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O/T Advice wanted: New to milling looking at a vertical mill

bas123

Plastic
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
O/T

I have done a lot of research about what type of mill to buy and such but I have never owned one before. One I am looking at is a Brown and Sharpe Knee milling machine somewhat of a rough condition. If anyone knows the quality of these machines and what an average asking price is for one I would appreciate any help. I attached all the photos I have so far.


Screenshot 2020-09-28 at 11.10.20 PM.jpgScreenshot 2020-09-28 at 11.09.22 PM.jpgScreenshot 2020-09-28 at 11.10.28 PM.jpg
 
Anything by Brown and Sharpe was top quality when new. That mill was new a long time ago, so the quality is still there, but the value has been diminished by age and, presumably, by wear. I suppose around $500 might be fair if it still runs.

I bought a 1929 B&S No. 2 surface grinder in 1979. I put a tremendous amount of work and quite a bit of money into rebuilding and improving it. On the whole, I am glad I did. It can be very educational and fun.

Larry
 
That may well have a B+S spindle taper. Getting any tooling to fit will cost more then buying some more common taper machine. Expect to spend as much on tooling as the base machine. Has anyone made any B+S tooling in this century?
Bill D.
 
Get yourself a decent quality " Bridgeport " if you want to develop your understanding of the vertical milling machine process. Getting yourself a project that is going to require a lot of work just to get started could possibly put you off the whole idea.

Regards Tyrone.
 
Has anyone made any B+S tooling in this century?
A quick search found at least three, and the prices are okay. That's not counting fleabay.

More to the point, the photos are awful so you can't see but in general, old heavy-duty vertical mills don't have drillpress-style quills. For average work, most people want that. A lot. That's one of the biggest uses for a Bridgeport (aka glorified drill press). The handcrank wheels don't cut the mustard.
 








 
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