Thread: milling machine stand

Unless you particularly want some type of insulation between the mill and stand I would just set the stand level,you would probably need to use shims.
I would then place the mill on top of the stand and level it with use of shims.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Unless you particularly want some type of insulation between the mill and stand I would just set the stand level,you would probably need to use shims.
I would then place the mill on top of the stand and level it with use of shims.

Hi pipeclay,

Yes shims are probably the most reliable and sensible way to approach it. Was just thinking i may be able to place some plywood between so that when i tighten the hold down bolts it would pull the mill base hard down and" squeeze" out anylocal inaccuracie in the top of the stand. This is probably a little hit and miss too.

Cheers.

Simon

With the base of these mills being part of the Y axis, I wouldn't be using the base to pull the new stand top into alignment or it may twist you base of your mill.

Just use shims as Pipeclay suggested to take up any error. You could use a level across the Y axis ways front and back to alight your mill base true.

Here is a design for a stand using pretty much the same steel, I would be either building it around a bought tool box for storage of tools etc, or building draws into it, because you can never have to much storage..Another idea might be a shelf of 2 for things like your rotary table, vise and other things like that.

Milling Machine Stand

Dave

Hi Dave,

I will have some draws in the guts of it. Shelves are easier to do but I find them a pain having to bend down and dig in deep to get stuff out, especially heaving items. Probably 2 draws and then that should leave enough room underneath for the coolant pump and tank.

Shimming seems to be the consensus so shimming it is. Hoping that with my ultra precision preparation before welding, that it won't need any shims!

Also, I'm hoping not to have ANY plate on the top other than the splash tray as the lip of the mill base will (hopefully) rest on the top of the RHS. Unlike the link you posted, my horizontal cross bars will be level with the top and form the top surface that the mill will sit on.

I'm hoping to have it tacked up by tomorrow so I can post a pic.

Thanks,

Simon

Well I finally got off my butt and made a start on the mill stand. It's coming together nicely. Just tacked at the moment. I will zip around and weld it all up tomorrow. Just have to give it a couple of coats of paint, make the levelling feet, put some ply on the base for the coolant tank to sit and then a couple of drawers.

Can't wait to use the mill without stooping and to have it sitting on something solid and not made of cheese.....

Here's a pic. The four holes on the base are obviously for the levelling feet. Any other holes are just remnants from a prior life since the RHS is recycled. I got tonnes of it for free so I don't complain about the occasional hole!

Anyway, I think it will be solid enough. I have made a similar arrangement for one of my drill presses. Perhaps a little over engineered for a drill press but hey why the hell not!?

Thanks to everyone who replied with help and suggestions.

Simon

Hi Simon,
I dont know if you want to go to this extreme or not but when I bolt box section to any thing I normally get short pieces of pipe that the hold down bolts can go through then drill the top hole in the box section big enough to fit the pipe. Cut the bits of pipe long enough to go into the hole but not protude out higher. This way the box section face against the floor is clamped to the floor instead of compressing the top face as you tighten the bolt.
I hope you understand as I have said before I really can't explain stuff very well.

Phil

Looks good Simon, And should be strong enough. You could always weld up the holes after putting a bit of scrap in them. Some times I use a small size flat bar in a short length and put the tip into the hole, then blow it away with the welder to cut it off as I am filling the hole up..

What Phil is explaining above is what they call crush tubes. You drill your bolt hole the one side that will be doing the work, then a hole to fit the tube on the other. You then cut a piece of tube the square tube thickness minus a wall thickness. The tube will then go into the big hole and rest against the other wall, so when you do the bolt up it wont crush the tube. You can weld it in as well, but for this job you shouldn't need it unless you want to put a tack on them so they don't fall out.

This type of thing needs to be done if bolting anything to a box chassis in a vehicle to pass engineering.

Dave

Hi Simon,
I want a camera that can see the future!!!!!!

Will he need crush tube if he is using feet for leveling? (though I guess they cant hurt)

Stuart

I would say probably not.
But there might be a need for the top plates to have them for securing the mill.

Most leveling feet don't come with much thread,(at least not enough to go through that pipe) so I would say it's only going to go through the bottom wall and he will need a long spanner down inside the tube to do up the nut. That should be plenty of strength for the feet, but with the top he might be pulling the base true so it will have a bit of pressure on each bolt and will probably squash the tube a little. As it settles over time it will also crush the tube a little more making the base un true again.

If the threads are long enough to go through for the feet, it will crush the pipe when you do them up, so for those you could just slide a piece of pipe in from the end as there open.

It would have been better to drill the bigger holes in a drill press, but since you have it together you will need a decent hand drill.

Dave

Hi all,

Phil I knew exactly what you meant! And Dave, No I didn't know that was the actual name for it. The short answer is no I won't be putting in any crush tubes. On the same stand I did for the drill press I welded a 75x75x5mm plate on the bottom to distribute the weight onto the tube. There is very little stress on the tube because all the levelling will be done from underneath, the top bolt will only need to be nipped up so they will not come loose. Also I deliberately made the holes inside the vertical tubes but close to the welds so as to give a little extra strength.

Pipeclay, In leu of a top plate I may weld some gussets or triangle plates at each corner with a large enough footprint to cover where the base makes contact with it. I have some 5 or 6mm plate that would do the job nicely. Then I'm thinking of pre-drilling the holes in each corner and welding a suitable nut underneath (most likely an M12) that the hold down bolts will pull down onto.

Hmmm, crush tubes eh? Dam you guys!! You all know this will mess with my mind until I decide to do it! It's normally Dave that does that. Thanks Phil, bud!

Originally Posted by simonl

Hmmm, crush tubes eh? Dam you guys!! You all know this will mess with my mind until I decide to do it! It's normally Dave that does that. Thanks Phil, bud!

LOL Sorry about that simon but I blame bob and his thoroughness. Something I thought would never rub off on me!!

Phil

I don't expect the tube to deform that much being 3mm wall thickness.

If I do crush tubes then I will make them out of solid 50mm round stock and turn them down to about 30mm, drill out each end of the tube to the same diameter and then have the bar protrude about 10mm each end. Then I could put a weld seam all the way round, top and bottom without the weld affecting the flat surface.

I will have to grind off the tack welds to go ahead with this and I will have to securely clamp the tube down since there is already a 5/8 hole in there, the pilot drill for the hole saw won't offer me any guidance....

I usually make my levelling feet out of 50mm round bar and M16 all thread.

About to leave for work, so I will have a ponder tonight.

Cheers,

Simon

I wouldn't go to all the trouble of turning them down from 50mm, just use some cheap/scrap tube if you have some laying around, or buy a bit. You could still do what you wanted with them coming all the way through if you wanted and welding them in.
It's up to you but turning them down sounds like a lot of work for little if any gain over the other way.

Dave