Well, yes they can be top heavy. But the mill can be "walked" into position pretty easy.
Crank the table all the way down (careful, the table screw can bottom out/extend thru the bottom of the base) and flip the head/motor upside down. That give you a big bar to rig off of (the head support arm) with all the weight below the lifting point. I lagged a pair of 2"x3" boards crosswise to the base, sticking a few inches out either side. Makes it easy to maneuver around the shop and less likely to walk with vibration if you don't have it bolted down.
I just Bought A Rockwell 21-100 Milling Machine
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platypus20
- Posts: 206
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 1:24 pm
- Location: camillus, ny (syracuse)
Re: I just Bought A Rockwell 21-100 Milling Machine
I spent a good part of the day getting the Rockwell mill to the shop today. I went to the seller's facility and stripped the mill, down to the column and table/knee assembly. After lunch, where I bribed my friends, Trombone Pete and Norm, to pickup the stripped mill, on Norm's small utility trailer.
I based my purchase of the mill on my seeing the mill 2 years ago, last week, I saw it again, with a flashlight, it was far dirtier than I had remembered. Nothing serious, just grime and some swarf. With a few towels and some red Brakleen, the grime pretty much wiped right off.
The table moves smoothly side to side and back and forth, knee is tight and smooth, that table has some surface rust, but nothing serious. Over all, I very pleased so far.
I was unable to power up the head assembly, no 3 phase power (Not yet), but the spindle is smooth when moved by hand. Powering the head assembly is high on the To-Do List.
here are a few pictures
I based my purchase of the mill on my seeing the mill 2 years ago, last week, I saw it again, with a flashlight, it was far dirtier than I had remembered. Nothing serious, just grime and some swarf. With a few towels and some red Brakleen, the grime pretty much wiped right off.
The table moves smoothly side to side and back and forth, knee is tight and smooth, that table has some surface rust, but nothing serious. Over all, I very pleased so far.
I was unable to power up the head assembly, no 3 phase power (Not yet), but the spindle is smooth when moved by hand. Powering the head assembly is high on the To-Do List.
here are a few pictures
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jack
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platypus20
- Posts: 206
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 1:24 pm
- Location: camillus, ny (syracuse)
Re: I just Bought A Rockwell 21-100 Milling Machine
Thanks for the pics. Really looks fine. !
Re: I just Bought A Rockwell 21-100 Milling Machine
Mill looks great. You're going to have a lot of fun with that.
One note on the red brakleen: I won't allow it in my house at all anymore.
Google brake cleaner phosgene and you will find that if you heat up chlorinated brake cleaner, it will produce phosgene gas (yes, the stuff from WWI).
There's a story out there of a guy that cleaned something up before welding and there was still a spot of it on the work. The torch hit it. He wasn't sick until much later and it almost killed him.
I don't notice any effective difference between the red and the green can, so I just switched to green.
Steve
One note on the red brakleen: I won't allow it in my house at all anymore.
Google brake cleaner phosgene and you will find that if you heat up chlorinated brake cleaner, it will produce phosgene gas (yes, the stuff from WWI).
There's a story out there of a guy that cleaned something up before welding and there was still a spot of it on the work. The torch hit it. He wasn't sick until much later and it almost killed him.
I don't notice any effective difference between the red and the green can, so I just switched to green.
Steve