New machinist - need help

Braeden P said:
Don’t know about your area but near me outside of philly it’s $1,500-2,000 for a Bridgeport and $2,000-3,000 for the smaller mills like a Rockwell, hobby machines often cost more and imports like a maho or deckel will cost way more
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That does explain the prices I find online. this one dude is selling a Rockwell for 3,200- buyer pays shipping, which seems absurd considering the Rockwells are less than a third the weight of a Bridgeport.
 
Seriously consider a RF30 or RF45. Yes they lack the knee but can do serious work. There are a lot more of these mills out there than your listed options combined.

But, if you don’t already have a lathe then find a good one before buying the mill. The lathe is the foundation of a machine shop IMHO.

John
 
woodchucker said:
nice equip and shop.
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Thank You. I have had the equipment for a pretty long time now. I started with an Emco Compact 8 and quickly missed not having power feeds and the crappy milling attachment so then came the Super 11 and the FB-2. I really like the Emco's for their size and no belts and pulleys, all gear drive. Later I heard about the name Deckel and what they could do in a small size, then got the deckel disease. My wife calls them my girlfriends!
 
There is a Clausing for sale that I might be able to afford- the problem is that it's all the way in Pennsylvania. anyone have a freight company they suggest?
 
That's-a-fallacy said:
There is a Clausing for sale that I might be able to afford- the problem is that it's all the way in Pennsylvania. anyone have a freight company they suggest?
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That's the other problem about looking for a machine on line, the logistics of moving it. My guess is freight will be prohibitively expensive.

I looked at freight for a Bridgeport I bought about 550 miles away. More than half of what the mill cost me. Ended up paying a friend to pick it up while he was traveling through. I covered his fuel costs and and a some extra for the trouble. It was way less than freight, and he was able to make a little money on the trip while getting fuel for free.

So, I've been thinking about you rebuilding a machine like a Bridgeport. In my mind a rebuild is a lot more than just paint. In fact, a good rebuild might not even include paint. The sliding surfaces wear, and the machine becomes loose. To many machinists a rebuilt machine is one that has all of the worn out surfaces fixed. This requires some tools, and a lot of skill.

If you're going to start playing with these sorts of machines, it would be good to learn how to measure them for problems. Good dial and test indicators and magnetic base would be a good place to start. Then learn how to used them to measure the machine. At the very least, that knowledge can apply to learning how to work with any machine and still make good parts.

Realistically, a $2000 mill is not going to be mechanically as tight as a brand new $25,000 mill. A lot of us can't afford that $25,000 mill. But we all keep looking for that $25,000 mill for $2000! So when you're looking for a good mill for a few thousand dollars, remember you are competing with all of us for that deal! (And some of us already have pickup trucks to haul it in... ;) )
 
matthewsx said:
But, if you don’t already have a lathe then find a good one before buying the mill. The lathe is the foundation of a machine shop IMHO.
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I agree. & a lathe can be used for small milling with some attachments. But having a mill and a lathe makes a set. BUT you will then be into the giant rabbit hole of "needing" lots of accessories. Set some $ aside. To get even a basic set of mostly import stuff will quickly add up. Buy as needed, learn, have fun.

Learn how to modify & improve the import stuff. It can be perfectly serviceable for hobby use. Taiwan makes a lot of good stuff, at a higher price than China or India.
 
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