Bridgeport - All Dressed Up

[sshire]

All dressed up.

The Bridgeport has been at home for 5 days and I've been busy.
First I sat down at the mill with the manual and went through every procedure.

UPS has been busier than usual here. Packages every day.

After installing the VFD, I bolted on:
DRO (2-axis; glass scales)
Quill DRO
X-axis power feed (Servo Dynamo)














Finally, my shoulder was hurting big time from reaching up to the drawbar. The stepstool was a PIA and it seemed as if I were tripping over it every 2 minutes. Here's the solution. It's not one of the butterfly wrench conversions but designed from the ground up as a power drawbar. Heavy chunk of machinery, built beautifully, great directions and MADE in the USA.





One more project. Clean out the Bijur One-shot oiler and make sure all lines are clear. Then, back to Elmer's Pumping Engine.

[Don1966]

Wow! You have been busy Stan. It all looks great and should help big time with setups. Does the rear scale limit you travel towards the back? I had installed mine in front on my Grizzly, putting it in back limited my y travel. Your X axis power feed looks like mine. Love the setup bud that is awesome I like........

Don

[b.lindsey]

Fantastic Stan...those are some seriously nice additions that you will enjoy for years to come. You done good man!!!!

Bill

[sshire]

Don
I'll never get close to The 1.5" that I lose on the back. If I had to go back that far, I'll just move the ram forward.
I had the scale on the front of the last mill and hated it. I lost my stops. The limit switch for the power feed was a total kludge to mount with the scale in the front.

Bill
Thanks. I'm now ready to get serious about finishing the pumping engine. I emptied the one-shot oiler tank. Scary, lumpy way oil poured out. Cleaned the tank. Pumped fresh way oil through the lines until it was running off the ways.

[steamer]

Sweet!.....the power drawbar is a real plus....Bridgeports promote torn rotator cuffs due to the high position of the draw bar ...not having to reach up there and reef on a wrench is a real plus!

Dave

[sshire]

Steamer
I knew after 2 days that I'd have to do something. I had a bad rotator cuff years ago. Io looked at all of the "I built this from a HF butterfly wrench and an empty peanut butter jar" and the usual suspects on EBay. Then some members on Practical Machinist mentioned this as the only one close to the Kurt (@ around $1000.00) for half the price. Came with everything: power head, control box, regulator and pressure gauge, in-line oiler, water filter, tubing, new drawbar and thrust bearing. Install took less than an hour including machining the drawbar spacer to have the drawbar shoulder sit 0.05 below the Briodgeport's bearing cap.

[ColH]

I'm envious Stan a great acquisition.

Looks like you have some ceiling mods/repairs to do as well 

Col

[sshire]

I'm kind of liking it like it is. I need to get back to making engines.

[metalmad]

Awesome 
Pete

[Dave Otto]

Wow Stan you have been busy.

Looking good.

Dave

[vcutajar]

Great additions/improvements to the Bridgeport Stan.

Vince