Ramblerman
Silver $$ Contributor
Hahaha, exactly!!
Another “What Mill” Thread
- Thread starter Bully
- Start date
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
I am hoping to get pics thursday and will go see it monday.
Mudcat
Gold $$ Contributor
Just bought a BP Series II and yes, its a big, heavy machine but its surprisingly easy to move with a few guys and a pry bar...oh...and a 70hp New Holland tractor with forks on a front end loader. Yep, we took my tractor down to move it out of the seller’s garage, onto a trailer, then picked it off the trailer and move it into my garage. Will see how big a deal it is to move it from the garage into the machine shop as soon as I get the extra lathe out to make room! 
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
I'm a hairdresser in New Jersey-----No tractors.Just bought a BP Series II and yes, its a big, heavy machine but its surprisingly easy to move with a few guys and a pry bar...oh...and a 70hp New Holland tractor with forks on a front end loader. Yep, we took my tractor down to move it out of the seller’s garage, onto a trailer, then picked it off the trailer and move it into my garage. Will see how big a deal it is to move it from the garage into the machine shop as soon as I get the extra lathe out to make room!
Buy the clausing, dump the motor and add a dc motor so you have vari-speed. Being able to "spin the dial"for the needed spindle RPM, it very nice (and needed) feature.The fact that this is a knee mill makes it much more versatile to you. Yes it has a MT2 spindle taper, big deal, collets are out there, plus you are doing gun smithing, not production work.
My BP mill has a MT2 spindle, and 1/2 up 90vt dc motor on it, plenty of tourqe to pull large end mills thru deap heavy cuts.i also run a MT to ER collet adaptor works perfectly.
The other thing to consider with the causing, the machine comes well tooled.
Aaron
My BP mill has a MT2 spindle, and 1/2 up 90vt dc motor on it, plenty of tourqe to pull large end mills thru deap heavy cuts.i also run a MT to ER collet adaptor works perfectly.
The other thing to consider with the causing, the machine comes well tooled.
Aaron
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
Thanks bud! Definitely something to consider. I'm gonna reach out to you today.
Mudcat
Gold $$ Contributor
Ok, I can see that being a problem....but I bet you got some high school or college football players nearby....when I bought my first lathe I hired four lineman from the college football team where my wife is a professor. They simply picked up the lathe, set it on the trailer and I handed them a few Cecils and they apparently had a pretty good kegger that evening. Where there is a will, there is a way.......I'm a hairdresser in New Jersey-----No tractors.
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
So....
It looks like I'm gonna get a Bridgeport. It's, oddly, the least expensive option. Plus, I have R8 collets and some other odds and ends floating around. I found a nice variable speed machine that I can get into my garage for less than the base price on a PM bench mill. It seems to be a no brainer. If we wind up selling the house I'll put the mill up for sale for short money and will just get out from underneath it. Honestly, I'll worry about that when the time comes.
Pics on Monday afternoon if all goes to plan. If not, I'll look some more.
It looks like I'm gonna get a Bridgeport. It's, oddly, the least expensive option. Plus, I have R8 collets and some other odds and ends floating around. I found a nice variable speed machine that I can get into my garage for less than the base price on a PM bench mill. It seems to be a no brainer. If we wind up selling the house I'll put the mill up for sale for short money and will just get out from underneath it. Honestly, I'll worry about that when the time comes.
Pics on Monday afternoon if all goes to plan. If not, I'll look some more.
Ramblerman
Silver $$ Contributor
Awesome, you wont regret it once you use it
Dros Pros. Learn how to do a few things before you get that. I just spent $600 on my $1000 Bridgeport.
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
I would definitely go for a DRO, but I would not be trying to 'save money' on that part. It's like buying cheap calipers. Sure they may be great...for a while. Wont last like an expensive Starrett or high end Mitutoyo.
A DRO needs to be very precise and repeatable. A decent 3 axis set up is gonna start at around $500 and go up from there. The glass optical DROs are the most accurate, but good magnetic DROs can do a good job as well. Hardest part about the install is coming up with adapters and/or spacers to mount the slide bars properly and evenly. You will have to improvise for sure. You will be drilling and tapping the mounting holes in the mill frame for mounting rails and cable clamps. If you have an innovative mind that can think outside the box, you'll get the job done just fine. Dont forget that when mounting it, YOU HAVE A MILL IN FRONT IF YOU! You can make custom brackets and adapters right then and there if you have the proper raw material on hand. I had to make a custom adapter plate for my table X axis power feed limit switch when I installed it and made custom spacers for mounting my DRO rails.
PS: Keep the DRO sensor cables away from the motor power cable or you can get interference from high in-rush current when turning the motor on.
A DRO needs to be very precise and repeatable. A decent 3 axis set up is gonna start at around $500 and go up from there. The glass optical DROs are the most accurate, but good magnetic DROs can do a good job as well. Hardest part about the install is coming up with adapters and/or spacers to mount the slide bars properly and evenly. You will have to improvise for sure. You will be drilling and tapping the mounting holes in the mill frame for mounting rails and cable clamps. If you have an innovative mind that can think outside the box, you'll get the job done just fine. Dont forget that when mounting it, YOU HAVE A MILL IN FRONT IF YOU!
You can make custom brackets and adapters right then and there if you have the proper raw material on hand. I had to make a custom adapter plate for my table X axis power feed limit switch when I installed it and made custom spacers for mounting my DRO rails.PS: Keep the DRO sensor cables away from the motor power cable or you can get interference from high in-rush current when turning the motor on.
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
Paid for and awaiting delivery.
9x42 Bridgeport Vari-Speed. Machine has original paint. Also very strong flaking/scraping on the ways. It's in pretty decent shape and should serve me well for the time being. I'm thrilled, excited, and nervous about the purchase. I hate spending big money and don't do it lightly. But I'd really like to move forward with some things and this should make that happen.
Pics when she arrives.
9x42 Bridgeport Vari-Speed. Machine has original paint. Also very strong flaking/scraping on the ways. It's in pretty decent shape and should serve me well for the time being. I'm thrilled, excited, and nervous about the purchase. I hate spending big money and don't do it lightly. But I'd really like to move forward with some things and this should make that happen.
Pics when she arrives.
Bully
Silver $$ Contributor
Looking...
If no one picks up the Harrison I'll keep it. I really want a H10. I'm sure someone will tell me the Harrison is a "better" machine, but I have my reasons.
The operator is the difference between those two machines.
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
By the time you add up the cost for all the tooling, vices, jaws, blocks, etc, you need to complete various projects and tasks, the cost of the mill itself wont seem so bad
But it's worth it. I dont regret a single penny spent on my mill or all the tooling that cost nearly twice as much.
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