Baby Bridgeport style milling machine. All handmade. There's some really talented people out there working out of small shops on cars, bikes, farm machinery, industrial stuff, etc. They don't always get the glory but they're always busy - making & fixing whatever needs done and in their spare time turning out beautiful things like this mill. There are a couple more photos at the link, by the way.
This is my little horizontal mill from the basement shop I've been working on. It's hiding behind the furnace right now but I've got plans for it. I've never done much with it other than get a motor under it. I had it in the back room of the high school and I used it a couple times for some little things. I want to get it out and accessible and I've been thinking about buying a little bench top lathe for down there also.
Sherline makes one that has all kinds of accessories. Baileigh makes one that appears to be a bit more industrial. Something like the old Atlas lathes that were around for years and years would be fine, except I need something that will do metric threads. My old South Bend is still serviceable for most of my work but it won't cut metric threads. If I'm going to get an additional lathe or upgrade what I've got, metric thread cutting is a must. I like the idea of a small one for the basement, however, I'd like to have enough distance between centers to thread a motorcycle axle or have the spindle bore large enough so I could chuck the part close to the headstock.
With the miniature machine shop I could go down there after supper and tinker for an hour or two and be happy as a clam. Much better alternative to sitting in front of the television and falling asleep in the recliner when the weather's cold, the days are short and the nights are long. Hell, might even be able to take it with me to the old folks home in a few years!
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