Nichols Horizontal Mill with Bridgeport Vertical head

[tominboise]

A local auction house has a Nichols Horizontal Mill, which is equipped with a Bridgeport vertical head and also comes with a Nichols vertical head. Also has a phase converter with it and some misc tooling. I looked at the mill but it was not under power. This is the best picture I have of it.


The current bid is $255. I am looking for a vertical mill. Ironically, there is a Chinese Mill/Drill that is currently bid at $500. Any thoughts on this machine? From my research on this mill, I know what they were originally used for and I don't know how worn this one might be. It's probably a bigger project than I want for my home shop but maybe not if the price is right and I am not opening a can of worms that I can't close later. I am also not sure if the Nichols motor even works anymore, as it looks like the Bridgeport head is just mounted to it. I don't know if this was common or some kluge or some elegant way to solve a problem.

 

[slowtwitch73]

That's really a solution looking for a problem.

The motor is likely a stock Master gear reduction motor. They are great motors, but once they break, you are sol. They aslo have an external casing that fits into a cast arm that allows the head of the mill to rise and fall.. as the head goes up, the motor goes down, etc. There are examples of motor conversions on the web.

They are cool little mills... small work envelope though. They make great mitering machines. Like I said the head goes up and down, so rigidity for mounting a big *** Bport head on it is not good.

If I was after a vert mill, I would pass. If I had the room and it was cheap, I would buy it, and sell the Bport head.

Looks like a nice example.. production table, handwheel, original wood handle for rapid table movement, mic stop, vert head, overarm support, etc.

 

[larry_g]

I looked at the picture and thought $500. That is a production mill as said and that means NO X-axis lead screw. To me that makes it not usable as general purpose mill. However it might be usable to you if your willing to futz your way around that limitation.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[rsanter]

If that only goes for $300, then the parts (the Bport head) is worth more than that so seems like a minimal risk

 

[TurnipTruck]

http://www.docsmachine.com/projects/nichols/nichols01.html


Here is a Nichols restoration thread

 

[RADcustom]

Depends on what taper collets it takes and if it comes with any.

 

[Provincial]

That is a Bridgeport M head. Oldest, smallest, lowest power of all versions. It will have a #2 Morse Taper spindle, so tooling will be harder to find. So the head is not going to be something you can sell easily, or for much money.

Run away!

 

[Maui]

If it has the M head collets tooling will not be an issue. The head alone has to be worth around $400 - $500 by itself.

 

[tool_scrounge]

The Nichols is a really nice 2nd mill. I have a tool room version with the X axis lead screw. I use is primarily to hog material to square stock up to the final outer dimensions. Then I do the detail machining on a vertical mill. The Nichols is a very stiff mill So it can cut a lot of material quickly.

As previously stated, you have not very big material capacity with the vertical head installed. Not having an x axis leadscrew is a limitation for non-production work. I would hold out for a small but sturdy used vertical mill, like a Millrite MV-1. Or even a step pulley Series I Bridgeport mill if you have space.

 

[slowtwitch73]

The Nichols vert head will bring more money than the Bport.

 

[tominboise]

Thanks for all the information. I plan on passing on this at the moment and keep looking for a vertical mill. If I had the space and the time I might take it on as a project but I need to keep my focus now.

 

[tominboise]

As a follow up, this mill sold at the (on line) auction for $700. I was not the buyer nor did I bid.

 

[DocsMachine]

Just for clarification, that's a "toolroom" Nichols, as evidenced by the three T-slots in the table. (The "production" ones had a single slot in the center.)

Generally speaking, the toolrooms will have less overall wear than the production models, but not always. (Mine was badly worn.)

There's a good chance the original horizontal motor is in good shape- I see the belt is still in place, and the horizontal overarm with end support is in the drip tray.

Yeah, the head is likely only an MT2, but overall, the whole works was easily worth $700. The vertical head- with the rare drive adapter- all by itself will sell for $700-$800. (I paid $250 for a drive adapter and thought I got a bargain.)

The only thing I don't like is the missing handwheel on the left of the table. The toolroom should have one there, so the question is, did the previous owner simply remove the handwheel, or is the whole leadscrew missing?

Doc.

 

[MShaw]

"the missing handwheel on the left of the table." as noted above this machine has a lever feed production table and is not equipped with a leadscrew feed.

 

[gerlbaum]

Some of those m heads have B3 or #7 B&S (I think) tapers. That tooling can be limited and expensive.

 

[tool_scrounge]

"the missing handwheel on the left of the table." as noted above this machine has a lever feed production table and is not equipped with a leadscrew feed.

The tool room Nichols mills has both a leadscrew and a lever feed on the x axis. You just disengage the x axis leadscrew half nut to use the lever feed

 

[tool_scrounge]

Duplicate post

 

[DocsMachine]

"the missing handwheel on the left of the table." as noted above this machine has a lever feed production table and is not equipped with a leadscrew feed.

-Yessir. But again, that's a "toolroom" model, with the three T-slots. Both X and Z axes should have leadscrews with zero-settable handwheel dials. The OP's photo shows the Z axis wheel- there should be one just like it on the left end of the table.



The toolroom version does indeed also have the rack-and-pinion "fast action" mechanism, which requires disconnecting the X-axis leadscrew (you unbolt a halfnut from the underside of the table) and OP's pic shows that lever in place.

So the question (moot as it is at this point ) is whether the previous owner simply removed the X-axis handwheel, or in fact the entire leadscrew. All of which can be remade/refitted, but should definitely be kept in mind by any prospective buyer.

Nichols are very common- there were factories that would have literal rooms full of them, each making just one cut on each part in turn- but the 'toolroom' versions, more useful to the home-shop type, are considerably more rare. The vertical heads more rare still.

Doc.

 

[RoninB4]

One shop I worked at in the 80's had one of these mills for short production (one to ten pieces) jobs we did now and then. Don't recall if it was the toolroom model but do recall using the rack/pinion lever for slitting a Delrin bushing. I suppose that's ok for similar work in soft material or wood but wouldn't like using it for metal. The lead-screw for the "X" axis would be much more desirable to a prospective buyer if resell is the intent of the OP. If not for resale and intended to be used I'd still try to engage the lead-screw (if present) and hand wheel. Fairly easy to get in an unsafe operation cutting metal with a rack/pinion feed and a graduated collar makes the mill much more useful. JMO

 

[slowtwitch73]

When I got mine, there were two large chunks ripped out of the table where a vise had been mounted. Must have been a hell of a rodeo whatever happened.

You can do some pretty amazing things with a Nichols.. there's an old publication out there... something like 'Nichols, the mill that uses it's head' that has all kinds of crazy creative setups. For the footprint and weight, they rock.

If nothing else they will make you want a vertical really bad.

Seem not as plentiful as they used to be? Sold mine a while back, haven't been paying attention.