Making a mill base
The first project I used my mill for, was to make a base for it. The primary purpose of the base it to provide a level and rigid platform for the mill to sit on. Having a level mill, lets me use “level” as a reference when setting up a work piece. This often comes in handy when working with oddly shaped, or cumbersome parts. Since my shop floor isn’t flat, the base also guarantees the mill will not rock or vibrate like it did when I initially set it up.
The secondary purpose of the base, is to raise the mill up to a height more comfortable for someone of my stature. As it sits, the top of the table is 41.5″ off the floor, so anything I’m working on is easy to see. The x & y axis wheels are also high enough now, that I don’t have to stoop over to use them.
It’s not clear, and the pictures don’t show it. The holes drilled for mounting the actual cabinet to the new base frame – Do they go all the way through? Did you feed a long bolt up from the bottom, through the base frame and into ther cabinet? I didn’t see anyway to insert a bolt into the base frame after it was welded.
Thanks,
Hi George,
They do indeed go all the way through. I just feed a long bolt with a washer on it up from the bottom and then fastened the nut from the top.
Hey! beautiful job on this stand for your mill.I am 70yrs.old and as a retirement gift bought an Enco clone similar to yours.I managed to get this new mill into my shop but upon inspection the stand I bought for this mill is very enemic!!I built a wooden version for my previous mill but love what you did from steel.Any chance you could share a build list,or sell me a list of materials so I may create one like yours?Again very nice job.I have been doing woodworking all my adult life and even was featured in “Fine Homebuilding” magazine once,but my new passion is machine work and my favorite metal is titanium.Thanks again,hope to hear from you,Fred ps I did subscribe to your utube channel-awesome stuff!!!!
I sent you an email Fred!