Mill for around $2K

[ranchak]

I know this is probably a topic that is worn out, but here we go again. I am interested in getting a mill, I looked at Enco, Grizzly and Rong Fu. I came across the Grizzly G3102 and it looks like a decent piece of machinery, but I really don't know much about mills. I plan on doing alot of work with aluminum, drilling and milling. I probably will do some with with mild steel as well. I was looking at used Bridgeports on eBay, but by the time I buy one, pay for shipping, find out that it has problems that where not disclosed, I might as well buy a new import. Also I do not have three phase electric and I am not interested in a phase convertor. I've been down that route and would rather not travel it again. Any help would be appreciated.

[davo727]

I have a rf45 type from wholesale tool I have had about a year . wttool.com for about $1500 it has 24 inches of X travel and I modified it to have 11 inches of Y travel. It has 16 in of Z travel. They dont have the exact one that I have on there website anymore but they have a couple others that have 21 inches of x travel . The mill from industrial hobbies is the biggest of this type and is $2100. Also ck out http://lathemaster.com/MILLINGPRODUCTS.htm for $1400. I havent had a small knee mill like you are reffering to but I like the rf45 style bed mills. The knee mill style design is from like 1938. Im not knocking it just personal preference. Dave

[bluejay_ca]

I don't know where you live but this may be worth your trip.
I live across the border from Detroit, in Windsor Ontario. We had been the mold/tool capital of the world for many years until the Chinese competition and the high Canadian dollar has made us virtually extinct.
Point is that machinery here is selling so cheap. Complete machine shop bankrupcy auctions are almost a weekly event. I got a 1957 Bridgeport w/ Heidenhan DRO, Kurt vice for $700 delivered. I got a box of new nuts, spindle bearings, brake pads,wipers etc. I put a 240v motor on it with a leeson VFD which gives me speed/direction control and I don't have to use the brake or wait for it to coast to a stop, let alone move belt.
Tooling is sold by the box. All stuff is auction. Motors and drives go for cheap including servo's.

PS. I chose the '57 Bridgeport out of a pile of others, including newer Taiwan versions. She has the solid bottom with a side door where they shook out the sand when cast.