Ping: Dan Mitchell

I think I fit that descripton! :-)

Dan Mitchell ============

I appreciate the info on the site. Any other place you can send me for more info? I'm still trying to get an idea on price. Only gotten one quote there, $200 for low end, maybe $600 for decent with tooling. Is that about right?

It is the MH2 in the catalog section under Files, "img2" under the "benchmaster info" section under photos.

Thanks for anything you can offer. Tim

That seems a fair range for pricing. I paid $125 for my Benchmaster back about 1980, and it would be more now. Mine came with only the vertical head, vise, cabinet, motor, and a few parts for the horizontal version, but no spindle or overarm. It was in decent used condition, with a few minor 'dings', but nothing serious.

It's nice to have ALL the parts for both vertical and horizontal versions, then you can change back and forth as the job indicates. It takes perhaps a half hour to do the conversion, if you have all the parts.

I completed the horizontal parts set by buying some and making some. When I got my machine, parts were still available, but at EXORBITANT prices.

Some parts, like the overarm to knee brace (desirable), and the power feed were always optional.

Since I now have a bigger, better, vertical mill, I leave my Benchmaster in horizontal mode all the time now. In horizontal mode, a countershaft to reduce the spindle speed is HIGHLY desirable. I have one with a fixed

1:4 ratio driving the spindle, using the original pulleys to drive the countershaft.

It's a nice little mill, for it's size and weight. The only complaint I ever had with it was the lack of a quill downfeed. You can still do just about anything, just by raising the knee, but that's less convenient than a quill.

Some adapt early Bridgeport heads to the benchmaster, and thus obtain a quill. Or, if you only have the horizontal version, it's a way to get a vertical mill. Other heads like the Rockwell or Clausing probably could be adapted also.

Good luck with the little 'beast', and have fun! I made a lot of good stuff with mine, and still use it occasionally for slotting and corner rounding, and such.

Dan Mitchell ============

I hope you don't mind, but I may be bugging you occasionally. I'm on my way this afternoon to move it from the widow's garage. Figure I'll see if four hundred sounds about fair. I'll take pics when I get it and all the parts.

Tim