Stand Alternatives for PM-728?

[verbotenwhisky]

I have no issues with the stand that came with my mill.

 

[RandallsRaceShop]

I have no issues with the stand that came with my mill.

I'll go ahead and second that.
I do feel like they should be heavier stands, but I actually like the stand that I bought with my mill. I store as much tooling/accessories as I can in the cabinet.
At the same time, i would have happily paid a little more if a heavier stand was offered by PM.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I'll go ahead and second that.
I do feel like they should be heavier stands, but I actually like the stand that I bought with my mill. I store as much tooling/accessories as I can in the cabinet.
At the same time, i would have happily paid a little more if a heavier stand was offered by PM.

The stand that came with my mill weight is around 300 pound.

 

[RandallsRaceShop]

The stand that came with my mill weight is around 300 pound.

Oh, I see.
Mine is nowhere near that. If the mill weren't sitting on it you could pick the stand up & throw it. Which is also why i store whatever I can in the bottom. I guess it's my way of attempting to add some mass at the base of the stand.

 

[55fairlane]

A)see post #5 https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm-728vt-stand.110654/
B) use a master level & shim it flat. Or the machine will not cut true/flat&square
After I leveled the machine, I noticed the unit was not real ridged & I added 500 p,us pounds of lead, steal, sand ect. To the very bottom of the cabinet....helps a bunch.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Oh, I see.
Mine is nowhere near that. If the mill weren't sitting on it you could pick the stand up & throw it. Which is also why i store whatever I can in the bottom. I guess it's my way of attempting to add some mass at the base of the stand.

I have the PM940V which isn't a bench top, the base is sold with the mill not as an option. The mill weight with the base is just over 1300 pounds. On its stand with the head in its max height position and the leveling pads it is +/- 87" tall.

 

[Firebrick43]

Personally I would avoid butcher block maple now that I think of it. Having owned several from Grizzly to John Boos in quality NONE are flat or will remain flat. Typically cupped. For plywood, void free euro is not a bad choice if finished with a penetrating sealer and it comes in thick dimensions. There's some nice hardwood faced cabinet ply but it's quite expensive.

You know...if you want indestructible at a low cost, oil/solvent resistant, non-stick, beat on it with a hammer...commercial kitchen cutting board. Tap Plastics carries it in stock at many thicknesses up to 1" plus and it's relatively inexpensive compared to other materials.

UHMW is very unstable. We skinned heavy 1/2" steel top work benches at the factory with 1/2" UHMW to make them more part friendly. After 5 years or so we would have to replace it with how warped they would become.

Something like e glass phenolic/g10 is much more stable due to the glass fibers. I wouldn't use canvas phenolic (the majority of it is)