This page will describe a simple milling project that will allow you to practice some of the basic milling operations on the Bridgeport. I highly recommend this project to anyone newly trained on the mill. The end result of this project is functionally useless, but fairly simple to fabricate. Along the way, you will gain experience in squaring stock, surfacing, locating work accurately, cutting slots, cutting t-slots, measuring dimensions, and following dimensions accurately. In the end, you will have a simple mechanical toy to show off your new metalworking abilities.

For this project, you will need the following materials:

• 5/8” thick aluminium plate, approximately 4” square. Exact dimensions are not critical, the design can be adapted if needed.
• 1/2” square brass bar, about 2” long. Again, this doesn't need to be precise. You can probably use aluminum instead, if you prefer.
• Another piece of aluminum for the crank. Finished dimensions of this piece will be around .220 x .440 x 4.0
• 3/8” brass rod for the handle. A piece about 3/4” - 1” long is fine.
• 2x 10-32 button head screws
• 1x 10-32 cap head screw