Thread: milling machine stand

I haven't done anything similar but it seems a good idea I think. Give it a go with just some parallel spaces to start with and bolt it all down going gently to see if the bending causes any woopty to happen in the tray. If it does try to go skew-if you may have to masage the tray at the bend points and possibly/probably some stretching and shrinking to sort it out. Give it a go first see what happens.



Cheers

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

I would pick up a bit of say 50 x 20 and cut it diagonally across the 20mm side. I think from memory you have a bandsaw and you would only have to do 2 cuts. If you don't have a bandsaw cut the pieces with a grinder, then tack weld them together and do it on the mill while it's on the floor.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

I would pick up a bit of say 50 x 20 and cut it diagonally across the 20mm side. I think from memory you have a bandsaw and you would only have to do 2 cuts. If you don't have a bandsaw cut the pieces with a grinder, then tack weld them together and do it on the mill while it's on the floor.

Dave

No Dave, no bandsaw

Are you suggesting that I make a set of matching wedges (one on top of tray and one underneath) so the tray sits on them properly?

I may do this using the mill. I'll have a think and a play...

Cheers,

Simon

Hi Simon,
I think you will be happier in the long run with a wedge set up. Bending the tray might upset your leveling as it will settle over time and move, where wedges will sit flat strait up.

Dave

Thinking about it, if you slot the wedges a little where the bolt passes through, it will let you slide them to use for leveling, so no shims.

Dave

Not having a milling machine I bypassed this thread but this morning I decided to take a look and found the info on leveling machinery very interesting.
Thanks to all that have contributed.

Originally Posted by Dave J

Thinking about it, if you slot the wedges a little where the bolt passes through, it will let you slide them to use for leveling, so no shims.

Dave

The last steam engine I installed I used wedges to level it. They certainly made what can be a fiddly job simple and straight forward. After leveling, grout is placed around the base of the engine and everything stays as it should. That is all a bit traditional though.

Phil

As Phil said this type of thing has been around along time for larger machinery.
Here is the basic design of them


Bremen High School Industrial Technology -- Bremen, Indiana: Leveling Wedge by Chris Bowen

And here is what I was thinking for the front of your mill. The bolts would push on the mill base allowing you to adjust the leveling easy. You would only need to weld a couple of pieces of flat bar to the front blocks.
The drawing is only rough.




Dave

Originally Posted by BobL

Not having a milling machine I bypassed this thread but this morning I decided to take a look and found the info on leveling machinery very interesting.
Thanks to all that have contributed.

No problem Bob, I find good info tucked away in threads sometimes as well.
I think this will be an impressive stand when Simon has finished, and maybe innovative as well.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

Thinking about it, if you slot the wedges a little where the bolt passes through, it will let you slide them to use for leveling, so no shims.

Dave

Hi Dave,

The only issue is that the mill makes contact at the 4 corners and these contact points are an L shape. See sketch. Also if I did make wedges, do you think that the surface finish that is acheivable with a face cutter would be of sufficient accuracy?

Cheers,

Simon

Hi,
Even a end mill finish would be good enough, after all once it's leveled and bolted down it wont really matter.
How long are those pieces on the corners of the base? As I have another idea if they are wide.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

Hi,
Even a end mill finish would be good enough, after all once it's leveled and bolted down it wont really matter.
How long are those pieces on the corners of the base? As I have another idea if they are wide.

Dave

Thanks Steamwhisperer. Hi Bob, glad I'm not the only one getting valuable info out of this thread!

Dave,

I'm at work at the moment so I would be going from memory but I think both sides may be about 80 - 100mm long.

Something like on the drawing. What do you have in mind Dave? Lucky I'm not paying you a consulting fee!

PS:

"An impressive an innovative stand"

For god sake Dave, don't build this thing up too much, at least not till it's finished! It may turn out crap!

Cheers

Simon

"It may turn out crap!"

Yes, but we consultants can always blame that on poor execution of our brilliant ideas (as consultants everywhere do )

Michael

Originally Posted by Michael G

"It may turn out crap!"

Yes, but we consultants can always blame that on poor execution of our brilliant ideas (as consultants everywhere do )

Michael

And i'll promise only to pick on your joinery.....

Ewan