Advice on moving a Bridgeport milling machine

[bigcreek]

I bought a Bridgeport type 1 mill I need to drive 3 hours to pick up. Trucks and trailers and tying it down are no problem and they will load with a forklift and we have forklifts to unload. My question is is it necessary to lean the head down for transport? I have seen folks do that in the past. But if its not necessary then I wont bother. Just didnt know if there was something internal that bumps in the road could possibly damage or something like that? Thank you

 

[dffay]

I used a big hole saw (like 2 inch) to cut into a scrap 2x4 short piece (about a foot) then nailed it to three more to stack them together. The wood was about 6 inches tall. The hole cut one fit the quill and the stack was the cushion between the top of the bed where I cranked up the Z-axis high enough to sandwich it all so the head didn’t bounce. Worked great. I checked later at it’s destination and it was zeroed out perfectly with no change in the tramming. I tightened the x/y axis locks also.

 

[dutchgray]

I don't believe so, just make sure all the locking bolts are tight.

 

[cvairwerks]

Flipping the head is a pain, but when you do it and lower the table, you move the CG down a couple of feet. Much safer to move and a significant reduction in top heaviness. Flipped and blocked also reduces the stress on the head casting as you move it down the road.

As an aside, I’ve never seen a pro machinery mover with one on a trailer or a forklift with head up unless it was moving within the same building.

 

[mjdarg]

I titled the head on my XLO when I picked it up for a few reasons. I just felt more comfortable having the CG as low as possible like cvairwerks mentioned, but it also wouldn’t fit through my garage door if I didn’t. It’s also much less prone to tilting as you’re maneuvering it into its home in your garage/shop. Finally, it’s just another way to force you to tram the head and make sure everything is square.

 

[dr_clyde]

It’s not necessarily required to rotate the head, it just reduces the height and center of gravity.

If you’re rigging it with forklifts and don’t have a door height restriction then I would leave it alone.

Either wrap two slings around the ram and lift it from above or place a fork on each side of the center column with cardboard between the forks and the ram and lift that way.

I’ve moved many bridgeports and I’ve never rotated the head. If you’re moving with a pallet jack or some other kind of hand lifting equipment then rotating the head can make it safer.

 

[RoninB4]

Almost all of them I've moved at work were with a forklift, we left the head alone because it wasn't being moved very far and was strapped securely. I moved my home BP twice, both times I flopped the head over on a wood block on the table. I did this because of travel distance, uneven road surfaces (gravel sometimes) and to shrink the overall profile. Traveling with the head on the road for 3 hours increases the likelihood of road dust/debris getting in the head (not a good idea). Lowering the COG makes for safer transport and safer handling. Wrapping the head (and all ways if possible) in a few layers of plastic wrap with tape helps keep road grunge out. Is it necessary to flip the head? No it is not. Is it a good idea? I feel it is. It's not that big of a PITA either, use a ratchet instead of a wrench to speed the process. You're going to want to clean and lube all the way surfaces so what's a few more minutes (5) cranking the head over? I also rented a drop trailer similar to the one mjdar showed and found it was well worth the $25 rental fee. Photos when you get it home are invited, good luck.

 

[RoninB4]

mjdarg;
Nice looking XLO you got there. Clean looking mill, haven't seen one in several years. Several more years since I ran one.

 

[bigcreek]

Ok lots of great advice and I appreciate all your input. It came from a Navy facility and is already blocked up and secured to a large pallet then was transfered to this sale yard from whatever naval base it came from so it has already moved many miles. Whoever rigged it put wood blocks between the steel banding and the machine so they did a good job of that. I have bought other government equipment in the past where they just banded right over the machine without any care in the world as to the machines welfare. So nice to see they seemed to put thought this time toward the good of the machine. The only bummer part is the machine like all machines the government sells has been left out in the weather for several months if not all winter until it finally went up for auction and sold so will require a thorough cleaning. Every piece of equipment Ive ever bought from the government was the same story. Take it out of a base or government facility then let it sit out in the weather for months on end until sale time. I hate that. Ive bought big equipment with makes of OTC, Famco, Chicago Dreis & Krump, Kalamazoo, Scotchman, etc all good equipment and dang expensive equipment that all had to sit out in the weather for months until I bought it. All worked fine but a cleaning of rust is sometimes necessary on certain parts of some of the machines. Beats buying new though at new prices.

 

[Maui]

I had to tilt the head on mine to get it through the garage door, but transported it with the head upright with no problems.

 

[alfadan]

Sounds like it's good to go right now. You'll have to tram it anyway so no big whoop.