Moving my mill-any ideas

[GrottoParticipant @grotto]

I've seen home made toe jacks (online) made from bottle jacks. They don’t look overly hard to make, might be an option, although AndyA's method sounds good. Coincidentally I was in a club workshop at the weekend, and there were a pair of extremely strong trestles someone had welded up to support some girders they are working on. Could probably borrow them if they're not too high (will check how high the knee goes.

I'd prefer to lift from above but the ceiling joists/rafter ties may be in way.

The cast base only touches the ground at the corners and middle with 15mm clearance on the rest of the base, so there shouldn't be too much issue using toe jacks.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Posted by Grotto on 09/11/2020 23:02:38:

The cast base only touches the ground at the corners and middle with 15mm clearance on the rest of the base, so there shouldn't be too much issue using toe jacks.

Bear in mind that there may only be enough load bearing metal at those 6 points for a point load and the rest of the skirt lacks sufficient metal, like with car sills (It looks ok but crumples under load)

GL

[GrottoParticipant @grotto]

Made some good progress.

Decided to try and do it with what I had on hand first.

Trimmed all the excess off the pallet, managed to get a small trolley jack under to lift and block mill so I could cut up the pallet and get it out.

Ended up with pallet on blocks under each corner.

I can’t lower it more with trolley jack, but someone is lending my an 8 ton toe jack which should get it to ground level.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Grotto, likes like you are progressing well, bet it was fun cutting the pallet from under the machine.

Regards Nick.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

If you lift the machine off the blocks, and can lower it onto a couple of (you need three actually ) short lengths of scaffold pole, you can use the rollers to move the machine to where it needs to be..

Once situated, lift, remove the first roller, lower and then lift the other end and remove that roller.

Job's a good 'un as dear JS would have said.

Howard

[GrottoParticipant @grotto]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 12/11/2020 08:24:38:

Hi Grotto, likes like you are progressing well, bet it was fun cutting the pallet from under the machine.

Regards Nick.

It wasn’t actually as hard as I thought it would be. Using a long bar I managed to to pry the cross planks off the central beam enough to cut the nails with some side cutters, then slide cross planks out.

I used a “multi tool” to cut up the beam – luckily it was made from some type of soft pine.

I was a bit nervous at first sticking my hand/arm under the mill, but had plenty of hardwood blocks under it.

[GrottoParticipant @grotto]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 12/11/2020 08:24:38:

Hi Grotto, likes like you are progressing well, bet it was fun cutting the pallet from under the machine.

Regards Nick.

It wasn’t actually as hard as I thought it would be. Using a long bar I managed to to pry the cross planks off the central beam enough to cut the nails with some side cutters, then slide cross planks out.

I used a “multi tool” to cut up the beam – luckily it was made from some type of soft pine.

I was a bit nervous at first sticking my hand/arm under the mill, but had plenty of hardwood blocks under it.

[Author]

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