Hey fellas, sorry i havent posted too much lately , i blame my 13 month old daughter for that.

I picked up a new addition to the garage a few days ago, but its not a truck!

Bridgeport round ram milling machine. the serial number makes it around a 1955. last year for the round ram was '56. Has the old M-head, and a smallish table, but its fits good in my small garage. (20 x 20')
looks good next to the '56 truck and the 50 year old air compressor.

I havent milled a single thing in my life, so i have been reading books and watching videos. I figure this old machine is good to learn on.
Any advice from you milling veterans out there?

Mark

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Nice score! First on the list should be an edge-finder, and looking through these links to get started. Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
Grizzly.com -- Online Catalog
https://www.travers.com/Default.asp

I'd love to have one in my garage too.....I hate waiting til I get to work, lol.

 

It looks to be in great shape - great find ! I think you are going about it correct - just taking your time and learning as you go. I would recomend light cuts and slow feeds at first until you feel more comfortable. Also make sure your cutters are tight as they can work their into the work piece quite easily. Fender (all I can see) of your truck looks great. Good luck !

 

Watch Your Fingers!!!! Always shut the the motor off when checking your part!!

Also have fun with it, make some cool parts for the truck! Later!!!!!!!!

 

Very nice tool! With all the cheap crap on the market today it's good to see a piece of real American machinery. Once you get your sea-legs with this tool you will find and endless array of parts to build...I'm working up my list for you now! Congrats...

 

Hell of a mixer!

 

Mark , where did you get it, and how much? Are you looking for endmills and such? WE should talk, im also in CT. PM me latter!!!

 

I was just like you about 18 years ago. I bought a used J head (just after round ram) and sort of taught myself. That said I don't know much! I bought my Bridgeport first and then my 13" metal lathe. When I went to find a lathe I decided to take a night course at Wentworth in Boston in the interest of learning right rather than trial and error. I would do it that way again. I wanted the technical to go with the practical. The course was just about 50-50.

 

Im a Tool and Die maker, ive seen my fair share of machines!! I sold my BP Mill, South bend lathe last year! When i build my second garage i will invest in another set. Its not like i cant do the G-Job at work!

 

Man thats a nice looking BP! I agree with 49Willard. If you can take a night course that will help a lot. Do a search online for info. I have been in the tool and die industry/Stamping for the past 20 years, always make sure your tooling and part is secured good and don't take to big of a cut. I have seen end mills shatter and become flying projectiles! So be CAREFUL. I wished I could have found a BP around here in that great of shape. (I'm assuming that the ways are still tight) I finally bought a vertical/horizontal mill from Grizzly. I also have an old South Bend lathe from the 50's and I scored a really nice Gardner Livingston surface grinder built in 1946. You will have a lot of fun with that mill!

 

Thanks for the responses guys, Roger i never realized you lived in CT too. Cool!! I bought the machine from my brother, he only used this occasionally for the past 5 years and knows only a little more about machining than i do. lol Paid $500 for it, i got collets, vise , and a box full of end mills and stuff to go with it. That seems to be about market price around here for an old machine like this one (without tooling). Just ran 220v over to the machine today. This cold weather has been rough. my little propane heater can barely keep up.

Mark

 

propane? as a fellow northeaster from upstate NY may i suggest a woodstove. a have a little cast iron box stove, doesnt take up much space in my 20 x 30 garage and she cranks the heat out. a good rule of thumb with wood heat is to get as much wood as you think you need, then get 5x that ammount and you might make it thru the winter. good luck with ur milling machine. old tools are great I have a circa 1940 drill press and a 1950ish bandsaw both work great

 

Nice!! I was a machine-shop/steel mill owner for many years and have been rebuilding machine tools for the same amount of years. Now retired,I bought a shop out in Florida and now have a small tool-room shop there,where my Dad makes parts that neighbors need,etc.
I have bought and sold many bridgeports and have recently had a wells index. It is nice to see American machine tools ,and they are still found in alot of shops.
I think Dave Boley also has a mill. I hope you learn some of the tool-room techniques and start turning some nice parts out. Bill

 

WOW - $500.00 That was a steal !

 

Large tools like that go for very reasonable prices --as-is, where is. The problems include getting them moved (a large lathe isn't light!) and another problem for a home shop is getting 3-phase power to them. In my case there is no hope of getting 3-ph at any price to my garage. I could use a converter I guess.