Bridgeport mill before and after

[Sweetcorn]

I know the history of this machine through multiple avenues, and it was originally purchased by a friend of my father in law, who remained the only owner of it until I bought it.

This machine and a couple other pieces were bought before a shop move, brand new. Its never been wired up or plugged in. The factory cosmoline is still on the table, ways, and other unpainted metal, along with a few pounds of dust and crud stuck to that, in the pic below. It ended up sitting in a conex, unchecked for a few years. The casting would sweat and it popped the filler off that was used on these castings. When it was finally time to bring it in to the new building, it looked like it did in the pic below.

It sat in the corner of the new building, collecting dust. The shop owner passed away and it sat in the building with some of his other things for a few more years.

I ended up with it and parked it in one of the barns at the farm for a bit until I had time to dive into it.

 

[Sweetcorn]

I shot a little brake cleaner on the table before I did anything with it. Was surprised to see this.

 

[In The Doghouse]

Beautiful! I'd love to have that in my shop.

 

[Sweetcorn]

I stripped the entire machine down to every nut and bolt, cleaned out the old grease and oil, and put in new belts.

Ways looked like they should on something that was never used.

 

[Sweetcorn]

After stripping it all down to bare metal, I gave it two coats of epoxy primer, then rage filler, then sprayable filler, then epoxy again, then finished with 3 coats of kirker paint that I mixed up to match my newer machine.

I'm still sanding this thing in my sleep, lol

 

[loganb]

Looks great!

Especially with that spacer, plans to put on a pneumatic drawbar or even better one of the quick change spindles?

 

[LXCam]

WOW!

 

[Sweetcorn]

Looks great!

Especially with that spacer, plans to put on a pneumatic drawbar or even better one of the quick change spindles?

Thanks, man!

I'm pretty tall so I reach it just fine. I have a kurt power draw bar on another mill and it doesn't really do that much for me. I'll most likely leave the drawbar as it is.

I'll do readouts and a power feed here pretty soon. Just got to pick out which ones I want to get.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

It’s amazing how bad surface rust can look when it’s not that deep. Well done on the restoration!

 

[RoninB4]

-Looks great, nice job on restoring it. Unused? Rare as hens teeth.

 

[Sweetcorn]

It’s amazing how bad surface rust can look when it’s not that deep. Well done on the restoration!

Thanks, man!

Surprisingly, there was no actual rust on the table or ways. The cosmoline kept it perfect. I expected it to have failed in some spots, but it held up great.

The only rust was on the castings, but I was able to get that to clean bare metal, so I felt good about going forward with the project.

 

[larry4406]

Talk about a diamond in the rough!

Nice transformation!

 

[Sweetcorn]

-Looks great, nice job on restoring it. Unused? Rare as hens teeth.

Thanks!

I actually talked to the owner years ago about it long before he died, but we were very far apart on what it was worth. I've ordered a few new bridgeports for work and I'm familiar with how they're shipped when new, and this was no different, just ugly.

I wished him luck on selling it, but it never happened.

There were a couple other pieces as well, but nothing that interested me. A small lathe, something like a 1340 ish sized machine, and a saw.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have refurbished a few Bridgeports, know how much work it is, and I can say you did a fantastic job on it! That is a machine to be proud of.
I have the ToAuto DRO on my mill and have been satisfied with it.
The table feed is a Servo brand and the knee lift is an import.

 

[Farmall450]

Wow, that is amazing OP. ***** that it sat so long, but it seems like you were the perfect guy to save it.

 

[Rinspeed]

Great job.

 

[AEAdam]

That’s a bit like finding a 911 SC brand new in a barn. It’s a proverbial barn find.

Like more details on how you cleaned the table. It looks brand new.

 

[RoninB4]

Thanks!

-No thanks needed, you did all the work and it looks great. Out of curiosity, in the photos it almost appears as though the ways are chromed. If so you really did hit the jackpot. No rust in the R-8 spindle hole? The key still there too?

I've ordered a few new bridgeports for work and I'm familiar with how they're shipped when new, and this was no different, just ugly.

-Just ugly? The "before" pic it looks F-ugly.

There were a couple other pieces as well, but nothing that interested me. A small lathe, something like a 1340 ish sized machine, and a saw.

-No use for a 1340 at work? I consider that a handy size for small one-off work. You must have much large pieces than the dies/molds I worked on. I appreciate you sharing the photos with us.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Wow, great job!

 

[Sweetcorn]

That’s a bit like finding a 911 SC brand new in a barn. It’s a proverbial barn find.

Like more details on how you cleaned the table. It looks brand new.

Acetone and moneral spirits were all i used on the table and ways.

 

[Sweetcorn]

-No thanks needed, you did all the work and it looks great. Out of curiosity, in the photos it almost appears as though the ways are chromed. If so you really did hit the jackpot. No rust in the R-8 spindle hole? The key still there too?

-Just ugly? The "before" pic it looks F-ugly.

-No use for a 1340 at work? I consider that a handy size for small one-off work. You must have much large pieces than the dies/molds I worked on. I appreciate you sharing the photos with us.

The spindle was clean and the key was new as it should be.

You're right about it being f'in ugly. I left it sit for a couple years before I finally got around to it. I knew it was going to be a lot of screwing around. Taking all the filler off of the casting on one of those is a ton of work, but it's just the beginning. I wouldn't have put that effort into a used machine. Too many around to make it worth while.

I already have a little bigger lathe that covers anything the 1340 would do. What I dont have is enough space, lol.

 

[Sweetcorn]

I have refurbished a few Bridgeports, know how much work it is, and I can say you did a fantastic job on it! That is a machine to be proud of.
I have the ToAuto DRO on my mill and have been satisfied with it.
The table feed is a Servo brand and the knee lift is an import.

A couple friends of mine have some of the cheaper import power feeds and I've been surprised how good they seem. I might give one a shot on this. I like the servo brand ones, but I may cheap out on the power feed for this mill and spend more on nicer readouts.

For lifting/lowering the knee, I've always just used the adapters that you use with a drill.

 

[OccupantRJ]

A couple friends of mine have some of the cheaper import power feeds and I've been surprised how good they seem. I might give one a shot on this. I like the servo brand ones, but I may cheap out on the power feed for this mill and spend more on nicer readouts.

For lifting/lowering the knee, I've always just used the adapters that you use with a drill.

I ran a Bridgeport at work as part of my job for 30 years and am 73 now. Cranking the knee up became the hardest part of running the mill as I aged. When I retired I cured that problem! This is my mill. I bought 5 of them, sold off the rest for profit. I refurbished this one and ended up with it for free after buying the DRO and knee lift.

 

[gearhead1]

Nice work!

 

[Sweetcorn]

I ran a Bridgeport at work as part of my job for 30 years and am 73 now. Cranking the knee up became the hardest part of running the mill as I aged. When I retired I cured that problem! This is my mill. I bought 5 of them, sold off the rest for profit. I refurbished this one and ended up with it for free after buying the DRO and knee lift.

Looks great and thats a good move buying and selling enough of them to get what you want for free.

 

[M.Jay]

Awesome machine. Came out beautiful and even has an interesting story about it!

This machine and a couple other pieces were bought before a shop move, brand new. Its never been wired up or plugged in.

Always blows my mind how much NOS stuff is still floating around till this day. Thank god lean manufacturing wasn't a thing back in the day.

 

[bugnut]

Bridgeport looks great!

 

[AEAdam]

@Sweetcorn Tell us you paid $500 for this. Sorry. Please don’t tell us you paid $500 for this mill! Actually, I paid $500 for mine, but was in nowhere near the condition of yours.

@OccupantRJ your mill looks like mine. Step pulley head. Love the details. Chip trays, DRO. Bold to hang a grease gun on a white painted wall. Or is that an oil gun?

The OPs column base is different. Or @Sweetcorn did you fill that area of the casting in? If so why?

 

[Sweetcorn]

@Sweetcorn Tell us you paid $500 for this. Sorry. Please don’t tell us you paid $500 for this mill! Actually, I paid $500 for mine, but was in nowhere near the condition of yours.

@OccupantRJ your mill looks like mine. Step pulley head. Love the details. Chip trays, DRO. Bold to hang a grease gun on a white painted wall. Or is that an oil gun?

The OPs column base is different. Or @Sweetcorn did you fill that area of the casting in? If so why?

I paid scrap price for the machine.

I didn't fill in the base. The castings change a little throughout the years of manufacture.

 

[OccupantRJ]

@Sweetcorn Tell us you paid $500 for this. Sorry. Please don’t tell us you paid $500 for this mill! Actually, I paid $500 for mine, but was in nowhere near the condition of yours.

@OccupantRJ your mill looks like mine. Step pulley head. Love the details. Chip trays, DRO. Bold to hang a grease gun on a white painted wall. Or is that an oil gun?

The OPs column base is different. Or @Sweetcorn did you fill that area of the casting in? If so why?

In response to your grease gun question, that is a HF grease gun modified to pump way oil by removing the grease plunger and welding a cap on the bottom end of the reservoir. It is used upside down to insure oil feed to the pump section. I also have remote zerk oil ports installed on the machine to oil the lead screw nuts while leaving the vise in place.

 

[AEAdam]

In response to your grease gun question, that is a HF grease gun modified to pump way oil by removing the grease plunger and welding a cap on the bottom end of the reservoir. It is used upside down to insure oil feed to the pump section. I also have remote zerk oil ports installed on the machine to oil the lead screw nuts while leaving the vise in place.

I'd like to see the details. Not 100% sure I understand. I think there's a hole in the table you are meant to line up with the nt housing? And air drop oil? I'm a dumb *** and squirt oil in my hand and rub it on the screw, but that doesn't help the Y axis.

BTW, here's my mill:


And here are the VFD controls:

 

[Milton Shaw]

I don't like the wiring on the wall in answer 31. That is a shock/safety hazard and needs to be fixed soon. Interesting mills, wish I had one instead of a Grizzly mill drill that doesn't have a knee instead have a adjustable up and down head that is not keyed and can rotate and change everything that you have been locating on to mill accurately.

 

[Sweetcorn]

The readouts I picked out were on backorder until last week. Went with the 3 axis Newalls. Got the X and Y on without hassle, but I didn't like their recommendation for mounting the Z, so I made my own mount. I felt theirs stuck out too far and wasn't rigid enough.

Also, I ended up with an Align AL-500P for the X power feed. So far so good, we'll see how it holds up.

I'd say I'm done with it for the time being.

It was a fun project and I appreciate the kind words from you guys.

 

[Beerhippie]

The electrical inspector and Fire Marshall would like to have a word with you....