Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

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Jawn
Posts: 283
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:39 pm
Location: Canton, GA

Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by Jawn »

I am looking for a stand for a Burke #4 mill. I have been offered such a machine without a stand and would like to have something ready for when the machine comes to my shop.

A few options...

1. Premade machine table:
such as https://www.littlegiant-usa.com/products/mt1-1824-18
No time required (other than maybe needing to cut a hole for the knee screw to protrude through?). Think one of those tables would hold the little Burke? How big should it be? How tall?

2. Build my own out of wood
Years ago I built a workbench out of 5/4 yellow pine bolted together in two flat frames with some angle brackets, ply-bead sheathing, and a butcher block top and it's a real solid bench... I could build a smaller version sized to suit the mill. Would take some time but would likely be the cheapest option. Again, how big should it be?

3. Build my own out of steel
Most time consuming. Might be best suited for the machine?

Any better options?
pete
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Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by pete »

Unlike a lathe with it's flimsy and easily twisted bed, mills aren't affected all that much by the movement of the wood during humidity changes. I still prefer steel by quite a bit. Having enough storage is a big problem for any mill just due to the amount of tooling they use verses what a lathe might. The mechanics bottom tool boxes or "roll away" type with the castors are well worth looking at. I also make a point of removing those castors. You'd have to double check that Burke mill for it's dimensions and find something that brings the spindle into the rough working height, plus have a large enough working surface on the tool box to support the mill. Most or maybe all of those tool chests have a raised lip on the top. I fill that in with a properly sized plywood shim then laminate a couple of 3/4" ply tops together sized in your case for the mills foot print and some additional bench top space. I've run the numbers a few times, and I can't buy the wood, drawer slides etc for what the steel tool boxes cost already built. And that's if I had a full wood working shop with the correct tools to build one. Welding or bolting one together of your own design would be even more costly. If it were me and I could find something that has the right dimensions that's the way I'd go.
spro
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by spro »

The first thing is if it has the original gearmotor hanging off the back. They are heavy units and the center of gravity is no longer at the machine base. A welded base cabinet is what mine has. It has a heavy shelf that is welded in. The tooling is B&S #9 and that becomes heavy quickly, not to mention all the milling wheels. I store wheels in another cabinet because there are heavier items which improve the stability.
spro
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by spro »

There are heavy stands and cabinets out there rotting. They were made for some type machine tool and somebody else did all the work. They aren't graceful or curvy but structurally sound. I guess I'm dreamin about earlier times.
Jawn
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Location: Canton, GA

Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by Jawn »

pete wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:29 pm The mechanics bottom tool boxes or "roll away" type with the castors are well worth looking at.
Most of those I've seen (for not-exorbitant sums of money) are too flimsy to want to put a heavy machine tool on top... however it could be added to an open frame bench as storage.

spro wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:36 pm The first thing is if it has the original gearmotor hanging off the back.
Yet to be determined. But from the pictures of others I've seen, that does look like a very heavy item (along with its mounting base) to be hanging off the side.

spro wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:46 pm There are heavy stands and cabinets out there rotting. They were made for some type machine tool and somebody else did all the work. They aren't graceful or curvy but structurally sound. I guess I'm dreamin about earlier times.
While finding an original Burke pedestal or heavy duty premade industrial cabinet would be ideal, I've discovered that I can't hold out for such things... I might get lucky and find one, but I might also never get the machine up and running while I wait for the right cabinet to come along.
pete
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by pete »

Too flimsy? From the specifications I can find it seems a #4 Burke weighs in at roughly 265 lbs. That's just slightly more than my little Atlas mill. I've got a larger and much lighter constructed Craftsman two door steel bench than what those roll away bottom boxes are with at least 600 lbs in and on it. Adding that ply bench top I mentioned spreads the weight out even more and helps transfer the loads to the vertical sheet metal panels and welded seam corners where the strength is. Part of the design criteria of those roll away bottom cabinets is there going to be moved around with a real heavy top tool box on it over usually less than dead smooth floors. I've seen more than a few mechanics in mining repair shops that had well over 1500 lbs in there top and bottom boxes. Any roll away cab that couldn't handle at least 3 times what that Burke weighs would have to be made from recycled beer cans. :-)
spro
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by spro »

There is that other issue about the knee screw protruding downward. That would tie up a drawer or two. Our Atlas mills have a compound screw which eliminates that. Oh boy, getting them timed right :roll:
pete
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by pete »

Might need an extra thick bench top then Spro :-)
ptross
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by ptross »

8" may be enough
spro
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by spro »

What's all this 8 " stuff. My platform is part of a larger cart which was welded up long ago. The platform is at least 3/8" steel maybe thicker because there were supports. A section at the side holds round stock ( and other stuff) between 36" + (don't get stupid ) sizes. They are near vertical, leaning at an angle 10 degree. Any more than that makes stock removal difficult.
Glenn Brooks
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Spro, I’d be interested in seeing a pic of your base stand,,,

Thanks
Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
spro
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Re: Stand for a Burke #4 horizontal mill?

Post by spro »

I don't do pictures. The stand/ base is nothing spectacular to show anyways. Side note/ the Burke #4 is way heavy compared to the Atlas mill.
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