[rlevin]

Greetings all,

Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to get a small vmc under a 68 inch garage door?

I realize that this depends on the particular vmc, but I am hoping that someone can steer me to one that won't be too hard to disassemble, or tilt, to get into the garage.

Ideally, a machine with xyz of at least 20 x 15 x 15 is sought. An atc is strongly desired. The plan is to make many good parts for years, so lightweight hobby and converted knee mills are not attractive.

Thank you for your help.

[HPbyGD]

In my old shop I had to take the motor off of my cnc mill to get it through the garage door. Then put in between the rafters for the motor to clear when I put it back on the machine. It was a little work but I was just careful and made sure to remember how things came apart so I could get it back together.
Gary

[rlevin]

Thanks, HPbyGD.

What kind of mill was it? A bed mill or knee?

Do you think it is possible to tilt an assembled mill without damaging it? I mean,
will its own weight supported in an unusual way damage something?

I was thinking of constructing some kind of 'tilting frame' from welded steel tube
to fit whatever mill I get. Then tipping it over and moving it in. What do you think?

[HPbyGD]

I would be affraid to try an lean a mill over. I don't know how I would support it while I was moving it through the door. My mill is a Shizouka knee mill. It weighs about 6500 lbs I guess. I wouldn't want it to start falling and all I could do is watch or get killed! I was lucky to have a friend set it right in front of my garage door and then I just had to move it inside and I was able to do that my self. Actually it was pretty easy. Like I said the hardest part was taking the motor off as I had never worked on this mill before.
Gary

[Geof]

Ideally, a machine with xyz of at least 20 x 15 x 15 is sought. An atc is strongly desired. The plan is to make many good parts for years,

You will need to do a lot of comparing. I think finding something with these travels will be impossible. I am familiar with Haas machines and they are more or less typical in size; a VF0 is 20 x 16 x 20, weighs 7500 lbs, stands almost eight feet high, is around eight feet wide and just under eight feet front to back. The Haas MiniMill is 16 x 12 x 10, nearly 6000lbs, is just under eight feet high and around five feet in width and front to back.

It might be possible to make a tilting frame to lay a MiniMill on its back but you would really need to know what you were doing. I think your best approach is to look at either raising the door or lowering the floor.

I know lowering the floor sounds a bit odd but I know of a guy who moved a big machine (around 10000lb) into the sunken basement of his house by digging a deep hole in his lawn, putting the machine in this, sliding it into the basement then filling the hole.

[nervis1]

My garage door is 82" tall and I had to remove the z axis motor and track from a small Fadal VMC to get it under 82", just barely, maybe 0.1 clearance.

To go under 68" well even on it's back the mill was over 68" thick, in any dimension a small VMC is liable to be more than 68"

I'd get ahold of the local riggers and see if they can figure something out for you, you would have to have a specific machine and dimensions to show them.

How about a bigger garage door?

Might cost a couple thou to have someone do it but might be worth it in the long run?

[rlevin]

Oops. I misread the tape measure. With the door removed I would have 82 inches, just what nervis1 has. I guess that is a common dimension. So I guess I could cram a Fadal in there. Nervis1, can you tell me exactly what model you have?

[nervis1]

VMC 15. I'm getting a Haas VF-2 that will fit too. Any Fadal or Haas small frame model will fit with a little removing of this and that.

Fadal VMC 15 (the new model is 2216) or 3016

Haas VF-1, VF-2

Sharp 2412

lots of other smaller import VMCs too

The VF-3 or 4020s are over 100 tall with the z axis motor off. You can get them in but you'll need to remove the spindle motor and trans is you have one, that's more than I wanted to deal with as the spindle motors are very big and heavy, like 150-200 lb, I just don't have the gear to do that kind of thing.


Dave

[rlevin]

Thank you nervis1, and everyone else, for all the information.