Moving a Myford VMC advice needed thanks!

The head complete with motor is quite manageable as a two man lift, it is too much for one man especially as it is quite high up. If it was a barbell in a gym the weight would be easy to lift but it’s perched on the top and an awkward shape, I left the motor on which although it makes it heavier it is better balanced. Once you have let the motor and interlock switch wiring go you can undo the bolts holding the head assembly and give it a trial lift to see how the weight feels, you will need a grip that allows you to lower the head down, a workmate can be a useful halfway stage to change to a grip to lower to the floor. A third pair of hands to help with the bolt position when reassembling can be handy as it’s easy to knock them out of position, I don’t recommend my wife for this task, she is absolutely the person of last resort for jobs like this. This is just a tiddly job for millwrights and heavy gang people but nevertheless it needs some thought to avoid hurting yourself or damaging the machine. As a sparky it was not my problem to move heavy stuff, we had millwrights and a heavy gang to do that stuff but I didn’t have any trouble with mine. I am 64 now and I think if I need to move it again I will hire an engine hoist, the passing years certainly rob you of your strength, I was about 56 last time I moved the mill and it was a bit harder than the first time but still not a problem.
Mike

Dave, 'Scotland' is quite a large place really. If you are in/near central Edinburgh and are minded to borrow an engine crane to help manage the lift out of the van and subsequent assembly, DM me....

Cheers, Colin

I split my Warco VMC in three parts on my own easily using an engine hoist. Be aware that the lead screw for table Z sticks out of the bottom of the column when the table is fully down for stability. I just cut a hole for this in the dolly I mounted it to for moving. I paid £80 for an engine hoist and would much prefer to use it again rather than try and man handle the machine. I used lifting straps rather than chains to prevent damage.

Again thanks for even more info above.

Got it home late last night. Base: I stood inside it and held it by diagonal corners and walked it to my shed. heavy but managed not too bad. Head: motor already off, lifted it and just managed to carry it to my shed. Quite heavy!

Column with knee and table still attached. I didn't want to split the knee off but OMG this lot IS heavy. I had bolted it to a 120cm by 80cm pallet using lengths of M8 stainless studding and washers. The Vauxhall van I hired from Arnold had perfect tie down loops over the back axle so nothing moved even through the first 10 miles or winding farm roads.

8pm and dark. My mate from next door came over to help. The pallet slid with great difficulty to the back door of the van. I had 6 offcuts of decking that I had just used to refloor my new shed. Made a ramp with these lying on the van rear bumper. With much grunting and cursing we slid the pallet down the ramp then onto cardboard sheets. Then used brute force and planks as levers to slide the pallet into the front of the garage. Sprayed all metal bits with WD then locked up and crashed out.

Gonna buy: another engine crane, more lifting straps and shackles, buy/make a dolly with castors etc. so I can get this built up, but all in good time no rush.

Anyone suggest a source of a missing quill handle/broken knob at the end etc?

Should you really lift the column and knee/table (the massive bit on my pallet) using the head bolted on with straps round the head? Does this put the top of the column casting where the head rotates in any danger?

Thanks, Dave.

pictures re above post

Well done, Dave. Easy, really, with no safety risks or ‘hic-ups’.

I had the benefit of a sturdy little sack barrow with which to move the base (and the column) of my grinder for most of the distance required.

The planks I used as an inclined plane were 2 off, 1.5m long, 200mm wide and 45mm thick. They were not likely to bend! With a fall of about 650mm, I had to pull the base down the slope. I removed the motor from the base before moving the base - but particularly because it was to be taken apart to convert it for 230V operation.

Other parts (head, table, cross slide, knee, motor and mag chuck) were carried with no great difficulty (table was heaviest).

It looks like your mill would only present a lifting problem (needing two people), with the base (perhaps) and the column if it were dismantled further, to its main components - but as it is I think it may need something better than one of the cheapest engine cranes on the market, as that lump certainly looks heavy!

If I don’t have a pump truck, or other easier alternative, I roll a pallet along on pipes, if on a good surface. Slopes and turning corners is ‘fun’ one can do without.

Gonna buy: another engine crane, more lifting straps and shackles, buy/make a dolly with castors etc. so I can get this built up, but all in good time no rush.

If you are in no rush. I would certainly dissasemble the table, cross slide and knee. Give it all a good clean inside, relubricate or take the oportunity to fit an oiling system and then reassemble once the column is on the base. If you are fitting DRO's you will obscure the table oiling points anyway. Once you have it running you will not want to take it to bits again to do this.

It's not difficult to strip down and much more manageable weight wise. Unless you really want another engine crane there would be no need to buy one.

regards Martin

I got fed up with the single quill feed handle so I made a new one. Balls from eBay.

That looks fabulous Vic.

Thanks Roger. I was gifted the material and it was easy enough to make. It’s so much more convenient to use than a single lever.

Tony, thanks for the tip about Berger.

The missing rod is a shame as it's a bit that probably never wears out or breaks or gets lost except on this occasion. It's just a piece of 1/2 inch steel rod with a 1/2" BSW thread at the machine end and a 3/8" BSW and the other. Not got access to a lathe so might approach a local machine shop see if they will turn down the 3/8 end for me. Not seeing it as a bit I'm likely to come across anywhere...

Not got access to a lathe so might approach a local machine shop see if they will turn down the 3/8 end for me.

No local model engineering club local? Likely pay a year’s subscription if the local machine shop charges the going rate. Also, I’m surprised its not threaded metric?

Just dis-assembled the VMC I'm moving this week and learned another little trick for removing the head. You need to be able to stand on the left of the mill. Retract and lock the qill, remove the collet chuck and motor. Large block of wood on the table. Raise the table untill just touching the quill. Remove column hold down nuts. Raise table a little, lift back of head and slip a 6mm wooden packer behind, raise table a little more supporting the head with left hand. Head assemble is now sufficiently free of the suds to rock forward on the quill and rotate to a good lifting position where it will gently fall into your arms. It's a lot easier than trying to lift the head over the studs. The trick is keeping your arms close to your body, taking the weight on both arms either side of the head and having a clear bench to put it down on.

PS don't try this at home unless you are confident.

regards Martin

Martin, having mentioned lifting carrying the head at some time before re-assembly please can you weigh it , and any other sizable chunks you end up with so people in the future can judge whether they can handle things the same way.

Dave,

If your anywhere near Fife I have an engine crane and lifting gear. I also have a lathe if you want to make a new handle.

Martin

Martin, many thanks for your kind offer. I've just taken delivery of an SGS 2 tonne crane today which I will use to build up the machine in my 'back garage'.

Meanwhile I am busy tarting up the swarf/suds tray with Halfords garden green spray enamel as well as other bits of the machine. I don't have the time or inclination to go chasing a perfect colour match just want to build up a neat and tidy machine that I can use.

I expect before the end of the year I may have a 7 inch length of 1/2" steel rod in my hand that needs one end turned down for a 3/8 thread so if you are still available at that time I might give you a shout.

Someone said earlier that they were surprised that a 'metric' machine would have imperial threads on it. So far my limited experience with this one machine is that it has a mix of both thread systems.

Cheers and best regards, Dave.

So after some extra expense and hassle I have tonight finally 'made some chips'.

Bought a Vertex VK4 mill vice. Smaller than I expected but DOH my VM-30 at work actually has a VK5 fitted though I mistakenly thought that it was a '4'. Still will do fine I think.

Work light from Ikea. Will get me started but really need something better.

VFD is an Invertek unit 1.5kW, I have used their 18.5kW drives at work so was happy to pay a bit more for this brand. Need to make a remote switch box, running from the front panel for now. Initially it was tripping my house sockets RCD but after unscrewing the 'filter contact screw' on the side this is resolved.

Some quick and cheap spraying of a few bits (mainly the rusty suds pan) using Halfords 'Garden Green' enamel spray paint and the grey spray primer as well.

2 new drive belts but only using the new front one as the rear belt quoted in the manual is too wide??? Hmmmm...

Some new revolving handles for the handwneels from eBay cheap but fine.

Made a new rubber cover sheet for the Y leadscrew using the original stainless profiles and a grey silicone rubber dog bowl mat from Amazon

Fair bit of cleaning and application of 3 in 1 oil.

Wouldn't have got this sorted except for my new 2 tonne SGS engine crane. Huge but a lifesaver.Also excellent service and straps/shackles from SafetyLiftingGear.com their 2 tonne stainless shackles are so lovely I could weep.

Looks a nice machine glad it worked out, but two points. Dump the swivel base, I have used mine twice in 20 years so converted it into a horizontal spin fixture.
More important, the vdf is very vulnerable to swarf which will fly far and wide, esp when fly cutting aluminium. it needs a decent ventilated enclosure with mesh to keep the grout out. The one on my Bridgeport is in perforated box mounted on the back of the column