bridgeport rolling frames

has anyone built a rolling frame for there bridgeport that also has 4 screws to level once it's found a home . pics would be awesome .

I have had mine in a dolly that I made for 2 years, It is bolted to the dolly on all 4 corners and I have made 1/2" NFT Grade 8 Levelers for it in the front. I have also made a very similar one for my South Bend 16" Lathe. So far I have had no issues what so ever. I have used the Bridgeport quite a bit and some pretty heavy hogging. As far as the South Bend, I just finished rebuilding it and have not done any heavy cutting on it yet...we will see.

Here is a few of the South Bend also....

I built a hydraulically actuated wheeled base for my BP a couple years ago. Was a fun project and works quite well.



More photos on my Picasa web album: https://picasaweb.google.com/115378886522213655693/MobileBaseProject?authuser=0&feat=directlink


Craig

Mine was designed to result in the mill being 4" off the floor - I'm tall, and I was tired of bending over. There are two sections of 4x2 tubing running along the side of the mill, with a 3" ball-bearing caster with steel wheels at each end. Under the front edge and the rear edge of the mill, there are sections of 2x6" tubing that are welded to the bottom of the 4x2 tubing. The 2x6 tubing has holes in the top for the Bridgeport base bolts, and tapped 5/8-11 threads on the bottom for leveling pads. The height increase is from the height of the casters since the mill is virtually supported from the top of the casters.

My plan was not to leave the mill free to move in use, but to use the casters to maneuver it into place, then drop down the leveling pads. The only problem I've run into is the casters can sometimes face backwards when I'm moving the mill, which can make the mill difficult to steer. A chunk of 1x4 plank as a prybar tells it which direction I want to go when that happens. I had thought about using swivel & non-swivel casters, but I sometimes need to go both forward and sideways.

If I had the physical room, I would have preferred to use a welded base sized for a pallet jack, but I don't have room to store a pallet jack (unless I get rid of the forklift....).

Avrgjoe looks to have a good plan of attack with an automotive service jack on the front.

Photos later if I remember to take some.

last picture at the bottom. Screws are hard to see but are on each side of the base. I can install or remove this in 10 minutes with only a crowbar and 12) 4" x 4" pieces of 3/4" plywood, but its not fun. I prefer a pair of 4x4s and a pallet jack.
Bridgeport J head step pulley disassembly and reassembly

what weight range are the wheels and casters did you use for your stands and thanks for all the replies

IIRC I used a couple of 1000# cast iron wheels with urethane tires on each side, I don't know the ratings on the single rear castering wheel it's plenty strong enough for my weight distribution. Most my weight is on the two side wheels I only have 300 to 400 lbs on the rear wheel. With my hydraulic system the wheels are only under load when you are moving the mill, when not in use the hydraulic force is released and the base sits on the leveling pads. Since my wheels are not normally under load they don't take on a flat spot.
I think these were the side wheels: Caster City - Casters - 5" x 2" Crown Tread Polyurethane Wheel on Iron Center
The urethane tire durometer is a little soft so it takes more effort to push the mill than it should.

Craig

777mechanic said:

what weight range are the wheels and casters did you use for your stands and thanks for all the replies

Click to expand...

I've had very bad luck with urethane wheels. For some reason they all harden and crumble in my shop. Lot of stuff riding on the rims of what remains now. Now I buy steel or phenolic, much easier to push as well

Avrgjoe said:

I have had mine in a dolly that I made for 2 years, It is bolted to the dolly on all 4 corners and I have made 1/2" NFT Grade 8 Levelers for it in the front. I have also made a very similar one for my South Bend 16" Lathe. So far I have had no issues what so ever. I have used the Bridgeport quite a bit and some pretty heavy hogging. As far as the South Bend, I just finished rebuilding it and have not done any heavy cutting on it yet...we will see.

Click to expand...

I am looking for something very similar to what you built. Can I ask, what size are those steel pieces on both the lathe and the mill. I would appreciate the reply.

Best would be to send a PM to the party instead of hijacking a 3 year old thread.

IIRC, Avrgjoe is on the gunsmith forum. Send a PM.
JR

Here are some:

and some more:

more..............

yawn..........