Mill riser block step so i can reach draw bar.

In front of all the vertical mills in my companies machine shop, there are 6" to 8" high, wooden riser platforms. I assumed it was so the employees didn't slip on the coolant on the floor as one of the machine shop employees, past or present, are short. Some of the riser platforms also have anti-fatigue/anti-slip mats.
 
I have only a two and a half car garage and i repair hydraulics, so welders 80" lathe mill heavy work benches etc. no room for a wooden platform, every inch is needed i liked the idea of a folding metal step.
 
Swarthy said:
I have only a two and a half car garage and i repair hydraulics, so welders 80" lathe mill heavy work benches etc. no room for a wooden platform, every inch is needed i liked the idea of a folding metal step.
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Zoro has a variety ,from $10 to $200. Of course fabrication is an option. Plenty of room to mount on the foot of the mill, I imagine. Could even mount to the side to preserve toe space up front. I like this idea. I do kick my Rubbermaid step stool across the shop accidentally now and again, one of these days I might even trip over it.

The first one is $10, the second is $50, and the last one is $150 or so.
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I used to think power locks and windows were ridiculous luxury items. I could always lean across my bench seat and pop the lock or turn the crank. But after living with them for some years now, I've grown fond. As have I with my pneumatic drawbar. It's one of those things, like a Reeves drive or a QCGB, that you really can't appreciate unless you've exhausted yourself shuffling belts over sheaves or tinkered change gears. Reaching and holding the brake and wrenching and tapping is now just a button push. It's like honey butter after a diet of bread and water.

I'm a picky bahstahd about my stuff, but the pneumatic butterfly wrench DIY drawbar setups people have come up with are easily as good as commercial units. The $1,000 Kurt power drawbar might have a better coupler on the drive mechanism, but that's a small gain for a one-man shop on a budget. A beveled nut and dished socket on a release spring work fine for home shop duty.
 
I found myself in the same predicament as the OP, when I upgraded my old Bridgeport Series 1 J-head, to a new Acer 3VSII. At 6ft tall, I could easily reach the drawbar on the Bridgeport, but the new Acer was much taller, and the drawbar was far out of reach. I considered a step stool but as often as I would need it, with my old knees, I worried about miss-steps and twisting an ankle or falling.

I decided to go with a power drawbar. Glad I did.

There are lots of DIY power drawbar projects on the web, if you don't want to pony up for a commercial model.
 
jmarkwolf said:
I found myself in the same predicament when I upgraded my old Bridgeport Series 1 J-head, to a new Acer 3VSII. I could reach the drawbar on the Bridgeport easily, but the new Acer was much taller, and the drawbar was far out of reach. I considered a step stool but as often as I would need it, I worried about miss-steps and twisting an ankle or falling.

I decided to go with a power drawbar. Glad I did.

There are lots of DIY power drawbar projects on the web, if you don't want to pony up for a commercial model.
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The only problem I have with the power-drawbars is they all require air, and I've stubbornly refused to put a compressor in my shop so far :D If someone could come up with an electric version of that butterfly wrench that was able to 'free-wheel', I'd install it in a minute. Until then I'm stuck with a milk crate step-stool!

I HAVE considered one of the belleville washer setups to the point that i've not bothered with my R8 anti-rotation pin, but an electric actuator capable of it hasn't really showed up yet (plus, i have a project list a mile long...).
 
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