Small/Garage shops and the old Bridgeport.

[katiebo]

I have a question for all the small shop and garage shop folks out there. Everyone that I know that has started a shop has had a Bridgeport as their first milling machine. With todays CNC'c and MDI mode how many feel that is it still an indespensible machine?

My thinking is that the funds that would be spent on the BP could be put to better use on a CNC. Is this though way out of line?

[RMARCH]

I sold my manual bridgeport milling machines because i only used them a few times a year.......i needed the space for other things.

[baltman]

I have a cnc'd Bridgeport in my single car garage along with a Rockwell 14" lathe, motorcycle lift and various other toolboxes and metal shaping tools.

Its a tight fit but all and all life is good. I consider it, at this time indespensible, after fighting a Smithy for a year.

[cmmachine]

I have a 20 x 24 garage and I have a conventional bridgeport, a 13 x 40 lathe, a 6 x 12 surface grinder, optical comparator and a series II R2E3 bridgeport CNC and there is still plenty of room to move. I personally feel that the conventional Bridgeport is a must have. I recently had back surgery and after a month and 1/2 returned to the shop only to discover that my CNC will not home. Probably a limit swith but I have work to do so I have done it all on the old reliable. Mike.

[cam1]

For quick basic jobs, you cannot beat using a conventional mill. Picking up on a hole to rework etc. You need to take the "overhead" time into accound when using a CNC machine (design toolpath,sart & home machine, set tool,find datum etc). I use both, and I often use the manual mill to feed the NC with squared parts pre milled etc.

regards

[mc-motorsports]

You can make a lot of money with a retrofitted bridgeport. If your good, you can make a retro bridgeport do anything that a HAAS can do minus change tools, within the travels of the machine of course. I use an old Excello knee mill that I bought for $300 about 7 years ago for secondary opps. Lead screw aren't accurate, spindle has seen better days, but hell, it's worth more than what I paid just in scrap! Plus I use it every day to pre-square blanks, drill and tap, and other secondary opps. Would I ever spend $5K+ for a conventional bridgeport? No. It would take forever to recover your investment, you just won't find enough work for it.

For what it's worth,
I have two retro bridgeports, a conventional lathe and a conventional knee mill (excello stated above)
I bought the first retro bridgeport for $6K, stole that thing from a guy who needed money! The machine is in beautiful condition, expensive ballscrews ect.
Built another, bought a bridgeport for $2K and invested another $10K+ in the retrofit. I quit my day job almost a year ago, I work out of my 22 X 30' garage and do $14K mo. in business. I have no intentions of moving to a shop, I like working at home plus I don't want to get into employees. I plan to stay small and try to keep it simple. I pay my friends part time when needed and life is good.
Good luck!

[cam1]

Nice setup MC, just make sure you sock away some money in case you get sick.
This is the downside of many a small business, with no staff your earnings go to 0 when you need to be away. That said, at 14k/month you ar probably earning more than your previous job...

regards

[mc-motorsports]

Originally Posted by cam1 Nice setup MC, just make sure you sock away some money in case you get sick. This is the downside of many a small business, with no staff your earnings go to 0 when you need to be away. That said, at 14k/month you ar probably earning more than your previous job... regards

YES! That is critical! Cash is king and you have to make sure you are covered, weather it be you get sick, or run into costly equiptment repairs. I had a motorcycle accident last year 2 months after I went out on my own, couldn't walk for 2 weeks, learned that lesson right out of the gates!

And yea, I make altest double my last day job and I was one of the highest paid in the shop. But if your just in it for the money, forget it! It has to be something you REALLY want to do, and you can't just say "I want to work for myself" or "I want to run my own shop", it has to come from deep inside, almost has to be in your blood.

When it's good, it's really good, when it's bad, it's really bad! The biggest downfall is your day doesn't end sometimes. Some times I think it would be nice to have a day job again for the reason that you can go home at 4pm and you don't have to worry about anything until 7:30am the next day. But you take the good with the bad, the money is great, the health insurance, retirement and vacation benefits SUCK! LOL!

[cam1]

Motor on.......at least you are in partial control over your destiny, sorry to hear about your bike accident.

regards