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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797  
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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.. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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16th Jun 2025 7:29pm |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797
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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..ππ€£... 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..π Click image to enlarge |
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16th Jun 2025 8:54pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2274 
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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 π |
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16th Jun 2025 9:16pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 236 
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Looks like a interesting project, thanks for sharing.
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17th Jun 2025 7:19pm |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 863  
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Fantastic... I love my Bridgeport π
Keep us updated on the restoration ππΌ |
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17th Jun 2025 8:06pm |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797
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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 .. |
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18th Jun 2025 5:15pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2274
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Iβve only ever seen them mounted directly to a (concrete) floor.
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18th Jun 2025 5:27pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17886 
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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. |
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18th Jun 2025 5:32pm |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797
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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 ... |
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18th Jun 2025 6:03pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17886
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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.
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18th Jun 2025 6:14pm |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 863
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Our Bridgeports have never been bolted downπ
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18th Jun 2025 8:21pm |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797
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Thanks all..π
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19th Jun 2025 10:22am |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3797  
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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"!
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20th Jun 2025 12:09am |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 797
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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.. |
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20th Jun 2025 6:07am |
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