The Home Machinist!

rklopp wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 5:48 pm Looks like a Van Norman.

That's what entered my mind, too, but I'm not aware of VN making a machine that small.

H

Harold_V wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 5:58 am ...I'm not aware of VN making a machine that small.

They made really tiny ones: Steve

Thanks, Steve. I was familiar with their larger machines, but even they were found in only one of the shops where I worked, many years ago. They had two models, although I am at a loss to recall which ones.

H

Schools get rid of lots of tools like Lathes and Mills
Try those surplus resources or call a local college and ask them .
Here is Wisconsin, we have auctions every two weeks with towns and schools selling their equipment online
Just did a quick search for names and got this and there are more than I mention here
Try
https://surplus.ufl.edu/buy-now/
or Govplanet.com
or https://surplus.ufl.edu/
Or https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/all,f ... ?catid=601 ................which happens to have a bandsaw

second Suggestion is Hobby sites like
https://selling.discoverlivesteam.com/m ... =24&page=1

Rich

I have an old Van Norman full size Hand Miller. It came out of a place that rebuilt electric motors, I paid $50 for it. Really in poor shape, probably shouda paid $5!

Rebuilt it, it only had a vertical attachment, the horizontal stuff was missing. In place of the lever, I used a wheel, makes no difference in operation for me.

Don't know what "Hand Miller" means, unless it refers to the fact you have many thousandths of error if you try cut anything!

It is a machine I really did not need, like the 18" Kelly Shaper I also have.

It can be seen on the tale end of this video about a B&S #2 Mill I reconditioned; the mill cost me $500, the DRO for the mill ~ $2k!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-sfBZWdyPA

I'm just not finding anything nearby which is less than a full size mill. Most are Bridgeports. So I may have to figure out a way to make one fit.

Is there a document or primer on the different versions of Bridgeports? I've seen "Series I", "Series II", "J head", "M head" and a few others. Prices are all over the place from $1,000 to $7,000.

VelocityDuck wrote: Is there a document or primer on the different versions of Bridgeports? I've seen "Series I", "Series II", "J head", "M head" and a few others.

No doubt there are primers/overviews.

Series 1 is the usual size; series 2 are larger/heavier.

Original head was the M head, most of which have MT2 but can have B&S taper. Limited to 1/2” tool. M heads are manual quill feed.

J head is the step-pulley head with power quill feed.

J2 head changes the step pulleys for mechanical variable speed.

I’m sure I missed plenty.

The ram on the early machines (generally most of the M heads I’ve seen) was a round column, later replaced with dovetail ways for the ram and a separate tilt axis for the head.

Oh here: http://www.lathes.co.uk/bridgeport/page2.html

If you want small...then you do not want a series 2. I have one from the early 70's and it is huge... But then the table is 4' x 2'

Stay away from the models that have a round horizontal ram.

Do not overlook Wells-Index machines.

I have one and am very happy with it...but it is Bridgeport size plus a little

Two Unicorns for watch for are the Index Model 40 and the Ames Triplex.

The Index Model 40 is a vertical mill but smaller than a Bridgeport. I passed a nice Bridgeport selling for $1,500 and kept my Model 40 because it was the tallest machine I could get into a basement shop.

The Ames Triplex is bench top size machine that converts from vertical to horizontal (or an angle in between).

If you have headroom a Bridgeport or similar full-size mill does not really take up that much more room. I've never been in a crowded elevator where you couldn't swap one snot nosed greasy little kid for an Opera singer and still have a nice ride down. When I bought a freezer I could have gone with the rectangle or smaller cube. I picked the cube and that 4" of floor space is nowhere near as valuable as the 100 cubic inches of frozen space I traded it for.

Whatever that little blue one is on the previous page looks good to me too.

I found this one about 3 hours away. 1978 that was originally at a tech school. $1,600.

But it's in a one car garage and no help loading.

Can this be broken down and loaded by one person with a 1 ton engine hoist?

Anything's possible if you want it bad enough. There are many ways to hoist something using 4"x4" posts in a tripod with a hoist. Then back the trailer under it each time.