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Installing a Riser?

Torquin

Aluminum
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Location
Powhatan, Va.
I finally found a 7" riser on Ebay that the seller didn't think was made of gold and bought it. Doesn't appear to come with spider or bolts. Should I get a spider and short bolts or buy longer bolts? Can you tell me what length bolts for either case?
My guess, if going with an additional spider would be the same length bolts as what's in it now, right? Just want to be prepared when I break the column apart.

Thanks,
Chris
 
I finally found a 7" riser on Ebay that the seller didn't think was made of gold and bought it. Doesn't appear to come with spider or bolts. Should I get a spider and short bolts or buy longer bolts? Can you tell me what length bolts for either case?
My guess, if going with an additional spider would be the same length bolts as what's in it now, right? Just want to be prepared when I break the column apart.

Thanks,
Chris

Use the spider you have, take 1 bolt out, measure it, add the height of your riser and that is the bolt length you need. Job done! When I put the riser on my Bport. I put a 3/4 bar in the quill and clamped it in the vice. then I toe clamped a piece of 3" box tube on each side of the base. then I clamped another piece cross wise to the first two behind the base. then I put a piece of 5/8 threaded rod through the hole on the back of the ram through a spacer and the box tube behind the base. then all you have to do is raise the knee and the head and other bits go right up with it If you start with the vice in the front T slot you can have the table back against the column, then it all balances fine. I seldom have any help so this is how I installed my riser alone very easily.
 
Thanks for the info! I don't have any tube that big around here, but may have enough 3" channel to do the job.

Thanks,
Chris
 
OK, just working through the process in my head, here. What about the spider? I have been told I need to use long threaded rod to align and pull the spider up so I can put the bolts back in. I don't know how far the spider can fall inside the column so I am wondering what happens when I take the bolts loose. Would I need to put the rod in as I remove the bolts, to hold it up, with nuts 10", or so, inches up to allow for the gap needed to install the spacer?

Don't know if I'm overthinking it because I have never done this before.

Thanks,
Chris
 
OK, just working through the process in my head, here. What about the spider? I have been told I need to use long threaded rod to align and pull the spider up so I can put the bolts back in. I don't know how far the spider can fall inside the column so I am wondering what happens when I take the bolts loose. Would I need to put the rod in as I remove the bolts, to hold it up, with nuts 10", or so, inches up to allow for the gap needed to install the spacer?

Don't know if I'm overthinking it because I have never done this before.

Thanks,
Chris

It will not fall in the base if the ram is 90 degrees to the table, normal position. There is a support for the spider with the ram in this position.
 
I had a job which would not fit under the quill of a BP I was using. I took some all thread and cut four lengths of it and exchanged the bolts for the all thread then jacked the front using the knee and a wagon jack at the ram back. Raised the ram a little at a time. The all thread kept the ram from moving to the side helped to locate the ram with the spider. As I did not have a riser, I used three 2,4,6 blocks for the clearance I needed. Tightened the all thread with nuts, swept the head for tram, got the job done, and reversed the process to get the ram back where it belonged. It was an experience I hope to not need to do again.
 
Moonlight,
I ended up buying the 3" tubing.
It took almost 3 hours because of alignment issues. Fortunately your lift design is so precise that I had no problem lifting the ram off and on several times until I figured out that the spider was binding on the inner wall of the riser, and I needed to grind .060 off of each leg. Once that was done it fit right on there.
Oh, and it actually came with a spider so I used 3.5" bolts on the bottom spider and original bolts on upper spider. Easier than hunting down new bolts.
Thanks for your invaluable advise on this endeavor.
I may publish the video I took of the installation, and if so, you will need to supply me with whatever credit info you want for your design.

2017-04-14 13.11.1233.jpg
2017-04-13 18.53.4933.jpg

Thanks,
Chris
 
Last edited:
I finally found a 7" riser on Ebay that the seller didn't think was made of gold and bought it.

Wow -- I didn't realize the one I took OUT of the machine I bought was that valuable. Maybe I should paint it gold and see what I can get.

The bolts that secured the riser on this BPort were long, 11-12" as I recall. They weren't long enough to engage the spider in the low position, which made me think about how I would re-install if necessary. So far, no need to have it back in the machine, but I now have one method from this thread that doesn't involve the engine hoist, at least.

Excellent idea from Moonlight about lifting and installing.
 
spacer spiders

Why does one need a second spider or can you just use the original spider and long bolts? I see there a different ways to accomplish the spacer install, just not sure why.

Oh and why are some spacer (kits) about $250-350 and some $1200+, it is only a cast iron spacer after all. I was debating making a steel one if I find a 16" round off-cut cheap enough but at $250 maybe not.

I am contrasting bridgeport spacers and a will-fit spacers, perhaps I just answered that question.
 
Why does one need a second spider or can you just use the original spider and long bolts? I see there a different ways to accomplish the spacer install, just not sure why.

Oh and why are some spacer (kits) about $250-350 and some $1200+, it is only a cast iron spacer after all. I was debating making a steel one if I find a 16" round off-cut cheap enough but at $250 maybe not.

I am contrasting bridgeport spacers and a will-fit spacers, perhaps I just answered that question.

I just used long bolts and one spider, I bought mine off e bay for about 250.00 I have a 6 or 8 inch one around here somewhere off a Kondia.......
 
Why does one need a second spider or can you just use the original spider and long bolts? I see there a different ways to accomplish the spacer install, just not sure why.

Oh and why are some spacer (kits) about $250-350 and some $1200+, it is only a cast iron spacer after all. I was debating making a steel one if I find a 16" round off-cut cheap enough but at $250 maybe not.

I am contrasting bridgeport spacers and a will-fit spacers, perhaps I just answered that question.

It just depends on what you have on hand and can access easily. I was going to go with long bolts until I realized my riser came with a spider. I was easier for me to source the 3.5" bolts for the second spider than 12.5" bolts if I were going to use only one spider. It would have worked either way.

Chris
 








 
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