phabib Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 I'll be moving soon and I'm trying to decide if I should take my milling machine or sell it and apply the money to an upgrade. When I bought the mill about 15 years ago, I paid $300 for a 15 minute drive move from the seller, with the seller doing the loading with his forklift. This move would be about 45 minutes away and with prices going up I'm probably looking at a minimum of $800. The mill is not in great shape, but its good enough for my needs. I've had some time on a Tormach CNC and I'd love to upgrade to something like that when the right deal comes along. Whatever CNC mill I would buy in the future would let me re-use all of the collets, vise, etc so I wouldn't include them in any sale. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 We moved a Bridgeport a few years ago with a Ryder Truck with tailgate. We loaded it first onto a HD pallet and then loaded it by forklift off a loading dock, strapped it down double, hauled it and some presses 300 miles used the biggest pallet jack we had 6000 lb unloaded it with the tailgate and used a skid steer to slide it into the shop. How he got it off the pallet I don't know but last time I saw it was on the floor. We were younger then and had good strong young guys on both ends to assist. I would think hiring a Rigger to move it would be quite expensive now days. I turned another Bridgeport down 5 yrs ago because I didn't have 3 phase nor money to put in a generator system. Wish a few times a year that I had it. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 A few months back I had to move a 1,500 pound power hammer base and the forklift I rented to unload it broke down so I called a towing company and had them send a tilt bed tow truck over. He tilted and extended the bed so it perfectly lined up with my trailer and then he winched the base on to the tilt bed. Then he backed the truck as close to where it was going and carefully winched the base off the bed. We used pipe rollers from there. On some other heavy pieces we jacked the items up and built dollies under them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 The situation at my house is pretty hard. My garage is underground and the driveway is very steep. The mill had to be tilted and rolled in to clear the door and a couple of beams in the way. The riggers who brought it in, just pushed it back and balanced it on some rollers. I'd be afraid to be crushed under it if I tried that. I brought in the lathe, the big camelback drill press, and the huge TIG machine on my own, but I don't I could do the mill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Get help. Another option on the mill, if it is a Bridgeport style , is to do a little disassembly. The upper ram comes out easy enough and the bed isn't that tough to remove either. That will make it a lot easier to manage. Tools are like some other items. If you have it, don't get rid of it, at least until you have the replacement in place. As soon as you get rid of it, you will need to use it. They weigh around 2,500# complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 I hadn't considered taking it apart and moving it myself. Its a Bridgeport style mill made by Kondia. Its what a BP would look like if it took some steroids and bulked up. I just got a quote of $1500 to do the move. That changes the keep/sell calculus a fair bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 When a friend of mine had to move a 250# Little Giant he ended up calling a semi wrecker which made short and cheap work of moving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Be careful. I have one of those tall air compressors that have the compressor on top. I tried getting it to the tailgate of my truck by hand and I let it get past the balance point and I ended up under it straddling it. I was really lucky to just have some nasty bruises and scrapes rather than lacerations. Another item that is helpful is buy a craigslist pallet jack and then sell it on craigslist for what you paid for it when you are done. Many are rated to 5,500 lbs. They can be easily found for around $125. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 A low deck car trailer also works great. I have moved my 7,000# lathe by myself using pipe rollers, and a pinch bar. But sometimes it is just best to pay someone with the right equipment, and insurance. Whatever you decide to do, take your time, and be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 That's the thing. I only have enough headroom to either take the mill apart, or tilt it down. I don't have the equipment to tilt it down and roll it and don't want to risk being on the wrong side if something goes wrong. I got the other things in with just a cherry picker and some muscle. The equipment mover changed his estimate to $1000 for mill only or $1300 for all the equipment in the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 I knew a used machinery guy in the Bay Area, his last name was Aaragon, or Aragon. I don't know if I still have a contact for him or not. He was very reasonable.. and a good guy to deal with. A cherry picker is enough to move the mill, along with some wood beams. I'll follow up when I get off work, break just ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 It is hard to give exact advice without seeing in person what you are dealing with. But, I'll give some general advice that you may be able to use. You can use the cherry picker to disassemble the mill down to just the main casting by removing the upper ram assembly, the table, and the knee. The table is a bit of work, but doable. I recently had to remove the table on a mill I have. Once these parts are removed the main casting will probably be in the 1,000# range. If you can scrounge a beefy pallet that would be ideal, if not some 4x4's will also work. You should have some assistance when attempting any of this, as it makes it easier, and safer. With the upper ram assembly removed you should be able to drop a chain down the rear part of the mill's casting and come out the side door if it has one like most do. With the chain looped hook it to the picker, and lift the mill up enough to get the pallet, or beams under the edge of the base closest to you. On the far side of the base put some lumber under it that is higher , so it tips towards the pallet/beams when lowered. This is where help is needed to help guide it, and control it as it is lowered down onto the pallet/beams. Once it is on its side either a pallet jack, or pipe rollers can be used to ease it out of the garage. A good way to control the ascent is to have it hooked to a truck , then move the truck slowly along as you move the rollers, or guide the pallet jack. Scratch that, if you can walk through the opening you could just remove the ram assembly with the rotating base to get the height lower and cut some weight, pinch bar it up onto some 1.25"-2" pipe rollers, and get it out. A truck pulling it, and with you transferring the rollers from the rear as they come out and back to the front it should go pretty easily. Pictures would help.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 If you want to take it apart what about renting a HD Engine hoist for the day, should be able to get it through your door and folds up nicely for moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 With rollers and heavy loads on slopes, the smaller diameter they are the better braking control. 1/2" rather than scaffold pipe diameters are a huge advantage. Clean the surface it is rolling across scrupulously....or put make a temporary road/track with scaffold planks or heavy plywood strips. My 3cwt Alldays was dragged out of a low doored building using the retracting boom of the Hyab and some slings. It was slid on planks which had a generous squirt of oil put on just before the move and topped up where it soaked in. I note you refer to "cherry pickers" but would have thought that was an entirely inappropriate /awkward machine to use. We use Cherry Picker to describe the hydraulic man cage/bucket machines used for access at height. The cranes on self loading trucks, which would be favourite, are often referred to as Hyabs over here as they were the most common make. Is that what you were describing? Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 No, a cherry picker here is used by mechanics to pull engines out of vehicles. It is a rolling base with a boom on it that is moved up and down by a hydraulic ram. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 BG, how would you propose picking cherries (think large but fragile trees) with an engine hoist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Someone at work is loaning me his portable engine crane (cherry picker) so I'll see how brave I feel. Thank you for all of the advice. I'm sure if you guys were a bit closer, this thing would be in my truck already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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