Cheap Bridgeport Milling machine in the OC.

[Twystd1]

Just saw this on CL.

With tooling.
Looks like a J head. 1500.00 bucks. Thats a good deal. 3 phase.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/hvo/4737723170.html

-T

[kcstott]

I thought there was stuff missing from it, From using mine I'm use to a power draw bar and a DRO/CNC control

I forgot what a stripped down machine looked like.

Damn good deal. and for a fee I'll help some one move it.

[Gunsmith Dan]

That is if it even works correctly ..... that is the problem with buying stuff you can't go through and test it completely.

[Twystd1]

This particular mill is powered up. I talked to the seller. He said come on over and try it before buying it.

The tooling that comes with it has some value as well.

I am looking for a newer mill with DRO ......... Hint.

-T

[Ag_Surfer]

RUN

Do get any salsa with them chips? its a beater, I have rebuilt Bridgeports scraped the ways complete over hauls. Maybe for parts and tooling.

[kcstott]

It is a beater but for what these guys are willing to spend on chinese trash table top mills this is far and wide better even with worn out gibbs it will still make decent parts.

Is it job shop ready?? probably not.

Is it garage novice I want to machine my own 80% lower ready Hell yeah.

That is if it even works correctly ..... that is the problem with buying stuff you can't go through and test it completely.

And thats a point of leverage use to negotiate the price.. If it has issues the price goes down then you use the money you save to fix it up and restore it to as near new as you want.

The point is it's $1500 with tooling if it was bought and used but never touched. in two years it could be sold for the same money. It's a Bridgeport, people throw money at them all the time.

[Ag_Surfer]

Kc You are right, 80 % machine it will do the job. I'm to use to Real Machine shops. I would not put that thing in my garage.

[klewan]

Kc You are right, 80 % machine it will do the job. I'm to use to Real Machine shops. I would not put that thing in my garage.

Yeah you would; if the alternative is a hand held drill motor, hacksaw, and files. That's what I had to do until I got my B-port. Got the B-port in '98, that was when a machine like this one were routinely $3000+. CNC hadn't hit the smaller shops so there was still a demand for manual machines. I looked for 8 years before I found my deal.

[kcstott]

Yeah you would; if the alternative is a hand held drill motor, hacksaw, and files. That's what I had to do until I got my B-port. Got the B-port in '98, that was when a machine like this one were routinely $3000+. CNC hadn't hit the smaller shops so there was still a demand for manual machines. I looked for 8 years before I found my deal.

Very true. and you'd be surprised what the bigger shops will do.

Worked for a $15M company that couldn't care less about it's tool room. We were a cost of doing business, Over head, and expense,

We were not seen as an asset We had junk machines and the boss would do nothing but buy more junk

Now the little Mom and Pop shop I worked for had eight Bridgports bought brand new in the mid 80's and were treated very well. three new Harig surface grinders and three new lathes. two Fadal 40X20 CNC machines and a Cincinnati CNC lathe.

Very well equipped shop

My Bridgeport in my garage was a beater but a little work, and some parts and some adjusting hear and there it's all good now.

Invested in a Millpwr CNC control very similar to a prototrak
It will not do 3D CNC but you would not want to do 3D on a knee mill anyway.

My first lathe was a 1929 south bend 9" Jr. change gear lathe. I rebuilt it. then bought a SB Heavy 10 navy model. Found a 15"X30" lathe Bought it and sold my SB Heavy 10 to cover part of the cost. Thats been going on sixteen years of collecting machine tools.

My garage is why i'm divorced, It's why i'm still single and can't hold on to a girl friend to save my life.
They don't get it an I'm to damn old to try and explain it to them.

[Twystd1]

My garage is why i'm divorced, It's why i'm still single and can't hold on to a girl friend to save my life.
They don't get it an I'm to damn old to try and explain it to them.

I knew I had a twin brother in San Diego. That confirms it.

-T

[xfer42]

My garage is why i'm divorced, It's why i'm still single and can't hold on to a girl friend to save my life.
They don't get it an I'm to damn old to try and explain it to them.

I can somewhat understand that. I imported my wife from the Netherlands. She thinks our house is big, I know its small. She thinks we have too much stuff, I know we just don't have enough room. Its caused problems... then again, shes a hippy that hates guns. My polar opposite. Thankfully she cant vote. Don't worry, I should have her converted by the time she can.

[kcstott]

I knew I had a twin brother in San Diego. That confirms it.

-T

Yes sir all true and if you're ever down this way look me up. We'll see just how close to a twin you might be. based on the bottle that you drink

[kcstott]

I can somewhat understand that. I imported my wife from the Netherlands. She thinks our house is big, I know its small. She thinks we have too much stuff, I know we just don't have enough room. Its caused problems... then again, shes a hippy that hates guns. My polar opposite. Thankfully she cant vote. Don't worry, I should have her converted by the time she can.

My ex wife felt the garage was a way to neglect her. yet she never complain about the money i brought in.

The ex girlfriend and mother of my daughter is Mexican and has this strange way of thinking that someone else should be you boss and pay you. You can't own toy's Yet a $100 pair of jeans and a $60 shirt is what she wants me dressed in all the f'n time and she what me to buy her a Escalade with 22" wheels??

I said "F that if you want it your earn it". and then the single life began.

Child support is cheeper then an Escalade payment though.

[panodanno]

Speaking of wives...

I found a 15-year-old Clausing Kondia FV-300 with about a 1000 hours of use on it for a pretty good price, but I already had a decent Bridgeport with a DRO and power x-feed. I told my wife about the Kondia, saying something like "even though it's not cheap, it's about 15K less expensive than a new one that would be no better than this mill". She asked what it could do that my Bridgeport couldn't do and I had to admit that the Bridgeport could do 95%+ of everything the "new" mill could do.

Next question from her: If you sell your mill, what is the additional cost of the new mill?

Me: $3500 + plus $600 to move it.

Her: You enjoy working with those tools so much, why wouldn't you go for it? Just make some stuff that covers the cost...

And so, now I have a very capable, stiff, heavy (3800 lbs), 3-axis DRO, 2-axis power feed, almost new mill.

My main point: I'm lucky that my wife is not intimidated by a tool or 10. It can happen... Life is good.

[bigbob76]

Speaking of wives...

I found a 15-year-old Clausing Kondia FV-300 with about a 1000 hours of use on it for a pretty good price, but I already had a decent Bridgeport with a DRO and power x-feed. I told my wife about the Kondia, saying something like "even though it's not cheap, it's about 15K less expensive than a new one that would be no better than this mill". She asked what it could do that my Bridgeport couldn't do and I had to admit that the Bridgeport could do 95%+ of everything the "new" mill could do.

Next question from her: If you sell your mill, what is the additional cost of the new mill?

Me: $3500 + plus $600 to move it.

Her: You enjoy working with those tools so much, why wouldn't you go for it? Just make some stuff that covers the cost...

And so, now I have a very capable, stiff, heavy (3800 lbs), 3-axis DRO, 2-axis power feed, almost new mill.

My main point: I'm lucky that my wife is not intimidated by a tool or 10. It can happen... Life is good.

Does she have any sisters? Just kidding, I love the one I'm with.