Not only does it take awesome people to build our bikes but it also takes some awesome machines. Our machines have about as much character as our people (minus the alive part).
One of our Bridgeport vertical mills, above. These are some of the most versatile ever made. It is said to be one of the few machines that can actually build itself.
The above machine is named Sajo… our Swedish import outfitted to cut our front triangles.
Another Bridgeport, this one named Kathleen (above).
Milwaukee horizontal mill outfitted to cut seatstays.
A couple of Nichols horizontal mills (above and below).
Our stay slotting machine is really old, years ago it was converted to be able to run off of electricity. Originally this machine was run off of long belts driven off of turning rods attached to the ceiling, usually driven by the power of rivers. Sort of like in the image below.
There are just so many machines… if they could only tell the stories of all the things they have made throughout the years.
Another Milwaukee horizontal mill, this one is outfitted to cut chainstays.
Bertha, the TIG Welder.
The gang of drill presses.
The seat tube reamer.
And the newest member of our team, the cold saw.
Today, I think you’ll find that most Bridgeports are stuck in the corner as an “Plan-B” option in case something needs fixed in a hurry and there’s no time to get the part into a CNC milling machine. They’re great for a “quick fix” or a small project, but for any serious production, they’re just too slow due to many factors: positioning the table by hand, no real horsepower, and no coolant…plus, as the operator, you’re the one supplying all of the power. Kind of like the difference between a handsaw and a chainsaw.
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