Moving Bridgeport mill from the UK to Germany ?

[boardbuster]

Good Morning,

my name is Rainer, 47 Yrs old, I`m from Germany and I`m riding old motorcycles ...
Because I`m getting tired of lame excuses by professional machinsts I want to get a turret-mill preferable a Bridgeport Series-1 or a TOS FNK.
So, the midlands in the UK is home to many used machinery-dealer which I want look up in September.

My problem now is to find a mover, forwarder who`s picking up such a machine and getting it over to Germany.
I contacted various movers in the UK but none replied with a rough quote.
The machinery-dealer I contacted regarding the mills don`t know any company who`s offering such a transport to Germany.
Hard to believe ...
Uuuuhhh. No sir I do not want to move 4 tractors to Germany and I don`t  need a 200t mobile crane. Just a small turret-mill which doesn`t require special police escort and no I do not need a special permit form the UN because it is not a nuclear-plant it is just a second-hand mill 

Basically, I`m just looking for a mover who`s got some space on a curtain truck and is offering regular transport from the UK to Germany 

So, here I am.
Kicking the door inside of your place and asking straightaway an unusual question.
Do you know any company who`s able to give me a rough quote for such a trip ?

I`m sorry ... most of the time I`m a nice guy ...

Thanks in advance
Rainer

[dsquire]

Rainer

Welcome to MadModder. I can see your dilemma in trying to get a machine picked up and delivered. Personally I can't help you as I am in Canada but if we can attract the attention of John Stevenson I think he may be able to point you in the right direction. If he can't do it then I don't know who can. I will send him a post asking him to look in on this thread. Please keep us informed on how the move works out.

Cheers 

Don

[John Stevenson]

My old man used to take loads far bigger than this to Germany every day years ago, - mind you he had a Lancaster.   

Seriously though if you are coming over to look and buy why not buy one and take it back with you.
If you hire a Merc Sprinter of something the same size, transit etc, a Bridgeport will easily strip down into 5 large lumps and safely fit into a van this size.

I have moved 9 now this way and with the exception of 2 have done them all on my own.
You will need to buy or rent a 1 tonne folding engine crane and have a few slings, other than that it's not hard.


I can have one in bits and in the van in just over 1 hour.

Also be aware that the finding of one isn't without heartache. I recently went looknig for a long bed Bridgy for a customer, despite being assured by three dealers that what they had on the floor was pristine and just come out of a toolroom [ UK speak for little old lady who's only ever just driven to church ] all three were clapped out, dirty, noisy and way overpriced. That exercise in looking cost me two working days and a tank of diesel with nothing to show for it.

Finished up buying a new Warco WN40 which is better made and equipped than a Bridgy, less tax this cost £5000 and is a cracking machine.

[dsquire]

John

Thanks for that. I figured if anybody could help out it would be you.

Cheers 

Don

[boardbuster]

Thanks for your replies !

My original idea was it to purchase a fairly cheap airline-ticket (Germany-Birmingham), hire a small compact
and visit a number of dealers and stay for a couple of nights in a B&B.
When I find a reasonable deal, then to get a trucking-company to carry the unit over here and I`m  flying back to Germany again.

In case the proposed machines turns out to be less than promised I would have some enjoyable time in Birmingham and fly empty-handed back. Tough luck.

I thought of it dismantling a turret-mill and therefore contacted some Van-Rental companies however
someone isn`t allowed to take a rental-car abroad.

So, when I find an intersting machine, I`ve got 2 options I can think of:
-A professional trucking-company
-I`m driving myselves with a car and trailer over to England.

Hmmm

Thanks
rainer

[AdeV]

some enjoyable time in Birmingham

Well, I suppose that must be possible, but I'd be interested to know how... 

It's worth looking further afield than Birmingham - if for no other reason than Birmingham being "the workshop of the world" (150 years ago at least), most of their machines will have seen heavy-duty use, and will likely be knackered.

Depending on what your budget is, there's a firm up  here in Merseyside - G. T. Precision - who refurbish older machines to an extremely high standard (far out of the reach of my meagre pockets). I also know a steel supply company in Liverpool who have some machines, he didn't laugh in my face when I suggested selling one or more of them, so he might be worth approaching; I can get you a  name/number but you would have to do the legwork yourself I'm afraid (I haven't the skills to tell a good machine from a mediocre one).

I'd recommend getting a belt-drive J-head rather than a varispeed one, the varispeeds have a tendency to disintegrate expensively, I'm told, and the standard step pulleys give plenty of speed variation in my (limited) experience.

[boardbuster]

Ade,

you`re cracking me up ...
German tourits are being told that Birmingham is the place to be  ... LOL.

That company in Mercyside, is that the one in Birkenhead ?
I`ve had a look at their site and that mill offered is basically the budget  .... grrrrr ...... is the max I can do.

I`ve chosen the Midlands cause most of the dealers with a website are located there.
If someone could name me a few dealers up at Mercyside ... what the heck ... I`m flying up there !  Yeeaw.

I just wanted to avoid flying to one destination and that place hasn`t got to offer more than 2 dealers, you know what I`m saying ?
So if you know of some places, let me know please !

I have activated that mail-forwarding button in the registration-form but here we go again:
( Email address removed to prevent spam )

Thanks a lot
Rainer

[spuddevans]

Hi Rainer, 1st of all, welcome to Madmodder

I removed your email address from your last message body as spam-bots could've harvested it very easily and you could've found your email inbox inundated with offers you really were not looking for!!!


Any member can email you by using the little Email icon below your Username.


Tim

[AdeV]

German tourits are being told that Birmingham is the place to be  ... LOL.

Looks like someone's sense of humour is up to no good! (with apologies to any Brummies, I know your city is lovely really, I've only ever seen the bad bits)...

Actually, Birmingham is - if you like industrial history - probably a must-see place. So much of our country is founded on Brummie engineering, many of the old machine tool manufacturers were located there.

Don't worry about choosing a particular area of the UK - you can easily drive a van from Birmingham to Merseyside in less than 3 hours; or B'ham to Manchester (similar time), even Birmingham to Nottingham (should you wish to hear Mr Stevenson tell you just what Bridgeports are good for & where they should be shoved). In many ways, Birmingham would make an excellent base as it's well connected to the rest of the country by what we laughingly call motorways (imagine 3 lanes of stationary nose-to-tail traffic on the wrong side of the road, and you know what the M6 looks like most of the time)

FWIW - Merseyside is a small place, there won't be that many dealers up here... but, like I said, don't restict yourself to just Birmingham - industry lives everywhere in this country. Have a look at the machinery for sale page on http://www.lathes.co.uk; you could also put a free wanted ad on http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/

[Jonny]

As John has mentioned, what the dealers offer is outrageous prices and buy in for a song.
There are plenty of dealers around here more than any where else in the country, would i recommend any, no.

Other than that buy a Bridgy and drop one round here my chinese machines are scrap and after one pronto.

What about buying a van and selling when you come back.
Large trailer limited to 60 mph over here, check our laws which include your car towing weight, you may be over unless have a big 4wd 3 ltr 3 tonne car.

I  would have a look at personal sales.

I'll do some digging but know of two Bridgeports up Scotland best part of 360 mile away, not worth it for me.

[saw]

Hi and welcome to us 

[boardbuster]

Hi there,
I`m sorry for not replying earlier however I was outstationed.

Thanks for the warm welcome 

Those dealers are a breed on their own ... and I know that most of them get the machinery for free provided they are able to empty a busted shop in one day.
Over here my experiences with them are plain simple: Catastrophic.

In a german tool-board the saying is:
In England you may purchase any machinery blindfolded before wasting your time with german dealers.
This is what they say. No kidding.

Again I contacted some dealers in the UK and  .... no reply.
Ok. It`s holiday-season but why aren`t any forwarders answering ?
Is my enquiry so unworthy ? So meagre ?
Man. This is getting on me.
The other fellow here, Michael, is crossing the Atlantic Ocean and I can`t get a lousy mill over here ?
This must be a joke  !
Someone wake me up please ?
... Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality ...


Enough of ranting.
Have a nice weekend !

Rainer

[Xldevil]

Hello,Rainer.

Ask at Iloxx
http://www.iloxx.de/net/home.aspx
Die haben meine Fräse gut und günstig transportiert.War allerdings innerhalb Deutschlands.

I would rather buy a new Warco or this Axminster beauty
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-industrial-series-x6323a-turret-mill-prod810662/
than trying the fairly risky buy of a used Bridgeport.
AFAIK,Axminster is offering transport to Germany.

Cheers,Ralph

[HS93]

also http://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/44-wm40-turret-mill---milling-machine.html  they will deliver to you direct

Peter

[AdeV]

£5000 would buy a pretty damn good Bridgeport, I'd be willing to bet - not brand new, no, but a very good 2nd hand refurbished-to-new machine for sure.

Plus, I believe the upper end of the budget has already been set at around £3k - so putting both of those machines (good though they are) well outside.

Of course - the OP shouldn't be fixated on a Bridgeport - there are XYZ and Beaver machines out there which would do just as well, plus I imagine lots of other turret mills whos names I don't know.... even an older "universal" mill provided it has its vertical head. I guess the main advantage of a Bridgeport is its ubiquity - getting parts or service is unlikely to be much of a problem anywhere in the world...


www.palletline.co.uk can give you a quote for shipping a Bridgeport complete (no need to break it down for transport) from UK to Germany, you have to phone or e-mail, their quick quote calculator won't do it.

[boardbuster]

Hello !

Thanks a-lot for your patience and suggestions !
My budget is somewhat limited to 3000 GBP. Give or take.

I believe that the other suggested machines are definitly better than a used BP but how about spares in some 10yrs time ?
Alright, alright, all turret-machines are basically the same however the beauty of BP-Mills is that I still can get OEM-spares.
Any blacksmith knows this machine inside-out.
Documentations is freely vailable and not classified top-secret.

I also like those TOS FNK 25 or Lagun machines.
But they are hard to get by.

Secondly, I`m NOT going to use this machine in a professionally manner and therefore I will never ever count every penny I`m wasting
on the love of my life: Motorcycles
I am just the beer-bellied, bold-headed old fart who doesn`t want to spent his hard-earned cash on some funny-named machines manufactured in countries I can`t point on a map.
Silly ?
Definitly !
 

But it`s a free country 

Pls, don`t feel annoyed.
I do welcome all ideas.

@Ade
I sent an enquiry to Palletline and hope to get any answer because till now I addressed them as I learned back in school:
Dear Madam,
Dear Sir,
bla-bla ...

Maybe this is outdated and they do feel discriminated ?
Or should I address them as such ?
Yo sonofaguns,
get this freaking machine overhere and chop-chop

Hmmm.
Ralph, I`m checking on ILOXX as well. Thanks !!

I`m moving house, I`m having trouble with the transmission of my car ...
Hey ! I`m not bored

Rainer

[boardbuster]

Hi,

I`m inching forward:
Iloxx only from germany to abroad and not vise-versa.

Palletline redirected me to CS Ellis Ltd in Oakham (Rutland).

I`ll give you a tweet once I know more.

rainer

[MrSleepy]

I'm really surprised that you are having scour GB for a machine..

I would have thought that Germany is the place to be if you want a quality German , East Euro ,Russian or American machine.

I was looking at a Maho in Hamburg on the web recently...and wondering how I get it back if I bought.

Rob

[Xldevil]

Hello.
I'm in doubt every blacksmith in Germany knows a Bridgeport inside/out.
Not to say that an R8 spindle is very uncommon in our country and accessories are hard to get.
Anyway,it's your choice.
Good luck,Ralph
who rides and wrenches old and not so old motorcycles too and is quite happy with his far eastern mill.

[mattinker]

I live in France, where second-hand machinery is hard to come by. I bought most of my machines in the UK. I have a friend who works for a Scottish Transport firm who was able to ship cheaply when space was available. I too was also considering a Bridgeport from the UK when a H. Ernault SOMUMA showed in up reasonable condition and with a lot of tooling in.

Regards, Matthew

[boardbuster]

Hi there,
just wanted to let you know that I am a new happy BP-Owner, now.

By chance I found a 1985 Series-1 Varispeed some 700Km (450mls) in the northernmost part of Germany and after
looking at it , some negotiating we came to a deal and that dealer provided trucking as well.
Hewww.
That beauty has been delivered within 2 days  and I just dumped the machine in one corner in order to check wether she`s running or not.
One handle bend here , one another there    but I`ve got happy feet

I need a new set of fuses (very strange type installed), some levelling pads, some new wipers and different oils.
Powerfeed HD-140 ? 
Hard to believe but that`s what book says. I guess a Hypoid HD-80 will do ?

Maybe I should take her apart for cleaning?
 

Is the Ilion Rebuild Manual for Bridgeports a good investment ?
I need to take out the spindles ...

Anyways.
I am happy   

rainer

[AdeV]

Good work!

Keep your eye out for a belt-drive head, it will probably be cheaper to replace the varispeed when it finally quits, than to have it repaired...

As for oil - any oil is better than no oil, unless it's used engine oil... you should be fine with HD-80 in the power feed (is it the infinitely variable type, or a gearbox feed?)

 

Don't worry too much about leveling pads either, mine slopes to one side slightly, it just means the cooling oil drains  back to the sump more efficiently 

Before dismantling, give her a run... I've never touched my mid-80s machine, other than to change the oiler & put fresh oil in, I can tell it's working because of the dribbles down the knee...

[boardbuster]

Hi,

here we go 

What type of power-feed is it ?
6F or 8F ?

rainer

[AdeV]

Very nice, that looks like it will make some very nice parts for many years to come 

You have the same power feed that I do, the infinitely variable unit. I put some ordinary "hydraulic oil" in mine, it seems to be working fine. I had a few problems with it prior to the oil change, it burnt a lot of oil in the motor & quit one day; there is a reset button on top of the "Erskine Unit" (2nd or 3rd pic), press that and normal operation is resumed