New Member Getting A Couple Of Bridgeports Questions About Moving Them

gold642

gold642

machinist farmer
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Nov 5, 2015
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I am a new member and have just bought 2 Bridgeports sight unseen. One is a small manual mill with power on y?( left to right) digital readout. The other is a series I 3 axis cnc 2 hp. I also bought a monarch 10ee, monarch series 50, hobart welder tig/stick and a small surface grinder. I am to pick these up on Saturday. I feel comfortable about moving the lathes and surface grinder but the mills are a little scary for me. I read on here that you turn the head upside down on a wood block and run the table up to help support it. I am not sure I have a good understanding about how this is down. I have a van norman 12 universal mill which is nothing like a Bridgeport. Also I read on another site something about the digital readouts on mills have glass under a shield that is very costly if you break them. I wrote all of this on the Monarch forum and then realized that this might be a better forum for answers Bridgeport questions. Most people reply to the other site think I got a good deal as I paid $5200 sight unseen. What little I do know is from the manuals my friend picked up when He gave my check to the owners son-in law. All of the machines are suppose to be in operational condition as of 2 months ago when the original owner passed away. The shop is dry but he has a lot of cats so everything has a lite coating of fur. I'm taking a 4000 lb 4X4 forklift so once out of the shop, I can strap lift them to the trailer. Where do I connect the strap for lifting? Thanks for your help.
 
You are posting too fast for me to keep up:grin: Take a look at your original thread and I've posted a picture of how I have done it.

As far as the glass scales go, just be careful and don't hit them with anything, they'll be fine.
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sorry I did not know you can see all of the sites I was thinking I have to ask on each site.Thanks again Ted
 
The series 1 CNC mill has a rigid ram, meaning there is nothing you can tilt. I ran into the same thing and ended up cutting out the header above my shop door to get it in.
 
The best way to pick it up is get it high enough to get the forks under the base. Get some 4x4 s then set the mchine on them extend about 12" on each side beyond the base . Then I would use lag screws or all thread and bolt them to the machine. Then I'd set them on the trailer and chain them down , the j head you can rotate the head 180 and bring the table up to it with a peice of lumber between the head and table . Be carefully when strapping them down not to put pressure on the readout scales. If you transport on the lumber it cushions the machines ride and protects it . Mostly just be careful . If the trailer has a wood deck you can bolt it down too.
 
Silverbullet said:
The best way to pick it up is get it high enough to get the forks under the base. Get some 4x4 s then set the mchine on them extend about 12" on each side beyond the base . Then I would use lag screws or all thread and bolt them to the machine. Then I'd set them on the trailer and chain them down , the j head you can rotate the head 180 and bring the table up to it with a peice of lumber between the head and table . Be carefully when strapping them down not to put pressure on the readout scales. If you transport on the lumber it cushions the machines ride and protects it . Mostly just be careful . If the trailer has a wood deck you can bolt it down too.
Click to expand...

Silverbullet, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here.

The safest way to pick up a knee mill is to lift from the ram, that puts the center of gravity well below the lift point. In this case it is extra critical, as the OP will be using an all terrain 4x4 forklift. This means soft air tires and a spongy ride, not a stable platform. OK on a level concrete floor, but not so much on any uneven ground. The preferred method is lifting straps under the ram if you have the head room, the second best is the forks under the ram with 2x4s between the forks and the ram. The only time I lift a mill or any machine tool from the bottom is when there is so little head room that there is no other way. The exception to this is surface grinders, they normally don't have anything to grab on to, so setting them on, and strapping them down to a heavy pallet is my preferred method when I have to move one.

I do agree that bolting 4x4s to the bottom of the mill for transport is a good idea, makes for a more stable base, and as you said will allow you to bolt it to the trailer deck. It also allows you to span more stringers on the trailer so the weight is not so concentrated.

Transporting a knee mill with the table raised can cause damage to the screw and nut, I have heard stories of the nut being stripped out, although I have never seen it personally. I use enough blocking on the table to support the head with the table at the bottom, and use a couple of wedges to take up any slack. I also lock the knee and table locks.
 
Wow, What a great reply to my questions. I'll take pictures and try to post them. I friend of mine has offered to come along and he moved a j head ans know what to watch for on the scales. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
 
Agree or not the mill will not twist ,rock, or tip to any direction . I've seen the tip and seen handles destroyed when spinning when stable on the forks it will not go anywhere unless the forklift goes too. Plus to move it it don't have to be 6' in the air. Using the eye hook is not really ment for transport its for set up in a shop with an overhead crane and from its assembly. As far as the table lift being damaged in shipping , only way it could is if the nut is worn out if the table is locked there's not much down pressure to do damage. I'm not trying to knit pick but , I would move it my way to prevent damage to the machine . I've move many different machines and never had any tips or drops or broken parts. You put a wider base on a mill and bolt it down I bet you could turn the trailer over and it would still be bolted as long as the trailers in good shape. Up to the owner go quick or go safe.
 
Silverbullet said:
I've seen the tip and seen handles destroyed when spinning when stable on the forks it will not go anywhere unless the forklift goes too. Plus to move it it don't have to be 6' in the air. Using the eye hook is not really ment for transport its for set up in a shop with an overhead crane and from its assembly.
Click to expand...

I don't think I ever suggested using the eye bolt hole. I suggested strapping the ram or lifting from the ram. Using 2 straps, one on either side of the column, will not allow the mill to spin in the air, nor will the mill twist if the ram is sitting on the forks. See example picture above in Tony's post.
 
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