Phred wrote:

Hey all:

I was asked to dispose of a Jet/Max BP style machine, exact clone of
the Bridgeport mill, including DRO, cutters and other tooling... I
figured I'd grab it for myself and rework it in my spare time.
Actually it only has about 100 hours on it, I trammed the ways and are
all well and good. So good deal for free.

1st question is how to transport it to my house...

Can a flatbed tilt wrecker handle this? I figure if it can winch a SUV
up, it can handle a 1 ton machine as long as it is secured well? It's
only going 12 miles.

What type of floor does this need? I have a 20x20 shed that I would
like to put it in, but it's raised on cinder blocks (so she dinna
rot). Can I use lolly's just under the floor where the machine is, or
should I move the shed, pour a floor, and drop said shed back on it's
new foundation?

Also, I need to run 240 for the 3 phase... I have it in the house for
the W/D, but having never run power outside, what should I look for...
Buried line? Can I also run lighting for the shed off the same panel?

This was a Garden Shed, but I think it will do better as a shop now
that I have a machine. My basement is too low and confined, plus I
really dinna want the smell of coolant and swarf wafting into the
living room.

Guess that's it. Thanks' gang... Have a Great Holiday!

Fred Fowler III

A regular non-CNC Bridgeport is about 2,000# but it only has about a 6
sq. ft. base, so the floor loading is up to about 450#/sq. ft. between
the machine and the potential 500# workpiece on it. It is also very top
heavy so you need a stable floor as well, a bit of floor sag could equal
the mill landing on top of you while you're using it.

They can be easily moved with a tilt-bed wrecker - IF - they are bolted
down to a suitable palette to increase the footprint so they don't tip
over. Removing the head and ram assembly reduces the COG a lot which is
also helpful and pretty easy to do with an engine hoist.

Power is the easy part, just run a nice sub-panel for the shed. Trench
some 2" PVC conduit and put a small 12-20 circuit 60A or 100A panel in
the shed. Then you have space to connect circuits for your mill VFD,
lights, etc.

Be warned - Keeping the mill in the shed will keep coolant smell out of
the house, but unless you keep a pair of shoes out at the shed to change
into before entering, you *will* track swarf into the house. My shop is
80' from the house and I'm picking swarf out of the carpet routinely.