Anybody need a milling machine?

[865sp300e]

I have a milling machine posted on eBay. Good for making UNIMOG parts.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230216818597&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=013

[Carleton Hughes]

My chief concern,were I looking for a Mill{and well I may be}is the apparent rust and corrosion on the Bedplate,even when one cleans it off there is always lost motion involved,unless the pictures lie.

Yes,I do need a Mill,However the rust scares me.

[865sp300e]

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

My chief concern,were I looking for a Mill{and well I may be}is the apparent rust and corrosion on the Bedplate,even when one cleans it off there is always lost motion involved,unless the pictures lie.

Yes,I do need a Mill,However the rust scares me.

Its not rust, the camera flash resulted in the appearance of rusty. The mill is a bit dusty and grimey but no rust. Unfortunately I do not have the time to clean it up so it is selling as is and hence the low price.

[nate300d]

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

rust scares me.

Ditto,
I have seen mills with 'wobbling tables' "what's that tolerance + 4mm?"

I used to work at a metal stamping plant that had 2000 ton presses. I miss the sound of snap through made by a Minster (the Packard of presses) on a rainy day.

[Carleton Hughes]

Originally Posted by nate300d

Ditto,
I have seen mills with 'wobbling tables' "what's that tolerance + 4mm?"

I used to work at a metal stamping plant that had 2000 ton presses. I miss the sound of snap through made by a Minster (the Packard of presses) on a rainy day.

Understood...I cut my teeth in a machine shop and was running one 2 years after dropping out of high school.

We did heads,valves,porting,C&C's,crank grinding,balancing and cylinder boring.

We always wiped our tools with fresh oil before we left,cleaned it off next morning so there you are.

[cmac2012]

If it has any precision left, $500 seems like a good price.

[rickg]

Even your mill is probably in better shape than the worn out pieces of junk we have at work. They spend millions on our new CNC stuff, but are still using the same 2 Bridgeports the 'ol man started with back in the late 70's.

I used to have my own lathe and mill, but I sold both a couple years ago. I do too much machining at work. I want to do something else when I get home I guess doing this for most of the last 30 years has taken it's toll.

[Monomer]

My shop (rather, the one I work at) has over 50 bridgeport 2j's.


all of which, are 25 year+ older than me. All will hold a .001 tolerance, and all have the flaking on the table worn... Properly trammed, they're beautiful.

I would LOVE to have a bridgeport or wells index mill and a clausing/nardini lathe - you could do anything with them.

[Matt L]

I'd have that one, if it weren't halfway across the country.

[John Doe]

Man, if I had a milling machine, and knew how to use it, it would be the end of my life. Practically everything I have is old, out of production, missing a part, broken or all three. I find the excuse, "but honey, they would have to retool the machine to make a one foot piece of that valance and although the piece will only cost $100, the re-tooling charge is another $500" a worthy way to let things age gracefully

[rickg]

Originally Posted by Monomer

My shop (rather, the one I work at) has over 50 bridgeport 2j's.


all of which, are 25 year+ older than me. All will hold a .001 tolerance, and all have the flaking on the table worn... Properly trammed, they're beautiful.

They must take good care of their stuff. This place does to a point, if it cost 6-figures to purchase. Other machines get neglected. Thay have what was a sweet old Mori-Seiki engine lathe, but the way oiler doesn't even work. So you can guess how smooth and accurate it is. The collet closer needs to be tossed. But hey! it still makes chips, don't it?!

[Monomer]

Originally Posted by rickg

They must take good care of their stuff. This place does to a point, if it cost 6-figures to purchase. Other machines get neglected. Thay have what was a sweet old Mori-Seiki engine lathe, but the way oiler doesn't even work. So you can guess how smooth and accurate it is. The collet closer needs to be tossed. But hey! it still makes chips, don't it?!

Seiki is an amazing machine.


yes, they're well cared for. The shop has a cleaning crew 4 days a week. Only thing I don't like is they clean the machines with high pressure air, not with a chip brush. This will lead to chips messing up the ways, esp. if your cutting hardened metals (we do a lot of armor grade alum.)

[Dee8go]

I figured most of the hand-operated machine shop tools were going the way of the dodo bird, since the advent of the CNC machining center.

[rickg]

Nope. There's still alot of stuff that's better done on a manual. With CNC's, you have to justify higher set-up and run costs, so short run simple operations go on a manual.

[Dee8go]

That makes sense. Although it won't belong before that will probably change. Look at the printing industry with Print On Demand.