grinders, they'd be backlogged for years with orders. They can't sell small manual machines for the prices that have to be charged. The last South Bend Heavy 10 lathes made in the US sold for between $17k and $20k. Very few hobbyist users will pay that price. +1 I believe you are out of the "hobbyist" realm if spending that much! |
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I doubt that it needs to be mentioned what a sad state of affairs our American-made machine tools industry is in. If anyone started a new US-based machine manufacturing facility, producing affordable fine-quality mills, lathes, and surface grinders, they'd be backlogged for years with orders. They can't sell small manual machines for the prices that have to be charged. The last South Bend Heavy 10 lathes made in the US sold for between $17k and $20k. Very few hobbyist users will pay that price, let alone what they would cost now. I have to wonder how much cost could be scrubbed out of a new American made lathe designed from the ground up to reduce touch labor. It is substantial, but the investment in NC machinery would also be substantial. Cost of the basic materials is trivial. Bearings are expensive, but not obnoxiously so until the sizes get huge. Simplifying the drive with VFD's and the thread cutting function with NC would simplify the mechanicals in the headstock, but where is the romance in that! http://www.taigtools.com/ These folks make damn fine desktop units, I have one of their CNC mills. They were kind enough to show me around their facility when I picked mine up. The only component, of the mills at least, that isn't produced by them on site are the screws. I would love to see them scale up in to full size machines. |
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Toki, would u say that the Taig Mill will fit the bill for work on 1911's... ie. slide: sightcuts, cocking serrations, flat/serrated top of slide, rear serrations, french borders.... frame: correction of feedramp, checkering with fixture
I would like to buy a small mill due to the available space that I have and seeing that this is USA built, it's even better? I have very little experience so far but will be learning from a local machinist on Saturday's (until I feel cofortable on my own, which means no Saturday's for me forever) lol |
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I'm no machinist but would like to get into it as a hobby in a few years. I haven't done any work since high school votech.
Here's a lathe that caught my eye on the local craig's list, Probably too small for barrel work. I know nothing so for all I know these were junk. A sears craftsfman NIB or New on Crate from the 1960's! Made by Atlas Clausing. 30" bed. Looks like a guy with money and a dream never got started and left it all in the boxes. http://watertown.craigslist.org/tls/2246717939.html http://watertown.craigslist.org/tls/2246717939.html |
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http://www.taigtools.com/ These folks make damn fine desktop units, I have one of their CNC mills. They were kind enough to show me around their facility when I picked mine up. The only component, of the mills at least, that isn't produced by them on site are the screws. I would love to see them scale up in to full size machines. Great - something ELSE that I just gotta have. I hate you. |
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I'm no machinist but would like to get into it as a hobby in a few years. I haven't done any work since high school votech. Here's a lathe that caught my eye on the local craig's list, Probably too small for barrel work. I know nothing so for all I know these were junk. A sears craftsfman NIB or New on Crate from the 1960's! Made by Atlas Clausing. 30" bed. Looks like a guy with money and a dream never got started and left it all in the boxes. http://watertown.craigslist.org/tls/2246717939.html http://watertown.craigslist.org/tls/2246717939.html Too much money, but he might get it from a Craftsman fan. Some of those machines use zinc gears, and they all use change gears for threading. Here's a better machine, for less money: http://precisionmatthews.com/PM1127VFLathe.html . The 1.5 inch spindle bore version will be large enough to chamber barrels through the headstock. The center to center length is a little short for full length blanks. The variable speed and the low bottom speed are pluses. Whether the single phase power is a problem depends, I guess. If the cut is smooth and chatter free, then it is, and other factors can cause that, too. Eisen Machine had a neat little 12X36 lathe on ebay for $3400, but I see it's gone now. The machine is made in Taiwan. I recall the minimum spindle speed was 90 rpm - fast for this noob when threading to a shoulder. 
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Aero,
Would I be better off with a mill in the link below or an old Bridgeport for around a $1200 budget? http://precisionmatthews.com/PMmvbenchmills.html |
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Aero, Would I be better off with a mill in the link below or an old Bridgeport for around a $1200 budget? http://precisionmatthews.com/PMmvbenchmills.html I considered a PM45 http://precisionmatthews.com/PM45Mbenchmill.html . Unfortunately, the heads on this style mill (including the ones in your link) can't be trammed in the nod direction without rebuilding the machine to get everything square, and there are some pretty good stories around the internet of rebuild projects to correct machines that were out of square. That might not matter if the longest cut you ever make is 6 inches long and the machine is out 4 or 5 thousandths and you can live with the error. The other one I checked is the same size machine sold by Industrial Hobbies. That business sell a beefed up version of the same basic mill design. Both of these machines are copies of the Taiwanese Rong Fu RF45 mill, which has a good reputation and a price to match. The "45" size machines are surprisingly large. I think you are better off in the long run by buying a Bridgeport. They're easier to find than a good lathe. Parts are plentiful and so far I've haven't run into anything I can't fix. Another machine to look at is a Millport; there was a nice one for sale here, and it might be still. I've tried to avoid buying a project and a headache, but the BP I bought was priced very low so I had to jump. I can sell it tomorrow morning if I want. Here's a rebuilder with used machines that I wish I had found earlier last year. http://www.stkrebuilders.com/ I know the price for their used machines is out of your budget. This ain't advice, just my observations since last summer and what I've learned while hunting for machines. The only mill I've operated is a Sharp clone of a BP so I can't say whether those small square column machines will work for you or me or not. I want to machine steel and I'm getting too old to take 10 thousandths passes to machine a deep slot, so I'm glad the BP came along. Selecting a machine without spending small fortunes is a tough job (for a tightwad like me) and I wish I had a pat answer to make the decision easy. Matt at Quality Machine has a great reputation for answering questions over the phone and making happy customers, so maybe a call to him is in order. Eisen has some interesting mills, too: http://cgi.ebay.com/Eisen-S-2M-9x42-2HP-Bridgeport-type-Milling-Machine-/330529893454?pt=BI_Mills&hash=item4cf51dec4e |
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SNIP I recall the minimum spindle speed was 90 rpm - fast for this noob when threading to a shoulder.
EASY - Flip your tool upside down, start at the shoulder and run the machine in reverse..... Or do it on a Hardinge HLV-H... Chipmaker When I make my first $100k in my shop, the first thing I'll buy will be a nice Hardinge. Threading backards is on my list of things to try when I get my own machine. We had a repeat "student" in class last summer that was back for his 13th session (and he owns a machine shop at home), and this is his method. I guess the only potential trap I know is lifting of the cross slide. |
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SNIP I recall the minimum spindle speed was 90 rpm - fast for this noob when threading to a shoulder.
EASY - Flip your tool upside down, start at the shoulder and run the machine in reverse..... Or do it on a Hardinge HLV-H... Chipmaker When I make my first $100k in my shop, the first thing I'll buy will be a nice Hardinge. Threading backards is on my list of things to try when I get my own machine. We had a repeat "student" in class last summer that was back for his 13th session (and he owns a machine shop at home), and this is his method. I guess the only potential trap I know is lifting of the cross slide. I doubt that will be an issue with the shallow cuts threading requires. Another plus would be being able to thread at higher speeds for a better finish. Jog the start/stop switch to get the half nut to engage, oil up the threads and then hit the start button and away she goes. There should also be less slop running in this direction since most machines have never been run that way.
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When I make my first $100k in my shop, the first thing I'll buy will be a nice Hardinge. Last one I bought was for 3K for a 1986 machine at a local auction (I have two in my shop) . My Dad bought his from reliable tool on Ebay for $2800 about 3 years ago. His was 3 units newer than my first lathe I paid $16K used for 5 years ago (based on SN#) |
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I was looking at mills and lathes on the .gov liquidation site.
Lots of nice machines ruined by neglectful storage most likely outdoors. Enough to make a grown man cry. All the bare metal was fairly well pitted and rust was popping through the chromed parts. Damned shame. |
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