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How best to mount small mill on non-level cement floor?

EPaxx

Member
So I just brought home this small milling machine that is mounted on a cabinet.
IMG_5646.jpeg
As is visible in the photo, it is mounted to some C-channel to facilitate lifting with a forklift as well as raise the mill to a bit more comfortable milling height. The issue is that my shop's floor, while cement, is extremely uneven. I found out immediately that this is going to be a problem. As soon as it touched down it was rocking in all directions. As you can see, the previous owner(s) didn't bolt the c-channel riser to the stand, but welded it and so it looks like I am gonna have to grind the welds out to remove the rails......... OR...... I could make some machinist's jacks I guess to each corner. Or.........???

I guess my questions are: What are your suggestions? How do guys attach these types of cabinets to a cement floor to minimize vibration and movement? And what do guys do for risers/platforms for machines that sit too low?

Some issues I see are:
1) The stand is is too narrow to give great stability regardless of the even-ness of the floor.
2) The riser they made is great for a forklift but will need to be set on a perfectly level surface to not rock.
3) The riser isn't tall enough to do much good anyway. When I picked it up from them they had it sitting on a wheeled cart that raised it another 6" and that was getting close to the right height for me to work at.

Any and all thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
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Bofobo

M,Mizera(BOFOBO)
Best tool ever, the inclined plain. Some wedges and good level, should provide the stability you need, they have plastic ones if you fear wood crushing
 

EPaxx

Member
Best tool ever, the inclined plain. Some wedges and good level, should provide the stability you need, they have plastic ones if you fear wood crushing
Thanks!!!! I LOVE simple solutions!!!! Didn't even cross my mind!!!! :D
 

CalgaryPT

Ultra Member
Vendor
Premium Member
Probably overkill for your application but a lot of people are using plastic palettes now like these: https://www.uline.ca/Product/AdvSearchResult?keywords=plastic pallet

The HD ones have multiple touch points, so you can drill holes in the feet and add levelers that compensate for any floor surface. Best of all you can move them with a pallet jack/forklift AND you get your increased height. If you looked around I'm sure you could find smaller ones, but no way they will compare the cost effective solution suggested by @Bofobo
 

EPaxx

Member
Probably overkill for your application but a lot of people are using plastic palettes now like these: https://www.uline.ca/Product/AdvSearchResult?keywords=plastic pallet

The HD ones have multiple touch points, so you can drill holes in the feet and add levelers that compensate for any floor surface. Best of all you can move them with a pallet jack/forklift AND you get your increased height. If you looked around I'm sure you could find smaller ones, but no way they will compare the cost effective solution suggested by @Bofobo
Those are interesting and would work great......but it would be a bit overkill for my purposes. Thanks for bringing these to my attention though as they may be useful somewhere down the road.

My mill is on a similar cabinet but without the c channel. I made adjustable hockey puck feet for mine.
Another one of those simple solutions that I love!!! Thanks. Will have to see how many pucks I've got laying around!! :)
 

RobinHood

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Looks like a good score on that machine.

I would leave the C-channels and add some 2x2 heavy wall pieces cross wise to them so that they stick out on either side so you can fit your adjustable feet (hockey pucks?) to them. Makes the overall set-up more stable because of the wider footprint.
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I've poured a concrete base for my large drill press and that gave it the increased height and stability it needed. I used carriage bolts as the feet and cast a coupling nut into the cement for adjustable. I used one for each of the four corners but if I were to do it again I would only use 3 in a triangular pattern. Although I can get the machine perfectly level and stable with the four bolts, if it moves just a little bit on my uneven floor it starts to rock and weeble. 3 bolts in a tripod arrangement would solve this.
 
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