"So are you saying one could use the HF crane by raising the stand using blocks of some sort, set the mill on the stand and attach it, then raise the mill and stand, remove the blocks, then lower the whole thing?"
Yes
"Something like that? With the stand raised at its feet, will the HF crane's legs fit under it?"
Yes but I believe I had to add one more layer of bricks.
"So far as small machines go, I've loved mine. I don't make particularly large parts out of metal anyway. They do need tweaking. My oldest small mill has a lead screw in the Z axis, DRO, ceiling mounted counter weight for the head and about 250 pounds of large angle plates that make it very stiff. I have bored holes into 2" 6061 using 3/4" end mills. Just to see if I could do it. "
Oh don't get me wrong, I too have done things like this, but it takes forever.... Great machines to learn on, but not for a business. We're talking 5 ipm max.
"I want CNC and I want a bigger machine for the envelope. But even the 1100 doesn't have the Y axis that a gantry crane router CNC could. Shame those can't really do metal work. Same money could provide a work envelope bigger than 24" square."
I'm not sure how a router holds up against a 1100 mill, not even sure you can cut heavy with a router. Maybe you can, but it does depend on what you want to cut.