PM728VT meets 72 David Brown Tractor

[RetiredRich]

Hi all,

I thought this topic might peek people's interest.
Not to pop anybody's bubble, but no, this is not about dropping a mill using the loader with a tractor or some other disaster.

I joined this forum because I finally bough a PM728VT. I'm like many of you, waiting anxiously for delivery. Although the exchange rate for the Canadian looney is better these days, it still bites. To save a few dollars I did not get the base cabinet. This is where the tractor comes in. I have a 2 identical David Brown tractors and one is only used for parts to keep the second one working. I checked the length of the gear box and it's 32 inches. So I was thinking, why not use that big heavy cast iron for the base of the mill.

This is what it would kind of look like. Not to scale of course.

The cavity will provide space for shelves. I will add some levelling feet on it and probably a 3/4 or 1 inch metal plate on top about the size of the mill's tray.

It is a bit narrow from front to back, so I will probably have to add 1x2 or 1X3 steel tubing a couple of feet long to make it more stable.
Another option is to bolt it to the wall. I could bolt some angle to the back of the gear box and attach it to the wall. Not sure this is a good idea. I guess that I should also mention that I can't bolt it to the floor because I have pipes in the floor for radiant heating.

With a bit of a paint job to match the color of the Mill and it may even look good

This might just turn out to be a good idea.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Gaffer]

This is going to be a fun project, and I"m looking forward to seeing your progress pics.

 

[jwmay]

Well this will be fun. Looking forward to your progress pics!

 

[T Bredehoft]

Go for it. that'll be a lot more rigid than the stamped steel stand. Hmmm SSS? Do we want to go there?

 

[tq60]

Make sure it is bolted well to bottom.
Plenty wide but not near deep enough for foot anti-tip comfort.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[7milesup]

I would make a nice stand for it instead of using leftover tractor parts but that's just me. You are buying a nice mill, make a nice stand.

Pique, or piqued, not peek.

 

[Christianstark]

My wife and I tend to fall on different sides of this type of spectrum, but she is rubbing off on me. It all falls into what one definition of "nice" is.

On the one hand, we have shiny, new, still has shipping labels on it, painted matchy matchy, and on the other hand, you have worn, honest, overbuilt, useful, heritage, history, etc. I used to fall in the new matchy matchy camp, but my wife is really starting to rub off on me. There are some who would say he is building a better than nice stand.

I would make a nice stand for it instead of using leftover tractor parts but that's just me. You are buying a nice mill, make a nice stand.

Pique, or piqued, not peek.

 

[RetiredRich]

@7milesup
I've been going back to look at the threads on this forum to get ideas. I saw the base for your PM 833T made from tubing. Really nice indeed. That would be a good excuse to get a welder ... well maybe not.

@Christianstark ... I like straight lines, precision, my wife likes odd shapes and furniture made of crooked branches. The more twists in the branches the better. I guess it's rubbing off on me too. You should see our bathroom sink!

@T Bredehoft , yea i have those under my lathe and I never liked them ... now if i could find two more tractor gear boxes...

So I weight (this seems like the wrong verb) the gear box and it weights 235 lbs. It should provide good rigidity.

I have not figured out how to add the images as attachments yet. Seems like a less intrusion way of adding images.

Progress will be slow until I get the mill but I will post my progress. The mill is expected to be delivered in late July or August. I'm also not really retired ... three months to go yet.

Rich

 

[7milesup]

Really nice indeed. That would be a good excuse to get a welder ... well maybe not.

Without a doubt!

 

[RetiredRich]

I just received the long awaited email from PM
"We are happy to say that the PM728 Milling Machine that you have been waiting on has arrived ..."

That was such a relief after seeing all those thousands of containers stuck in ports on the news. I was worried that the PM728 was in one of those containers.