I bought a mill!

[IHinIN]

After several years of casually looking for a Bridgeport style mill, I finally got serious and bought one last weekend. It is a Willis model 1050 knee mill. It was built in 2007 or 2008. It has a 10”x50” table, 3hp motor, variable speed, quick change pneumatic drawbar, X axis power feed, way oiler pump, work light, and digital readout on X and Y axis. It’s a tight machine with flawless ways, less than 0.020” backlash in the lead screws, and the table doesn’t have a single mark on it. It currently has a 6” riser on top of the column that I’m going to remove.

When I plugged the readout cables back into the box, the X scale wasn’t reading correctly and the numbers were jumping around. I cleaned the scale and reader and now it works fine.

[Ambush]

Holy smokes! That's no "home hobby" machine!

Congratulations on a great acquisition. I have a smaller hobby mill and I'm not sure what I'd do without it. I can only imagine what I could do with yours!

Did you get much tooling with it?

[IHinIN]

It’s actually a little larger than a Bridgeport mill and about 400lbs heavier. I’ve been running this style mill for 30 yrs so I wanted to have what I’m accustomed to using. I didn’t get any tooling with it, just a set of cheap R8 collets.

[ol'George]

Nice find!
I'm envious, you have a power collet and a power cross feed.
Assuming you are going to build a phase converter, rotary or static?
I built a static one out of old motor capacitors.
It also drives my vintage flat belt drill press when needed.
You are going to spend more on "tooling" than you paid for it eventually.
Ha,LOL

I cut my teeth on a brand new round arm Bridgeport in High School back in '61
Vivid memory of my machine shop teacher cranking the X and Y axis,
with Redman chew in his jaw.
One hell of a teacher!!
You won't see that in these politically correct days.
Ain't much one cannot make or do on a mill.

[Farmall450]

Originally Posted by IHinIN

It’s actually a little larger than a Bridgeport mill and about 400lbs heavier. I’ve been running this style mill for 30 yrs so I wanted to have what I’m accustomed to using. I didn’t get any tooling with it, just a set of cheap R8 collets.

My problem is learning how to use them. I have a smithy combination unit, but I've never used the mill function. Granted, I've only had it for a few months.

The lathe has saved my bacon once already on a CC driveshaft.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by Farmall450

My problem is learning how to use them. I have a smithy combination unit, but I've never used the mill function. Granted, I've only had it for a few months.

The lathe has saved my bacon once already on a CC driveshaft.

The people over on " practical machinist" forum are great, if you haven't visited there.
I've had my 1918 south bend lathe for exactly 50 years, bought it from the original owner. who gave me a 30" Rockford shaper as a gift,
its about the same age.
I don't use the shaper much but when I need it, it is priceless.

[Farmall450]

Originally Posted by ol'George

The people over on " practical machinist" forum are great, if you haven't visited there.
I've had my 1918 south bend lathe for exactly 50 years, bought it from the original owner. who gave me a 30" Rockford shaper as a gift,
its about the same age.
I don't use the shaper much but when I need it, it is priceless.

I've read posts from that forum, but never joined.

The only time I've seen a shaper in action is YouTube. Quite the machine.

[zilla24]

Very nice! I one day will add one in my garage. Make sure you anchor the base to the concrete floor once it finds its final resting place!

[zilla24]

Until you load something too heavy on the table and it tips over on its side. Seen that before!!

[Farmall450]

Originally Posted by zilla24

Until you load something too heavy on the table and it tips over on its side. Seen that before!!

What are you going to clamp on there to tip it, another mill?