I learned to use this machine last week. My only question is, WHY NOT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO?
This Bridgeport mill is a manually operated milling machine with a digital position display. Conceptually a milling machine is like a power drill pointing downwards, with the ability to move the thing you're drilling up, down, left, right, etc. You bring the workpiece to the drill, and the tip cuts away any metal in its path. Using the display, you can decide when to stop cutting with an accuracy of a thousandth of an inch.
I used it tirelessly for hours, giggling like a toddler.
I spent much of my stint in graduate school in search of appropriately shaped pieces of metal so I could perform my experiments. I learned to use drill presses, bandsaws, grinders, press brakes, shears, and all manner of hand tools, but nobody ever inducted me into the secret brotherhood of mill users. I'll never look at a piece of aluminum the same way again.
Bridgeport Model J 2 HP vertical mill. One of my obsessions. Being able to shape metal in 3 dimensions is so awesome. I so want one of these, and they're available all over the place in usable conditions for a pittance. Unfortunately, they weigh over 1500 lbs and take a hoist to assemble.
ReplyDeleteAnd they probably require 240VAC. Small minor problem.
ReplyDeleteTypically the motors can be rewired for 240 or 120. Some are 3 phase and if you get one of those you have to replace the motor - not a huge job.
ReplyDeleteAnother great thrill is welding. Like a hot glue gun full of molten steel. Not difficult to get the hang of and totally addicting.