How to relocate a Bridgeport series 1 milling machine.....

I may have messed up.

I am bidding on a Bridgeport mill without quite realising how heavy they are.

If I win it, I am a bit stuck because I don't know how I am going to transport it. (will need to come from poole in dorset to bristol).

Has anybody ever transported one of these and have advice? Renting a luton van with a lift is possible but I doubt the lifts are rated for 875kgs.

The only other option would be a HIAB of some nature. I don't even know where to start with that! what would a reasonable qoute be? what do i search for online that isn't aimed at businesses?

I found "Anyvan" online and they have just quoted me £1000 for the journey. I think that is fairly outrageous. (I was expecting to pay around half of that, but i have no reference of expectation).

Any help or advice that can be offered would be greatly appreciated. I would also happily pay anyone that could offer their transport services!

Have heard good things about Landylift (a chap called Steve Cox), but no personal experience of them. Maybe worth a call?

Rob

I could kiss you!!! he looks perfect for the job!

Its not outrageously difficult to break a Bridgeport down into lumps that can be handled by an engine crane and dropped into a decently heavy duty trailer.

Preferable option is some form of gantry hoist. Lift off the ram, head and turret in one lump, slide off the table, lift the column, knee and Y slide into the trailer as one unit. Thats more or less how I did mine but I left the table on. Which had advantages and disadvantages. Advantage was that I could fix timber H sections under the table to stop the machine rocking. Disadvantage was that the the table got in the way going round the turns from front of house to backyard shop.

If engine hoisting pull the head, ram and turret separately.

If you have to roll it any distance making a super duty 4 castor dolly beats the heck out of skates or rollers. Much more controllable. Mine has 3" diameter by 3" wide castor wheels.

That said calling in the professionals makes life easy. I imagine Anyvan quoted you for half a days work by a professional outfit. Fort that I'd expect it taken right into its new home. I've been very satisfied when using Anyvan but I think a Bridgeport is a bit outside their usual range.

Clive

I just spoke with Steve on the phone, Absolute gentleman. We shall see what we can do if I end up winning the thing!

I can vouch for Steve, his limit is 1000 kg and he knows what he is doing too. Good man.

Brian

Totally agree with that based off my first phone call with him, I do feel bad that I would be dragging him down south for the work! I've thrown in the offer of an overnight hotel stay but I'm not sure he is interested, he just wants to get the job done in a day. I have a lot of respect for him for that.*

Assuming I win the bid, I will need to breakdown what I can off of it to make life as easy as possible for Steve. Not a problem.

Edited By Rooossone on 12/05/2023 16:06:45

I have moved mine twice using a pallet, a pallet jack and a ramp trailer with a winch. It wasn't easy or fun but it got the job done.

I say! Steady on, old chap!!

I wondered if he'd go that far south, but he does say he covers the whole of the UK.

Rob

The late JS of this parish used to move Bridgeports not infrequently.

An engine crane, a good enough capacity van are required, along with some spanner’s.

I suspect a search here or on the Uk rec models engineering list (googlewill search it ok) will find the details, but iirc it’s off with the ram, off with the table remove knee if required and then sling the bits into the van. Reassembly is the traditional Haynes reverse of taking apart…

Dave

Landylift probably comes with some insurance, so if the worst happens you haven't lost everything. Plus you haven't put your back out.

I Will most certainly be acquiring Steve's services for this job. I'd be stupid not to!

Steve can probably move this in one peice. If necessary you can partially strip when you get it to the workshop if not Bingo!

Robert Butler

Hi , it's a good milling machine, well worth getting! Say compared to a smaller mill, like tom senior which is always smaller and a challenge to do each job.I shifted a similar size mill, used a 3.5 t rated lorry and tail lift. First I took off the head with a engine type hoist which I hired.,and used the mills bed to help lower the head down as was out the hoists range at the top... And anything else,like vice ect. I used the two in tandem ie tailift and hoist, but you get to the point where it's solely on the tail lift... Then it's a worry. But then use the hoist to help lift the tailift! luckily the mill had a big cutout a the front for a big 5 foot lever to creep it in.Usually it's using 3 bars as rollers. It's a minimum of two people. A few months ago I bought a centec it was £300 quid in transport... Wilts to London.... they struggled a bit! I have tried landy lift twice but he never replied to any messages.A pallet truck is better than rollers but the mill need securing to it or it bolted to a pallet then lifting with the pallet truck. As they slide! You also need a good tool kit , rope to secure it all, old packing / cushions ect or there is a tendency to move in the wagon! Err the handwheel stem pushed through the ( rental) van side...

Well worth the stress ...

Vic

Hiring a suitable 3 or 5 tonne (for the reach/height capacity) collapsible engine crane will actually allow loading into a van in one piece, load the mill through the side door, and use the back door to put the (ideally folded) engine crane in again for the return trip.

.

Although if there's a big enough area of flat ground at both ends the hire cost of an aluminium lifting gantry isn't that much more than a engine crane and allows you to use a flatbed transit, which is far easier (and probably a bit safer) from a loading/unloading perspective but perhaps not as quick because of the time rigging a de-rigging the gantry.

.

Personally I'm fully sold on putting the machine on skates or rollers and using a plant trailer (so you have a lip-free ramp rated for the full 2 - 3.5T and rear legs) in combination with a winch now.

Took me about 20 mins setup and 10 mins of winching and adjusting rollers to offload my knee mill on my own last month, would have been slower with a Tirfor if I didn't have the winch on my truck, but just as effortless compared to previous moves.

Photographic follow-up.

Engine Crane:

The trick there was getting a low enough attachment point to avoid hitting the van roof in a very small van, wouldn't have been an issue with a high top.

Conversely with a Bridgeport the trick is to get a crane which has enough remaining lift height in the 1 tonne position to get it to clear the van floor, when you're hoisting from the lifting eye on the ram.

Gantry Hoist:

All together a bit more time and effort to set up, but much more secure lifting even at substantial height.

Would recommend having two people just for the gantry setup if nothing else.

And finally winching:

All very fast and smooth.

Far less effort than previous moves with cranes, despite being the tallest and heaviest of the three (for reference the FNK25 is more than twice the weight of a Bridgeport and about a foot taller).

I don't doubt Steve from Landylift will do a fine job, and if you're not familiar with lifting and rigging it's quite possibly the most sensible option, but it's very do-able as a DIY activity.

I would take full advantage of the opportunity to observe how he does all the other bits that aren't operating the Hiab, because it's all that setup which is where the skill (and danger) is.

Edit: Also, if you can pick them up cheap, machine skates and a toe jack are both godsends to have around if you own heavy machinery.

Second Edit: I would categorically not use a hired 3.5T Luton Van as they lack the correct lashing points and have tail lifts which are wholly inadequate for the weight (although will probably lift it, just bend/droop with it) and are narrow with no toe-boards (essential to stop a pallet truck rolling off the back when the lift inevitably droops under the load).

A dropside with tail-lift is more suitable from a load securing point of view and usually come with larger steel tail-lifts suitable for the load and pallet truck operations, but are much scarcer in the short term rental market.

Third Edit: 5T and 7T Iveco Luton's or Panel vans or a traditional Cabover 7.5T Luton would be an option for someone with a pre '97 licence, because you can normally request one with a 1000kg tail lift without much trouble, but that avenue of pleasure is not open to me without taking my HGV licence.

Edited By Jelly on 12/05/2023 21:31:24

Well done indeed. This is why small machines fetch such a premium.

True enough, I feel like it's important to spread the word that it's not actually that difficult if you're well prepared though, even if it does result in more competition for bigger machines in the future.

Also, perhaps a controversial opinion, but rigging work is great fun, and an excellent mechanical problem solving challenge.

This is a valuable lesson I have learned today.

I will be enlisting the help of Steve for the transport but once at my workshop, I will be using an engine crane to move it into my workshop and into position, I will need to basically replicate what you did with your mill. Thank you for sharing the pictures of your moving techniques. It has given me some more confidence that what I am doing is viable.

I will also rely on the advice of Steve as he clearly sounds like he knows what he is doing. We will probably make a plan before anything is even moved based on what needs to be done at the destination.

Hello Rooossone

I've just installed a Chester 626 with the help of a friend and a 2MT rated engine crane. Total weight 320 kg; stand about 50 kg; net lift 280 kg. It terrified me, but once I'd started, there was no choice but to continue. I've worked on engineering construction sites, but in a clerical capacity, so I've seen several lifts that made mine look like a joke, and thought I knew what I was doing, and to a certain extent that was true. Hands on, it was very different. All went well, despite one near miss, but I'm never doing it again. Unless you know someone with experience who can help (I mean take charge) seriously consider professionals. You will probably save quite a bit in underwear alone.

Russell