weight reduction on a Denford Novamil

[sundancer]

I have to move my workshop upstairs in the building currently occupy, I have to either sell my mill or make it lighter so I can get it up two long flights of stairs. the main bulk of the machine is in the column, and I wondered If I could reduce the weight by getting some of the girth machined away, it seems totally over engineered for its size and power & weighs 375 lbs. Id appreciate views on if its advisable to do it & if so the best way to accomplish.

[Clive S]

I have to move my workshop upstairs in the building currently occupy, I have to either sell my mill or make it lighter so I can get it up two long flights of stairs. the main bulk of the machine is in the column, and I wondered If I could reduce the weight by getting some of the girth machined away, it seems totally over engineered for its size and power & weighs 375 lbs. Id appreciate views on if its advisable to do it & if so the best way to accomplish.

It would be a bad idea to mill the casting away. Why not take the column on its own and then the base etc.

[sundancer]

It would be a bad idea to mill the casting away. Why not take the column on its own and then the base etc.

I will probably need to move everything again at least once in the near future, so taking it apart, reassembling and calibrating it each time I move is not something Id want to do more than once.
Im only contemplating doing it as Im happy with the machine performance, accuracy and machining envelope, and id like to keep it if possible.

if this is going to affect the machine in a detrimental way, I guess I need to look to something lighter to replace it with.

[JohnHaine]

You won't get a lighter machine with anything like the quality. Cheapest option probably to get a professional moving company to do the job.

[hanermo2]

Moving machines is easy.
My mill is 2.4x2.4x1.6m, 2400 kg, and easily disassembled son one guy and a pallet truck could move every single piece on his own.