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Gotta Show My Machines

5K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  willie 
#1 ·
Roughly about 3.5 years ago my firearm building came to an abrupt halt. My employer put the brakes on personal work on the machines after hours. Two guys ruined it for everyone, the Motorcycle Pus & Hotrod Wus by their stupid childish fighting. Was able to do a couple of quicky jobs but nothing big. One bite of the Elephant at a time and managed a move to a new home with a three car garage now deluxe Man Cave in one bay. August 2012 $1500 got me a 1974 Bridgeport J Head step pulley machine with an extra Vari-speed head with a boat load of tooling... super spacer, vise, indexing head, two right angle heads large and small, Mitutoyo DRO, powerfeed in X, collets, Jacobs Keyless chucks and much more. Vari-speed head needed a total rebuild (spindle, pulleys, bearings from water damage) power feed was broken put in new servo board, put in a used X lead screw and new bronze nuts X&Y, way scraping, new oil pump and more. Have a good buddy that has a shop and was most helpful with spare parts and ideas. Have been looking for a lathe a LONG time found some deals but size was an issue. Had to be under 80" max OAL. Wanted a Leblond or Monarch but found a heavy Jet GH1340w3 3HP220v3p with Newell DROs in like new shape less than 5 years old and light usage from a Aviation repair shop. Got it for $2500 two months ago. No tooling was included except a 3 jaw chuck, steady and follow rest. Have acquired a QCTP, some turing tools, 4 Jaw chuck, live center, metric thread gears, just starting to tool up.Got the Bridgeport up about 2 weeks ago and started making chips on the lathe last week. Built my 3phase rotary converter from a free 5HP3PH motor and put in new bearings and balanced with capacitors and in wired a 220v outlet to a 30A in my service panel. Got to love Craigslist and Ebay.
 

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#2 ·
Now is the time to pick up tools. We had a local manufacturer consolidate tooling from all over the country into a huge warehouse. Im talking 20+ lathes in great shape vertical mills horizontal mills massive eccentric presses , everything. One room was maybe 100' x 100' and filled with collets dividing heads etc in 4x4x4 tubs.

THEY THREW IT ALL OUT!!!!! "FOR LIABILITY REASONS" HOME OFFICE ORDERED IT ALL SCRAPPED

They forklifted 12' long lathes out to tractor trailers and dumped on top of each other!
 
#4 ·
Nice finds Willie.
If you haven't yet, go to Enco and sign up for the mailing list, sometimes they have free shipping & discount codes at the same time. Of course you want to watch ebay and local sales too for deals.




VZ I know what you mean, many years ago I went to a local scrap yard to get rid of some junk, there were 3 or 4 good looking Bridgeports (no rust) in the pile of scrap steel, looked like they were dumped out of a dump truck. :(
 
#5 ·
Sorry to hear you cant use works shop anymore, I just did a land survey for a guy and he had a GIANT drill press like yours, he says it takes 6 guys and crowbars to move it lol.

He custom builds peterbilt truck stuff. He acquired his from a university closing its shop department.



Joe
 
#8 ·
Nice! Looks like you got a great deal on that stuff.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the kudos. Now for the whine... Bird hunting starts in two weeks & bow starts in six weeks. Have to know your priorities. As much as I love playing with machines have to make a choice. Nothing more fun like murdering poor defenseless animals with lead and sticks.
 
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