Help price this Bridgeport Mill

Bridgeport Series 1 J-head Mill, 9" x 42" table w/ power feed, 1 HP 3-phase pancake motor belt drive. Machinist buddy checked it out and says it's pretty tight, no excessive play. He advised me to keep it... but I gotta move it, need room.

Bought 7-8 years ago at auction, never ran it. It was put away well by former owner but sat since. Recently started cleaning it up but this is as far as I'm goin' w/ it. Ain't got no time for dat. Handles need naval jelly, little paint n lube it up. Next owner can do that.

Kurt 6"W x 6" open fixed vise, R8 right angle attachment, 2 boring heads plus some mills included. No DRO.

Prices can be all over on the Internik, I have a pretty good idear of the fair value w/ the extras but no takers yet. Goin' to CL next week as this has taken up a few weeks w/ prep and waiting for the next guy, next guy to get back to me.

There's folks in the know here at GRM... what ya got as value on this machine?

TIA

Drool...

I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer...

GLWS

I would love to have that. But, I'm guessing 2500+ and another 600-700 in moving costs?

The 3-phase motor almost completely takes the hobbyist out of the equation, which is why the prices are all over. That limits you to shops, who likely want newer or better or guys who understand phase converters, which is not a very large pool.

hey, now - a non-gray Bridgeport? I cut my teeth on those in Metals I,II,III,IV and 2 years of vocational high school.

Toyman01 wrote: Drool... I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer, I will not make an offer... GLWS

What he said -- you're not in the North Texas area, are you???

If it doesn't come with an Amy, it ain't worth nuthin

In reply to HiTempguy:

If it comes with Amy, it's worth at least double market value.

In reply to Datsun310Guy:

I love Bridgeports. It's my all-time favorite machine tool. I cut my teeth on them in the early seventies at a (now defunct) company called Industrial Products & Engineering Company, Inc. in RI ... along with duties on engine lathes, turret lathes, horizontal milling machines, planers, surface grinders, cylindrical grinders, TIG welding, free lance engineering on Naval Warfare torpedo technology, etc. ... a thorough apprenticeship in manufacturing technology. But I loved working with Bridgeports. Ah, the good old days. That was one of the most satisfying jobs in my entire career! I subsequently programmed vertical machining centers and based on my machining experience did process planning as a manufacturing engineer at Brown & Sharpe Mfg. in RI, but then went over to the dark side (technical sales, marketing and product management). The rest was all all fluff, but paid much, much more money than a machinist/toolmaker with an engineering degree. That's a problem in the world today. But despite the salary from the fluff jobs, I really preferred using my mechanical skills making things from metal. Very satisfying! But at the end of the day, the money prevailed.

Oh, by the way, the B-port in question is probably worth around $2,000 to $2,500. Tops. The 3-phase is a negative to many home machinists. In the seventies I bought a Bridgeport head on top of a Brown & Sharpe knee-type milling machine, with 110v motor. Perfect combo. Paid $900. Good machine tool. So that's why I say $2-2.5K is appropriate for this one in today's money.

I used to use a B mill like this in a friends race shop. I always thought I would get one when I have the room for one. Since I still don't, have the room that is, I will pass. And the 3 phase power issue is not that hard. I have a Logan lathe that uses a 3 phase motor and installed a converter. I've been running it this way for almost 20 years now without problems.

I have been offered several similar Bridgeport's over the years. All have been good working machines with substantial extras. The catch has always I had to have it moved. Usually ASAP.

I still have a few customers using these, but the younglings they get in now have no clue how to run them.....so they're a dying breed.

oldopelguy wrote: The 3-phase motor almost completely takes the hobbyist out of the equation, which is why the prices are all over. That limits you to shops, who likely want newer or better or guys who understand phase converters, which is not a very large pool.

I have some big ass VFDs that might fix that. Need to check specs.

You don't even need a big-ass VFD.

We have the same bridgeport with a phase convertor / VFD that is half the size of a car battery and cost about $300.00

This should do the trick to get it running at home.

That's one of those things I don't care if I can use or not, it would just be awesome to say "I own a Bridgeport". The party's I go to that would quiet the room and get me a few minutes of attention.

Joey

So far I've heard $1200-1500 for mill and all accessories from a local machinist. $1300-1500 for just the mill from a machinist site. Ebay lists higher prices ($2K+) depending on accessories, dunno what the get price is though. Many are equipment dealers so they price higher.

That Kurt vise oughta be $400-500 all day. Right angle attachments start around $300-325 on Ebay, new are $800. Boring heads start at $100-125.

The FIL of the guy who bought my project truck offered $1500 for everything but later bailed. I woulda prolly sold it for that price being they bought a lotta stuff from me. I told a machinist at work $1600 w/ a 'get it outta here this week' clause but his kid decided he wanted a trailer first. Another machinist at work that badgered me is now buying a hunting cabin.

I'm sure the 3-phase has made some people reluctant. I actually had the 230V single and 3-phase motors to build a DIY converter but I scrapped them after tripping over them. They were new BTW and bought for pennies on the dollar at auction.

Then there's this:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Electric-Motors/3-Phase-Motors/Phase-Converters/1-HP-TO-3-HP-PHASE-CONVERTER-11-1877.axd

It looks the same as Derick posted.

I paid $1750 at auction 7-8 years ago for what I thought was just the mill and vise. My buddies there said pretty frickin' good deal. Then I found the right angle attachment and 2 boring heads in the side compartment... excellent deal they said.

Right now I'm in the $1800- 2000 CL list price and take what I paid for it, just to break even and move it outta here. Or I could buy the phase converter for $204 and add to the overall price just to take the 3-phase concern outta the buyers minds.

Hopefully going to look at a house in the country this week. If it pans out I could keep the mill as I wouldn't tear down my present garage, just need to take the roof down, raise it two feet, pre-fab truss it and add roll up garage doors before I sell this joint.

Something though, is telling me to keep this mill.

edit: http://www.surpluscenter.com/Brands/Phase-A-Matic/3-4-HP-TO-1-1-2-HP-PHASE-CONVERTER-11-1876.axd

Trans_Maro wrote: You don't even need a big-ass VFD. We have the same bridgeport with a phase convertor / VFD that is half the size of a car battery and cost about $300.00

What phase convertor / VFD are you using?

Ok, I have a variety. One is about the size Mario was talking about.

Started reading on the VFDs... I had no idear. If I can run that mill on my 230V single phase in my shop that oughta be an easy sell especially w/ the variable speed.

Then again, I might just keep it. I'm stoked.

This is the one we use: http://www.ecdcontrols.com/electrical-components.1388/smvector-120-or-240vac-input-230vac-3-output.aspx

With the price of them, I'm amazed anyone even screws around with rotary converters.

Shawn

In reply to fasted58:

You've got mail

The prices I see on eBay and Craigslist is around $2000-2500 if you keep looking. And that is without any tooling.

Current plan is to buy the phase converter/ VFD and get the mill running, it can only add value especially w/ the variable speed. One site recommended a sensorless vector drive (whatever) for variable speed w/o torque loss. Gotta keep looking for the right one. E36 M3, that oughta make it equivalent w/ a J2. That would also eliminate any doubt that purchasers might have about converting 3-phase.

I'll probably put it away for the winter after that and decide in early spring to keep or sell. The couple machinists who looked it over say it's a lot tighter than the machines they usually run so thinking I may just have a keeper here. It waited this long, what's another 6 months.

Primary reason for selling was I want this old garage emptied, torn down and a new shop built including new floor. Ain't like I can put this 2200 lb. mill on wheels like my welders are, maybe put it in offsite storage tho. Callin' the garage contractor this week.

I'm about to sell a 1969 Bridgeport Vari-speed in low-use, clean condition fully equipped.

• Mitutoyo DRO
• 6" Kurt vise
• Right angle head
• Full set R8 collets/chucks/boring head
• Hold-down set
• One-shot oiler
• Phase-a-matic converter
• Parallels, work stop, mills, drills, assorted cutters
• Full set of manuals, parts books and all paperwork for the machine and accessories

Nice ones ready to go seem to pretty scarce locally so I'm starting at $4750