Bridgeport mill info

I'm off to look at a used Bridgeport mill Wednesday evening. I've been using a pair of these, a '61 and a '63, both 9x42 with power feeds, DRO, and belt speed change so I feel somewhat comfortable with the usual issues about condition and options. But is there some nice web site with serial numbers by year, model numbers, options, features, yada, yada? Something similar to the Logan Lathe info at

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This one is unknown year, 9x36 table, collets, variable speed, 3 pahse, and collets. comes with a static phase converter but I've built a rotory converter before so I'll just do another one of those. I have a hunch the price is too high but the only way to find out is to look at it.

Any special things to look for other than obvious wear and tear, drill holes in the table, and uneven wear on the various gibs?

Reply to
RoyJ
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A 9 x 36 will be ancient, even pre-war, and such are almost all badly worn and broken down.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

Reply to
Waynemak

Bridgeport did make short tabled machines post war and IRRC..still do.

They are not terribly common though.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner

For sure. Not too many people wouldn't pay the few extra $$ to get the extra travel. I'd always wonder though why everyone didn't also get chrome ways as well. I still have serial number information going up till about 1973 for A LOT of machines. If anyone has a Bridgeport (or other machine as well) and either posts the serial number in the group or emails me directly I'll try to identify the age. If you email me directly please put "serial number" in the subject line. Dennis in nca

Reply to
rigger

Go to

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Reply to
Clif Holland

Looks like we have some people that actually know what they are talking about.

I have a question. We have just gotten the school J-head Bridgeport operational again after a move and about 1 year of storage. Machine was little used but frequently abused [not intentionally].

A quick power-on run through indicates everything is functional [at least marginally] except the quill power feed. When the access panels were removed considerable bronze or brass "saw dust" was discovered, and a "ear" of the same material about 1 X

1 X 1/4 inch was discovered that had been broken off along one edge.

Anyone know what this likely is, and how hard to fix? Before tearing the head apart I would like to know if this is someting we can likely fix in-house or will we most likely have to send it out.

Also any ideas about parts costs/availibity/sources?

Thanks for your help.

GmcD

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

Reply to
RoyJ

Sorry, it's been at least 25 years since I've had a Bridgeport head apart (and none to play with now) but I seem to remember it was a common problem and easily repaired (after the first time through it). I'm sure many in this group have done this. Good luck. Dennis in nca

Reply to
rigger

Can you post a picture of the part? I have acess to a considerable quantity of BP parts.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner

Thanks for the feedback.

Don't have the Bridgeport apart yet. I have the broken part I fished out in my tool box but that's at our IPC building about 3 miles from the campus. I will stop by and get it and make some pictures.

If the repair is "doable" its going to be the main fall class project for my machining class and possibly one of the projects for the machine repair & maintance class [I don't teach that one.]

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

The power downfeed is a very simple mechanism. Simplified.... A worm gear from the spindle turns a bronze clutch gear,,a "gear" that has saw teeth that match another "gear" that is locked to the downfeed handle shaft with a key and pressed together with that lever thingy you see sticking out of the access plate on the left side of the head just behind the depth gauge. If the quill gets stopped in its down feed..the spring loaded clutch gears start lifting on the saw teeth and engaging, again and again and again. Left to its own devices for an extended period of time..the saw teeth wear off.

Its a simple matter to simply replace the two clutch gears (assembly). It can be done in less than 15 minutes.

There are two tumbler gears in the head behind the downfeed "knob" that reverse the power downfeed. Push the knob in..and it feeds down, pull it out and it feeds up.

Ive seen several that got put into Up feed and walked away from for some time, with the spindle running.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner

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