New machinist

[itb242]

Hello,

I am new to the machinist world and I am looking for some general information. I plan on purchasing a used Brideport mill w/ R8 spindles in a few weeks and a lathe shortly after that. What should I look for in used machining equipment? Any brands, vintages that I should steer clear of?

David

[Joel]

Welcome.
Start out by searching the archives on this site.
Good luck.

[SGW]

You could fill a lifetime with the answers to your questions...but....

www.mermac.com has some pointers for inspecting used machinery.

"Good used American" is generally a safe bet. The trick, of course, is the "good" part. Worn out, the finest machine is a boat anchor. Clausing, South Bend, Logan, all made good stuff. Emco, made in Austria (NOT! ENCO!!!) is also excellent quality, if you find any, although parts may be hard to come by.

[itb242]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Joel:
Welcome.
Start out by searching the archives on this site.
Good luck.</font>

In progress. It is difficult to glean exactly what you're looking for when searching the archives. Regardless, I am going to have to do some research. Thanks for the help.

David

[jeastwood]

Try looking for those discussions where someone asks "New import vs used domestic",
"What do you think about brand X lathe/mill", etc. There are lots of threads where people give pros and cons for buying used vs new. Try searching for keywords "Grizzly", "Harbor Freight", "Enco", "Jet"

So far I've been buying new equipment, but fairly small stuff in the tabletop range. I have a Prazii (German) tabletop mill that I'm pretty happy with, and a Wabeco (same outfit more or less) 9" lathe that I'm quite happy with. I've also bought and used the Sherline equipment, which is quite nice, but small. A Bridgeport is on my list for the future; used is the way I'll go there.

Welcome aboard,

JE

[jfsmith]

Welcome to the group. Can say much about buying used equipment, that requires, knowledge, skill and some luck.

Enjoy it!

Jerry

[chip's]

Welcome here. All my stuff is american. There is good other stuff around. You might check Mermac's site for advice on inspecting used equipment. Good luck.