Just bought a new 9x40 mill/drill from Bolton Hardware to replace my old round column Grizzly. I never was happy with the base on the Grizzly. Wobbled too much when cranking on the table or headstock. Just set my new mill up on it's stand and have the same problem. I put adjustable feet in an effort to be sure things were level but now I am thinking that that was a mistake.. Seems the base flexes at the mounting point of the feet. On the Grizzly, the mounting points eventually failed because of this. So here's my question-what is the most reasonably simple way to support a 900# mill drill on cement. I would like to be able to move it in the future but I am starting to think that a pad of epoxy grout or cement is the only way that I will get things stable. I'm thinking a bolt through each mounting hole with a nut and washer top and bottom then a couple inches of grout/cement poured under the base. Then level with shims between the mill/drill and it's base? What does the collective wisdom of the group suggest? Thanks in advance!

Gerry wrote:
Just bought a new 9x40 mill/drill from Bolton Hardware to replace my
old round column Grizzly. I never was happy with the base on the
Grizzly. Wobbled too much when cranking on the table or headstock.
Just set my new mill up on it's stand and have the same problem. I
put adjustable feet in an effort to be sure things were level but now
I am thinking that that was a mistake. Seems the base flexes at the
mounting point of the feet. On the Grizzly, the mounting points
eventually failed because of this. So here's my question-what is the
most reasonably simple way to support a 900# mill drill on cement. I
would like to be able to move it in the future but I am starting to
think that a pad of epoxy grout or cement is the only way that I will
get things stable. I'm thinking a bolt through each mounting hole
with a nut and washer top and bottom then a couple inches of
grout/cement poured under the base. Then level with shims between the
mill/drill and it's base? What does the collective wisdom of the
group suggest? Thanks in advance!

Weld up a base out of square tube that matches the mills base. Drill 4
holes through it where you can access them. Drill 4 matching holes in
your floor. Install threaded sleeve anchors. set the mill in place and
shim the mount and bolt it down. No more wobble. That style insert can
then be left in place with nothing sticking up.

--
Steve W.

Steve W. wrote:
Gerry wrote:
Just bought a new 9x40 mill/drill from Bolton Hardware to replace my
old round column Grizzly. I never was happy with the base on the
Grizzly. Wobbled too much when cranking on the table or headstock.
Just set my new mill up on it's stand and have the same problem. I
put adjustable feet in an effort to be sure things were level but now
I am thinking that that was a mistake. Seems the base flexes at the
mounting point of the feet. On the Grizzly, the mounting points
eventually failed because of this. So here's my question-what is the
most reasonably simple way to support a 900# mill drill on cement. I
would like to be able to move it in the future but I am starting to
think that a pad of epoxy grout or cement is the only way that I will
get things stable. I'm thinking a bolt through each mounting hole
with a nut and washer top and bottom then a couple inches of
grout/cement poured under the base. Then level with shims between the
mill/drill and it's base? What does the collective wisdom of the
group suggest? Thanks in advance!

Weld up a base out of square tube that matches the mills base. Drill 4
holes through it where you can access them. Drill 4 matching holes in
your floor. Install threaded sleeve anchors. set the mill in place and
shim the mount and bolt it down. No more wobble. That style insert can
then be left in place with nothing sticking up.

My base is both wider and deeper than the mill (RF45 clone) footprint -
mostly wider . Legs are 4x4x3/8" square tube , front and rear crossbars are
12" wide C channel roofing steel and lower down the front-to-rear braces are
2x2 C channel and also support a shelf that holds my RT and a few other bits
.. The top is a piece of postform formica countertop with a rolled front edge
that's been doubled with 3/4 plywood . I'd have to measure to be sure - and
that ain't happenin' tonight , it's cold and very slippery out there - ice
storm aftermath - but IIRC the top is 3 feet long and 2 deep . Room for all
my indicators and parallels and other "stuff" right at hand when I need it .

--
Snag

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
Just bought a new 9x40 mill/drill from Bolton Hardware to replace my old
round column Grizzly. I never was happy with the base on the Grizzly.
Wobbled too much when cranking on the table or headstock. Just set my new
mill up on it's stand and have the same problem. I put adjustable feet in
an effort to be sure things were level but now I am thinking that that was
a mistake. Seems the base flexes at the mounting point of the feet. On the
Grizzly, the mounting points eventually failed because of this. So here's
my question-what is the most reasonably simple way to support a 900# mill
drill on cement. I would like to be able to move it in the future but I am
starting to think that a pad of epoxy grout or cement is the only way that
I will get things stable. I'm thinking a bolt through each mounting hole
with a nut and washer top and bottom then a couple inches of grout/cement
poured under the base. Then level with shims between the mill/drill and
it's base? What does the collective wisdom of the group suggest? Thanks in
advance!


If you have a concrete floor this is what I would do. Put air compressor
blocks under the bolt holes. Sink redheads in the floor. Bolt thru. If
you have have an old tire or two you have not gotten around to having
disposed of properly you can cut sections out of them on a slow speed with a
hole saw and stack them to make your air compressor blocks. In fact that is
the way I mounted my air compressor. Circles cut out of old tire treads.
You may need to saw cut for your application as you will want your blocks to
set inside the folded sheet metal base.

If you want to get fancier you can make a tube steel stand for your mill and
dispose of the sheet metal stand that came with your mill. My CNC'ed ZX 45
sits on such a stand. It has blocks welded into the legs with screw in
leveling feet in each block. I also made a large pan for an enclosure base
that I set on the stand before I mounted the mill on it.