Info needed Brown and Sharpe #4 Universal

R

RustyFF

Registered
Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2024
Messages
5
I have a chance to pick up a Brown and Sharpe Universal #4, my Son is Graduating High School this year and a friend of mine wants to give to him as a graduation gift, He is an inspiring machinist and has 2 years of machinist class in high school sop far, the thought that this might be a good start for his shop n the future I cannot seam to find out any info on it Other than the last patent was 1903 any help would greatly be apricated
Mill 1.jpg
mill 6.jpg
 
Not sure how much help I’ll be but that’s a beast of a machine. Universal mills are cool because they can do things like cut spirals with the right setup.

I assume this will live at your house until your son gets his own so a lot depends on how you feel about having a hobby machine shop. Do you have any interest in learning or is it strictly for him?

One thing to realize is no matter how cool this machine is it has very little to do with the machinist trade today. It’s an antique and although I’m sure good work can be done on it you you’ll find very few or any of them in working shops today.

Sorry I can’t be more help. If it were me, and I had the space I’d go for it. But, not knowing your son I really can’t say if it would be a good thing or not.

John
 
matthewsx said:
Not sure how much help I’ll be but that’s a beast of a machine. Universal mills are cool because they can do things like cut spirals with the right setup.

I assume this will live at your house until your son gets his own so a lot depends on how you feel about having a hobby machine shop. Do you have any interest in learning or is it strictly for him?

One thing to realize is no matter how cool this machine is it has very little to do with the machinist trade today. It’s an antique and although I’m sure good work can be done on it you you’ll find very few or any of them in working shops today.

Sorry I can’t be more help. If it were me, and I had the space I’d go for it. But, not knowing your son I really can’t say if it would be a good thing or not.

John
Click to expand...
Thank you, yes I do have interest in learning and it will live with us, I work in Agriculture, along with info about the machine itself I'm wondering how much it weighs , thank you
 
@RustyFF

That's your first post, so: Welcome to the group!

That is one big heavy brute of a machine.
Big machines can make big parts and little parts, that's not necessarily so with little machines.

I still believe that one of my best scores is my old Cincinnati 3S mill:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/gallery/albums/my-1916-cincinnati-3s-milling-machine.364/

Once I got a decent number of B&S#11 adapters for the vertical and horizontal spindles I was all set.

My "goto" for info would be Vintage Machinery......

I don't see anything directly for a number 4 universal, but there are documents for number 4 plain, and number 2 universals.
Full list here:
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2185&tab=3&sort=2&th=false&fl=

possibly of more interest/use:
No. 4B Heavy Plain Milling Machine - Brochure
No. 4B Heavy Plain Milling Machine, Constant Speed - Brochure
No. 4B Plain Milling Machine, Constant Speed - Brochure
No. 4B Standard Plain Milling Machine - Brochure

Good Luck!
Brian
 
Last edited:
I notice all the docs I point to show closed spindle machines.
The picture you showed has the main spindle open in the middle..... perhaps for overhead line-shaft drive?
Does that mean it's even older than the publications I point to?

It's good that the vertical head is included. Having both horizontal and vertical options gives lots of potential.

Please let us know what happens!

Brian


EDIT this looks closer:
1907 Image-Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., #3 Universal Milling Machine
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/imagedetail.aspx?id=3646
 
Last edited:
Yes, that was originally a line shaft machine, I have catalogs that show both constant speed drives and line shaft drive machines being available concurrently, The one shown in the pictures was, I think built after 1912 due to the knobs in the center of the handwheels, which disengage the handwheels rotation when feeding, I had a 3B heavy years ago that was so equipped and dated 1912, later I had a #2 universal that did not have the feature, it dated to 1906, both were constant speed drive (gear driven). I now have a #2 universal built in 1943.
 
Thank you all for the Information if defiantly helps. Does anyone has a guess on how much the Mill weighs?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top