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Appreciation post: That old manual mill I found at a shop in Detroit

I was down in Detroit last month checking out a used machinery lot and this beat up 1950s Bridgeport was just sitting in the corner caked in grime. The guy running the place said it hadn't been turned on in 8 years and nobody wanted it because it wasn't CNC. I offered him $600 on a whim and he took it. After a weekend of cleaning and oiling it runs smoother than my newer machine. Anyone else prefer old iron over the new stuff for certain jobs?
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3 Comments
milacraig
milacraig22d ago
You ever notice how those old machines just have a different feel to them? The cast iron is thicker, the tolerances were held by hand, not just programmed in. There's something about running a machine that's been making chips since before computers took over that just connects you to the work more.
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drew55
drew5522d ago
Those old machines already paid for themselves ten times over too.
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lindal13
lindal1322d ago
Grime hides good iron. Glad you saved that one.
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