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52" Boring Mill / Lathe weight estimate?

Cooperstock

Aluminum
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Ok everyone with a calibrated eye, What is your estimated weight for this machine?
I need to tell a rigger how much it weights (approximatly) and I am not sure.
I can tell you the chuck is 52" diameter
That is about all the information I have to provide.
Thanks!
1.jpg
 
There is a thread on this already.
This has a 54" chuck, 60" swing, 16,000 lbs.

Rob

Robert, could you post the link to the machine you said was like this one? I couldn't find it after going back and searching. There was a large horizontal mill, but couldn't find the vertical lathe like this. The mills appear to be much longer and would probably be heavier.
Thanks
Dave
 
I hope you save it, that's certainly a unique machine.

I am going to try to, just need to get a rigging quote. There are a couple other small lathes at the same location so might try to double up on transportation.
I doubt anyone will want to move this beast. So most of my cost will be transportation. But one job will pay for it hopefully :)
 
Thank you!
guess I missed it in my search


http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...story/h-bickford-vertical-boring-mill-342203/

Its well over 100 years old. I would not suppose its going to be much of a money maker until you get it like you like it:D

About fifty years ago I ran a Rogers(?) about that size though not quite that old, and I can tell you that you will need hearing protection just listening to the bevel gearing that drives the chuck

You have to consider that this machine was likely delivered to its first several owners by heavy draft horses.
 
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Rob Lang sent me some scans I am supposed to process and upload as Thumbnails. Here is the first to see how I did but the 5 Foot Mill is left off.

I'll edit in the other two later

I see from this scan the OP will be faced with the likelyhood of the lower spindle bearing being in a pit

On Edit....add two thumbnails on specs

On Edit....add slightly differing processing of first including 5 Foot Mill
 

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I think it is an amazing looking piece of equipment, I hope the auction will have visitation to see what condition is really is in. I imagine it will need work, like most of the machines I get 'for a good deal' :D

Im glad I don't have to use horses to move it or put it in place, I bet that would have been quite a sight.

Johnoder: Thank you for the scans, that is very helpful. thank you for pointing out the bearing could be below surface, I hope I can see the piece of equipment soon and identify. I am going to pour a pad (if I plan on getting it) so putting a hole in it will be easier before I pour :)

If anyone wants to donate to the 'save historical equipment fund' I estimate it will be about $3200 to transport it in town with rigging :)
Right now the main roadblock is the wife saying 'will you actually have projects for that'. Our machine shop is more R&D support so lots of single CNC parts and custom one-time parts.

Thanks for all the information, I hope this works out.
 
Im glad I don't have to use horses to move it or put it in place, I bet that would have been quite a sight.
It was more than that. A horse is not exactly a genius, but is superbly competent at BEING .. a horse.. including leaving the "heavy thinking" to a trusted teamster.

Next-door neighbour had a well-trained team of "Belgians", and I hafta tell yah.. whomever assigned the figures we use for "one horsepower" never made the acquaintance of a horse that left hoofprints the size of medium + pizza pans. Their power to jerk a massive load from dead still into motion, "shift gears on the fly", musclature-wise and keep it moving thereafter was simply awesome.

OTOH? They eat, drink, piss, s**t, need exercise, reasonable winter shelter, and several types of care 365 days a year, every year, whether gainfully employed or no. A tractor, or its seasonal accessories, not so much. Those one can just park 'n tarp.
 
Do note the specs gives length of spindle on the 5 Foot as 48" - easy to see all that is below face of chuck. If it actually turns out to be feasible (like transporting it up on the necessary blocking/cribbing due to long spindle) I am good for a donation

I think it is an amazing looking piece of equipment, I hope the auction will have visitation to see what condition is really is in. I imagine it will need work, like most of the machines I get 'for a good deal' :D

Im glad I don't have to use horses to move it or put it in place, I bet that would have been quite a sight.

Johnoder: Thank you for the scans, that is very helpful. thank you for pointing out the bearing could be below surface, I hope I can see the piece of equipment soon and identify. I am going to pour a pad (if I plan on getting it) so putting a hole in it will be easier before I pour :)

If anyone wants to donate to the 'save historical equipment fund' I estimate it will be about $3200 to transport it in town with rigging :)
Right now the main roadblock is the wife saying 'will you actually have projects for that'. Our machine shop is more R&D support so lots of single CNC parts and custom one-time parts.

Thanks for all the information, I hope this works out.
 
Do note the specs gives length of spindle on the 5 Foot as 48" - easy to see all that is below face of chuck.

Over fifty years now since last I ran an 8-foot Niles VTL, but... the noise may be understated.. and ours - table barely above floor level - had a serious "pit" beneath it. This one may not need so much depth as that. I guess perhaps two feet. And.. serious concrete work, surrounding, regardless of pit depth.

That said.. it is a helluva convenient size. Largest diameter I ever worked, or saw others on-shift work on, at the 8-footer was 46" (100 Ton Crane turntable bearing hold-down ring) and 50" diameter (over-the rail wheels & "tires"), so most cudda been done on this smaller one in a good deal lesser ration of floorspace, and probably higher RPM (relative term.. they were sloooow movers, War-One era production and earlier), ours being late 1800's make, and still earning the odd crust into (at least) the mid-1960's if only for lack of many alternatives in its size range.
 
Update:
I spoke with the current owner. He has had the machine since 1957, He did his apprenticeship with this machine in his fathers machine shop. He said the building was build around the machine so it will need to be disassembled to move. He said he would help with the disassembly, he has no heavy equipment at location so equipment will need to be delivered in order to make things happen.
I told him I would want to get his history of the machine so it could stay with the machine. He was glad to hear it wasn't going to get scraped.

I spoke with the auction house and they are going to let me go see it next week.
 
Assuming that the chuck surface is 2 feet above the floor then the beam and toolslide assembly would have to come off.Wonder how much that would save if we take it off? Or if the tool slides are angled to 45 degrees, which I expect they would, you should get the same head room.
 
+1 on the donation and I'm close enough to drive over if I can help that way, assuming that I'm not on a job.

Thank you! that would be awesome! Its nice having more eyes and hands when tackling some of these projects. The seller says it will need to be moved no later than Dec 15th, the auction ends Nov 28th. Ive started looking at forklift rental in order to disassemble and move it for loading. Not sure when I would actually try to move it if I win, but I'll have to start thinking about that.
 
Assuming that the chuck surface is 2 feet above the floor then the beam and toolslide assembly would have to come off.Wonder how much that would save if we take it off? Or if the tool slides are angled to 45 degrees, which I expect they would, you should get the same head room.

Im going to take measurements on tuesday and get a better idea of how big it actually is and how small the exit door is. The owner said he knows how it comes apart, so that should be helpful
 








 
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