Moving a Mill-drill

[Davyboy]

Hi to all. I got tired of fighting the cold and condensation problems in the garage. It's time to move the mill to the basement. Being a s the machine is about 700 lbs (?), need to take it apart. First step was to remove the table from the machine. Take out the lead screw for saddle and then the gib. Lift up on one end of the table to get the dovetail unhooked and lift the saddle up to remove. See the nut hanging from the middle, that won't allow it to slide off from the front. Mrs. DB and I got it turned over on the bench, along with some small parts and other stuff.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill01.jpg

Then hoist the column from the base. I used a 1/4 ton hoist hanging from the rafters. Be sure to hook up the hoist before you take out the bolts. Notice I had to secure the column to the chain to keep the whole thing upright. Had no way to hook up to it above the center of gravity. Yes it's a risky venture. CAUTION is the watchword here. Don't try this at home without proper adult supervision.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill02.jpg

Notice the shims used to tram the head square to the table. I wasn't really surprised to find this.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill03.jpg


The major systems in their new home. Mrs DB and I got them downstairs OK using the hand cart, getting it all out ain't gonna be easy!


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill04.jpg

More to come.....

 

[Shopguy]

Sure looks familiar. My wife and I are in the process of moving to a new house, read smaller, and spent some days in November taking my machine shop apart prepatory to the move. The movers also used a hand cart, dead ringer for yours, to move the pieces of machines into the basement of our new place. It will be some while before things are up and running again, I need to build some walls etc.

 

[Davyboy]

Here you can see the bracing at left to hold up a couple 2x4's between the rafters. This gave me something to hook the hoist onto. I lifted the column a couple inches, then tested the overhead 'beam' by adding my weight to it. Again, CAUTION. We don't want any surprizes. These pieces are HEAVY, and they can and will hurt you if given the chance. I lifted the column and then moved the base under it. Bolt it together before removing the hoist. Dont worry about the shims at this time.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill05.jpg

Here's the Y axis leadscrew. I don't know why the paper shim was stuck there, but I left it pretty much the way I found it. I didn't want to create some binding problem from having the screw mis-aligned.


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill06.jpg

Here's the table and leadscrew and gib, ready to flip over and install. By itself, it wasn't too heavy. Assembled with the saddle, it's definitely a two-person piece. Slide the table on from the end, with the leadscrew removed. Then install the gib and then the leadscrew. I had everything cleaned and oiled as i assembled it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill07.jpg

The collars had roll pins holding them on. Be aware that they were drilled as assembled so take care that you have them rotated the right way, 180 degrees off probably won't work.


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill08.jpg

One more installment to go......

 

[Davyboy]

Once the saddle and table gibs and screws have been adjusted to 'spec' (that means if it has the right feel, no shake and smooth motion), then it's time to tram in the head. I had to ADD .008 inch to get it right. Less than .001 over 5" sweep. Yes it was pretty good before I took it apart. Add some shims then tighten the bolts accordingly to dial it in. I use a ground tool bit (or block) to keep from dragging the indicator across the t-slots. (Be aware that tool bits may not be equal size across both sides, so don't flip it.)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill09.jpg

Only one minor owee! :'(, looks worse than it is, but still worth some TLC from Mrs. DB 8)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill10.jpg

Here she sits, in all her glory. Now I need to get some good 12-2 romex over there, I don't think the ole cloth-wrapped light circuit will feed her. Just over a week from start to finish.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s32/kranedad/Mill%
20mayhem/Mill11.jpg

To Shopguy, good luck with the move, hope you've got some good help, and be careful if you do anything like this. I hope this serial helps you or anybody else that needs to move a machine.

DB

 

[Davyboy]

Something I forgot to mention. I had to take off the drive belt pulley in order to remove the belt guard. There's a large nut holding the pulley on, as well as a grub screw in the nut. Loosen the grub screw, hold the pulley with a strap wrench, and remove the nut. The pulley fits on a tapered shaft. I was able to get a pry bar under the pulley, and apply pressure, while tapping the face of the pulley with a brass hammer. I worked on it for a few minutes, and voila! it came apart without a wheel puller, which I don't have. Reverse the procedure for installation.

DB

 

[Bernd]

DB,

An off topic statement here, looks like you live in an older house judging from the round floor beams and the stone walls.

I moved a 1000lb Buffalo Forge drill press and then a 2000lb Bridgeport into the basement by myself. Well I hade help from my Massey Ferguson tractor. :big:

Bernd

 

[Davyboy]

Bernd,

"looks like an older house judging from the round floor beams and the stone walls."

Yes I live in an older home. It's got stone foundation and hand-hewn beams in the basement. Mrs DB jokes that the milling machine may be sold with the house, after what it took to get it down there. :big: How about your heavy pieces? Can the tractor pull them out?

DB

 

[Bernd]

How about your heavy pieces? Can the tractor pull them out?

DB

70 horse power diesel, weighing at 9,000lbs. I think it can pull the machines back up the ramp. ;D

I'm not really worried about getting them out. I figure the that will be the next guys problem. :big:

Bernd

 

[Shopguy]

Appreciate the response. Yes, I had some husky guys actually take the pieces up the stairs from the basement and down into the basement of the new place. Curently the various bits are in crates and boxes and will be for awhile. I've attached a couple of pics of the set up I use to lift the pieces and lower them onto pallets (crate) bottoms I made for moving. The green lathe in the background was the heavy piece. It is, the lathe on it's move number 3 spanning the past thirty years.

 

[Bernd]

Shopguy,

I let gravity do the work for me going down. A wooden ramp works great when you don't have mussel power.

Nice wooden beam system your using there. Didn't it rack back and forth? It looks a little bit lite without bracing to keep it from racking.

Bernd

 

[Shopguy]

The up rights were about four feet apart at the floor. The wall end was attached to the wall with a joist hanger. Picture doesn't show all the bracing between the legs. This time was a lot easier because during past set ups and moves, I didn't have the trolley assembly and it was just plain ackward. With limited head room it was hard to move anything heavy horizontally

 

[Bernd]

Yup, know about limited head room. I moved a Bridgeport into the basement so know about limited headroon.

Bernd