Time to add a mill. Knee or vertical?

For what it's worth, I have the smaller G0729 version of that mill. Here's the "for what it's worth" part. I had never touched a mill before I got it so my satisfaction level with it is probably be much different than someone with a lot of experience. I bought the mill at a Grizzley tent sale for $750. It had been dropped or fell over but surprisingly, there was very little wrong with it and nothing serious. Once I took it apart, fixed the problems,cleaned it up, and adjusted it, I've been very happy with the purchase. It isn't something you would want for heavy work for sure but If you are working with aluminum, and don't mind taking your time, I think you'll be happy. I have to take very light cuts if working with steel, but I still get satisfactory results, for a greenhorn.
 
Check out , Doubleboost,, I think that's his YouTube channel . He has one and he's done a lot of up grades but he makes tons of items . With that little mill you can do just about anything you'll need I bet. If you need more mill then you go full size or go home. John added 9" to his mill with a spacer like the ones used on Bridgeports. He's milked every inch of travel out of it too. He's a bit hard to understand but he's good. Like I tell others the machine is only as good as the man using it. It's still up to you what you want or need.
 
Still working on this, and time for a reality check.

Say you found a J head series 1 Bridgeport on an internet auction site. No way to inspect it or ask the seller specific questions. The only info provided is four small poorly lit pictures and the serial number for the head. From inspecting the pictures as closely as you can, comparing to pictures of know machines, you note that many pieces are missing. The entire X-drive assembly from the right of the table. All electric switches. Most all handles and knobs, including the knee crank and both quill handles. Hard to say, but the quill drive may be missing parts.

No way to know the condition of the spindle, bearings, or ways.

What would be your max bid?


Let me add that it's 200 miles away and must be picked up during normal business hours, would require renting a truck or trailer and taking a day off work.
 
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0 because it's probably so worn out they've been stealing parts off it for other machines. But what do I know? Sounds like a pig in a poke.
Mark S.
 
I went from a gear head RF45 type mill to a Millrite due to rigidity issues. The Millrite was great for a while until I wanted to tackle larger projects and I expanded my shop a bit. The Millrite is sold. The RF45 delegated to being a most excellent drill press, and a Series one Bridgeport V2xt being delivered soon.
Buy once. Cry once.
 
Randy, I understand quite well how it happens when you get the bug to buy a machine, and you want to do it NOW! Take it from me, and from many others on this site, that being in a hurry to buy a used machine, in questionable condition, far away, and poorly represented, that you hope might be reasonable, is a big mistake. Try to get out of your head, stand way back from yourself, and see the reality of your situation. The best (and to me, the only) way to buy used machinery is when we can be relaxed, looking at the candidates like I am bored and yawning, knowing that there is a lot of crap out there that is not worth its weight in scrap metal, and that there are also sellers with GREAT STUFF FOR INSANELY LOW PRICES, just waiting for us to be the first to arrive and look at it, money in hand. We go decades without even thinking about buying a particular kind of machine, and then we immediately. have. to. have. one. NOW! Get yourself in the driver's seat, not just somebody along for the ride... Sorry to be blunt, but that is how fabulous deals are made on great machines -- all in good time...
 
Mark, that's pretty much where I figured. Not much more than scrap price, plus maybe a few ebay-able items. Thanks, from a former Shark owner.


Bob, please stop trying to second guess my intentions. I ask questions to learn, not to justify past or future actions. I asked about pulleys to learn, not because I needed a lesson in 4th grade math. I asked a leading question about these machines (yes, plural) not because I wanted to bid on them, but because I know how much others bid and what they went for. And my jaw is still on the floor.
 
RandyWilson said:
Still working on this, and time for a reality check.

Say you found a J head series 1 Bridgeport on an internet auction site. No way to inspect it or ask the seller specific questions. The only info provided is four small poorly lit pictures and the serial number for the head. From inspecting the pictures as closely as you can, comparing to pictures of know machines, you note that many pieces are missing. The entire X-drive assembly from the right of the table. All electric switches. Most all handles and knobs, including the knee crank and both quill handles. Hard to say, but the quill drive may be missing parts.

No way to know the condition of the spindle, bearings, or ways.

What would be your max bid?


...
Click to expand...

I would first get my head examined! :)

There is no price at which I would be interested in such a machine.

Here's what I got for $2k. Not shown are several boxes of lathe tooling.

mill-2_zpsd018d3a7.jpg
 
Nice ez. I'm going to try to identify:
Mill: Index of some kind?
Lathe: Powermatic 6500 series?
probably wrong on both counts
Mark S.
 
Mill--Index Super 55
Lathe--Logan 2557V (12" x 35")

They cleaned up pretty well. Motorcycle wheel cleaner works best on burned-on cutting oil and chips. :)

mill-19_zpsa7cca649.jpg

mill-15_zps0fa035d6.jpg
 
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