Yet another Toolmaster Mill

afuege · Post by **afuege** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:19 pm

I took a ride over to Cattail foundry on Saturday to drop off a tenoner table I'm having reproduced. Along the way there was an auction in New Holland. I had to wait around for the whole day, but ended up coming away with this Toolmaster vertical mill:

Unlike my existing Toolmaster, it uses 40 taper tooling. It has a power draw bar, power feed on the quill, and a power feed table. It also has a shaper head. THe gear box on the table is messed up, but otherwise, the machine is pretty nice. I now need to decide whether I look for a gearbox or combine the two mills and save the rest for spare parts.

There were a few other machines in the sale. This Reid surface grinder sold for $300. The cabinet was loaded with stones and spare parts/tools.

This lathe (made in Italy), which was pretty tired, sold for $350:

The highest priced item in the sale was this antique meat slicer. It sold for $2100:

-Arthur Fuege
Somerset, New Jersey

Packard V8 · Post by **Packard V8** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:40 pm

Beautiful mill - some would say you are taking more than your fair share of the goodies :>)

thnx, jack vines

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:15 am

Jack, Nah, there is plenty to go around. It still amazes me at how affordable things are.

Arthur, Beautiful mill. I have coveted the toolmaster for many years- Very stout and good looking machines. It is funny how bridgeports have become "the name" and get money based upon it. Although now, the market for used bridgeports is certainly flooded and depressed. There was a toolmaster at the giant overpriced tool dealer in Jersey whose name escapes me at the moment. It was on eBay for at least a year priced at $1950 with power feeds on all three axis- I just kept looking at those pictures and no one would buy it- seemed to be the best deal they had, so I assume it was overpriced.

The meat slicer is pretty awesome too, are there people who collect antique meat slicers? I would guess so..... i wonder if they collect antique meat as well

Pete

Packard V8 · Post by **Packard V8** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:10 pm

Two thoughts:

1. If machinery prices are cheap now, just wait until we boomers start dying off in large numbers. The guys coming along behind us have less than no interest in tools, hotrods or classic cars. Our widows will have trouble giving away the stuff we tried to convince them were investments.
2. Up here in the inland northwest machine tool desert, in forty years, I have NEVER seen a single Cincinnati Toolmaster for sale!

thnx, jack vines

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:41 pm

I am betting that in a year you can get premo prices for parts you make for ppl. All the manufactoring went out of country and with the way Obama is sepnding cash we're headed for broke. Even if money is 0 we can barter for food with local farmers.So keep them machines clean and working boys. The home machinest will be in demand before long
Reg

afuege · Post by **afuege** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:11 pm

Pete,
You're absolutely right on the pricing angle. I bought my first Toolmaster mill in an on-line auction. It ended up selling for a whopping $55. This is what it looked like in the auction:

I didn't have to do a thing to it. I brought it in, plunked it down and started milling. It's a very nice, accurate machine.

In the same sale, there were 6 bridgeport mills. Most of them were very tired. The lowest priced was $726. The highest $3900.

I own a Bridgeport as well. It's got a powerfeed on the quill, variable speed head and power feed on the table. I've got every imaginable piece of tooling and accessory for it. It even has a DRO. I just don't like it.
Now that I've got the variable speed head and the 40 taper quill on the Cincy, I'm seriously thinking I should move the Bridgeport out. More to come on that.

-Arthur Fuege
Somerset, New Jersey

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:26 pm

So Aurther
You like the cincy better than the Brigeport?
Reg

afuege · Post by **afuege** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:56 pm

Reg,
Yes I do. It's a lot more rigid than the Bridgeport. The Cincy is very accurate and cuts cast iron like butter. Both of my mills also have the coolant pump and resevoir built into the base. The table is plumbed back to a discharge in the knee. There's very little run-off or splashing. I have to use a portable rig with the Bridgeport. It's always a mess. I also like the power feed on the table better. It's tied to a trip lever on adjustable stops. The feed on the Bridgeport has a tendency to trip if it encounters a little resistance. It's a real pain to get it adjusted properly. Bottom line is that I always find myself using the Cincinnati.

-Arthur Fuege
Somerset, New Jersey