Base Feet for a Bridgeport

[Starlight Tools]

Randy

That was almost 5 years ago, and I can't really remember what I did yesterday. LOL

My mill is a Taiwan made clone of a Bridgeport, may even be made in the same factory that made the later models, but the supplier is one that deals only with industry, they do not have anything there that ressembles hobby grade.

I remember looking at the holes, wondering how I would get a levelling nut under it without raising the machine too much off the floor. The motor barely clears the ceiling as is. The base casting rested solely on the four corner feet. I tapped the hole, not sure if there was thread there or not but I seem to remember at least a bit of what looked like thread. The two front ones are bolts, I think they were grade 8 that I had rethreaded all along the shank for a client then they gave up the project. The back two were all-thread with a nut locked on.

I have looked into putting castors on the mill, but need to address the height issue. In the bridgeport yahoo group there is a folder called Kev's Bridgeport moving dolley which looks very interesting.

I know that Nelson is pushing the Zambus Castors, I picked up the line of Footmaster ones. http://www.footmastercasters.com/

Like any innovation there is the guy and the company that designed the product then there are the companies that copy it. Footmaster is the original designer of the levelling castor. They have a larger selection and improvements that their patents still protect that Zambus has not copied YET.

In order to use the Footmaster castors, I would need to build up a support cage, like the ones that were shown by Kev, or like the ones shown in this groups BP dolley such that the machine would be cradled below the castors. Also theose machies are top heavy and the force is to the side, so any castor should be put on some form of outrigger.

As I figured the machine was going to just sit where I placed it, which is strategically placed just so far from the corner of the wall such that at full retraction of the ram, it will swing on the column and roatate right around with only micro inches to spare, actually I think I went about 3/8" but it is tight. The table also lines up with the doorway so when I work on long stock I can have it protruding through the door. So far anything I have tried to put on the table has been doable.

So if you do not need to roll the mill around, Kev needed to because his electrcal box was behind the mill and he needed to be able to pull it out from the wall to get at it, then tap the holes, and use the bolts/all thread to level it.

Walter

 

[HMF]

Walter is right about Footmaster- they were first making this design. They cost the same as Zambus. Both makes are really nifty in my opinion.

I learned about Zambus first, so I went with those. Why do I gush on them? Well, I bought 2 Shop Fox bases, supposedly 800 pound capacity. They both fell apart under my 600 pound Burke mill. Went to Grizzly asked for a refund, no dice. Tossed them out. I don't weld, so I couldn't make my own, and my shop is so tiny, the loss of adjacent space from shopbuilt mobile bases was a pain. Someone on PM suggested Zambus when I was still on there, and I tried them and was hooked.

My space is so tiny, I slide my Burke into an alcove till it's needed. Then I roll it out into the center area to use it, and lock it down, then roll it back out of the way. Same with my SB Heavy 10 when I put it together. It is against a wall, but I can roll it forward a bit to use it, then back. Not sure if it makes sense to do this with a big mill like the Van Norman, plus the casters will need to be put on the base first, then the column assembled to the base. It stands 6 feet with the top motor. I don't think I have the headroom to lift it much to get it on the casters after the fact- the engine crane won't go high enough, and then I would have to disassemble it again.

Best,

Nelson

 

[Starlight Tools]

Nelson

Since there were no dealers for either brand in my area, I was offered either. I had first gone to Zambus but then in my research I was told that they were made by Footmaster, That falsehood was cleared up quickly and when Footmaster showed me the comparison between the two castors, I chose to go with them.

I have them under most of my tools that I needed to roll around. I still have the two big roll cabs to do, as the factory wheels have flat spots in them from sitting in the same spot massively overloaded for many years.

What I like about these castors, either the Footmaster or the Zambus, and this was very evident on the tool cabinet under the Darex drill sharpener is that I could dial it inot level with my 12" Starrett #98 level very quickly and easily. Since the floor is really badly sloped where that cabinet ended up, I used to be fighting it every time I turned around, it would roll to the centre of the room, or when I tryed to open a drawer, I had to brace it with my foot.

I do find that really heavy loads take a bit of effort to level with the dial adjusters, and that the 1200 KG castors is a better value than the lighter ones in those applications.


As for your Van Norman, you will need to make a cradle as I explained earlier so that you can keep the machine low and still be able to move it. Castors will sit beside the base, not directluy under it.

Walter

 

[RandyM]

Holy WOW Guys, way more great info than I was expecting. Got a lot to think about. I am going to keep these castors in mind for the future though. I really don't have the space issues you guys are dealing with. The threaded option really looks like it is worth trying for starters. I have started over many a time on things I thought were good ideas. And then again, some actually worked. Thank you tremendously.

 

[Starlight Tools]

Randy

Just a thought here.

My lathe came with a similar arrangement, (1/2-12) Whitworth threaded studs that sat in little cup type feet that are about the size of a hockey puck with a hole molded on one side and grip type ridges on the other. This way the weight was distributed over more area than just a Point load at the end of a bolt. That would work for you as well. Like I said I used 1/4" Q&T hardboard so that I was not prssing directly on the floor, but the cups would work well.

Went to take pictures of them, but I had put them under the levelling feet of the Footmasters to give them more hieght adjustment.

They would be about 3" diameter, by about 1" thick. bore a hole just larger than 3/4" by 1/4" deep. Bottom up to you what you do, either leave flat or put a recess in it so it bears on the center section and the outer rim.

Walter

 

[HMF]

Walter,

I agree with you that the Footmaster/Zambus casters are more forgving on a bad floor. The area of the basement where I have the shop is awful. I never applied leveling concrete before I framed the walls like I should have, so these casters are a blessing.

But, and you will forgive my stupidity, Walter, I don't see why I cannot just put the stemmed caster into the VN #12 base. What I typically do is buy some 12mm allthread at Enco (or whatever matches the way-too-short stem they sell you with the caster), and use that to go through the base. I did that with the Burke with no problem.

Here is the VN #12 base:

 

[Starlight Tools]

Nelson

The only reason I said that you would need a cradle is that you had commented that the Van Norman was 6 feet high and that it would be too high with the castors under the base. If you can live with the machine 5" higher then by all means, use the allthread and put the castors under the base.

Now I use the heavier castors which take 16mm allthread. The Footmaster castors come with a seperate threaded stud, basically a long set screw, but if they are too short then go with the allthread.

For my lathe, the threaded holes in the base were 1/2-12, yup that is 12 not 13, This lathe is from the same factory as Colchester makes their machines so every so often Whitworth crops up. I took the 16mm allthread and drill and tapped it 1/2-12 to make threaded bushings so that I could mount the castors.

Using the castors with the square mounting plates, nope did not want to have to figure out how to get four extra holes under each corner on this close to 2000 lb machine.

Walter

 

[RandyM]

Randy

Just a thought here.

My lathe came with a similar arrangement, 12-20 Whitworth threaded studs that sat in little cup type feet that are about the size of a hockey puck with a hole molded on one side and grip type ridges on the other. This way the weight was distributed over more area than just a Point load at the end of a bolt. That would work for you as well. Like I said I used 1/4" Q&T hardboard so that I was not prssing directly on the floor, but the cups would work well.

Went to take pictures of them, but I had put them under the levelling feet of the Footmasters to give them more hieght adjustment.

They would be about 3" diameter, by about 1" thick. bore a hole just larger than 3/4" by 1/4" deep. Bottom up to you what you do, either leave flat or put a recess in it so it bears on the center section and the outer rim.

Walter

Thanks Walter, I too thought of this, and will probably add them. Well, I took the plung, they are now tapped in the base. I am in the process of making the bolts. I will get ya pics when finsihed. Kinda like how they are turning out.

 

[oscer]

Randy, the only thing I would add to this is Anti sieze. Just in case you didn't already have it in mind

 

[RandyM]

Well Guys, I did it. I tapped the base with 3/4-10, installed threaded rod. I topped it off with an polished stainless steel acorn nut. And roll pinned it together. I used a jam nut to lock them all in place. I may add a foof at the bottom later. Don't mind the picture, it is not as crooked as it looks.