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Home made Donkey engine (Sort of) and moving a Millrite Mill
Posted by AirSpyder on 26 Mar, 2023 17:05 -
A few months back the company I work for decided to clean house, They had a Millrite Vertical mill which had been collecting dust in a corner for several years.
I was offered the mill for a minimal fee as long as I was able to get it out of its current location.
The main issue was that the walls and doors to the room were put up after the mill was placed.
So, off and on over the course of the next two weeks I spent my lunchbreaks breaking down the mill, I removed the motor, Head, and table from the mill and brought them home one piece at a time in my very small car.
With the table off the mill would fit through the door, I was able to lift the base with the knee atached (still at least 1,000lbs) onto a skid and move it into the warehouse. This is where it sat for a couple more weeks untill the weather warmed up.
Next a rental truck with a lift gate to bring it home.
The night I brought it home it was about 19°f and my engine hoist did not want to cooperate. Hydraulic fluid is funnt that way.
Finally in my garage, I oiled all the surfaces and covered it up to wait for some above freezing temperatures.
My shop is in the backyard away from the house, and uphill so I figured I would take advantage of the snow to move the mill from my garage to my shop.
Behold my donkey engine/sled
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The path -
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Setting it in place.
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Table, Head and motor Reinstalled
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Well now, that should prove really handy, and priced right it seems!
Well done Bill!!! -
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My kind of guy Bill, you do things like I would (whatever works), I can't help but think that cherry picker is close to its max lifting power...lol. 😊
Nice mill, can't wait to see what comes out of your shop next. -
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That old Millrite is still sporting it's Starsky & Hutch paint scheme! Awesome! What's the spindle taper?
I seen one of those mills sporting an old Bridgeport head which was a pretty popular mod before the imported 2/3 size Bridgys came around. -
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Wow!
You earned this one Bil.
Nice job on the donkey. -
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Well now, that should prove really handy, and priced right it seems!
Thanks Daniel, The rental truck was the greatest expense.
Well done Bill!!! -
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My kind of guy Bill, you do things like I would (whatever works), I can't help but think that cherry picker is close to its max lifting power...lol. 😊
Bruce,
Nice mill, can't wait to see what comes out of your shop next.
The engine hoist is rated for two tons with the boom at its shortest, the shorter boom is limiting so I decided to remove the motor and spindle to reduce weight, and the table had to come off anyway just to get it through the door. It was a heavy bugger to lift with all that removed. -
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That old Millrite is still sporting it's Starsky & Hutch paint scheme! Awesome! What's the spindle taper?
Doug, I remember the 76 Gran Torino being a different shade of Green than my Millrite.
I seen one of those mills sporting an old Bridgeport head which was a pretty popular mod before the imported 2/3 size Bridgys came around.
It has an R8 taper, which means I don't have to go buy a bunch of new collets.
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Wow!
Thanks Charlie, I might have finally run out of room for any more tools in my shop.
You earned this one Bil.
Nice job on the donkey.
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