Buying Bridgeport

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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medavido
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by medavido »

I was reading all the shipping replies and I think I was in the middle of Pete's reply when I just stopped and thought WOW, it is overwhelming and uncertain to say the least.

Part of me says no guts not glory, but then there is what happened to spro. I can see things not going my way, my equipment 1200 miles away and just being unable to pull a trailer that far, certainly not a uhaul. Even if I bought my own two axle flat bed, I just have a 5.7 liter Expedition. Cross country hauling is better left to those that have the right equipment.

If I buy anywhere in Texas, I think I can handle it, if things go sideways, but beyond represents major risk and at least potential major cost and potential equipment damage. So I think I am going to do what Pete suggested, but limit to the Houston to Dallas and San Antonio areas. If I can find a shipping company(s) that routinely moves in these areas and that have experience moving machine equipment it would be a great way to simplify the buying process. Going to a local freight doc and having the mill loaded on my trailer with a forklift sounds pretty good. No rush to get there and get back.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by Bill Shields »

a friend brought my Wells-Index from Alabama to the Philadelphia area on such a setup....round about 1000 miles...so it is doable
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Mr Ron
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by Mr Ron »

Me and my son moved an 11" lathe and a knee mill from Ca to Ms in a rental truck along with a lot of other stuff. The trip took 4 days, taking it easy. It was a lot of work, but I was assured it got to it's destination in one piece. I have almost always had bad experiences with moving companies. I feel safe handling everything myself.
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
pete
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by pete »

If your wanting someone who specializes in machine tool moving and has the proper experience then almost for sure that's going to be a small 1-3 truck operation running open deck trucks Medavido. Everything gets tarped and properly strapped down. They can still deliver to any freight dock in your area, but again that would need to be freight docks where the location at both ends can get there forklifts to ground level to load and unload the truck. If it's crated well, then you really don't need a specialty freight company so a normal enclosed trailer should be fine. Few to maybe no one using the closed trailers would actually have specific machine tool moving experience. If I was shipping a larger fully enclosed CNC lathe or mill I'd then start looking for one of those deck trucks that do specialize in moving that type of equipment. There are dedicated web sites used by independent owner / operator truckers to find and bid on general freight shipments, but I know little to nothing about that. I do know with those, going for the cheapest possible price has much higher chances of problems than what a well experienced truck owner would bid on the job. And experience is what your really paying for.
spro
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by spro »

I really don't mean to cloud an ongoing thread but Power lift gates on rental trucks is cool. Some can take enormous weight. My Index 60 nearly fell over but my buddy and I put ourselves in harms way to support it. The lifts were terribly abused already so they didn't notice the difference.
pete
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by pete »

It's a good thought Spro, but the heavier the item is and the older those power lifts are with sloppy hinge pins and bushings then the better the chance of the load sliding off it's steel deck. I've seen loads dumped a few times from them, but luckily not to me yet. Those folding power lifts usually get little to no maintenance for the life of the truck. Normal road vibrations, pot holes etc pound the hell out of the hinge points loosening them up. It's just something to be aware of. And even 5 ton rental trucks aren't high enough to properly load from the normal freight docks standard height. So you'd still need ground level access for the forklift.
shorttrackhack
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by shorttrackhack »

Everybody seems to think a rigger or forklift is needed to move a milling machine. I have done a couple (one last weekend) with an engine hoist, half ton pickup and a small single axle trailer. The turret comes off with four fasteners, and the knee lifts right off with the table and saddle, simply by removing the gib and unbolting the jacknut. The one we got last weekend was in a difficult place with no forklift, and quotes for rigging or forklift rental were more than the price of the machine. The seller claimed that it seemed to scare away the other prospective buyers. Transporting the machine in three pieces also makes the load much less top heavy.
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liveaboard
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by liveaboard »

Often the price this sort of object is lowered by such things; far from population centers / difficult access / difficult to load.

Then you can get a bargain, if you can do the work.

Another real factor though, the one that started this thread; you spend time and money going there, and return home empty handed. A few of those will really eat into your budget.

Close to home is good, if it exists.

I drove to the capital 3 times to get a car, 150 miles each way. I drove 400 miles to get a forklift motor.
It's not cheap.
pete
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by pete »

I don't think most were implying a proper rigger or fork lift wasn't optional depending on the right situation. But if your moving it with a commercial transport truck through a freight loading dock and trying to have it then loaded onto a light pick up or trailer pulled by one then yes having one around isn't optional. No responsible freight company due to liability's would let you pull a machine apart on there property. I've loaded in a few places with an open deck truck and I wasn't even allowed to strap the load down on there property. I had to do that out in the street. And one pulp mill where I sat in the lunch room while there own staff took my truck to the loading dock, loaded it and brought it back to me. My 3/4 sized BP is admittedly about half the weight of a full sized BP, but I moved and assembled mine from where it was off loaded in town and into my shop with little more than a pick up and a light hand dolly. With a full sized machine then something a bit better than what I used like that engine hoist is going to be needed.
spro
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by spro »

My Bridgeport was fairly local. I was allowed to strip it, so heavy parts like the head, ram and table /table feed were removed. They were moved into my truck by my crazy engine crane. The main base and knee were taken by old style tow truck. The kind with the wide support belts. It was supported well during the move and dropped off in front of a garage door. I think I payed $100. for that but he was a cool old guy and needed the money. He needed to keep that wrecker moving too.
Mr Ron
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Re: Buying Bridgeport

Post by Mr Ron »

I have always adhered to the saying "if you want it done right, do it yourself".
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
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