Milling machine stability assistance

[Serpico1985]

Hey guys,

I recently got a PM1340GT and it is sitting on leveling feet which got me thinking about my mill.

I have a Webb Champ 3EVS 10x50. It weighs about 3,300lbs and I have it sitting catty corner in my shop. Here are some pics:

I have a shade over 6" of clearance above the motor.

When I first got the mill it was rocking on the floor. The back right and front left corners were seesawing so to speak. I put a steel wedge under the back right corner and tapped it in a little bit so that it doesn't move. I want to find a better solution than this wedge. I'd like it to sit more solidly. I have outlined in the below pictures where it is actually touching the floor by placing blue tape (where it touches).

I have shims, .001", .005", .020" and a larger sheet of .115" that I can use:

Here are my questions. I'd love to put the mill on leveling feet with a steel bar going across the front and back that the mill would sit on. Like the ones sold by H&W machine repair:

I contacted them and they would make a custom set that matches the hole spacing on my mill. At that point it would sit very solidly on the floor and I could even level it like I did my lathe. Not that it needs to be perfectly level but it can't hurt.

The problem with this option is that I would have to stand on my toes to change endmills. I can stand flat footed right now and swap endmills but raising it up another 3" would really have me reaching. I don' know if having the motor head that much closer to the ceiling would be an issue either. I don't want to put a maxi torque on there either.

So it seems I'm left with stuffing shims under the mill. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Zack

 

[talvare]

You can put the leveling feet under the mill utilizing the existing holes at each corner of the base which will keep it pretty low. Also, you can fabricate a system that will put the feet outside the base but raised so that the increased height will be minimal (attaching a photo of something similar I did for my vertical band saw).

 

[rabler]

If you do raise it make sure the motor cooling fan on top still has plenty of room for circulating air.

 

[Serpico1985]

talvare,

I'm not sure how I'd use leveling feet without a crossbar. Seems like there would be no way to adjust the feet since the base would be covering everything expect the feet.

That stand you made looks excellent. I can't weld and have zero fabrication experience so I don't think that's an option for me.


rabler,

I agree, not sure how close I could get without issue.

 

[jwmay]

You were gonna pay for the option you had quoted at H&W. I'm sure they could build a stand like Talvere shows, with leveling feet in place Of the wheels.

 

[akjeff]

I bought the feet kit only from H&W and made my own bars. Simple matter of cutting to length and drill & tap the holes. No fabbing involved, and saved a ton of money on shipping a pair of heavy steel bars. Once on the feet, it's possible to move your mill if need be, with a pallet jack. As for the height issue getting to the drawbar, you may consider going with an R8 to ER 32 or 40 adapter, and then no more reaching for the drawbar, just the brake lever. While you don't want to add a Maxi-Torque to your mill, if you do, you'll wonder why in the hell you hadn't done it sooner!
Beautiful shop, BTW.

 

[talvare]

talvare,

I'm not sure how I'd use leveling feet without a crossbar. Seems like there would be no way to adjust the feet since the base would be covering everything expect the feet.

With your lathe you can make inserts that are threaded on both inside and outside (similar to thread inserts like Helicoils) and lock these into the holes at each corner of the base with nuts above and below or make the insert with a flange so it only needs one nut to lock it in place. You will likely have to increase the size of the existing holes in the base to accommodate these inserts. With these inserts in place you now have threads to screw the leveling feet into (like those shown from H&W)

Ted

 

[aliva]

Another option no one has mentioned is grouting the mill.
First level the mill with bolts in the floor and adjusting nuts Turn the adjusting nuts till the mill is level. Build a wooden frame around the base of the mill, about 1 or 2 inches around the base. Seal the outer edge of the frame to the floor with silicone or caulking. Get some floor leveling grout and pour it into the frame till its level with the base of the mill. This method is a little time consuming but its guaranteed not to move and it will be level

 

[Bi11Hudson]

Another option no one has mentioned is grouting the mill.
First level the mill with bolts in the floor and adjusting nuts Turn the adjusting nuts till the mill is level. Build a wooden frame around the base of the mill, about 1 or 2 inches around the base. Seal the outer edge of the frame to the floor with silicone or caulking. Get some floor leveling grout and pour it into the frame till its level with the base of the mill. This method is a little time consuming but its guaranteed not to move and it will be level

That actually is the proper way to mount any heavy machine. The only problem I foresee is just how strong is the floor concrete. If this were an industrial floor, I would concur 100%. But many basement floors are only a 2 or 3 inch slab over a questionable base. An attached garage might be 4 inch, a detached garage in my area is often 2 inch. The machine might be rigidly attached to the floor, but where is the floor? And will it stay there? For the given situation, I would use some heavy angles attached to the top of the base and then level with the angles. The machine doesn't need to be level, but it must be true (no twist), and stable. The stability is the big issue. And keeping that stability over time. It may be true now, but over time the concrete floor may shift. Over a ton and a half with a footprint of 4 square feet(m/l) is a lot of weight.

.

 

[yota]

I've never seen any slab only 2" thick. I live in the south though. 4" is standard. my home shop has an 8" thick slab as the PO ran a metal fabrication business in it. I can't imagine a 2" thick slab holding up for long. sounds like something the "travelers" would build for someone.