Milling Machine Stand

This page collects a few photos for a simple project I undertook to build when I first got my Tig welder going. It's a stand for my Industrial Hobbies milling machine. Having read that vibration can seriously impact the quality of surface finish, and not wanting this 900lb machine tool to rest on an unsteady surface, I opted to build a pretty beefy stand for it. The basic platform is constructed of 1/4" steel plate and 1/4" wall 4" x 4" square and 4" x 2" rectangular tubing. Tig is what I used, but Mig would have been faster. Still, the Tig worked out pretty nice and it was good to keep my Tig skillz honed with this project.

On with the photo essay!

The basic plan: is that solid enough fer ye?

Here is my Tig welder...

Proper fit up is very important...

You have to grind off that rust before trying to weld...

Here we go!

Basic Tig Welding...

The Glamor Shot...

Not the finest welds in the land, but they will do!

Voila! One Mill Stand, Ready to Go...

Are you ready to parté, monsieur mill?

Splash Tray

When I get finished building the table, the next step will be a drip pan and back splash similar to what I've depicted in these Rhino drawings:

The Splash Tray that will go atop the Mill Table...

I've got a line on a fellow that does HVAC sheet metal work who can put together the tray for me. I will probably try to set up and run the mill for a bit before installing the tray--I am impatient to try it out! I intend to spray the inside of the splash pan and back splash with Rhino Liner, a product made for pickup truck beds that should be ideal for this purpose. I will eventually also want to fabricate a flood coolant system with drainage from the tray. One step at a time, sometimes less...

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