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 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...
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