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Steve,
I used to work at Mueller Valve in Decatur, Illinois as a machinist. We had two Gorton Pantagraph machines that were used to cut the "O" ring grooves inside the valve body. Both machines were excellent as far as holding tolerance and they were hardly ever down for maintenance. The problem with them was the set-up. I ran them both for several years, and admittedly, they were almost always set-up to run the same valve bodies, but on the few occassions where we did change them they were an absolute BEAR to set up. Because Gorton machines were generally held in high regard, I purchased an I22 Gorton Mastermill for my own use in my shop. It has been a good machine and has never required any maintenance from me although I don't use it very often. I also have a Gorton tool grinding machine, and it is also an excellent machine. My mill does use B&S tapered collets, and they are relatively expensive and can be hard to find, but not all Gorton mills use the B&S collet system. If the machine is in good condition and there is some tooling with it, it could be a good buy if the price is right, and I doubt that a Pantagraph machine would be worn out. Chances are good that it was used for one job and one job only, so even if it is worn, it may work as new if you change the set-up. If you decide to buy it, I suggest you try and get the manuals for the machine. Trying to set up a Gorton without the manual will test even an old machinist. Did I mention that they can be VERY DIFFICULT to set up????
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