Just picked up a BP

I considered a new mill, but it would also be Chinese. I found a Wells Index for $3k and was interested in that, but it was bare, no digital or power feed. So I kept looking on Craigslist. I had my phone set to tools and milling machine as a search on my browser so all I had to do was hit refresh and anything new would pop up. I looked many times a day until I found this one.

I have about $3k in this, well probably more...........and so many trips to the hardware store I can't even begin to count the trips. But it's American iron and I can pretty much get any part I need for it. Parts availability was a big thing for me. I've bought Chinese stuff before and here were no parts available. I have a Harbor Freight pressure blaster and the nozzle nut wore out. They have a parts manual online and list all the parts and give part numbers, but when I called they told me no parts are available for it. I asked why they have the parts manual and he didn't answer, told me to look on Ebay for parts. Not very good customer service as far as I'm concerned. I had to go elsewhere for parts. Northern Tool had a nice dead-man gun with replaceable parts.

Yes I know the boxes and good chip collectors, but there was so much unused space behind the mill putting the boxes there freed up other much needed space elsewhere. I have two more boxes like that, so with moving them I can bring my bandsaw out of the corner so I can actually use it.


Now I have my search on my phone set for lathe, and might look or a Tig welder. I really have no use for a Tig, but Ive always wanted to learn to use one. I will be bored without a project to work on. Might even be fun to find another mill to work on and turn for a "small" profit. I figure I'm make about a $1 per hour for my time on it :)
 
I forgot to mention the parts availability - A BP looks like a Mustang, you can buy just about every part you'd need to fix one. That is a huge plus to a used BP.

$1 hr? Well - that's a better return than I usually get bracket racin' LOL. Don't forget your write down/deductions on materials and equipment :D
 
Yeah maybe a $1 an hour if I'm lucky. But that empty spot on the floor is calling to me :)

I have to say I'm happy I held out for a Bridgeport. Like someone else said in another thread in 30 years a Bridgeport will still be making chips, maybe not for me but it will for someone. Try that with a Chinese mill much less try to get parts for one then. Mine is 52 years old and I can get pretty much anything I need for it.

I do save receipts for a deduction in my business. I'm wondering about that grocery store receipt for the case of Corona I used to pay for my sheet metal cover for K axis. That one might be a tough one to get by my accountant.

I never made any money bracket racing. I usually won if I didn't break something but we didn't do it for money back then.
 
Lol if you read the rules bartering is a taxable transaction. Right. I've won enough this year to pay for the new lathe so not bad for running on the spare motor.
 
Well the saga of the BP is at a close. (for me at least)I sold it last night for $3000. Paid $1300 for it, and put about $1k in it.

I've had it for just over 2 years and ran about $12k of work across it. Now someone else can enjoy it. He's replacing a Sherline. I hope he doesn't hurt himself with it.

Long live the Bridgeport!!!!!!
 
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