Large Scale Central

Lathe and mill, part 2

Tools and Tips
#1

Continuing my quest for some more shop equipment. Ive run across a couple deals. One is a Rong Fu RF30 mill, with a bunch of tooling, the other is a Jet 920W lathe, with stand, almost new condition, with a bunch of tooling. If I buy both, they’d cost me about $2300, depending on how Best Offer my best offers would be.

Getting them down into the shop is the only issue. Those of you that have been here know where my shop is in the house. The lathe I can take from its stand and three of us can move it. The mill is more problematic. Its about 650#, but can be disassembled into discrete 100#-ish pieces, and reassembled in the shop.

Opinions?

#2

Build a 1/2 scale cog railway to the shop?

Hire the Kool Aid guy to get it into the shop?

#3

Bob… Don’t know how your shop is located or seen it but I have moved many Mills and Press in bad location. One idea if can make a 4x4 skids and bolt it. Most med. mill are less than 3 foot wide. You can just about move it anywhere up stairs or down with plywood sheets/ roller and come a longs with just two people. Just an idea.

When you get into 2,000 lbs or more then you have problems beside maybe on wooden stairs,. lol.

#4

Noel’s suggestion on moving the mill is right on. Just be sure to measure in a perpendicular line from the stair slope to the lowest point to make sure the mill height will fit through. If you have clearance just bolt it to a pallet or two 4x4’s, lay plywood sheet on the stairs and slide right down using a come-a-long. wrap the other end around a large tree (at the base) or a large well blocked vehicles tow bar. Price sounds good considering lots of tooling. Good Luck!

Edit to add: Make sure the point of attachment of the come-a-long to the mill is in such a place that the mill won’t be allowed to tip over once on the incline. I’d say right around the round column below the head and above the cast base. Don’t forget to use padding, or better yet, heavy strapping around the column so it doesn’t get nicked.

#5

? will it fit thru the back door into shop? if so move your trailer. back down to gate then like Noel said or heavy duty cart lay plywood down and roll it too the back door

have fun

#6

Bob,

If it were me, I’d break all down. This allows for moving with much less effort AND you become intimate with your equipment. On reassembly you can fine tune things, lubricate, improve and such.

The are several well known forums and online sites that offer support, parts and improvements for Ron Fu and other similar ilk.

I move heavy machinery equipment as part of my contracting business, Noel offers a simple and effective means to get er done!

Michael

#7

Bob

I’m available to help you move it , if you get it.

#8

Thanks for all the suggestions. If I get the mill, I’ll undoubtedly disassemble it and move it. The guy that has it can load it in my truck. Once home, it’ll have to come apart to get it out of the truck anyway. This guy moved his in pieces, and has approximate weights for all the parts. It looks like it can come apart into 100-200 lb pieces. I’d rather not separate the head from the column, so that would be the heaviest piece.

The lathe is less of an issue, since its a bench lathe. Specs show 230#. Tailstock could come off, and the chuck, and some other bits, to make it movable by two people. The stand looks like heavy sheet steel, so maybe 100-150.

Now to see if I can actually get them.

#9

Great article! Sounds like a good plan. I love seeing new shops come together. Good Luck!

#10

Bob

You can rent an appliance dolly from u-haul …

#11

You may also be able to find a local place that rents organ/piano dollies.

#12

Bob McCown said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. If I get the mill, I’ll undoubtedly disassemble it and move it. The guy that has it can load it in my truck. Once home, it’ll have to come apart to get it out of the truck anyway. This guy moved his in pieces, and has approximate weights for all the parts. It looks like it can come apart into 100-200 lb pieces. I’d rather not separate the head from the column, so that would be the heaviest piece.

The lathe is less of an issue, since its a bench lathe. Specs show 230#. Tailstock could come off, and the chuck, and some other bits, to make it movable by two people. The stand looks like heavy sheet steel, so maybe 100-150.

Now to see if I can actually get them.

I was really hoping you were gonna hire Kool Aid Man to get the job done and post video !

#13

" Rooster " said:

I was really hoping you were gonna hire Kool Aid Man to get the job done and post video !

This coming from a self professed lover of architecture, leads me to believe the inside of a roosters head must be a very conflicted place. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

#14

Randy Lehrian Jr. said:

" Rooster " said:

I was really hoping you were gonna hire Kool Aid Man to get the job done and post video !

This coming from a self professed lover of architecture, leads me to believe the inside of a roosters head must be a very conflicted place. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

If BD’s place was well over 100yrs old I would never have suggested hiring Kool Aid Man to place the lathe for him! However his home is not that old so perhaps my thinking is right on key? Kool Aid Man makes new architectural designs every time he does a job that some would consider art these days!

However BD found the solution he inquired about if he wins the buy on the lathe so the point is mute!

Rooster thinks Randy should never have skipped church “back in the day” to frolic around town inspecting old school architecture!