Mill arrived, some more help needed

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
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Here are a few pics of it. What a beauty! :D

Now I need to put this on top of my bench. Since I don't have Nick Wheeler's strength, ;), I need options.

1) Taking it apart (how to do it, what will the weight of parts I end up with be and is there some stuff I just don't want to take apart for fear of screwing up putting them back on?).

2) Using some kind of lifting apparatus which I ain't too keen on. (Also you folks have said that it should really be taken apart and cleaned before use).

Again, all your help is greatly appreciated.

Patrice
 

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Pizza party at Pat's place!!! I'll be there around 6:30. Oh, wait. You live in Canada? Darn, too far of a drive :D.

Nice mill, by the way. I'm jealous :grumpy:.

--nathan
 
Good for you Patrice. I've been waiting for this thread and eagerly look forward to learning through your sharing your experiences. Thanks, Phil
 
Do you have a rental store nearby? If so might I recommend a cherry picker. I have the exact same mill and the cherry picker worked great to get it out of my truck and on the stand. As you progress in size with your machinery, and you will, it's inevitable find a store with a fork lift. I have a local hardware store that rents their forklift for $85 an hour and that includes the driver(worth every penny). When you have to lift a 4000lb surface grinder out of a truck no amount of pizza and beer will get it done. Plus it's just plain dangerous. I've had two friends try to unload large pieces of equipment(3000-4000) on their own using things like pallet jacks. The surface grinder got away and tipped on it side and never ran right again. One was a brand new Striker Power Hammer, when the hammer came out of the truck on the pallet jack it got enough momentum coming off the ramp that it tipped forward, striking a drill press and sent it flying across the shop. Luckily nobody was hurt in either case. What I'm trying to say is be careful with these things, don't under estimate the damage they can do. Good luck
 
You could rent an engine hoist to pick it up and move it.
After you get it settled you will have to index the head to the table and then put your vise on it and index the vise.
 
I keep a 2 ton engine hoist around for stuff like this. You can probably find a used one for $100. I can move a 12" lathe, a large welder, surface grinder, an OBI press and other similar heavy stuff with it. In fact I even used it to help position a 9,000 mill recently. Endlessly useful thing. I use it to lift the lawn mower when the blades need sharpened, pull out small stumps, and I even hoisted an engine with it once...

I'd look in the documentation for the recommended lift points.

I'd man handle it across the floor to where it is going to live. We have moved 5000 pound machinery here with nothing but a pry bar.

Once it is where you want it you have to get it in the air (which I guess is the point of this thread). Depending on how heavy it is, and assuming the rafters above it are stout enough, you may be able to lift it with a "come along" or a chain hoist, then push the bench under it.

None of these things are expense, and should be considered "mandatory" equipment for any man. Even Canadians.
 
I had the same problem when I purchased my 25# Little Giant power hammer in Louisiana. It weighs about 900 pounds. Got it back on a flatbed trailer ok, and then hired a wrecker driver with a boom wrecker to pick it up and put it in place on a covered patio area. It was tricky and the wrecker worked great.
 
I've got one very similar (grizzly) you definitley want a cherry picker at least, mine
weighed like close to 700# and with the stand I made to put it on I think it to be close
to 900#. As for what they'll do I mill all of my folder frames on mine. Enjoy!
Ken.
 
An easier way to move it around on the floor is to put some 1/2in iron pipe under it and roll it. That's how I moves my 900lb Mill by myself.
 
That's pretty much the same machine I have.

I'm not sure what the big deal is, I just pulled it off the back of the delivery truck and sat it down on the stand. ;) :p

Mine actually came in two pieces.

I first used a truss lift to pick up the head and put it in place.

Then I pushed/pulled the machine over to where I wanted it and then used a chain fall to lift it up onto the bench. Luckily the shop roof is 3X12 rough cut lumber from my great grandfathers saw mill..... so with a good cross structure welded up and bolted in place, I can lift some pretty heavy stuff (with the chain fall).
 
Chuck Gedraitis Knives said:
An easier way to move it around on the floor is to put some 1/2in iron pipe under it and roll it. That's how I moves my 900lb Mill by myself.
Click to expand...

I did that too with a 6,000lb power hammer. The girlfriend chewed me out for that. :o

Pat, a skidsteer, loadall, or forklift would all work if you have a buddy that has one. Congratulations on the mill, I was wondering when you would break down and finally buy one. :) By the way, what part of Quebec are you in?
 
I used an engine hoist for lifting mine into place. I used lumber to block against the metal part of the head to keep the lifting chains from crushing the belt gaurd

-Page
 
Thanks guys, a trip to the rental place tomorrow it is then. I don't have much room and I don't trust the rafters. I'll probably go with the cherry picker. I'll take pics.

Dan, I am near Montreal.

Patrice

PS: Nathan, I'll definitely put that engine hoist on my to buy list. Another step to becoming a card carrying American Manly Man. ;)
 
Pat make the bench for it with casters, handy for rearranging and clean up. have 2 of the wheels locking or do as I did and get a couple cheap jack stands and use then to hold the bench in place and level. Also the bed comes apart. There should be 2 screws in front that come out and have small short brass pieces in front of them. These are for tightening the movement. Remove those. Then remove the bigger slotted flat headed bolts and keepers. There are some dovetailed pieces of bar that come out. You can also remove the carriage screw assy. This will allow the table to slide apart. You can take the bed off in two pieces this way if you do it to both sections. You can clean it up well this way and without the carriage screws you can slide the table around and feel the tight spots. My cousin helped me take mine apart and then with it cleaned and the carraige screws out press on the table and slide it back and forth to lap it in for smoother movement. I was dumb and happy before he showed me this, but it really made a difference on how smoothly and easily the table moved. If you look at the machine and an exploded parts drawing you can figure it out. You can also unbolt the column from the bed portion and cut the wieght down although the cherry picker is a good way to go. I lifted mine by removing the top cap from the column and running a chain thru it and then arund a bar underneath the machine.
When you are setup check the machines spindle to the bed by putting a dial indicator offset in a collet or the chuck and turning it by hand to different areas of the bed. If it does not read the same you can shim under where the column bolts to the base. You can get shim stock for this or use stuff like tin foil. Mine was good this way. Once this is good you want to square your vise to the head everytime you mount the vise. Do this by putting the indicator mounted in your spindle against the non movable jaw of the vise and moving the table side to side. Keep turning the vise tiny amounts until the indicator keeps the same reading as it goes across the jaw. This means that vise is square to the spindle and you will cut square. I am just learning myself. Jim
 
Pat, Montreal is about 4 hours from me and about 3 Hours from Randy Dewey. Bit of a long drive but if your ever down this way your welcome to stop in. :)
 
Thanks for sharing your learning experiences Jim, that's invaluable. I've done like you said and removed the whole table assembly. I also went to the renting place and the only engine hoist they had was actually heavier than the mill itself and much too big to get it into the shop. It will have to be a few of my neighbors but after taking the table off I think that will be fine.
I also learned that the guy at the renting place just recently sold his bridgeport :(. Not that I could have managed that money or space wise but it's nice to dream.

So thank again Jim and I may bother you a few more times with this if it is ok.

Patrice

PS: Thanks for the offer Dan. If I ever get some time to travel I'll surely take you up on that offer.
 
Well thank to 2 of my neighbours (I have to go buy them a bottle of wine this week) the mill is on the stand and in the process of getting back together. I cleaned the gunk of it, gently sanded with 400 grit and a 1x2x3 block the ways, oiled everything and started reassembling. One of the axis (left to right, not sure if it's the X one?) is still a little stiff and I have to find out why.
Still a lot of work to do but I should be making chips in a week or so.

Thanks again for all your help. Very much appreciated!

Patrice
 

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I hope you don't mean you sanded the ways....

The stand needs to be very heavy Patrice.... vibration is your enemy. Maybe it's just the pics, but I don't get the feeling that stand will be heavy/rigid enough.

On a mill X axis is left to right, Y axis is in/out, and the Z axis is your spindle (up and down).

I think you'll have a lot of fun and a lot of frustrations learning how to use this machine! :)
 
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