# Tips For Newbies Re Transporting Heavy Gear



## BillWood (Jul 20, 2015)

Hello,

I have just bought a Rong Fu mill very similar to this one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151748144655

Cost me approx $500 US dollars, figured I had to buy a mill, any mill, and start learning and then buy the mill that I really need after having done some learning.

I know nothing about mills - I know I want to learn how to use one. I went for this because its local and easy to get to and it looks solid rather than flimsy with plastic gears and narrow rubber belts etc.

From available online manuals it looks like it weighs approx 300kg.

Gulp !! and I thought the 160kg small 9" lathe was big and heavy.

So  ..........  Any traps or tips regarding  shifting this thing ?

and could we turn this thread into a general tips and traps thread for newbies who have just bought their first heavy thing whether it be a grinder / lathe / mill / shaper / anything

Any good previous threads or web pages ? Will do some googling.

WHats your standard toolkit of useful things to take with you ?

So far I have assembled

Spanners, and shifting spanner, and pliers
Pencil paper
tape measure
round wooden posts 3" diameter for rollers to roll this thing along the floor
battery drill and drill bits and screws
some very slippery offcuts of teflon
some sheets of plywood - might be able to make a sled with the Teflon
big crowbar
smaller pinch bars "jemmy"
2 x 1000kg rated slings
and a mate with a ute (pickup) with a hydraulic arm capable of lifting 900kg
ropes and tie down straps
big old armchair cushions
I do not own an engine crane - relying upon hydraulic arm in ute.


And yes ....................  I realise that in the grand scheme of things this is not a big heavy machine - but put yourselves back in your newbie shoes - for many newbies this could be a huge task.  Will be happier when it safely in the shed.


Bill


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## JimDawson (Jul 21, 2015)

Well, a few random thoughts on moving equipment in general.

Plan every move before you make it
Never put any part of your body under the load
Most machine tools are top heavy, lift from the top where possible
Leave yourself an escape route in case something happens, don't get trapped between the machine and a wall
Sliding the machine across the floor with a ratchet puller and a strap around the bottom of the base is perfectly acceptable, some liquid soap helps.  Slow and easy.   A truck trailer hitch or a bolt in the floor makes a good anchor point.
Bolting this machine to some 2x4s makes a wider and more stable base. Heaver machines would require larger timbers.
In this case, removing the machine from the base for transport is a good idea

I'll think of more later, watch this space


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## jpfabricator (Jul 21, 2015)

Mills are topheavy. 
You also need to whatch out because mills are topheavy.
Did I mention top heavy?
Seriously PLAN YOUR MOVE! Plan every step. Break the whole move down into little steps, then plan every step.
Move everything out of your way, then sweep. I personally would not use the wood rollers, I use 1/2" black iron pipe.
Remove everything off the mill that you can easily do (ie plastic handels, d.r.o.'s, collet racks) if you have a power feed tape the cords, along with the power cord up out of the way. 
Run the x axis all the way back to the colum, center the table, lower the knee ( if that applies) and lock all the gibs. If your mill has a rotational head, rotate it to its lowest point. 
Take along solid wood "shims" 1x2 & 2x4's about 6"-12" in length;also small ply wood squares of diffrent thickness. Scrap lumber mind you because it may not come back.
If you have acsess to a pallet jack and there are solid floors this can help alot. Again be careful mills are top heavy. 
If you use a cargo trailer (Youhaul type) DO NOT RELIY ON THE WALL STRAPING RAILS!!!! The first down hill red light you stop at will result in your vertical mill, becuming a horizontal mill.
If your mill starts to tip ehile you are moving it DO NOT TRY TO CATCH IT!!! Your mill will be broken and so will you, or worst.
Use leverage to do the heavy lifting. I used a 4" crow bar and a. 750 square bar to rase my 6500# horizontal mill with little effort.
When you load your mill at the pickup point plan ahead as to how you will unload your mill at its destination. For instance if you load it in the back of a pickup with a forklift, you will have to unload it.
If I lived closer I would gladly come help.
I have done heavy hauls and rigging on a winch truck, and with cranes , If you have any questions arise feel free to pm me. 
+ one on removing the base.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


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## thomas s (Jul 21, 2015)

I would use steel pipe not wood to move the machine. 
you can also slide the machine left or right if you need to. thomas s


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## joshua43214 (Jul 21, 2015)

Take pictures of everything before you take it apart.
Do not rely on knots to hold the weight.
Wrap the column with the slings, do not put any weight on the quill, spindle or hand wheels.
Do not wrap outside of feed/lead screws (applies to lathes).
You can use a narrow sling on the table for balancing only, but never lift the machine from the table. If the table is bearing any real weight, you need to readjust the main slings for better balance.
When strapping a machine down to a trailer, the goal is to apply VERTICAL pressure, not horizontal. This is a vey common error people make when strapping a load down. You want the straps to go completely over the top and apply as much down ward force as possible. You can add tethers to keep the machine from tipping, but the primary hold down should be vertical pressure. If you compare a semi-trailer and a roll-back tow truck in action you will see the difference. A tow truck straps the car from front to back, and the load is able to bounce and shift. A semi-trailer straps over the top and loads seldom shift when they are tightened.
In the pic below, the machine on the left is properly strapped over the top and will take an act of god to move. The machine on the right is not properly strapped, the chains are doing almost nothing to secure the load, and the strap is bent sharply over metal and could abrade on a longer trip.


(courtesy Google Images)

For this, do not use wooden rollers. I would not bother with plastic slides. Plywood does work for a sled, but 2x4 or 2x6 works much better. Tip the machine enough to slip the 2x6 under it, drive a large nail or screw into the wood in front of the machine (or into a mounting hole) to keep it from sliding off the sled, drag with a sling wrapped around the base as close to the ground as you can get it. Drag slowly with a chain fall on its side or come-along. You will find it moves quite easily on a sled.
For this little machine, I would not use pipe rollers. If you look at the base, you will see that the machine will need to roll sideways and it is very narrow. Not only is the machine more prone to tipping sideways, it will be easy to run off the roller once it gets a bit of momentum.
An engine hoist should make short work of this, just lift the machine off the base and lower. Never move the hoist with the machine more than a few inches off the ground. always move the stand out from under it, and drive the chuck under it when possible. If you must move the hoist with the machine raised, only move forward/backward, never sideways.


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## stupoty (Jul 21, 2015)

I got the one smaller than that as my first mll (well still my mill till the restoration project gets a move on) it's quite an easy style of mill to strip down into a number of parts.

Head
Coloum
Base

The table can be removed from the base also.

The one size down (about 220 kg) was nearly ok with just 2 people.

Also dont try to put the head back on the pole by your self  ha ha you have never seen such a funny sigt as that.

Stuart

Ps once one was in parts everything could be moved by one person. (Two would have been better though)


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## yendor (Jul 21, 2015)

Ditto on the last post.

1st thing get the owners manual for the RF Equivalent and STUDY the Exploded views and how it comes apart and goes together.

Bring a Digital Camera and take LOTS of Pictures.  - LOTS of Pic's of EVERYTHING.
You WILL forget more than you think.

I have a JET - 16 and when I moved it. I broke it down as follows:

Remove the Motor from the Milling head. - Take Pic's of the wiring

Remove the Entire Milling Head from the column. It will come straight up off the top of the column.
Bring a piece of Plywood 3/4" Approx. 18" x 24" with about a 3" hole centered 6" or so in from one end and a couple of 18" 2x4's
Screw the 2x4's to the plywood so you can place the mill head on it and allow it's spindle to sit in the hole. You may need a few spare 2x2's or 1x2's to block it up and get it stable then strap it down to the plywood.

Remove the (4) Bolts holding the column to the base.
NOTE: the location of any shims as you will want to re-use them as a starting point when you tram the mill later.

Remove the Mill X-Y Base from the Stand

Broken down like this it should be moveable over flat ground short distances with (2) people. If you have any significant distance or un-level ground - Stairs, Ramps etc. you will want both more people and some type of dolly.


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## jpfabricator (Jul 21, 2015)

If the machine needs to move over grass a full sheet of 3/4" plywood can be used as a sled. 
Use a piece of 2x4 bolted to the bottom gront to distribute pulling stress.
I moved a knee mill and a shaper scross the yard this way, pulling it with my pickup.
View attachment 107752

Slow and easy. It was all on flat ground so I felt no need for straps.


Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


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## MSD0 (Jul 21, 2015)

Wow, lots of good information guys. I'm planning on getting a mill soon and this answered all my questions (and some that I didn't even think about).


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## BillWood (Jul 24, 2015)

Hello,

Got it home ok.

A tip from another forum was to lift it by putting a sling through the column and insering a bar or plate with a shackle or ring to secure the sling at the base of the column. 

That worked very well.

Thanks for all the advice, will bottle it all into a file on PC and print it out.

Bill


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## turnitupper (Jul 24, 2015)

Bill,
That looks like a very good mill for the price. My little X2 mill cost me as much. Did the tooling shown on the table come with it?. That drill on the left looks bloddy huge, but I see you have the rake to clean up the swarf. Congratulations on a safe move and avagoodweekend.
John.


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## BillWood (Jul 24, 2015)

turnitupper said:


> Bill,
> That looks like a very good mill for the price. My little X2 mill cost me as much. Did the tooling shown on the table come with it?. That drill on the left looks bloddy huge, but I see you have the rake to clean up the swarf. Congratulations on a safe move and avagoodweekend.
> John.



John,

The tooling cost me a bit extra.   I was very very lucky with the whole business - partly I think because I lived nearby and we are basically in the middle of nowhere so not many people interested in mills.


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## 2volts (Jul 25, 2015)

I recently got one of those RF30 mills as well. Only cost me AUD$400 though. I was over your way 2 weeks ago visiting my sister in Traralgon. We grew up near Moe.
pete


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## Chippy (Jul 25, 2015)

A lot of machines have threaded rigging points where an I bolt can be installed. If they are not needed for lifting, they can at least be used as a tie down point.


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## BarnyardEngineering (Jul 29, 2015)

One rule of thumb I have is, if you are straining or it hurts to lift/move something, you're doing it wrong. Work smarter not harder.


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## RJSakowski (Jul 29, 2015)

Some good advice given.

In places where I don't have a sky hook or anchor, I have walked heavy machinery across a floor with a long pinch bar.  It takes some time but gets the job done safely.  If moving up and down stairs, some 2 x 6's or 2 x 8's set down as a ramp works.  I use a "come-along" or power pull to control the movement, both up and down ramp.  I have moved a number of machines up to 4,000 lbs. that way.  If using an engine hoist, be very careful about using it for horizontal movement.  Keep the machine as close to the ground as possible to avoid moving the center of gravity outside the base and remember that momentum can shift the apparent center of gravity as well.


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## janvanruth (Jul 30, 2015)

first and foremost rule in moving heavy equipment:  DON'T RUSH
300 kg: get a motor hoist, something like this


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## kwoodhands (Apr 18, 2016)

BillWood said:


> Hello,
> 
> I have just bought a Rong Fu mill very similar to this one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151748144655
> 
> ...



You have gotten a lot of good advice.One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the position of the table when lifting.
You can help balance the mill as it hangs by moving the table in or out and from side to side.Once it is balanced as best you can, remove the hand wheel til completely done.I have a similar mill,maybe heavier. After rolling the mill into the shop I lifted it from an eye bolt in the ceiling. The eye bolt threaded on to a 3/4" by 16" allthread that ran thru a 4x6 timber that spanned 4 joists.Before I lifted with a come-a-long I added two 4 x 4 posts under the timber.
I lifted the mill,adjusted the table so it hung level,or close to it.The stand was slid underneath and I lowered the mill.
If your mill is going in a shed, the mill will have to be rolled thru the door.Make sure the path is stable enough to roll a 600 lb+ machine across.Did anyone mention the mill is top heavy?A slight bump and the mill is on the ground.
I have no idea if hiring a rigger would be too expensive. That would be the safe way to go.
mike


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## Bill W. (Apr 18, 2016)

I don't own an engine hoist like the one pictured above, so I went to the local rental place and for $40 saved my self a lot of trouble.  Added bonus... rented it late on a Friday, had it for the whole week-end for the 24 hour rate.
Bill


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