1955 Bridgeport bought in bits - parts missing

Hi Chaps,

I bought a Bridgeport series 1 circa 1955 from another fella who had started renovating it and gave up. At some point the mill had been dropped and the head casting where the belt drive casing attached was cracked. The previous owner had it welded and it looks OK.

However in this process a number of parts went missing principally the spindle and associated parts bearings couplings etc. What is the best way of sourcing replacements? Whole head or search for bits? Where in the UK?

To put this in context I paid £150 (about $180) for it and it is intended to be a learning process for me in my twilight years to keep me active so labour intensive solutions are a bonus rather than a disadvantage. I hesitate to say I fancy converting it to CNC for fun in case I get flared

Cheers!

Here in the USA a head can be found from perhaps $500 to $3,000 ..Sometimes a whole machine can be had for that price..
No Idea about the UK..You might mount a router motor and get a little play time with milling wood parts..You can mount a feeler probe off the what ever and router very nice parts from a master/template..such as making gun stocks..

QT: [converting it to CNC for fun in case I get flared] is tricky because the free play in the long and cross feed often requires the use of table locks so the cutter does not pull the table this way and that l direction..stepping motors could move axis but with not having ball screws, locking movements may be required.

Could be better off buying a complete machine and selling yous as parts.
1500.
EXCELLENT 1997! BRIDGEPORT 9 x 48" VERT MILLING MACHINE - general for sale - by owner

5000.
Bridgeport Milling Machine. Fully rebuilt. Single phase with slotting - general for sale - by owner

Assume you are talking BP J-head and not a BP M-head (there are others too) http://www.lathes.co.uk/bridgeport/page2.html. J-heads are fairly common, M-heads not so much.

Also note that PM has a Bridgeport Forum where this will likely be moved.