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Bridgeport miller

Installation and operation of Bridgeport millers in home workshop

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Bob18/06/2009 13:14:09
51 forum posts
1 photos
Hi all
 
How much headroom in required to run a Bridgeport milling machine? I would like to put one in my garage workshop but am concerned there would not be enough clearance above the machine. I am especially worried about being able to remove the drawbar without having to dismantle the machine too much.
 
Bob
Norman Brammer18/06/2009 15:30:20
1 forum posts
Bob,
 
     I have a belt/gearhead Bridgeport which fits under a 2.6m ceiling. I have been using it for 2 years now without any problems. Theirs enough room to change tooling etc. but to remove the drawbar I rotate the head - a bit of a hassle re-tramming but I've only had to do it once so far.
 
  The biggest issue I had was installation - I had to devise a rig to lift via a a beem held up to the ceiling & a modified block & tackle using the ram lift point.
   
   Hope this helps,
 
   Norman.
Jim Nolan18/06/2009 22:18:36
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77 forum posts
 

Bob

According to the manual, fitted with the 2J head its 2.258M high. The motor on the head is considerably higher than the drawbar, so for normal removal or fitting of tooling you should have no problems as you won’t need to remove the drawbar any higher than the motor is now.
 
I have about .5M head room above the machine and I can get the draw bar out fully and it’s a slightly longer two life one. As Norman said if you do need to get the bar out fully and you’re short of room rotating the head will surface.
 

To get it into place I would get a length of 1” gas pipe cut it into 1M lengths and you can just about roll it anywhere with a pinch bar and some bits of wood to pry off.
 
 

Edited By Jim Nolan on 18/06/2009 22:21:01

Dugson19/06/2009 07:15:58
11 forum posts
Bob,
You could always make a two piece drawbar with a threaded joint about halfway up, or if you were really keen make one with a universal joint, it does not take much load in a Bridgeport and would be OK if high tensile pins are used in the joint hinges.
Bob19/06/2009 08:01:05
51 forum posts
1 photos
Thanks for the information.
 
I agree with the use of rollers to move machines. My drive is about 1 in 3 down hill and using a system of rollers, packing and wedges I was able to safely move my Smart and Brown Model A down the drive and into the workshop. The important thing was to position the wedges so that when the lathe started to roll it would run up the wedges, once wedged a second pair of wedges could be positioned a few inched down hill and then the lathe eased off the holding pair of wedges using a crowbar. No hairy moments and the lathe in place in an afternoon.
 
Bob
Gray6211/10/2009 21:13:21
1058 forum posts
16 photos
I agree with Bob, moving large heaby machinery can be done very efectively using the Egyptian roller method. Keepint the C of G as low as possible provides a degree of safety.
My Ajax AJT4 which weighs in at around 1.5 tonne was moved using lengths of 1" solid round bar, I would not recommend using gas or similar pipe due to the potential for distortion. The machine in its original guise is around 87" (2210mm) from the base to the top of the motor which I think is similar in height to a bridgeport. It barely cleared under the up and over garage door but once in had sufficient clearance to the roof trusses. even now after adding a 7" column spacer there is still a couple of inches from the top of the motor to the roof beams> To allow access to the air drawbar motor and facilitate drawbar removal, I have framed out the roof in the area above the mill and made a removable panel, similar to a loft hatch.
KWIL19/11/2009 15:07:52
3681 forum posts
70 photos
On keeping the CoG low, the correct transit position for a Bridgeport  [and clones]  is with the head completely inverted. I have my Bridgeport on a sub frame which gives a mounting point for 4 x AV mounts but also allows me to fit [and remove] a pair of parallel frame wheel sets,  I  moved and positioned it single handed.

Edited By KWIL on 19/11/2009 15:08:49

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