Newbie- Tree 2UVR weight

[midlf]

I have just acquired a Tree 2UVR and will need to move it home. The current owner, who did not move it to its present location, says it weighs about 2000 pounds. However he also said a Logan 955 Lathe was 300 pounds when Logan lists it as 850. Another post on this forum mentioned the 2UVR weight as 3000 pounds.

As I have to move this to my place I will need to know how much weight I am dealing with. What is the weight of a Tree 2UVR mill? Is there anything I should be aware of when moving this mill.



As this is my first post I'll give a bit of background. In high school I wanted to take shop courses but the folks and HS councilors said "no way - college track for you." That all worked out OK but I've always liked to work with my hands fixing, modifying and making all kinds of mechanical things. I've always wanted a metal lathe, it sure would have helped with many things I've done. (Making parts by spinning them in a drill press and cutting with a file or die grinder is somewhat crude.) For many years I couldn't afford a lathe, then when I could afford them I had no space. Now I have a 30X70 stable that will be my shop when I get a concrete floor poured. The temp shop is a 2-1/2car garage. I figured I would start looking for a lathe when I got the floor done. While pursuing some of my other interests I ran into someone who was going to be selling his Logan 955 lathe, a Tree 2UVR and a rotary phase converter for what I felt was a very good price. A bit sooner than I had planned but, oh well. So now I own a lathe and a mill and have to get them moved. Now, 45+ years after I couldn't take shop I'll be learning those skills. I'll have a lot of other, probably very basic, questions I'll post in more appropriate forums. I'll also be in closer contact with friends who are/were tool and die maker and machinists.

[Tony Montana]

Congratulations on your new machines!

Weight varies due to the style of motor, options like motor brake, etc but 2950 pounds is about right.

Top heavy is the key word for moving this style of mill. Crank the table all the way down and consider inverting the head to lower the center of gravity even more (drain the lube out of the head first though). If you're using a fork lift, lift it by forking under the ram (protect the ram with some 2x4's) not under the base. Moving it across a floor is easy with some steel pipe sections and lever bars, just like the Egyptians did. I'm probably over careful, but I've never dropped a machine and still have all my fingers...

[midlf]

Thanks for the input. I've rented a truck with a 3000lb tailgate rating for the move and lined up some friends for assistance.

[Tony Montana]

No problem. Good luck with your move!

[midlf]

Well we got it done. It was not easy. The biggest problem was the narrow width of the base vs the height of the center of gravity. We had 1/2" galvanized pipes to move it on and that went well. The truck tailgate was narrow, just wide enough for the depth of the mill, and the tailgate being steel, the mill was not very secure sliding wise. A very long story could go here but I'll just cut to the final solution. We jacked the mill up and bolted 4' long 4X4's to the bottom of the mill to make the base width 48" rather than 21". The wood 4X4's reduce the slip factor and make the high center of gravity manageable. Pipes larger than 1/2" are very desirable, 1" would probably be best.

[Tony Montana]

Glad to hear the move went well!

Let us know how she runs when you get it going.

Lots of helpful folks on here if you run into a problem. Check the Yahoo Tree group for more info as well.

[midlf]

Thanks Tony. I have found and signed up for the Yahoo Tree Machine group. Right now my big question is do I have a 2UVR or a 2UV. I have a multi-position belt drive head and the the table has no power feed but the door says 2UVR. I doubt it will make any difference for my use. I'll have to get some pictures and post them and ask for opinions as to the model.

[Tony Montana]

I'm still thinking you've got an early 2UV with a 2UVR door. Every 2UVR that I've seen has the variable speed head and the power feed. You are right about it not making much difference.

Posting pics of it is a great idea.