Bridgeport Mill – Worth Re-building?

[KMPParticipant @kmp]

Hi all

I have a well used Bridgeport which is Ok when used in the centre portion of the table travel, however when the table is extended in either direction the table "tilts" with the ends rising or dropping about 0.002-3". Gib strips are set as tight as they can be. Obviously the slides are worn in the centre areas and need re-grinding or re-scraping. I feel that in this world of reasonable import mills the cost of a professional re-grind is not cost effective for my use of the machine.

So, how much work is it to manually re-scrape all the slides of a Bridgeport? Is it worthwhile or should I let the scrap man do his worst and buy something newer, less capable, not so well made but will still see me out? Any ideas, thoughts, or experiences you could offer would be very much appreciated.

Best regards

Keith

[KMPParticipant @kmp]

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

A few thou certainly doesn't prohibit it being used for an awful lot of normal work. It would be worth plotting the error per inch all along to fully assess the problem.

By scrap man I assume you mean either offering it to somone who does feel it worthwhile or recycling the usable bits.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

If you don't want it then sell it to someone who does

You'll get more than any scrappie would give you

Then buy an import

[M0BNDParticipant @m0bnd]

Use it and love it 2 thou is nothing! These machines will drop if you extend the tables any way, maybe up to 1 – 1.5 thou when new (with weight on) don't get rid of it, use it but realise what error there is. 0.025mm to 0.05mm ??? Really? The limit is not that much of a problem, I am a production engineer which I regularly work to 0.1mm as a general limit and 0.05 is very easy to keep. I say keep the machine and use it for what it is.

Andy.

[James BParticipant @jamesb]

Hi Keith,

I took the table, saddle and knee from my 48" bridgeport to Brian Cady at Slideway Services – he reground all X and Y ways, added Turcite (PTFE type material) to both gibs and scraped it all to fir with gibs on maximum adjustment. Delighted with the results – like new, and less than the cost of an imported mill. This, in my opinion, is far, far batter that you would get from a import mill, and will last a lot longer.

Worth giving him a call and talking to him about it – make sure you tell him it its for model engineering / home workshop use. No connection, just a happy customer.

**LINK**

Good luck

James

[KMPParticipant @kmp]

Thanks guys, some good pragmatic advice there.

I guess I did sound a bit prescious but I was trying to indicate that the wear was there but not totally beyond scraping as an improvement. I was trying to see if this would be a "months work" or a "lifetime project". My main issue is that the necessary compromise to get full table movement leaves the centre part of the slideways rather too loose.

James, thank you for the pointer to Brian Caddy and I will contact him to get an idea of the possible cost. Rather unusually the Z axis ways on the base show some wear so that might make the task more expensive. All a compromise really as the machine shows its' age in other ways, it has in the past had the turcite treatment and the gib strips are now at the end of their adjustment even with a backing strip attached.

Anyway, thanks again as it allows me to put the problem in context and allows me to consider all aspects of the repair or replace decision.

Best regards

Keith

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