The Home Machinist!

I have a Series I Bridgeport in the back of my pickup right now. Placed there by a large fork lift with extension tines. Is it safe to lift them from the top?
6000 nylon sling just behind the head next to the column and choker to the rear to make it hang straight.
It just followed me home after 14 hours of windshield time!
Thanks for any input!

Furpo wrote:Is it safe to lift them from the top?

There is a threaded hole up there to accept an eye bolt for lifting.

I hope the forks were not placed under the table when it was loaded onto your truck, although it most likely wouldn't balance that way.

What Glenn said, but you aren't bound to use the tapped hole. If you use a sling under the front and rear portion of the ram, you'll be, for all practical purposes, lifting the mill the same way. Do not use a chain, for you'll damage the ways of the ram. Protect the sling with a couple rags, so the sharp edges don't cut the sling. If you find the mill leans, front to back, adjust the weight by moving the ram.

Do not pick the mill from the base. It's too easy to lose it that way.

Harold

Thanks for the input.
Once I remove the straps securing to my truck I find it is taped 5/8 NC.
Where I bought it had it bolted to a good skid and had enough forklift to get it to the front of my pickup. Didn’t want to lift from the top.
All I need now is a machine big enough to lift it out of my pickup.
Thanks

Place a 2 x 4 on each tine of the forklift, move table to far side on machine, now straddle the turret with the forks. This is how I moved my BP and is recommended in the BP Manual. I believe the bolt in the top is a 3/4 NC and is also recommended by BP.

I called a wrecking service that had a telescoping boom on his truck. He came over when I called and picked my mill up by the eye bolt in the top of the ram. Then he slid the part on the wrecker, that grabs the front tires of a car, under the mill, so it would not bounce while he drove in may yard. My shop has a garage door and he set it right inside the door on a couple of 2X4. I hauled the mill on a car trailer, and parked it in the alley. Once it was inside, I was able to move it by sliding 1" pipe under it, and then with a pry bar, remove the 2X4s and roll it into place.
Cost was $60 bucks and well worth the headache and drama free move.

I live in Alabama and did the same thing. Wrecker drove thirty five miles to load it out of the owners shop onto my trailer then followed me home to sit it in the shop.

Was 175.00 and worth every penny for the safety aspect alone.

I found a 5/8” eye bolt out of electric motor but was Leary on the quality of the eye bolt.
Used slings with carpet samples for pads. Large BobCat worked out well and BP is now sitting just inside my basement door. It will be rollers, pinch bars and come along for the next 20’
Piece of cake!