Bike builders that have machine tools/shops

[indian22]

Curt I've been looking around today and seems prices have increased a bit after 7 years. Surprise! These small mills work really well in soft steel and non ferrous metal....plastic. I'm afraid of used ones as they tend to be greatly abused. Light cuts & smooth feed is necessary for good results and extended machine life. I consider them horrible machines to learn on, but I've finished some really intricate devices using one.

I used my Bridgeport for 90% of my work 50" x14" that would put chips on the floor! It was a non CNC circa 1958.

Rick C.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

My first Bridgeport was a two owner. Never met #1 but was told by #2 that #1 made small plastic parts on it in controlled climate shop.
#2 was a Dentist with a dream wood shop setup 40x40 with full industrial tooling, and one corner was a ratty Chinese gear head lathe and virgin J Head his brother had got from #1 estate. For me, it was at that instant a perfect machine, 220v single phase too. Just plug in and play.

You know your wants and needs Rick, just keep us in the loop.

Weather here in SE Wisconsin is not so bad. Today made 70F and a wimpy cold front is coming back in.
This may be the first year the joke comes real. Out of firewood and furniture is looking tempting.

Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Shopping for a used Bridgeport and do a push pull. Any movement is a telling factor into previous machine care.
Every shop I ever worked in I gave the mill table a shake. If the gibs had not been adjusted for wear......

Tom

 

[indian22]

Tom If I knew how long I'm going to last I'd build a small shop and buy bigger machines! I only have barely room to use table tops now!

I had a Seig mill before, still made today and all parts readily availible for them. Since I know the buggers I will find one new and know what to expect. I can get all the accuracy I need for most projects. My lathe is made by the same company. Painted different colors and sold under all kinds of names, just some are twice the price, but the same exact machine.

Not sure why I saved this photo of the mill, but have the large vise attached for some type of operation. Taken in the "clean room" of my shop.

 

[indian22]

All the big machines in the large shop, lift and hydraulic tube bender etc. That's where I built custom rods and bikes. The clean room is where I built the motors and needed a cleaner environment, without all the general bustle of getting work out the door.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Thanks for posting your shop photos Rick.
The X2L with tilting column is new to me, I like it.

Tom

 

[indian22]

Thanks Tom, I stopped by to visit a friend today at his shop. He has an aviation centered business, is a retired Doctor, and is an all round interesting guy. I think I mentioned him previously as also owning a home in Oshkosh. He typically has some odd, to me at least, projects or adventures going on, or some small Job he wants me to machine for him and today was no different. So two hours later the morning was over and our conversation just over. That's the way a good shop experience is! I accomplished nothing of note and interrupted his morning routine, yet to me it was a great way to end my morning.

Rick C.

 

[indian22]

I went ahead with my mill purchase, same machine I owned previously, but branded Wen and really orange. I'll get used to it eventually. It's R8 quill size, comes with a 1/2" chuck and I suppose no collects included, no problem. Stocked in U.S. and UPS standard delivery included. Some vendors ship these by freight and if you don't have a dock you to pay extra for lift gate service. Ship weight about 175 lbs so I can't see why they don't use UPS.

These mills are 2 speed and variable, gear driven, 110v single phase, draw 3.5 amps and are driven by a half hp motor, though some claim 3/4 hp the math does not work! The Wen claims 4.5 Amps to get that 3/4 hp rating. I call BS on that claim. 1/2hp is about all this size design can withstand.

I had a small old Logan 28" lathe that could flat put steel on the floor using a 1/2 hp motor that I added. The original did fine with 1/3 hp motor that finally gave it up after 35 years of use.

150 lb benchtop mill doesn't have the butt to work heavy cuts, even with more power....double the weight in steel plus design and 3/4 could be well used by a benchtop mill.

I sure like and miss 1950's era shop equipment, but I just don't have space for them.

Big shop photo below 1938 Plymouth, 331 Hemi triangle power out front. The old Logan Iathe I mentioned, and my Hot rod restore/ mod Ford truck with 302.
,

Rick C.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Is the new mill tilt column too? Your photo of the mill tilted, what heavy base was it mounted to?
At 175# seems kinda light, but all my machines are a ton or more.

Love that 1936? Ford pickup the Thrush decal tells all.

Yesterday, right after I posted here, the winds outside had been howling and a tree must have laid on a power line and the power went off, on, and stayed off for an hour and a half. Lights came back on and the computer modem was dead as a door nail. Power surge?
Charter dude came today and went through his routine of diagnosis, then plugged in a new modem. Fixed.

Tom

 

[indian22]

Tom it's exactly the same mill as my old one. The column tilts. Yes they are light weight and really take getting used to you just can't hog out material. Brass and aluminum best. Soft steel not too bad. Hard stuff is really slow go to guys used to mig machines. Shallow cuts, slow feeds and smaller tooling kinda' sums it up, definitely not a production tool.

I made a steel stand for it and bolted the stand to the slab. Really rigid and weighed more than the mill. 12 gauge steel all sides to the floor and 1.25" square tube steel frame. I'll look for a photo.

The trucks a '36 the 5 window is a '38, suicide door model. I was feeling some nostalgia when doing these and retro decals seemed appropriate.

 

[Greg58]

I need a bigger shop, or a dry storage building to keep both of my classics in. If I need to work on something I have to take one or sometimes both out of the shop.

 

[Greg58]

I've told my wife many times, at this point in my life I need a 2000 sq.ft. shop and a 900 sq.
ft. House. We have two bedrooms that rarely get used.

 

[curtisfox]

I've told my wife many times, at this point in my life I need a 2000 sq.ft. shop and a 900 sq.
ft. House. We have two bedrooms that rarely get used.

Bigger the shop the more stuff you collect,,LOL.......Curt

 

[indian22]

Amen to that Greg & both your great rides deserve proper storage. As I'm single I need way less living space than that, but 2,000 in workspace and display sounds about right.

I also shuffle bikes to gain space to work in, but Curtis is right stuff piles up in big shops too. At my age I sure don't need more stuff but yet I'm still buying.....

Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

LOL. For some reason I sell and scrap mission, only to find that half of it is still there a couple years later. Rick ya there is always something you can't live without, I would love to get a mill. But at my age use it once or twice and it would set, finding it that way now with a lot of things I buy......Curt

 

[indian22]

Good insight Curt. I'm hoping I hold up long enough to use both the mill and lathe for a few years, but if not someone locally will want them.

I still lack a few essential, for me, shop tools. None really expensive yet I keep working around not having them. Usable set up space is the problem. Some things just can't be utilized up against walls or in a corner when working on lengths of tube or sheet. I get by but waste a lot of time doing so. Some jobs just get set aside.


Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

I was told that there is an ancient law that says that goods will expand to fit the space provided.

Steve

 

[indian22]

Steve your garage is about to the fill line too, as I last observed. I hope your health has improved & and you can get back to it. I love your Tadpoles!

Photo's of my small single car garage/shop don't accurately present the chaos they attempt to represent!
Rick C.

 

[indian22]

Once again I'm found to be wrong, stop the press! I've been notified that the motor on some Seig made mills has been upgraded to 4.5 amps and at 110 or 120v that marh does indeed yield 3/4 hp as promoted by Wen literature and some others. My ego isn't crushed by being wrong, sorry about that Fonzy, but I'm not sure how I feel about the upgrade: unless the gear train has been upgraded to good metal gears. The stock nylon gears were just adequate with careful mill operation. A lot of gears get stripped in these machines, so much so that a belt drive upgrade is a common conversion, but kinda' expensive. The belt drive does solve the problem and really makes the machines run quiet.

Just thought I'd fess up and get it over with.

Have a great Easter guys!

Rick C.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Perfectly wonderful fess Rick, but now you have shown us yours, I am loath to show mine.
You may notice I confine my photos to the subject at hand. I need something to shame me into getting my act together.

To think I was teasing Silver Bear about cat pans.

Happy Easter to all.

Tom and Mona