alfadan
Well-known member
Just thought I'd throw this out there. The BP and all the rest have power downfeed, but at least as BP is concerned, they limited it to a 3/8th drill in steel. Just in case you had ideas of hogging some metal.
Bought Bridgeport Clone - Now Getting it Set Up for Basic Machining
- Thread starter bulletpruf
- Start date
RoninB4
Well-known member
One of my first shop functions was operating a G&L radial drill about the size of those in the photo. Worked in a die shop that used one all the time for plate/shoe work. Still have a soft spot for a radial drill and looked for an Arboga for several years for the home shop. Like the "party colors" on the mill, can't miss where the controls are.Here is the set up for bulletpruf,
A drillpress and 'small milling machine'
RoninB4
Well-known member
-That was worth mentioning. Power down feed on drills larger than 3/8 is heading into radial drill press territory and you better know what you're doing. Shattering a larger twist drill from too much down feed throws razor sharp HSS shrapnel everywhere you'll stand. It's scary.
RoninB4
Well-known member
-I really like the way Comet proudly labels their turret mill as "Turrut", puts it in a class by itself. ESL proofreading before it goes out?
Steve from Socal
Well-known member
Somebody in the Beech tool room had a thing for green and orange. That big radial drill was so cheap I coldn't pass it up. The really large machines are cheap for several reasons, size, weight and, moving them. The only way the RD was worth it was it rode 'free' on the trailer with other machines and I have a 24K forklift.
RoninB4
Well-known member
-Well sure, who doesn't like green and orange?
-Rigging and moving a radial drill press is cause for careful consideration, as top heavy as most of them are it's not as casual a move as most other machines. Even with the head dropped it's still easy to tip from what I've read on PM. Still wish i had gotten a small one (Arboga) for the home shop. I'm sentimental (or just mental...) that way.
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Jswain
Well-known member
It's the (pretty much) only way to find a deal. Usually when I find a really good deal it's been posted within the last few minutes. A lot of luck goes with it.Thanks to you, now I'm searching about 10x per day...
To the people who look once a week it would appear no deals ever come around.
alfadan
Well-known member
For someone who doesn't want a mill, you sure look at a lot of mills!Thanks to you, now I'm searching about 10x per day...
Come on...you know you wanna!
whateg01
Well-known member
AttaboyThanks to you, now I'm searching about 10x per day...
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
For someone who doesn't want a mill, you sure look at a lot of mills!
Come on...you know you wanna!
Well, the Bridgeport clone that popped up a few miles away from my shop sure has me thinking about it...
whateg01
Well-known member
While you are thinking, somebody else is at the ATM.
Nothing wrong with being patient and waiting for the right machine, though.
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
That mill has been for sale for a while and the owner is out of town right now. He won't be back until Tuesday, and that's when I plan to go see it.
In the meantime, I'm still waiting on the final word from the seller on the IH TD-7C dozer...
whateg01
Well-known member
Priorities!
alfadan
Well-known member
You can get the dozer and drive it on over to get the mill!Priorities!
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Well, the dozer is going to get dropped off at my shop, so it will only be a few miles away from where the mill is...
36truck
Well-known member
I had an Arboga 36" Radial arm Drill press. Had to let it go when I left Mi. No way to transport or store it till I had a place to put it.
RoninB4
Well-known member
Was it all that I've imagined it to be? The only 2 Swedish machine I've used were both very well built. I f found the radial to be compact, adequate HP for the operation, and more nimble to use compared to the much larger G&L I was accustomed to.
This thread got me thinking about what I should do next for milling capacity. I have a 1HP dovetail mill/drill that has done almost everything I ask of it, but nowhere near rigid enough to do things such as a single cut keyway with great accuracy. As I have been looking around it seems the bulk of decent Bridgeport knockoffs come from Taiwan and have for some time - under quite a few different names. Best I can tell they mostly start with Cheng Ki, so this weekend I will be looking at one of them. In the end (i.e. if I ever get big shop up on the farm) I want a fairly large universal, but right now I can squeeze a BP clone (9 x 42??) in the spot where the little mill/drill stands.
You realize BP when my wife comes after me for my next round of equipment and tooling I will be pointing at you as one of my bad influences.
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Fair enough. I think you’re one of the many enablers here for some of my harebrained schemes too…
36truck
Well-known member
Yes it was a very nice press. It was 440 volt 3 phase. I had a friend who's dad owned a electric motor repair shop rewire it to 220 3 phase. Then we built a rotary phase converter for it. I drilled some 1 inch holes in 1/2" stock. Best part I only paid $75 for it at an auction for an out of business copper mine.
At work they have a Taiwan knock of a non radial arm drill press. I need to get a picture of it.
I was reasonably happy with my drilling capacity - until you made this post and I looked around at some. One of my gear drive drill presses in Nider - so quite aware of how well Swedes can make tools
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86turbodsl
Well-known member
I see someone else was on the same page. I was going to suggest a radial drill also, but you said footprint, and they don't check that box. A few years ago, maybe like 10, my boss at the time was Indian, and had grown up in his father's shop, in India where they had such things. I was managing the machine shop at the time, and he had me get a radial drill for the new shop move. They actually still made them, i bought it out of the Enco catalog. $9K and brand new. We drilled some bigass 2" holes with it on some engine blocks and it was never used again. Its still sitting in the shop, unused for years. So maybe the most expensive holes ever???
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Gonna need to see some pics of that...
Cruzan80
Well-known member
Hoping this is an autocorrect mistake ...
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
So there!
Attachments
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Going to look at this today. It's 3 phase, no power available to test it. Asking price is $2k, but it's been for sale for a while. Seller said he wants it gone.
Need to see if I can find a good YT video on inspecting a Bridgeport type mill.
SilverJimmy
Well-known member
When I first started looking for a mill I tried to buy a Comet, it looked like a good BP clone and had a cool name and graphics! 
Guy said he sold it within a day.
Guy said he sold it within a day.
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
I got the Comet, but it was really weird.
First, I called my buddy; someone I've known for 40+ years. Figured he'd try to talk me out of buying a mill (he's normally a wet blanket on my harebrained schemes) but he was 100% in favor of me picking one up. He's wanted one for a while.
Second, as I was on the highway to go look at the COMET mill, this van was traveling down the road next to me.
Finally, as I'm pulling up, the owner opens up his shop and I see a few dozen duck decoys. I mention to him that I grew up in southeast Louisiana and I did a lot of duck hunting growing up. He asked me where I was from, and I replied, "Slidell." He said, "I'm from Slidell, too." He actually went to the same elementary school and high school that I went to, albeit about 10 years after me. Anyway, that's almost 600 miles from here, so that was really, really odd.
I figured the universe was really telling me that I needed to pick up the mill, so I gave it a cursory examination and then paid him. I got it for $800.
Scott
First, I called my buddy; someone I've known for 40+ years. Figured he'd try to talk me out of buying a mill (he's normally a wet blanket on my harebrained schemes) but he was 100% in favor of me picking one up. He's wanted one for a while.
Second, as I was on the highway to go look at the COMET mill, this van was traveling down the road next to me.
Finally, as I'm pulling up, the owner opens up his shop and I see a few dozen duck decoys. I mention to him that I grew up in southeast Louisiana and I did a lot of duck hunting growing up. He asked me where I was from, and I replied, "Slidell." He said, "I'm from Slidell, too." He actually went to the same elementary school and high school that I went to, albeit about 10 years after me. Anyway, that's almost 600 miles from here, so that was really, really odd.
I figured the universe was really telling me that I needed to pick up the mill, so I gave it a cursory examination and then paid him. I got it for $800.
Scott
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SilverJimmy
Well-known member
Pictures or it didn’t happen!
Cruzan80
Well-known member
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
That would be helpful. Thanks!
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Here are a few pics.
It's dirty and could use a good cleaning.
The table seems to be in pretty good shape; some small imperfections, but nothing significant.
I'm not quite sure what's going on here. There are some aluminum panels that ride under the table, presumably to keep the debris out of the inner workings, but these don't look happy.
It's dirty and could use a good cleaning.
The table seems to be in pretty good shape; some small imperfections, but nothing significant.
I'm not quite sure what's going on here. There are some aluminum panels that ride under the table, presumably to keep the debris out of the inner workings, but these don't look happy.
Cruzan80
Well-known member
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Last batch of pics. 
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
thanks!!!
whateg01
Well-known member
Those covers do get bent. I don't recall exactly, but there's supposed to be something to limit their travel so they stay under the saddle but also cover the opening to the z screw and gear. Mine have been bent but I straightened them when I got the machine. For that price, even with a bunch of wear, I would be making some parts. Mine has a lot of wear in y such that the saddle will rotate a small amount when going from y+ to y-. Still makes parts, at least the parts I need.
Oh, and not a full you ****, but you ****-ish!
Oh, and not a full you ****, but you ****-ish!
OP
bulletpruf
Well-known member
First order of business - figure out how to get it to the shop. Seller has a skid steer with forks for loading, but I'm not seeing any drop deck trailers available for rent. I have an 18' car hauler but I don't have a forklift to unload. Guess I could rent one.