Newbie - Just Joined - Bought a New Mill

On my PM-25MV it's 6-13/16" from the surface the mill is mounted on to the top of the table. That includes the tray that sits under the mill.

I've had mine for about 6 months and have had a great time with it. You will probably find that you quickly tire of cranking the head up and down using the hand wheel. There are several threads here regarding how to "powerize" it using a small motor (i.e. car seat motor). It was my first mod and first real project.

Welcome!
 
Here is what I'm thinking of using for a stand.

https://www.harborfreight.com/26-in-x-22-In-Single-Bank-Blue-Roller-Cabinet-64433.html

It weighs 174 lbs, vs the factory stand that weighs 70 lbs. It will hold up to 1000 lbs and would be more versatile. I would add a 2" thick hardwood top and bolt it to the cabinet then bolt the machine through the hardwood and the cabinet. The casters would be removed, and using dcsleep's measurement above I should come out with a table top height of about 44", which is elbow height for me. The top of the machine should be in the area of 75 inches and I'm 72" tall. If need be, I can bolt everything to the floor. Tools, etc. added to the drawers would increase the stand's overall weight.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Denny
 
Denny,
I put my PM30mv on a tool box I picked up at Home Depot on sale. I went with it because it was 24 inches deep. I laminated a new top for it 26 inches deep. My Pm30 has about 1 inch of space left at the front when sitting on it. I like the extra width because it gives me a place to lay tools under the mill table. I left the wheels off and it sits flush on a concrete floor. I also added a couple pieces of 3/8" angle iron under the top going from edge to edge to bolt the mill to. (probably overkill!)
Screenshot_2018-12-31_09-29-47.png

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-46-in-9-Drawer-Mobile-Workbench-in-Black-HOTC4609B13M/304959851
 
I have my mill on the 26x22 HF cabinet you linked (except mine is red). Tons of storage and it puts the mill at the perfect height for me (I'm 6'3" and the table is about elbow high). I can work without bending over and still comfortably reach the top of the mill. I have it on a base which lets me level it on an uneven floor. The casters are still on it in case I want to move it but you need to be very careful with that much weight on top. It also took a little creativity to get the mill on the cabinet as my workshop ceiling isn't that high.
 
I put my PM30mv on a tool box I picked up at Home Depot on sale. I went with it because it was 24 inches deep.

Me too. I haven't yet replaced the top or braced it, and I left the wheels installed for now. (I got one off the floor because the two crated ones they had at the time were both damaged.) The bottom drawers are tall enough to hold my BS-1. I like having it a bit higher from the casters being installed, other than it putting the Z crank uncomfortably high. (I still need to make a power Z feed; the motor I was going to use vanished, probably in a case of the wrong trash being thrown out.) Like you, I enjoy having the extra space at the sides for tooling.

I was going to build a rigid case around it, but backed off because it didn't seem necessary so far. Spending the money on tooling instead... ;)
 
Thanks to all who welcomed me and another big thanks to all those who helped me with my other questions.

I have purchased the cabinet from Harbor Freight and will begin constructing the top. Now I just have to wait for my machine, probably another 7-10 days minimum.

Additional questions will be posted in new threads. Thanks again everyone, you are already making this process easier.

Denny
 
I would like to add another welcome! I also have a PM-25 and I love it. I CNCd mine, and I know you mentioned you weren't interested in that, but I can say with confidence that it is a very well built and capable machine.

I have taken the machine apart completely several times and changed out many of the major components, so if you have any questions or need any help, don't hesitate to ask.

Welcome to the forum and best of luck with the new machine!
 
There is a demographic here that is different. Retirees starting a new adventure. Spent 45 years writing software, some of it for really cool projects (camera controller for a Mars orbiter) when suddenly I said "Enough!". Wanted to make something I could touch. Over the last six months I have bought a PM1030V and a PM727V, both with DRO. And a bunch of support stuff. Am having a marvelous time learning something completely different. Building tooling, fixtures, jigs an small practice thing. Some times having to do it twice. All in all, I have spent less than a moderate fishing boat and gear would have cost. This site and the internet in general have been a great help. Now, if I could just get the workshop warm..........
 
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