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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
Bridgeport restoration
Bridgeport verticle mill restoration..
My son acquired an well abused mill and on and off for a year now I've been dismantling , then rebuilding..
Slow work, but today after receiving the bits I needed to get it working again I think I've finished thecrestore on the quill head..


Click image to enlarge


One or two of the start of the strip down..



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Post #1069836 16th Jun 2025 7:29pm
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Screbble



Member Since: 26 Apr 2015
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 2270

United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver
Good on you - they don’t make them like that anymore. The machine shop was full of them when I was an apprentice. Built to last.
Post #1069841 16th Jun 2025 8:15pm
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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
Ive never used a bridgeport , but like you I can remember machine shops at the college had a few that the engineer cadets would use ..
I'm hoping that I can get this one serviceable, and while I have a small bench top mill, it will be handy to have the use of something with greater capacity all round if i need it...
That will be my pay back for the work I'm doing..πŸ‘πŸ€£...
As an aside he (my son ) also got his hands on a large Holbrook lathe.. it only cost him the price of getting it transported to his unit...again a bit neglected but you can tell it was the business in its day.. and it is a runner..πŸ‘


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Post #1069847 16th Jun 2025 8:54pm
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Screbble



Member Since: 26 Apr 2015
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 2270

United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver
Wow! They are great bits of precision engineering and also great pieces of history.
So many end up as scrap so hats off to you for taking the time to keep them alive πŸ‘
Post #1069850 16th Jun 2025 9:16pm
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TamarBlue11



Member Since: 25 Sep 2020
Location: England
Posts: 236

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Tamar Blue
Looks like a interesting project, thanks for sharing.
Post #1069919 17th Jun 2025 7:19pm
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rustandoil



Member Since: 08 Sep 2012
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 847

England 2005 Defender 110 Td5 XS DCPU Bonatti Grey
Fantastic... I love my Bridgeport 😍

Keep us updated on the restoration πŸ‘πŸΌ
Post #1069921 17th Jun 2025 8:06pm
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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
I enjoy playing around with these types of things.. its just making the time to do it.. I'm hoping to get the main body and head assembled before I have to take another break from it ..
Was wondering for those of you that have such a machine...do you mount it solidly to the floor.. that was what I was thinking would be required, but a lad on another forum posted a pic of his mill on a metal box section framework which it's self was on rollers that allowed the machine to be moved.. the framework also had large rubber adjustable feet that could be deployed.... it looked good but as I said I thought a solid mounting would be best.. if anyone has any experience would like to hear ..
Post #1069976 18th Jun 2025 5:15pm
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Screbble



Member Since: 26 Apr 2015
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 2270

United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver
I’ve only ever seen them mounted directly to a (concrete) floor.
Post #1069978 18th Jun 2025 5:27pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17826

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Ideally it should be bolted to a solid floor and shimmed so that it is dead level. That being said most I've used over the years (including my own) is standing on a solid floor (dead level) but not bolted down and the accuracy and repeatability is quite adequate for my purposes.

I would not mount it on any kind of movable frame since regular movement is not a good thing, they're easy enough to move if you have to anyway, and I would expect precision to suffer.

A consideration for bolting down is what you intend to use it for - if you've just bolted a half-ton casting to the table to machine you really don't want the whole machine to fall over when you run the table to the side.
Post #1069979 18th Jun 2025 5:32pm
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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
Thanks.. sort of in line with my initial thoughts.. except I had thought rigidly mounted /bolted to a flat concrete floor, and in a machine shops that's what I would have thought would be the norm.. but in a builders unit where been able to maybe move it quickly and easily , might be of benefit, the framework I mentioned above looked appealing..
As to its use i suspect it won't be used to its max capacity but you never know ...
Post #1069981 18th Jun 2025 6:03pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17826

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
It only weighs a ton so it is very easy to slip a set of machinery skates under it if you need to move it.
Post #1069982 18th Jun 2025 6:14pm
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rustandoil



Member Since: 08 Sep 2012
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 847

England 2005 Defender 110 Td5 XS DCPU Bonatti Grey
Our Bridgeports have never been bolted downπŸ™‚
Post #1069987 18th Jun 2025 8:21pm
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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
Thanks all..πŸ‘
Post #1070015 19th Jun 2025 10:22am
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Pickles



Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3796

Australia 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Keswick Green
andy 63. Looks like very nice work. I don't know much about the types of equipment you are so beautifully restoring, but I believe a term that I have heard in Vintage car circles could be used to describe what you have, & that term is, "Damn Fine Machinery"!
Post #1070035 20th Jun 2025 12:09am
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andy63



Member Since: 30 Jun 2023
Location: north east
Posts: 780

United Kingdom 
Thank you.. its not mine ..I'm just helping to hopefully get it serviceable again ..
It's pretty obvious that these sort of machines have led a hard life and not treated with any great care..
Post #1070037 20th Jun 2025 6:07am
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