Fancy drill press

[chickenman]

the thing with the bridgeport knee mill with the j head, it was the swiss army knife of mills and what it gave up was robustness

the quality of the early ones was better than the later textron made mills.

a decent copy was made in spain.

 

[Toyboy]

I should have said "they were" the Cadillac of milling machines. Every tool room/machine shop had one/some. I keep forgetting that I've been out of manufacturing since '95 and really don't know the quality of today's machine tools.

 

[mmurphy]

I hope you lose just a little sleep over a steal like that!!!!:laughing:

 

[JRP]

You guys are right. I have learned some. It does say Bridgeport and the big control back is Anilam. It also is called a mill not a drill press, and the cutter that cuts sideways is called a ... milling cutter. They are expensive. It turns out every thing on this beast is expensive. The work clamp is called KURT and they are outrageous.

The motor would not run right - only hummed until I twisted it, then it started turning, but slow. My neighbor said it uses three wire electricity and I have only two connected, so I need an electricians help to install another wire.

The control box box just plugs in the wall and turned ON ok and has numbers that change when I turn the cranks. The manual reads like a math book.

 

[metalcaster]

It takes 3 phase power. Do not run it on your single phase as eventually it will ruin the motor. It may also be set up for 460 volt 3 phase. Get some help from an industrial electrician.

You can purchase a phase converter reasonably or build one from an old 3 phase motor-so I'm told. Join the forums at cnczone.com and start doing some reading.

 

[sandman2234]

I bought my Bridgeport and it came with a static convertor. Never bothered to upgrade to a more expensive/better rotary phase converter.
Be careful with it, when you get it wired up. They can and will hurt you and themselves in a hurry. A nice implement to have on a tractor forum, but some guidance will go a long way in making life better.
If you get it wired up, send me a PM and I will donate a couple endmills to you to get you started. You might have to pay flatrate shipping on them, depending on what kind of mood I am in when I go to the post office.

Just a footnote, but my Avatar is the reduction gears from a Fray All Angle Milling Machine. They were a weakspot due to being able to tear them up if you didn't follow the directions, which nobody had acess to, lately...
I came across a good set and they are on loan to another friend who is trying to duplicate them.
David from jax

 

[czechsonofagun]

Here is a good tool source for the home machinist - Enco.

 

[mjncad]

Either JRP is pulling our leg, or he scored one heck of a deal by getting a Bridgeport mill with DRO (Digital Read Out) and a Kurt vise for peanuts.

Now if I only had a place for it, I'd be glad to take it off his hands.

 

[rswyan]

Either JRP is pulling our leg, or he scored one heck of a deal by getting a Bridgeport mill with DRO (Digital Read Out) and a Kurt vise for peanuts.

I don't believe he ever actually said what he paid for it - just that he was offered $500 for it.

 

[mjncad]

I don't believe he ever actually said what he paid for it - just that he was offered $500 for it.

You're right, the OP didn't.