Suggestions for moving a Bridgeport mill

[Chandos]

Moderator, if this is in the wrong place, be free to move it.

Is there anyone in the Tidewater region of Virginia (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News or Gloucester) who can offer any aid or advice in regard to moving a BP milling machine from Portsmouth to Gloucester? The weight of the thing is about 2200#, which well exceeds the capacity of my utility trailer. I've got a couple of weeks to figure this out, but I'm utterly clueless as to how to proceed. This is only the second stationary tool that I couldn't haul myself, and the PO delivered the lathe.

All thoughts appreciated. Concrete suggestions earn my undying gratitude.

Chandos

 

[Doug Arthurs]

Rent a heavier trailer and engine lift. REMOVE the head and table from the mill and load those on trailer. Then put a bar inside the column and lift that with the engine lift. If you have left the knee on the machine then attach a ratchet strap from the knee to the engine hoist and tighten to level the mill so you can roll it without the front dragging. Lift it up back trailer under and set it down. I loaded and u loaded mine single handed this way. Make sure the lift is a heavy duty unit not a cheap Chinese one and that the legs are like locked securely. If you need to roll the mill set it down on bars running across the legs of the lift so it's not swinging. Somewhere I have the written procedure fore breaking down a bridgy.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I had a guy come over with a 5,000 lb forklift and set it in the back of my F-250 in one piece. Just dropped the table down as low as I could, rotated the head horizontal and strapped it down good. On the other end, same thing, used a forklift to unload and place it in the garage. Didn't take him but maybe 5 minutes total. It cost me $50 on the unload but it was loaded for free. It was worth every penny as I didn't have to sweat bullets worrying about dropping it.

 

[DCarr]

I rented this and had it delivered



to load and unload this, where it was unloaded at was a gravel driveway and parking area so a regular forklift would not have worked.



Then I moved this from my garage to my shop



I also helped the guy in the 2nd pic load & unload his Bridgeport onto and off of a Car Trailer with a Cherry picker. Then slowly moved it into his garage.

 

[roblouvasz]

Rent a bobcat with forks instead of a bucket. I did this to move a 12" jointer off a trailer and into my garage. It cost 100.00 for four hours.

 

[TruckJunkie]

I have moved Bridgeport mills multiple ways.

For a short trip of about a mile I hired a local towing company to sling one behind a standard wrecker, strap it tightly to the back and deliver it.

Have had a roll-back wrecker deliver several heavy pieces of shop tooling by winching them onto the bed.

Removed the head, over-arm and table from one mill, lifted the pieces onto a pickup with a cherry picker, strapped them down and moved them 250 miles where the process was reversed.

Have used the same 2-ton rated cherry picker to lift a mill, backed a trailer under it, set it back down, strapped it in place and moved it 50 miles.

Had the head rotated upside down and supported on the table with a 2x4 between them whenever it was not disassembled.

 

[TruckJunkie]

If you go the Bobcat route, be sure to get one heavy enough to carry a mill, I have tipped them over onto their nose with a too heavy load. Wish I had pictures of my Mother and Father sitting on the back of one Bobcat while I moved a fire truck bed and the rear wheels were still an inch off the ground.

 

[MP&C]

pipes under it to roll across the floor, use a drop deck trailer from your local united rentals. Roll up to the rear of the trailer and winch it on using ratchet strap anchored to side tie downs and around back side of mill. When you get to new location, ratchet strap anchored in rear tie downs and around front of mill will slide it off, back onto pipes if needed or straight onto floor location if you can back trailer in there...

 

[WhoWhatNow]

pipes under it to roll across the floor, use a drop deck trailer from your local united rentals. Roll up to the rear of the trailer and winch it on using ratchet strap anchored to side tie downs and around back side of mill. When you get to new location, ratchet strap anchored in rear tie downs and around front of mill will slide it off, back onto pipes if needed or straight onto floor location if you can back trailer in there...

How do you get the pipes under the mill in the first place? I am going to have to move one in the next week or two and this is the one bit I haven't figured out. I have hired a local garage to move it on their tilt bed wrecker. I'm just not sure how to get the mill from its place in the building to the shop doors so he can winch it onto the wrecker.

 

[tornadocaster]

I had the pleasure of moving big roll formers, mills, grinders and lathes.
It surprising what the right pry bar will do. We would just pry up, shim, pry up, shim...until it was high enough to .get forklift forks under, pipes or skates. Industrial skates are amazing for moving around heavy equipment and real easy when the floors are smooth.

I have also dropped a Bridgeport because I didn't sling it. I just used a forklift thinking it was a short move, but when I hit a small bump in the driveway she fell over and broke every handle.
Good luck

 

[kellymc]

At the base of the mill, there's a small slot, you can insert a pry bar or lifting bar to tip the mill slightly, you then have someone slide some pipes under the base from the side, you then goto the back and do the same. Once on the pipes, SLOWLY push the mill moving the pipes as necessary.

Or, lift the mill with an engine hoist high enough to place on a pallet, strap to pallet and use a pallet jack to move the mill.

 

[A_Pmech]

How do you get the pipes under the mill in the first place? I am going to have to move one in the next week or two and this is the one bit I haven't figured out. I have hired a local garage to move it on their tilt bed wrecker. I'm just not sure how to get the mill from its place in the building to the shop doors so he can winch it onto the wrecker.

I recommend a long prybar or riggers "nose bar". Lift in 3/8" increments and crib the machine with 6x6 pads of plywood at the corners of the base until it's high enough to slip pipe or a pallet jack underneath.

A pallet jack is by far the easiest way to move a turret mill around a shop floor. I don't recommend machinery skates for a machine as small as a Bridgeport. They're tall, difficult to master and if one slips out for any reason it's all over. No professional rigger uses skates for a turret mill sized machine. A pallet jack is far safer, easier and faster. 1" pipe rollers are also a safe way to move a machine, but they're much slower than a pallet jack.

 

[Kevin54]

If someone is around the area that has a skidloader and forks, go that route. If not, call around the area and see if a company with a wrecker service can load it for you. It will ride fine over the center axles of a car trailer. When you get to your destination, the same thing, someone with a skidloader and forks, a rigging company with a towmotor.

I lucked out when I bought my Lagun (Same as a BP) the guy I bought it off of loaded it onto a trailer, we strapped it down, it spent the night outside, and the next morning it was unloaded and set by a rigging company for $125

 

[CKC]

Nothing on the mill was dissassembled except removed the readout
left the head on but spun it 90 deg brought the table up to support it
with wood between the table and head
Cut a 4 X4 to support the knee
I rented a 10K# Case Skid Steer with forks and Trailer
I picked up the Mill set it on the front of the trailer, and chained down the Mill and Skid Steer drove to the next location.