This old dog followed me home. Mill 09 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr Hoping he has a few tricks left in him. And no, it is not for making billit. But I did get your traditional rear end in a pucker for a moment, didn't I?
Nice Score! A buddy of mine out here was given (free) a mill (not sure of the brand) and older Atlas tool room type lathe. They are still we put them, never touched again.
That's one of the handiest machines you'll ever own. Even if you never learn how much more it can do, it will still be the best damn drill press you ever used.
To be honest, I have no problem with someone taking a hunk of metal (billet) and whittling out a part at home-no different to me than banging out sheet metal, casting your pistons at home ala Burt Monroe, or welding up something out of tubing. My problem with billet stuff is that it's all machined by someone else in mass quantities and looks it. The "tradition" in traditional hotordding that I hold dear is making and fitting together car parts yourself.
If you make yourself on your own mill HELL YES GO BILLIT these are great machines your going to love it!!!
You don't make billet, you start with a billet- just a chunk of metal. If you start with a billet and make something out of it yourself, now you have a part- and a pile of chips And no, I haven't used my drill press in a couple years- you get really spoiled. So you got a vice and power feed with it? My Bridgeport has that same feed on it. Do yourself a favor and cut some squares of 1/4" or better steel to put under the adjusting screws before you level it, so it doesn't vibrate itself into the concrete floor. And if you need one, you can find very nice HD phase converters on epay, made specifically for mill & lathe use, and very easy to install- I have this one on both my Bridgeport and my 16x60 South Bend- make sure you get the correct one for the hp of your motor http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Static-...lectrical_Equipment_Tools&hash=item56480bfacd
X2, I bought one a few years ago from them. And yes, use their specs to get the right one....this is one time where you don't want to buy the "next size up" from what they suggest...because it apparently won't work.
You just have to shop around- I haven't paid more than $10 for any of them- lots of guys at swap meets selling new surplus stuff cheap. Some of those long flexible-shank drill bits that came from Boeing are pretty slick- and they were $1 ea
How sweet is that! If you were to accidently come across an indexing head, you should get that too! With a vertical manual mill and an indexing head the sky is the limit! You are well on your way to cranking out some one off hot rod parts the way it was done "back in the day"! Nice going, I'm happy for you
Wow, thought I was gonna have go get the popcorn.Thats a killer addition to the shop!! Anyone looking for a old Bridgeport for sale,send me a PM. NJ area
For future refrence, High Quality Tools, Inc wwwhqtinc.com has every thing to fix or referbish Bridgeport mills. They own the rites to the after market parts. From the smallest spring to whole castings, they have it.
The Jalopy Journal
