Dismantling Sieg SX2 Plus Mini Mill

Hi, I had a Sieg SX2 Plus Mini Mill delivered on Monday from Arc Eurotrade (excellent service), I have been building a hopefully suffuciently strong table for it. Soon I will need to get it on to the table.

As it weighs 60kg I will not be trying to lift it! I have no room in my small flat for lfiting gear, and anyway I am spent up for the time being! So I need to take it apart so I can lift it a peice at a time. I have found information as to how to take apart the x y table.

Can anyone advise me how to remove the head?

Also I presume I need to remove the grease from the table etc? I read somewhere that WD40 can be used?

David

If its like the old style X2 you take the stop off the top of the column and wind the head to the top, then lift it off. You would also need to remove the control box, which may not be a good idea.

If not sure, ring Arc and ask.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 16/04/2015 20:06:02

Why not invite a couple of friends around .... Then lift it between you .... only cost you tea & bicci's or a beer!!!

Dave

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Where abouts in the country are you.?

If you are local to me I will come and lift it up for you. - I am sure many other members would do the same for you.

Nick

My workroom is a spare bedroom upstairs, a lot warmer for my old joints than being out in a shed plus no danger of parts rusting. I split the head and column from the base and with the head wound up to its highest and locked in place ( you dont want it winding itself down and altering the C of G while lifting ) walked it up the stairs a few at a time. Also remove as many parts as you can i.e chuck guard so you dont break it, draw bar and chuck if yours came with it fitted every ounce counts. Also cable tie or tape the power cable to the head you dont want to trip over it or get it snagging as you are lifting. I found a small set of steps was helpful to stand on when it came to lifting the column to put back on the base its not easy holding the lump at arms length.

After bolting it back together I cleaned down with WD40 look alike and an old paint brush to clear the grease out of the rack then checked everthing for squareness.

Dennis

David I bought a sieg SX3 from ArcEuro, a great experience from great people, and it weighs about 160 Kg. I also bought the Sieg stand for it and so the same problem of lifting occurred. I got 2 very strong friends to help lift it into position. That hurt a bit but we managed it. The problem is that if it is assembled then it has a disproportionate share of the weight at the back! Then you have to factor in the lack of room around the machine to allow everybody to grip and lift. To further add to the potential problems...........I apparently had a leaky heart valve and needed a replacement, plus a by pass at the time, BUT none of us knew that. Ha ha ha how we laughed when we found out some months later.

If yours is a mere 60 Kg you should have no problem lifting it with some assistance. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

Hello David,

If you need to take it apart, it will be better for you to keep the head and column together, and remove the column from the base as suggested by David C.

As this is all new to you, in your particular case, it will be best for you to avoid taking the head off the column. You can call and talk it through with Ian.

Ketan at ARC.

Thank you for all the advice and offers of help. I am in London by the way (but originally from Yorkshire),

I managed to remove the head and column together from the base and get the mini-mill on to the table. I would have rung Arc for advice, but couldn't as I was at work on Friday.

To start with I thought I might be able to lift the whole thing, until I realised how heavy it is! There is an American on Youtube lifting an American version of the SX2 on to a table. All I can say is he must be incredibly strong! And he did struggle. Don't try this!

When the head and column are unbolted from the base they tend to tip forward as they are heavier towards the front., I covered the x y table with some thick cardboard just in caseithey fell forward, but i managed to hold on to them.

I won't be using the mill for a while. As I said before I have a big telescope mirror I am making which I need to make some progerss on before starting on the telescope, The mini-mill will come in very useful for drilling accurate holes and milling some aluminium parts for the telescope. I have a lot to learn!

David

I to had the same problem my two sons soon sorted it,carried it up stairs and on to stand in one move,I lived in Gods country too Noth Yorks.

re tipping forward for future reference: put blocks of wood on the table and wind the head down to touch it for support. Also the best poition for it if just lifting or moving generally.

Also for general lifting of small items, up to the weight of a human, don't forget a ladder is designed to carry this amount safely. A small rope hoist like the old Haltrack completes the package. But don't use a lever style wire hoist which don't have a safe lowering capability.