How do I reassemble a tall mill (VN #12) in a basement with very tight headroom?

I'd go with plan A, but I'd place the pipe as high between the joists as you can still hook your lift onto it. This will give you a bit higher capacity and put more wood under the pipe. Wood above the pipe isn't supporting much.

Just for comfort, I'd use 3/4" schedule 40 (or thicker) pipe. On an unsupported length of only about a foot, 1/2" pipe might well do the job, but why sweat it? Half a dozen 3/8" carriage bolts through each plank should take quite a lot of weight.

Guys?
 
I don't think I would use anything under 1-1/2 inch pipe. It takes less than you think to bend 3/4" pipe. They are good for rollers but I wouldn't wont to hang 350 lbs off of it. A comealong isn't as smooth a pull as a chain hoist and he doesn't have room for a hoist. Well, let me back up there. He has room for the hoist for the first lift, maybe for the second, but I don't think he will for the motor assy.

Pat
 
You could dismantle your staircase, bridge the opening with a 4 x 4 and do all your assembly there under the opening, then roll it into position on pipes. 4-500 lbs isn't that much. I think you may be over analyzing it just a bit. Several good ides have been presented, most with some merit.
 
I know I always overanalyze this stuff. I have moved three large machines down into this basement, and I feel that one cannot plan enough.

The plan I think I will go with is the one suggested by Pat. I will bolt (1/2" hex head bolts, 4" long, with washers and nuts)
about 4 or 5 feet of the 2x10s I have to the inside of two joists where I want the mill to be or close enough.

Each 2x10 will have a half round notch (cut with a keyhole saw) where the pipe will drop into it. That gives me almost ALL the wood of the 2x10 under the pipe.
I will go to Home Depot and buy a 1-1/2 or 2 inch steel plunbing pipe. The come along will attach to the pipe.
As Pat said, unlikely that 14" 0f 2" pipe will bend under 350 or 400 pounds.

The base (450 pounds) I had the foresight to put up on wood to about 3 inches. I can put the casters when I get them under it- it will move itself.
The column (350 pounds) needs to be lifted onto the base, AND it has some indexing pins (I broke one and have to make a new one) that it MUST sit on.
The ram assembly (200-250 pounds) slides onto ways on the column. It needs to be hoisted then shoved onto the ways until the lead screw takes over.
The motor (80-100 pounds) sits on a bracket on top of everything else.

It will be challenging. I will take some photos.


:tiphat:Nelson
 
You're right to plan. I wasn't suggesting otherwise. I do wonder though, with the setup you describe, you have straight up lifting, but lateral movement will be with muscle power only, and you say the ram assembly must be shoved in until the lead screw grabs it. I do hope you plan on having another person there to help.

If there were anything to improve the described setup, a small (3/8") hole drilled thru the entire stack of 2 x for a piece of all thread rod to tie it together woul make me more comfortable, jut to keep anything from spreading. With sideways pulling and pushing, it would make it safer.
 
Tony Wells said:
You're right to plan. I wasn't suggesting otherwise. I do wonder though, with the setup you describe, you have straight up lifting, but lateral movement will be with muscle power only, and you say the ram assembly must be shoved in until the lead screw grabs it. I do hope you plan on having another person there to help.

If there were anything to improve the described setup, a small (3/8") hole drilled thru the entire stack of 2 x for a piece of all thread rod to tie it together woul make me more comfortable, jut to keep anything from spreading. With sideways pulling and pushing, it would make it safer.
Click to expand...

I should have clarified something. None of this happens until I get four Zambus casters for the base. In the meantime. I will strip and paint the pieces anyway.
But the ability to move the mill on casters allows me to pull it forward so I can slide the ram on until the leadscrew engages.

The allthread isn't necessary I don't think because the 1/2" bolts will go through everything- both 2x8 and 2x10 (hence the 4 inch length), and is equivalent to allthread.

Unfortunately, I don't have another person to work with, so everything I do has to be able to be done alone.


:tiphat:Nelson
 
Bill Gruby said:
You are on track with this Nelson. I don't care for one thing you just said though. You are working alone. This is not good. Anything can happen. At least find a kid in the neighborhood to watch. That way you will not be alone if something happens.

I giot another idea -- let me know by PM a couple of days before you do this. If I am free I will come down there and help. You aren't that far away. This is not something to do alone.

"Billy G" :thumbzup::thumbzup::thumbzup:
Click to expand...

Bill:

I appreciate your very kind offer. I will have my 14-year old son watch me. I doubt there will be any problem with the very fine methodologies that you guys put together for me . The key to these rigging tasks is to go slow and watch closely what is happening every second.

I just looked again, and there are some sway braces (1x3 crap) that will prevent me using a longer piece o 2x10 in the area. I will remove those, add the "double header" 2x10, and put in cross-braces between the joists. You should know that when I framed out the basement (myself), I put in bracing everywhere and the joists are strengthened a great deal by the walls that I installed under the joists. It isn't going
anywhere. My only real fear was cracking the joist, or splitting it. That is unlikely using this method.

Thanks again everyone! :thumbzup:

:tiphat: Nelson
 
Maybe you did't understand where I meant to use the all thread. I was thinking about 24" thru the center of the pipe to prevent the joists/scabbing from spreading and the pipe getting away from the slots. Just a safety factor. Your bolts won't be doing that.
 
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