Bolting Mill to new table

[Cecell]

Thank you in advance to all who tell me I need to get a larger and likely over capable machine (for my needs) such as a Bridgeport or other knee mill instead of solving this problem. Your input is always expected if not appreciated!

I moved recently and I'm about to move my import mill onto a steel table I had fabricated and is anchored to the concrete as opposed to the stupid leveling feet POS sheet metal stand the manufacturer supplied that does the hippy hippy shake like Paul McCartney.

My shop is heated and cooled and like my old shop the humidity is controlled well enough that uncoated mild steel should do quite well. Anyway, in spite of that, I figure I should coat the surface of the table, specifically under the machine with something before bolting it down since. I don't want anything that could compromise even a tiny bit of rigidity (a heavy wax coating for example) but will last a long time. Here are my initial thoughts. I have access to all of these.

1. Boeshield
2. Spray paint, probably primer
3. LPS3
4. Cosmolin
5. Nothing, it's under the machine and at worst it might get cutting fluid under it which is anti-corrosive anyway.

Thanks everyone

 

[Cecell]

Oops, it's A36 mild steel, hot rolled. That does matter

 

[RMERR]

With a climate controlled shop and the machine bolted down, hard to imagine any surface coating compromising rigidity. I'd probably rattle can it a shop gray to match my other benches/cabinets. Or leave it bare steel.

 

[txvwnut]

Remove the mill scale and either wax or boiled linseed oil. If you go the BLO route lay the rags out flat outside to let them dry before putting them in a receptacle, or just paint it.



Oh and if you had a knee mill you wouldn't need to worry about a stand.

 

[Cecell]

Remove the mill scale and either wax or boiled linseed oil. If you go the BLO route lay the rags out flat outside to let them dry before putting them in a receptacle, or just paint it.



Oh and if you had a knee mill you wouldn't need to worry about a stand.

I knew it would show up
Gotcha ok thanks

 

[cmandp]

I'd paint your stand and give it time to fully dry so bolting your mill to it doesn't hurt the paint. Then I'd use some Boeshield on the mill machine table and column to protect from rust.

The Bridgeport at work would get some flash rust occasionally even in a heated and cooled room. Of course it wasn't perfectly isolated from the dock and warehouse so you might be a bit better off.

 

[AEAdam]

Tight holes, decent torque. Make sure you have good surface contact so you don’t crack the base casting, shim if you must. Then don’t worry about the wax or grease. Paint is probably best. Then anything else on your list is fine.

Remember, to stop vibration, you are looking to avoid reaching a harmonic. So you want STIFF and mass, not rubber isolators.

 

[csp]

An interesting take I had never heard of before, an alkaline wash. Skip to about the 14 minute mark for more info:

 

[Steve_P]

I'd just paint it machine gray. No need to overthink it.

Stating the obvious, once you sit the mill on it, you may need to shim under some of the mill's mounting points to correct for variations in flatness.