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Looking at a Bridgeport and have a question

Kevin T

Stainless
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
I am in a machine desert so the chance to pick up a knee mill is very uncommon, but I am looking at this. I see the spindle brake is on in this video but there is a lot of noise. Is that normal? (could be the video method?) If I am not mistaken this is a low range test too so the noise has me concerned.


If this is an issue here is it difficult to remedy? I know I don't have a lot to bring to the table here except questions but is there anything for me to be thinking about when I consider this machine?

Bridgeport Series I 2 HP Table Milling Machine w/ US Electrical Motors 7347 - Oahu Auctions
 
I have done about a dozen over the years and it is not a horrible job - just takes a little attention to details. Really makes a difference with head noise. I did run into one that was so bad that we ended up just getting a replacement Taiwanese head for it (sheaves and shafts were toast, motor needed a full rebuild, and the spindle was looser than a garage sale craftsman drill press).
 
I agree with the previous posters about the bushings possibly being bad.......

Could also be the spindle spline making the noise.....one way to check, put the head in neutral, hold the brake and grab the spindle nose and rock back and forth, if there's a knock, it's in the splines section of the spindle, also move the quill up and down while running and see if the noise changes?

Typically a machine that has done a lot of tapping or fly cutting beats the crap out of the splines....

Kevin
 
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Thanks for the replys guys I appreciate it. That will give me something to think about. If anything else comes to mind feel free to mention it. I don't think I can see the machine in person before the auction ends so it's a calculated risk exercise.
 
Thanks for the replys guys I appreciate it. That will give me something to think about. If anything else comes to mind feel free to mention it. I don't think I can see the machine in person before the auction ends so it's a calculated risk exercise.

Well I did my best working all the angles behind the scenes to find out as much about the machine as I could and bid up as high as I could to my credit limit at the time but no dice. I'm kinda bummed that $8,000 couldn't get it in my garage but that's the way it goes in a machine desert. I've been here for almost 2 decades and seen maybe 2 knee mills that I would want to have. Looks like I'll have to wait until we pick out an affordable place to retire before I get a mill. Interesting crossroads, I did weigh the time value of having it now and learning the machine before I'm too old but still bid 2,500 above that! Uggghh. [/RANT]
 
Hi,
I'm in Florida and like you not a lot of old Bridgeports around, unlike up North.

Put up an Ad, in the want to buy section, and a Gentleman in KY, told me about a BP for sale...

Thirty miles from my house!

Just sayin, let people know you are looking and where you are at.

Something, might pop up?
 
Well I did my best working all the angles behind the scenes to find out as much about the machine as I could and bid up as high as I could to my credit limit at the time but no dice. I'm kinda bummed that $8,000 couldn't get it in my garage but that's the way it goes in a machine desert. I've been here for almost 2 decades and seen maybe 2 knee mills that I would want to have. Looks like I'll have to wait until we pick out an affordable place to retire before I get a mill. Interesting crossroads, I did weigh the time value of having it now and learning the machine before I'm too old but still bid 2,500 above that! Uggghh. [/RANT]

Sorry to hear that you weren't able to get that machine. But, I was thinking about how expensive that machine was and maybe it would be possible for you to buy a decent machine from California and have it shipped to you for less than the cost of one locally. And, there are plenty of them available in California. You can generally get a pretty nice variable speed BP here for somewhere less than $5K. Just some food for thought.

Ted
 








 
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