Shipping a Bridgeport Milling Machine

The owner of Speedshift has a rather unusual hobby. He collects and restores old machinery. That is really how Speedshift came about. Finding a cheap and safe way to move those Ebay and auction bargains around the country was rather difficult and very expensive. Hence Speedshift came into being.

The ideal way to move such machinery is with a HIAB lorry. The cost can be significant however and often a HIAB lorry can’t access someone’s home address.

Using Speedshift brings the cost right down. We are always available to give advice and suggestions on how to ship complex pieces of machinery.

Points to remember.

A tail lift on a typical 18 tonner will only cope with 1000kg. We can actually ship up to 2000kg through the network but there would have to be forklifts at collection and delivery points. If you have restricted access, please remember that a 7.5 ton lorry may only be able to lift 750kg and the tail lift on a Luton van will only cope with 500kg.

The driver will use a pallet truck to move the pallet. Remember they only have small wheels so it needs to be good firm ground. Tarmac, concrete or brick etc. They will NOT move on gravel! Proper packing is essential. Especially for things like Milling Machines. You don’t want your new toy to be damaged and there are also safety issues. How would you feel if a driver was to be injured? A very real possibility with big bits of machinery.

Here is a step by step guide to shipping a Bridgeport or similar turret mill. A Bridgeport typically weighs 950kg. Be cautious with some of the Chinese/Taiwanese clones. They can be a lot bigger and heavier. If they are an R8 spindle you should be fine. INT30 or 40 taper and you will probably need a forklift.

1. Make sure you have a good, strong, full sized pallet. A 120x100 pallet NOT a 120x80. The wider the base the more stable it will be. Red and blue pallets are ideal. Make sure they are not rotten.
2. Screw a piece of plywood to the pallet. Make sure the screws don’t stick out underneath.
3. Place the milling machine on the pallet. Not easy without lifting gear but can be done with jacks and blocks. A typical engine crane won’t do this as the pallet is too wide for the legs.
4. Bolt the base of the machine to the pallet and ply. Drill straight through. Use coachbolts with the domed head underneath so they don’t foul the forklift or pallet truck. Coachbolts can be bought from Screwfix or similar. You will need long ones. Or use studding but remember to have the bare minimum stick out under the pallet.
5.  It is ESSENTIAL to lower the centre of gravity as much as possible. Take off any machine vices and place on the pallet. Wind the knee down as low as it will go. Then rotate the head completely upside down. See the photos below.
6. Winding the head down is pretty straightforward. You may have a locking pin on the left hand side of the head. Pull this out. There are 4 domed head bolts on the front face of the head facing you. Slacken these off but not too much. Then use a socket spanner to turn the head rotating gears. It helps to have 2 people. One to lift the head slightly to take the weight off the gears. If the head won’t go all the way upside down then you may need to move the table forward slightly.
7. If you can’t get the person you bought the machine off to bolt it down then 2 ratchet straps minimum may be ok. But the head MUST be down or it will tip over.
8. Shrinkwrap? Just put some over the motor and the electrics. Do not try to wrap the whole machine. Best left naked so the driver can see where to attach his straps.

When booking a Bridgeport you will need to book as either 1 Full pallet or possibly 2 spaces depending on the table size.

When the depot delivers they will call you in advance on the economy service. It is always handy if you could be there to help the driver. Whilst technically a kerb to kerb service many drivers will go the extra mile and put it into your garage or workshop if access is ok. This would be a favour by the driver it is not guaranteed.

Any questions just give us a call on 0845 519 0270

Speedshift | Pallet Shipping