Welding Tips and Tricks

Been building this mobile base / Mill dolly over the past week or so . The square box frame is 1/4" angle 3"x4" (not galvanized) ...it has 3 strong backs across the bottom and 2 along the upper left and right sides. They are 1-1/4" 0.125" square tube . In the last 3 pics you can see where I added pieces of 0.185" flat stock to better tie in the strong backs and cantilevered C channel . The leveler legs were cut off large food service machinery , as well as the SSC casters, stainless bolts and everything else came from my buddy's scrap yard . Welded it all with 3/32 ER70s6 except the leveler legs, used 309 and purged with my spare argon bottle and spare regulator . I beveled most of the pieces to around half thickness . My cooler is down, it has grown a fungus ! ...so I've been using the CK26 torch .
----------------------------------------------------------- These casters have a grease zerk on the axle and the hub ! The flash made part of this weld look black , but it was dark blue in that spot. Flat stock welded as stiffeners from the strong backs up to the 1/4" angle .

Damn nice job...looks like your getting the hang of that TIG

Pretty sweet.... like a Bridgeport size??

nelson wrote:Pretty sweet.... like a Bridgeport size??

It's a Precision Matthews PM940-Pdf .

subwayrocket wrote:

nelson wrote:Pretty sweet.... like a Bridgeport size??

It's a Precision Matthews PM940-Pdf .

Let's see a photo of the mill on the mount

I believe this is the mill... but his has some other options. If you look the mill and stand are in the background of his pic. As long as its stable, that thing has to be 1000lbs.

How often do you plan on moving it?

Rick_H wrote: If you look the mill and stand are in the background of his pic. As long as its stable, that thing has to be 1000lbs. How often do you plan on moving it?

The leveling legs make it 3" wider than just the base that comes with it. With the leveling legs up, it's about 8" wider on the casters. The mill is 1100 lbs and the base that comes with it is 300 lbs . I looked at commercially avail mobile bases that are $500+ and just over engineered mine.
I figure I've got just my time and about $20 invested in this thing. Maybe $35 if I add flap wheels, cut off discs,
TIG rod and argon...

I looked at one a guy built that had a 2000+ Lbs Bridgeport on it, same 1/4" angle and "C" channel with casters, but I added the strong backs across the bottom and sides. When I got the 2 ton engine hoist here, I felt a lot better seeing my base has around twice the thickness all around as the hoist...and that hoist held this thing 4 feet out and it's telescope arm which was maybe 3/16" ...it was quite a nail biting experience.
I put my 4 ft level across it left to Right and back to front and there was no flex . Two people can roll it about the same effort as pushing a large safe around , but not one guy...nope . I plan on moving it out maybe once a year to clean ? idk . Most people that own this series of mill seem to like it raised up anywhere from 3 to 6" , or whatever puts the top of the table level with your elbow when standing ...so after a little research into peoples height and how much they raised theirs, I settled on 3" of lift. And I figured while i'm building this, I might as well make it mobile.

Thanks guys for the kind words !

I don't have it all set up yet but here it is on the mobile base . Last pic is my sons that helped.

subway
sometimes its not even the money
but being able to custom fit it to
your needs and space that is
more important.
excellent work.
craig

Nice work! You sure have one hell of a nice playpen there

motox wrote:subway
sometimes its not even the money but being able to custom fit it to
your needs and space that is more important. excellent work. craig

exnailpounder wrote:Nice work! You sure have one hell of a nice playpen there

Thanks guys for all the kind words ! The shop was just exposed 2x6 walls, no ceiling, no windows, doors or electric...i got tired of being out in the barn so I finished the garage. All the crown trim was from leftover stuff I had.
Building things has been a source of enjoyment as far back as I can remember.
Nothing like the satisfaction of standing back and thinking "Yeah...I built that"

I had to drill sixteen holes 9/16" and four 5/8" holes. The last four I couldn't get on the drill press so I had to run the
Blair RotaBroach in a hand drill. If you keep a very steady hand they actually do fine in a hand drill...but you need a 2nd guy or a way to keep the hole oiled and clear. I highly recommend these Rota-broaches. They make short work out of large holes thru thick metal...the cutters were still razor sharp after drilling all these holes.
It went so easy that I shot a video of the last hole. The phone cam makes it look like im drilling at an angle, but its plumb.
~Steve
-------------------------------------------------------
https://youtu.be/ZXhgRVoZG1M

Great work Sub - you always seem to be putting together good stuff.

Just wanted to thank you for setting me off in a better direction with my ancient band saw. I was going to weld castors onto its feet to make it more mobile, but never felt quite right about doing it...welding modern castor wheels onto an old, original saw base felt a bit like butchery.

Seeing what you've done, I reckon I'll make up a dolly for it instead.

Cheers!



Kym

MosquitoMoto wrote:Great work Sub - you always seem to be putting together good stuff.

Just wanted to thank you for setting me off in a better direction with my ancient band saw. I was going to weld castors onto its feet to make it more mobile, but never felt quite right about doing it...welding modern castor wheels onto an old, original saw base felt a bit like butchery.

Seeing what you've done, I reckon I'll make up a dolly for it instead.

Cheers!



Kym

Thanks man . Just make sure you get heavy duty casters . Check the scrap yard for machinery and industrial carts . You can get the casters for cheap, then spray them out with PB Blaster and re-grease . Otherwise these casters are about $40 a piece