935 floor base

[davidpbest]

Hi I have been lurking heavily for the past couple years; I have a 935 tv coming in a couple of weeks and am looking at whether I need a base for it.
We have a dry concrete floor basement so I have no problem with sitting it there. However I am getting the vibes that the work envelope is a little low for a 6 footer (me). I like the look of both David's and Dukers solutions. I am thinking, I should work with the machine for a while and see if more height would be desirable then take some action. Duker - do you have any specs or drawings for your moveable base? Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks for all the info.
talk soon
Dick w

Dick, IMO, your first decision is whether you want the mill on some kind of mobility base with wheels. If you want/need that, then a full frame like Dukers is in order. If the machine is going to be stationary, then all you really need is leveling feet and welded frame is unnecessary and might become a trip hazard depending on placement, size, etc. With just leveling feet, something more simple (like mine LOL) is sufficient. The base of the machine is pretty narrow, which is a good thing in general, but to improve stability, I recommend widening the stance as it rests on the floor if you're going to put it up on levelers or wheels or both. The top couple inches of the 935 machine base is drilled and tapped 3/4-10, but I don't recommend putting the leveling feet in those locations because at least 7" of the threaded rod will be unsupported because the base is hollow in those areas - kinda like being on stilts. Hope this helps, good luck with the new machine.

 

[ptrotter]

David

I just needed to be able to get under the mill from the side with the pallet forks. The base casting reliefs on the side of the PM935 base are 24" wide and about 2" tall, and I needed a 3.5" gap to get under there. Once I get the floor platforms installed, and the leveling feet adjusted, I will have the necessary space to come under the machine from the side just fine. I have 83" ceiling height, so I can't go too much more since the mill itself is 77" for without the leveling platform (it's the standard pulley drive system, not the variable reeves drive version).

The PM935 replaced my Rong Fu 45 which I've had for 15 years and has served me well. My RF45 was the original from Taiwan, with 2-speed motor and power downfeed, and was purchased by a friend in Hawaii - we got that out of the shop yesterday also, and crated for shipment using the crating materials from the PM935. The forklift was the challenge, because it left only 3mm clearance coming through the door to the basement shaft entrance. We ended up having to hack the forklift, taking off the safety basket at front and turning over the forks. And it was 98 degrees here yesterday. But this wasn't my first rodeo getting heavy equipment into that basement shop: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjH1qkZP

I debated which way to go with the mill upgrade for over a year. I was tempted to get a Tormach 770M, but after using one at John Saunder's shop I wasn't convinced I could do conventional manual milling with it easily, and would thus become a slave to 3D modeling on the computer for every single thing I needed to make. I don't do much metal fab production - maybe 3-4 units of anything I make at the most. I'm really a woodworker who makes specialized accessories for woodworking equipment (like this) - not a conventional machinist shop. So I decided against a CNC mill to replace the RF45. I also have space constraints that would make a CNC machine with full enclosure pretty impractical.

The PM935 takes up almost no additional floor space compared to my RF45 on it's stand. But what it will give me is a real knee (I got so tired of cranking the head on the RF45 up/down), and power feeds on the X, Y and Z. Plus the increase in rigidity, tilt/nod head, increased Y axis travel etc. This far, I'm REALLY impressed with the quality of the PM935.

I do plan a full custom edition of this PM935, maybe not quite as elaborate as the PM1340 lathe, but similar in some respects. A new electronics package with VFD controls, auto-reverse, e-stop, coolant control, tach, ring light is already in the works, and I'm waiting on the Newall 3-axis DP700 DRO with 5um microsyn scales to arrive from the UK. I already have the Align feeders for all three axis, a Mitutoyo scale kit for the quill, and will probably order a Maxi-torque PDB next week. Stay tuned. LOL

David,

Please don't do such a spectacular job customizing your PM935 and documenting the process as you did with your PM-1340GT. I spent far too many hours studying your write up and photographs, and as I am contemplating a PM-935TS in the future, I may end up doing so again. Seriously though, I truly enjoy following your work and have learned much from it. Between you, mksj and a few others on this site I have seen some truly great work and have been able to move along on mine nicely.

 

[Clock work]

The top couple inches of the 935 machine base is drilled and tapped 3/4-10, but I don't recommend putting the leveling feet in those locations because at least 7" of the threaded rod will be unsupported because the base is hollow in those areas - kinda like being on stilts.

I stupidly didi that... It was like watching a boat tied to a dock... gently swaying back and forth. In the wind. I ended up only using only a single rod of the 4 I put in to stop rocking on the imperfect floor while preserving as much contact with the base as possible. The stilt effect is weak in that situation.

CW

 

[Clock work]

David... is that hatchway with the stairs removed or an actual elevator shaft? I have entertained the idea of putting a 2-3k# hydraulic lift and easily removable stairs in my own hatchway to reduce the drama overtime I buy something and to bring motorcycles down to work on in a warmer space in the winter.

https://flic.kr/p/TngP8z

CW

 

[davidpbest]

CW, that basement entrance is nothing more than a concrete box (with massive heel/toe retaining wall footings required by the city). There are no stairs in it, and it's used solely for the purpose of getting machinery and finished woodworking projects in or out of the basement. I have a second basement entrance with stairs for human traffic, but it's too narrow to use as equipment egress.

When I bought the house in 2011 and started exploring alternatives, I was initially thinking I'd put in a small freight elevator, then the city stuck it's nose into the project and insisted that if I did that, it would need an elevator license and yearly inspections, and insurance premiums doubled, etc. So I just left it an open box and provisioned the garage such that I could get to it with a forklift. I have occasionally pondered the idea of adding a jib crane at ground level next to the opening, but so far haven't felt the need. This is pretty much what it looks like from the basement:

If you're interested, here is the unfinished basement to shop conversion saga: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjH1qkZP

 

[Clock work]

CW, that basement entrance is nothing more than a concrete box (with massive heel/toe retaining wall footings required by the city). There are no stairs in it, and it's used solely for the purpose of getting machinery and finished woodworking projects in or out of the basement. I have a second basement entrance with stairs for human traffic, but it's too narrow to use as equipment egress.

When I bought the house in 2011 and started exploring alternatives, I was initially thinking I'd put in a small freight elevator, then the city stuck it's nose into the project and insisted that if I did that, it would need an elevator license and yearly inspections, and insurance premiums doubled, etc. So I just left it an open box and provisioned the garage such that I could get to it with a forklift. I have occasionally pondered the idea of adding a jib crane at ground level next to the opening, but so far haven't felt the need. This is pretty much what it looks like from the basement:

If you're interested, here is the unfinished basement to shop conversion saga: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjH1qkZP

Very nice work David... it's a pity about the city and insurance. Mine said if I ran a buried electrical line out to my shed that it'd raise my taxes so I put a 3 prong on it and it's just another appliance plugged into an outside outlet. They wanted to raise our taxes for a deck, so I went the route of a parade float shaped like deck which I could park right next to my house. Never finished that one There's actually a raised computer floor in another part of the basement we don't let the town in to which was there from a full mill-rack time-share computer with a floor-standing computer and 3 monitors I had down there in 1980 when it was my parents house. I have no respect for our town government.. a viscous tornado crawled across my old neighborhood requiring so many to rebuild. They didn't lose a beat and declared that with all the trees down, it's now a "scenic view area" because now there's nothing but sky over there and you can see the mountain. Anyway if my lift is removable and the stairs are, I think I can avoid their helpful intrusions. I'm going to look much more carefully at the story of your conversion though as I'm convinced it will have lots of excellent ideas.. our plan is to move to a place with more space to sprawl. Thank you.

CW

 

[external power]

Thanks you guy's for this thread as I have a 935tv on the way and should be here in a couple days. I have been
rearranging my shop to accept it and hope I don't have to many problems getting it in place and off the pallet.
David you are the man!! Thanks

 

[hotrats]

*As far as a elevator for your cellar, a co worker used the mast and hydraulics from a forklift to make a exterior elevator for his parents to access their 2nd floor. Maybe a option to consider.

 

[francist]

I guess the trick there would be finding a forklift with a blade spacing the same width as the wheelchair wheels....

-frank

 

[hotrats]

Most forklift forks are adjustable for spacing. My friend made a platform, seat, safety rail, gate, and emergency switch, for those that wondered. Actually, was very nice, his parents were tired of climbing the stairs.