How to move a Bridgeport mill?

[Realsquash]

I have a chance of purchasing a nice 2hp bridgeport vertical mill that is ~40 miles from my garage. I have a trailer and a 5000lb engine hoist but I am racking my brain to figure out how to move it home. We can get it on the trailer with the company's fork truck I'm sure, but how to get it off? I can't back it into the garage, either. Any words of wisdom?

Thanks,
Andy

[Dan84CJ7]

Rent a forklift. Probably the safest way to get it off the trailer without damaging it or yourself.

[Wicked_S10]

My mill had a 5/8" forged eye bolt in the top, I hooked my engine hoist to it and picked it up off my trailer, no sweat...

Later,
Jason

[Realsquash]

Hmmm I will have to look up there to check it out. I was also wondering if the thing came apart easilly? If I could take the head off it would be a lot easier to move around I would think.

Andy

[lsloth]

You could always remove the head to make it less top heavy and easier to move. Remove it at the site with the fork lift and reassemble when you get it home.

[gddyap]

I helped move a JET 9 x 42 vert mill. We unbolted the head from the base. There are 4 bolts that held the head on and were also used to adjust the "yaw" of the head. If you do unbolt the head, you'll have to tram it but you should probably do that anyway. We used an engine hoist to put both pieces on the trailer. We tried to do it with the mill assembled but it weighed too much. The boom on the hoist had to be at its shortest length to pick up the mill but then it couldn't get high enough to get it on the trailer. If you do unbolt the head and use the eyebolt on the top, be careful because the center of gravity has shifted. We had to use additional straps to steady the head when using the eyebolt.

[JeepinDoug]

If you keep it together for the move;
Drop the table or knee all the way down.
Pivot the head left, so the quill arm is facing up;
As the head pivots around 23* there is a saftey pin that needs to be pulled in order for the head to pivot more, the pin should not come out all the way.
When the head is close to 90* from the table you could pivot it lower to the table by the yoke pivot behind the head pivot, not really nessecary though.
This gets the COG to a managable place for moving. Obviously you'll need to tram the head when you set back up.
A block and tackle in the garage will lift the mill as long as you have a good beam to strap to. You could rent a block and tackle.

Or call a machinery mover, they're insured and experienced. I have a local guy who charges $80 an hour, well worth the money in aspirin.

[Realsquash]

Excellent news. Thanks for everyone's input! I am going to end up taking the head off to be able to get it on/off the trailer I'm sure. Too bad I can't bring the fork truck home on the trailer, too!

Andy

[PARANOID56]

when i move them i perfer to lift them by the eye loop on the top. just use a forklift and lift it up. i have also had to pick them up from below. just get a pinch bar and put some dunage under it to get it off the ground. also, dont forget about moving in inside your place. you can either rent some mice, or just put some steel pipe under it and give it a push :D

Shane

[yager]

one time i had to unload a top heavy piece of equipment off my pickup truck i called a local tow truck company with a hydralic extenda boom type wrecker and asked the guy if he wanted to make some extra cash after work..

I paid him $40 worked perfect, was able to lift it off, then lower it down and actually stick it just inside the door way on some 1/2 black iron pipe I used to finish moving it..

[Wicked_S10]

You are talking about a giant piece ofcast iron here. It is really not top heavy, nor is it that poorly balanced with the knee all of the way down. If your engine hoist wont pick it up far enough, buy another hoist.

Later,
Jason

[Billetburb]

I am going to build a bigger version of this when my new building gets done (up the hill) this spring.:D
Gary

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8025/smmmove1gp6.th.jpg (http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=smmmove1gp6.jpg)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2374/smmmove6zo5.th.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=smmmove6zo5.jpg)

[randii]

I've mowed the lawn in the past... it never occurred to me to mill the lawn. :p

[PAToyota]

I've mowed the lawn in the past... it never occurred to me to mill the lawn. :p

:laughing:

Damn, carbonation up the nose and all! Should know better than to be drinking and reading Pirate...

[Billetburb]

You have to get the extended Z option...but its worth it:D
Gary

[Leafsprung]

I didnt have the luxury of a forklift or even a handy engine hoist when I moved mine. So a friend and I moved it Easter Island Style. I made some skates from a 2 peices of 1/4 thick AL and 8 alternator bearings and 4 lenths of 5/8 rod. (If you cant picture it I made a sweet drawing for you below):flipoff2: With a crowbar I lifted the mill enough to slide the skates under the mill. Then with a come along pulled it up on the trailer using a strap to steady it. Unloading it we just lowered it down with the come along and pushed it into the shop. With the skates you can move it on concrete with just one person. They also made moving the lathe a breeze.

--O---------O--

[jnutter]

I've done it several ways.

Both times that I bought a vertical, the seller loaded it onto my trailer. My little skid loader unloaded both. I ended up taking off everything from the turret up both times. The first time was becuase I had a heavy bucket on the skid and it couldn't pick the total weight. The second time I had made some forks, but my Gorton weighs about 800lbs more than the Bridgreport it replaced.

When I sold my Bridgeport I just put blocks of wood on the forks that I had made for my skid loader, picked it and set it on the trailer.

When I picked up my Horizontal I rented a forklift. 2 pickups, each with a trailer that day. 1 trailer to haul the forklift and 1 to haul the mill. Forklift rental was surprisingly cheap. I borrowed a friends big diesel powered Bobcat to unload it. I had to drop the buckert and sling it off of the universal attachment.

My lathe was a different story altogether. I hired a rigger. He picked it up at the auction site in Minneapolis, drove to my place (25 miles?) and set it in my garage for $300. BARGAIN! I'm hiring him again if I ever get to move to a place with a bigger shop.

[KrebsATM02]

but my Gorton weighs about 800lbs more than the Bridgreport it replaced.

What Gorton do you have?

We have a Gorton up at school. I think it's a MasterMil I2 ?? Something like that, I'd have to look again. I just know they are kinda of rare.

[jnutter]

Yes, it's the Mastermil 1-22. I think they are probably more obsolete than rare :D There's a Gorton Mill yahoo group if you need more info on it.

To get back on topic, there's some pics of a couple of my machine moving adventures here : http://members.tcq.net/jnutter/machineshop/

[chrono4]

i work for a towing and repair, and we move machinery like this with the rollback all the time. the owner is a certified engineer, and works magic with moving portable saw mills, huge chippers, buildings, generators all that kinds of stuff. Hes got a water jet, and a huge sand blaster. Might be work looking into. There experienced, and insured too.

[Billetburb]

Rollbacks work great, I had the big mill (16,000lbs) moved with a rollback.

Machined some mounting plates that screwed in all four corners of the castings (1.25 14 tpi I think) screwed in machine skates and let it roll. Gravity is a wonderfull thing. Some where I have a picutre of the mill at a 40 degree angle 15ft in the air:eek:
Gary

[u2slow]

Or call a machinery mover, they're insured and experienced. I have a local guy who charges $80 an hour, well worth the money in aspirin.

I'm with the smart guy ^^^^

A 5-ton truck w/hiab works. I just had an 11' long lathe moved. That's about right for the rate too.

[JR]

I just gave in and paid a mono rail guy.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490287&highlight=bridgeport+mill