How long to disassemble a Bridgeport?

[Dabbler]

First, do not use the threaded hole in the ram to lift the machine by. It was only designed for lifting the ram.

People keep pointing to manuals, but sometimes the manuals are written by idiots.

I have seen a *real* Bridgeport get dropped and destroyed this way. The ram casting let go and boom. dead mill.

I use that threaded hole for lifting the ram and turret. I ALSO use it when lifting FROM THE BASE. I tie a tether to a ring in the threaded hole to stop it from tipping. No more than 50 lbs of pressure preload. I've never had a BP tilt, never dropped one either.

To answer the OP question. We disassembled a BP mill down to the nubbins, ram and turret off, knee off, table off, saddle off in just about 3 hours. 2 of us, and an engine hoist.

 

[Barncat]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a half a day project. What tools are needed?

 

[Dabbler]

A full range of allen keys, have both metric and imperial on hand, just in case.
An engine hoist, some lifting straps.
a large flathead screwdriver as a pry (or a small pry bar).
Some 2X4 lumber in about 20" lengths to put the table, knee, ram and turret on.
Some freezer bags and a sharpie to segregate and describe all the little pesky fasteners, and noting where they came from.
A sturdy box for all the little stuff
Something to protect the 3 lead screws.

- If you are moving it down a hallway, you might get away with removing just the table.
- Taking the ram and turret off together will save you a bunch, but remember the turret, head and ram weigh about 440 lbs all together. That is the quickest thing to get off and replace as one.
- the harder thing is taking the knee and saddle off. If you can avoid it, you should.
- You can have the table and head/turret/ram off in about an hour- two if it is your first time.

You will need something to move the mill with. I went to a caster place and made my own custom mill dolly - the size of the base +1/2 inch all around. I used 800 lb casters X 4. The mill will weigh between 1750 and 2100 lbs, depending on age and table size. When you are rolling something that big and heavy, generally 3 of the 4 casters are doing most of the work.

Taking the tuirret, ram and head off makes it a LOT safer to move. Much lower centre of gravity.

 

[tq60]

The lifting bolt on ours is 5/8.

Many are moved with a forklift under the top slide.

If one keeps the mill close to the ground, less than an inch, it should be fine.

What is the floor made of?

Something on a concrete pad or is subfloor. With crawlspace?

Floor loading needs to be considered.

Safest is a bunch of pipes for rollers.

The mill can be turned while on the pipes with a prybar.


Likely will need to remove table unless you have lots of room.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[OTmachine]

Something else to consider. On the last BP that I moved the turret securing X Bar that the 4 bolts thread into had a crack at one of the radial arms. Could have been a mess if I had picked it up and the crack gave way. Good thing that I removed the turret / head assembly first. You just never know what someone before you has done.

 

[Dabbler]

Be aware that the X bar is held on with just four 1/4", 11-12" long rods. Should this arrangement fail the whole base, knee and table free fall. They weigh about 1300-1400 lbs. THIS makes me nervous also.

 

[Firstram]

H&W has videos on everything you need to know. You can use these videos to come up with a list of needed tools while you learn the steps!

Head removal with a simple tool you can build, it doesn't need to be made with steel. A stack of 6 pieces of 3/4 ply 12 x 12 or so with a loose 3/4" hole in the top 5 would work just as well. Screw them together to guarantee they don't shift. The head is heavy so bring strong help!

This is a good video showing table/saddle disassembly.

Remove the head, table and saddle. Lower the knee ALMOST all of the way down, support it on a stack of 2x's as well as locking the gib, and remove the screw to avoid damaging it.

Knees can become jammed at the bottom if the gibs and ways are not clean and you jamb it into the crud.

 

[projectnut]

Here's some text from the 1979 Bridgeport owner's manual concerning lifting and moving a Series I machine with the J2J head:

Method 1.
Insert 3/4" Whitworth I bolt in tapped hole. Ensure the bolt is fully secured before lifting. It is advisable to swivel head before lifting machine.
Using this method, the head is swiveled at 90* so the motor and spindle are parallel with the table.

Method 2.
Use (rope) sling. Insert soft cloth between rope and edges. It is advisable to tilt head before lifting machine.

Using this method, the head is tilted forward at 45*

Here's some text from the 2003 Bridgeport owner's manual concerning lifting and moving a Series I machine with the J2J head. Note method 1 as outlined in the 1979 manual is no longer recommended. The only recommended method for lifting the machine is

BE SURE to use proper sling when lifting. improper lifting could cause serious injury. Note position of ram and table when lifting with sling. Machine should be lifted by placing a sling under the ram as illustrated in Figure 1.4

Illustration 1.4 shows the table centered left to right and front to back directly over the jackscrew that lifts the knee. The head is in the normal upright working position with spindle nose centered on the table. The knee is slightly below the halfway point of its vertical adjustment.

As per these manuals it appears the older machines had a 3/4" Whitworth threaded hole in the ram for an I bolt to lift the entire machine. Newer models have a smaller threaded hole that should only be used to lift the ram.