Shipping tips for a Bridgeport mill?

GoMopar440

GoMopar440

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I just picked up a Bridgeport mill in a trade and I'm trying to figure out how to move it about 25 miles to my home. I have a little while to figure it out since I still need to have the slab poured for it. I was thinking of disassembling it into the major sub assemblies (power head, table, knee and base/column) to make it easier to move. Does anyone have any input or ideas, for or against doing it this way? Unfortunately it doesn't have a manual with it so I don't have anything else to refer to.

The mill serial number is J-84442 and the model number is 60853 if that helps any. It has a slightly narrower table than most other bridgeport mills I've used in the past. It also has a DRO mounted on it but only for the X and Y axis. I'm not sure what kind of DRO travel scales are on it yet so I'll have to be careful not to knock them around.

Here's a pic that looks a lot like the one I got.
brptmid.jpg

brptmid.jpg
 
When I got my mill I paid a rigger to move it. Unless you have a truck, and experience its a tough job. The riggers showed up with a flatbed and a forklift, wrapped it up, drove it to my place, pulled it off the truck, and dropped it on the "X" I placed in my garage. They made it look like nothing. I think I payed them $450. I maybe could have done it cheaper myself, but I maybe could have destroyed the mill or crushed myself in the process too...

Ask around, you may be able to get a good deal if people are looking for work.

Alternatively, if you break the machine down, it's more manageable, but the individual pieces are still pretty heavy, the largest of which is the column, which is going to weigh in at around 700lbs if I recall. The other pieces are lighter at around 200-400lbs. I have seen a breakdown of major parts by weight somewhere, but I can't recall the location.

In any case, good luck, and congratulations ;)
 
If you're reassembling alone then it's easier to break down than it is to put back together but if you have an engine hoist and a helper then it's not so bad. Looking at the pic - where that solid metal ring is on the top of the column, should be a few (3-4?) bolts on top of that in slots. AFTER wrapping a lifting strap around the head and taking out the slack with the hoist, remove those bolts and you can hoist it straight up. Just note the obvious - it's not balanced and once those bolts come off it is going to want to tip forward, come off the column and swing rapidly towards you or whoever is manning the hoist if you don't have all the slack taken out.
Once it's in two pieces, that should make it short enough to safely haul in a truck - or get a lowboy trailer to make it real easy. Properly secured, even a top-heavy load won't tip.
 
GoMopar,

My suggestions are based on experience I had moving my BP home from a local machinery dealer. Rent a small low-boy trailer, the type that lowers with a hand crank. A few short lengths of steel pipe, a couple pry bars and you're in business.

You need to lower the CG as much as possible so things don't get tipsy. Lower the knee a bit then rotate the head 180* so the motor is hanging down. Raise the knee so the head casting rests on the table.

Just be safe...
 
I really appreciate the tips so far. All are good points and worth heeding. But I figure I better give you all a little better info on the whole situation over here.

I'm getting the mill from a garage I worked at over the summer. They have an engine hoist, a forklift and a flatbed trailer (car hauler type) so getting it onto the trailer shouldn't be too difficult at that end. There's also enough help over there that we should be good to get it placed on the trailer with little difficulty.

Once it gets to my place, that's where the difficulty could possibly arise. I have a old 20' x 20' barn with an actual carriage door. Just inside that door I'm having a 10' x 8'x 6" concrete slab poured for the floor where the mill will sit. The gound outside the carriage door is just regular dirt. I should be able to do the pipe roller trick if I lay some 3/4" plywood over the ground first. I'll have to double check the height of the door opening as that may be pretty close to the same height of the mill. I'll see if I can rotate the motor like you suggested and get a measurement. That will let me know if I absolutely have to disassemble it or not. FWIW, I also have a standard portable 1 ton engine hoist here in the barn.

As far as my experience around machinery like this, I was a MR in the Navy for 16 of my 20 years in the service. We had to take machines apart and move them around from time to time, but we always had manuals for the machines we were working with. I'd definately like to get an actual factory manual for this mill in hand before attempting to move it. There's usually a section in the manual that covers where the lift and balance points are. The suggestion to lower the knee and rotate the motor 180* makes a lot of sense as far as keeping the COG down low if we can leave it assembled.

I'll also ask around and see if I can locate some help to get it moved into my place. Either the guys at the garage (pizza and beer?) or some professional moving guys ($$$?). I don't wan't to kill my back over this move as I don't think I could handle another back surgery.
 
Inflight said:
GoMopar,

My suggestions are based on experience I had moving my BP home from a local machinery dealer. Rent a small low-boy trailer, the type that lowers with a hand crank. A few short lengths of steel pipe, a couple pry bars and you're in business.

You need to lower the CG as much as possible so things don't get tipsy. Lower the knee a bit then rotate the head 180* so the motor is hanging down. Raise the knee so the head casting rests on the table.

Just be safe...
Click to expand...

Pretty much what Inflight said. :) I would not disassemble it unless I had a good reason like getting it out of/into a basement or such. Get a drop-deck trailer and you can load it with the "pipes/rollers method" or just lift if up a few inches using a 2-ton shop hoist. Don't hesitate to get things you need from a rental shop so you don't hurt yourself trying to make-do with what you have at hand.

I moved my Wells-Index on a flat-bed trailer and the extra height necessitated something with a little more "oomph" so I went and rented a telehandler (forklift) to get the job done.

Best of luck,

-Ron
 
If you can get it onto a trailer, then your half way there. Just call around to local towing companys, your going to want a wrecker with a telescopic boom. That will pick it up off the trailer, and set it down for you. As long as you have the clearance to the barn door, the wrecker can extend the boom out, and set it either at the edge of your door, or just inside the door. Aslong as you can make arrangements to have him meet you at your place, it will take all of a few mins for him to pick it up, drive the trailer out, and set it down.

I wouldnt take the machine apart. You will have plenty of time to do that when its in your shop. Sounds like you just need to get it off the trailer once you get home. The wrecker shouldnt be to expensive, maybe 100 bucks.
 
GoMopar440 said:
I really appreciate the tips so far. All are good points and worth heeding. But I figure I better give you all a little better info on the whole situation over here.

I'm getting the mill from a garage I worked at over the summer. They have an engine hoist, a forklift and a flatbed trailer (car hauler type) so getting it onto the trailer shouldn't be too difficult at that end. There's also enough help over there that we should be good to get it placed on the trailer with little difficulty.

Once it gets to my place, that's where the difficulty could possibly arise. I have a old 20' x 20' barn with an actual carriage door. Just inside that door I'm having a 10' x 8'x 6" concrete slab poured for the floor where the mill will sit. The gound outside the carriage door is just regular dirt. I should be able to do the pipe roller trick if I lay some 3/4" plywood over the ground first. I'll have to double check the height of the door opening as that may be pretty close to the same height of the mill. I'll see if I can rotate the motor like you suggested and get a measurement. That will let me know if I absolutely have to disassemble it or not. FWIW, I also have a standard portable 1 ton engine hoist here in the barn.

As far as my experience around machinery like this, I was a MR in the Navy for 16 of my 20 years in the service. We had to take machines apart and move them around from time to time, but we always had manuals for the machines we were working with. I'd definately like to get an actual factory manual for this mill in hand before attempting to move it. There's usually a section in the manual that covers where the lift and balance points are. The suggestion to lower the knee and rotate the motor 180* makes a lot of sense as far as keeping the COG down low if we can leave it assembled.

I'll also ask around and see if I can locate some help to get it moved into my place. Either the guys at the garage (pizza and beer?) or some professional moving guys ($$$?). I don't wan't to kill my back over this move as I don't think I could handle another back surgery.
Click to expand...

One thing I will add is that once the riggers got the mill off the truck, and into my driveway, they used a large crowbar to tip up one side and slide under some bearing skates. Pretty slick. The think moved like a ballerina. Once it was in place, they popped the skates out, and that was that.

The other thing you might consider is having them put it on a pallet, and then renting/borrowing a pallet jack to move it into the garage. Most palette jacks will do at least 2 tons, the mill should come in at under 1.5T
 
Depending on where you are, you may be able to find a gin-pole truck for cheap. Like a mini crane on a heavy truck. They can lift if off the trailer and set in on the ground, on a pallet, on a slab, or wherever there is headroom for the poles. Or if you want to be on the cheap, pipes, a come-along, and some friends can just about get you off the trailer for nothing. Just be careful. That mill weighs ~ a ton, and can hurt you. I've moved quite a few of them, and quite a few times for some. Never felt that I had to tear it down. More trouble than it's worth. And I've done it the Egyptian way, and the easy way.
 
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