Got myself a retirement present

[Jeff Michel]

After 35 years, I've decided throw in the sponge, at least at my day job. Since the USDA isn't known for retirement presents, I went out to get my own. Sorry for the gloat.243673

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Congratulations. Very nice. Looks a lot like mine. I'll bet you have fun with that.

[pworley1]

Congratulations! Very nice.

[Conditor22]

Go ahead and gloat, you've probably earned it :)

[EDG]

I would gloat too....

[country gent]

Good looking machine there. Does the Id Tag give the build date for it. Im assuming the gibs are tight and have adjustment left. 9X42 0r 9X48 table on it?

[samari46]

Congratulations on your well deserved retirement. You do know you will have to get catalogs from MSC (manhattan supply co) And travers tool. Getting a lathe and a decent mill is only half the story. Then comes the tooling. Have fun. Frank

[Gtek]

The mill is the cheap part, wait a while and see what stacks up next to it!

[Greg S]

My address is.... Nice, there are alot of little projects to keep ya busy with that. Enjoy.

[M-Tecs]

Dates of manufacture here http://www.lathes.co.uk/Bridgeport/page8.html

If you need to do any work on it this is an excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1482367912/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Jeff Michel]

Good looking machine there. Does the Id Tag give the build date for it. Im assuming the gibs are tight and have adjustment left. 9X42 0r 9X48 table on it?

It was made is '89, 48" table and came with a Newell DRO. Came out of a prototype shop in Florida. I doubt it has a couple hundred hours on it. It's a replacement for a Lagun FT-1 I've use for the last twenty years. Originally was looking for an Excello, but this BP was about as new as I've ever seen and it JUST was getting unloaded at the dealer and frankly couldn't/wouldn't pass on it. I'm not affiliated with them of course, but if your in the Brookpark area, outside of Cleveland, check out McKean Machinery. I've been dealing with them for 25 years and they have been great resource for to get rid of any excess money I have laying around.

[6bg6ga]

I'm happy for you. Great Mill. Enjoy the hell out of it.

[elk hunter]

Nice piece! When I looked at the picture I thought the table looked big, I was thinking 10x54. I'm always a little envious of people that live where good equipment can be bought used. Where I live all used machine shop equipment is pretty well used up before it gets on the secondary market.

Enjoy!!

[MrWolf]

I don't remember you getting me anything when I went out on a disability retirement :kidding:

[RED BEAR]

Hey gloat away i might. I always worked in small job shops or tool and die where i could use the machinery after work was able to do a lot on my guns. Now that i don't work anymore i no longer have access to the machinery. So i dream of having a mill and lathe maybe even a small surface grinder. May not happen but i still dream. Hope you really enjoy it looks like a nice mill.

[Murphy]

Congratulations on your retirement Jeff. I'm hanging it up the end of next month. Like you, 35 years is enough. Time to pick up where I left off. Guns I got, and a few fishing poles (which for the record, I can't fish worth a hoot anyway). That, and picking & grinnin'.

I admire your skill in operating mills & lathes. I haven't a clue about them but know a fella can make a lot of neat stuff if he's skilled in them.

Again, congratulations and enjoy my friend.

Murphy

[Three44s]

Congrats on your retirement and acquiring the Bridgeport.

Three44s

[country gent]

At Campbells we bought a Bridgeport mill that had been in a prototype shop at a sister company. This mill was roughly 8 years old Hardened and chromed gibs and ways. 9 X 48 scraped in table Mitutoyo read out 2 hp J2 head. all it had machined was nylon plastic parts. This machine was more accurate than some jig bores were.
With most metal working machines the machine is the cheapest part, tooling adds up quick, but if your good you can make most of what you need. I have a boring head here my grandfather made back in the 40s. Along with tools Grandpa Dad and I have made. Its amazing what can be done with a lathe mill and grinder

[HollowPoint]

Great choice of gifts. I would have liked to have gotten one of these or something similar but I don't know how I would have gotten it in the door of my laundry room/work shop.

By necessity, I had to get smaller foot print machines. Is that run by 3-phase or single phase. 3-Phase would have presented another problem I would have run into.

HollowPoint

[country gent]

Rotate head 180* ( so motor is down towards table) remove table and a bridge port will go thru most standard doors. Wont be a lot of room but it should go. .

[oldred]

Great choice of gifts. I would have liked to have gotten one of these or something similar but I don't know how I would have gotten it in the door of my laundry room/work shop.

By necessity, I had to get smaller foot print machines. Is that run by 3-phase or single phase. 3-Phase would have presented another problem I would have run into.

HollowPoint

Three phase is a plus these days instead of a problem, simply get a VFD to control it with and you will have upgraded to smooth variable speed with instant reverse and dynamic braking capabilities! VFDs are the cat's meow when it comes to machinery with three phase motors.


Jeff if you feel like gloating then go right ahead, you just finished a lifetime of working to earn that privilege. I did the same thing when I retired, bought a new 14x40 lathe and a used J-head BP along with a bunch of extras I figured I would need, turn tables, boring head, etc but of course I never even figured close and I am constantly on the look-out for new tooling. Keep a check on E-Bay for some real deals, a lot of people try to unload their worn out junk (trashed end mills, etc) there but there is a tremendous lot of new stuff that often goes for a fraction of dealer asking prices. Over the last few years I have accumulated a tool box full of various brand name new end mills and other cutters for a fraction of what places like MSC (Dang I still miss ENCO!) get for the exact same thing and brands like OSG, Niagara, Cleveland, etc can be found for less than the worthless Chinese junk. Chinese machinery may be ok for the price but their tooling is a joke.

[country gent]

A lot of the bridge port size tooling is available and some can be had pretty reasonably compared to new costs. A rotary table and chuck can be a big investment. a dividing head and tail stock can be reasonable since most don't want to learn to use them. The smaller indexers for collets can be quite handy and in off shore made reasonable. Actual brideport attachments for the machine hang on. In 35 years Ive only seen 1 of the key seater, shaper attachments.

As to tooling the various indicators ( I prefer a back dial in the mill) Indicator holders, sine bars, vises, angle plates, strap clamps, t nuts, studs, adjustable blocks, Parallels both straight and angled, and other assorted tooling can be found often or made. The big one to watch closely are mill vises a lot have been over tightened and sprung.

I consider end mills drills to be expendibles to be used up. A small table top cutter grinder can extend the life of end mills a lot. Oils cutting fluids brushes also fall into expendables

[JM7.7x58]

Great Present! Congratulation on your retirement!

I'm a little envious. Sure would be great to have the space and budget to get a nice Bridgeport. Good for you!

I have an older and beat-up Rong Fu RF-30 round column machine. I was able to shoe horn it into my basement (ramp and cable winch). It was from an estate, and was cheap at $350. I haven't set it up yet, need to build a base for it. And buy tooling. And a Lathe. And more, and more $$$.

My first project is going to be a simple plate steel Check Maker, 1 1/2" plate welded to 3/4" plate with a .035" gap. The plates are welded together, still need to drill holes and make the punch and forming mandrels. Going to make the forming mandrel with a HSS tool bit in the vise, and turning the mandrel (round stock) in a collet.

Have fun,
JM

[DCM]

Sweet! Saving my "shekels" for a similar machine.
Jealous for now.

[country gent]

The one I just purchased for my shop is a series 1 head pulley drive and anihiem read out. But I also got a full set of tooling cutters and collets with it. Also a 12 X40 clausing lathe and tooling. last from the friends shop is a 6X18 surface grinder. He still has a 16X40 Nardini lathe

[Blazenet]

Enjoy your retirement and new machine!

[woodbutcher]

:D And now the fun begins.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[oldred]

last from the friends shop is a 6X18 surface grinder.

I have been yearning for a surface grinder lately, never even used one except for just playing around with one once but the gree,,,,,,,err uh, need for one is certainly there. I got a tool post grinder last year for the lathe (and a good cover to protect the ways!) and it turns out that I have actually used that thing a lot more than I thought I would and the more I have considered the surface grinder the more need I see for it also, it's an addiction and there simply is no end to it!

[Jeff Michel]

You can usually find a 612 Deluxe Boyar-Schultz fairly cheap. Easy enough to do the routine maintenance. Avoid the 612 Challenger, belt drive vs direct. They are not the same machine. A surface grinder is like a pickup, you can't hardly get along without one once you have one.

[lightman]

Congratulations on a well earned retirement. I would say that you have the right to gloat! At least a little! :) Nice mill by the way!

[Sig556r]

Nice one...have a safe retirement