I'm just a few days away from the same machine and stand arriving.
Will follow your thread also!
I'm excited too!
Joe
I was thinking I might be waiting into my golden years by the time this thing came. Everything is as it should be, nothing damaged. Going to go rent the hoist and pallet jack in a bit. I am renting a big ass hoist that is wider than the stand so I don't have to be putting blocks up under it to fit. Got the wife cutting up the metal banding for me, she always helps me out, I love her. She is exited to learn to operate it. I shall post more as I progress.
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I'm just a few days away from the same machine and stand arriving.
Will follow your thread also!
I'm excited too!
Joe
Congratulations to both of you. Mine arrived more than a year ago and I'm almost smart enough to run it!
to lazy to chase arrows
Thank you!
I know I will have lots to learn as well - looking forward to it!
Joe
Alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have the 770, love it so far, amazing piece of equipment for the cost.
I have had my 1100 for 5 1/2 years now and I love it as much now as I did when first I got it
I don't take outside work any more, i use it strictly to support my gas powered remote control race boats and trucks.
You can buy GOOD PARTS or you can buy CHEAP PARTS, but you can't buy GOOD CHEAP PARTS.
Well, getting put up on the stand was amazingly easy. Only hard part as getting up this 5 inch tall step on my garage floor. But with the pallet jack, cro bars and some 5/16 round bars I had laying aroundit was not too bad.
I saw a lot of other videos and postings on how to do this but I didnt like any of them. I went and rented a Bluebird hoist that disassmebles and is easily transported. Most rental places carry these for like 30 bucks a day. The legs just clear the whole base so what I did was lift the mill up, slide the base under, set the machine down and then used the pallet jack to easily move it into position. Really could not have been any easier. So dont bother with regular engine hoists, do yourself a favor and rent one of these:
Bring the stand to the machine, not the machine to the stand. You can level it and all that stuff later.
So I didnt have enough room for the hoist to fit up there with the machine so I used the pallet jack to prop up the rear level with the front, worked great.
Here are some terrible photos so far.
It is very exciting, indeed. At the moment, I have been using the Tormach they have at the Austin Techshop to make my parts. It sucks because I have only so many slots I can book per week, you have to set up and break down which takes time from your block and then you have to deal with all the ******** that dont clean, break tools and dont say anything, people that just take stuff and you comie in and there are things missing, etc.... I love the place and it is a great place to start but having my own machine and not having to worry about anyone's bull**** is heaven.
I have a ton of work for this thing already so as soon as it is wired tomorrow, I'll level it and its work time.
I have not felt like this since chritmas morning when I was 8 years old.
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Thank you, I ak so super excited to start making parts on this thing.
I am not interested in outside work, either. Apart from some collaborations I do now and then with some real talented furniture makers, I dont want the work, I have enough of my own. Actually more that one machine can handle, I am getting another one or a Brother Speedio real soon.
Curious- was it shipped from Wisconsin or somewhere else?
One of there distribution warehouses is in Las Vegas. That feeds the west coast and that is where mine was delivered from. I'm guess logistics wise it comes into port in Los Angeles and then they take to Vegas where there warehouse is located. They might have another one in Wisconsin to feed the Midwest and east coast region of the country but I am not sure about that.
Awesome that your wife is involved as well. Building lasting memories! It will also be easier to convince her to buy more tooling too if shes involved and excited
The Bluebird hoist information is really useful. Probably should be in the Tormach setup guide! The fact that it fits AROUND the stand is the most critical point.
Exactly which model did you have?
Digging further at Bluebird...KD1200 or KD1500? Inside of legs is about 32", outside 41", 99 1/2" hook to floor (1200), 91 1/2 for 1500.
Engine Lifts: ICF Industries: Pleasant Hill, MO (Previously a BlueBird Int. Product) (Now ICF industries)
My 1100 base is 36x38, roughly, and the legs would get in the way a bit. This could still be useful for the 1100. The lift base height is 5". A pallet jack, some spacers to get the machine base a little higher, and this lift would still be a pretty workable system for pulling the machine on or off the base with the load well centered in the hoist.
Last edited by GLCarlson; 03-01-2017 at 02:28 PM. Reason: update
That is a nice hoist, that base design would make the process a factor more easy and safe.. I purchased a cheap hf unit not even rated to lift the weight. After inspecting the lift and knowing engineering margins I was not concerned but would have taken much less effort if it had that base configuration. In past I had looked at re-configuring my hoist base to be like the one used here but it is left as another project on the list for now.
Another tip is pick up some stick on door weather strip at home depot and cut a couple little squares and stick on corners of all the base doors. Lets them latch properly and not rattle metal on metal.
I also use some plastic channels that are normally used on desks to organize power and data cables to keep all the cables and oil lines on back of machine safe and secure. My machine is located so I can walk on all sides for easy service and cleaning also.
Looking good!
I believe I got the 1500 because it was rated for 1500 lbs. It is the same as the Tip TowII on the first hook. One breaks down to manageable sections, the other you tow behind your car.
The legs fit perfectly to each side of the base so no blocks are needed under the base to fit the hoist.
Thanks. Absolutely great info.
My 1100 base -several years old- is 35 1/2 inches wide at the front. And clearly the Bluebird just fit around yours. Wonder if Tormach has quietly made the base a few inches smaller, or perhaps I misinterpreted the drawing at the ICF site. Hope it's the latter- an easy way to haul the 1100 on and off the base is invaluable.
I have a 2 car garage but I keep my 1996 jeep on one side. My tormach sets centered in the middle of the 2nd garage door with the back about 2 feet from garage door. Enough room to walk behind it. most the time there is big heavy things like rolling tool cart with 8" super spacer on it, floor jacks, hf hoist in corner and whatever is big and not in use but easy to move out so I can service tormach. And my trolly crane is right above it mounted to ceiling and runs 20 feet down center of that garage bay.
The first picture of it set. head is still in the wood block
cable trays
Trolly