RF-31 Milling Stand

[Capt. Jas.]

I would like to know from those who have the factory stands, if they are satisfactory. I have one that came with my used mil/drill but am considering using an antique heavy cast iron welding table instead.

 

[pontiac428]

No, they are not satisfactory. I have one and am not in a position to replace it for now. They are underbuilt, wobbly, and easily damaged. It has little space for vise handles and table tools. I would recommend building your own stout stand that utilizes the space underneath the machine.

 

[Dudemanrod]

Compare it to an old Cincinnati or Bridgeport knee type. Although I have great fun with mine. Pontiac is right more Size and weight and storage.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I think I will just use mine as a tool table. Thanks.

 

[jwmay]

I assume it’s the same stand as the Grizzly 0705 has. I don’t like it. You gotta get on your knees to look inside of it. It’s made of sheet metal, so it has some reverb. It’s too short, unless a person wants to sit down while using it, which I don’t. There’s no drawers in it, so that’s completely unhandy as well. There is a thread around here somewhere highlighting the stands other users have built. Much better stands can be found there...of course then you have to build it.

 

[C-Bag]

Mine came with all steel table with 1/4" top and 2" square tube construction. The stand is also the width of the mill table which at first I thought odd. But now it totally makes sense as its wide enough to keep tooling on the stand top and not the mill table. When I thought about it, it doesn't make sense to just make one the width of the base as no matter what you do the mill table is dictating the minimum width the machine takes up so why not a sturdy table? Also make sure to cut a hole in the table to be able to get to the y axis lead nut as they need adjusting periodically and to tighten the mounting bolt.

 

[mickri]

My Excel 31 mill/drill which is a RF 31 clone sits on a very stout welded steel stand. The top is 2x6 douglas fir. The stand is on wheels. The wheels don't seem to be a problem because the stand never moves when I am using it. And it is not even bolted down to the stand. Like C-Bag I like that the top of the stand is wider than the base. Handy place to put stuff. The only drawback to the stand is a lack of drawers or a movable shelf to hold stuff.



I have thought about mounting it to a 3 drawer file cabinet. The cabinet is the same size as the base of the mill/drill and is the same height as my current stand. These cabinets also have wheels. The drawers would be a plus and I think that the steel cabinet is strong enough to hold the weight of the mill/drill. My biggest concern is would it be top heavy and tippy do to the narrow base. And the wheels are probably not strong enough to handle the weight. I am going to an auction tomorrow where they have several of these up for auction. You can get them for under $10 and sometimes for free. I will probably get one or two just to have. All of my other machines are mounted on these and I really like them. C-Bag turned me on to these cabinets. Here is one of my drill presses on a 3 drawer file cabinet.



The bottom drawer looks crooked in the photo but it is not. What you see is a scrap in the paint.

 

[rock_breaker]

My Enco 105-1117 has a sheet metal stand with a door on the side but no shelving so no tools down there. I do have a repurposed coffee table with 2 vertical 1"X4" uprights to hold the clamping set, box end wrenches and 1 shelf for home made clamps etc. beside the mill Not a lot of clearance when the table is fully extended to the right. I have a hoist nearby that is used to change vice or rotary table. At this time I think shelves would be better because of more storage space.
Have a good day
Ray

 

[darkzero]

I agree. Upgrade if you can. I would love to have a more rigid stand but with the riser I built & leveling feet it's pretty stable. There's actually a cast iron stand available for my mill drill now. I doubt I will ever get around to upgrading to the cast iron stand or build my own though.

One good thing (well not really) about the factory sheet metal stands is they will make all kinds of noises telling you when you are pushing the mill too hard.

I was helping a local member with one of his projects & he was going to scrap his stand, same exact stand that I have, I was happy to take it off his hands. Slapped a piece of wood on it & bolted it to a HF dolly. Makes for a good portable mini work bench with a bit of storage in it front & back (our mills were equipped with flood coolant so the stand has a compartment for the coolant tank on the back). Comes in very handy for me.

 

[rock_breaker]

That is a great stand, What did you coat the wood surface with?
Ray