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• Log #2 - Unpacking

  Austin MacDonald • 2 days ago • 0 comments

  The mini vertical machining center (VMC) arrived in an open top wooden crate. The crate was accommodatingly placed inside the garage with DDP shipping option.
  
  My garage was pretty full of other machines at the time so i needed to prepare the new space for this machine.  
  

  Removing the crate walls required a prybar and hammer since the crate was nailed together to the pallet below. This took some effort and required access on all sides to accomplish. 
  

  The hardest part of process was preparing the machine to be lifted off of the pallet. This involved cutting straps, removing foam and plastic wrap, chiseling out the plywood blocking securing the machine in place, and raising the machine with the 4 corner adjustable feet. The tip here is to hammer a thin prybar to jam under the blocking so you can remove the blocking with one upwards pull. 
  

  Next, raising the machine above the pallet so the pallet can be removed required some thinking given that i did not have a forklift. I own a 2-ton floor jack and another 2-ton engine hoist but the hoist was not up to this task since reach and access were impossible. You cannot lift the machine by the spindle bracket like you can with a manual machine. This VMC210 machine has ball screws and 400W servo motors which do not appear to have brakes and are not actuated by the controller without power so they provide little resistance. I followed a similar technique to how a youtube video lifting a tormach 24R onto 4x4s with some blocking was attempted but without the trusty fork lift. 
  
  

  Once the wood blocking between the machine and pallet was removed you can slightly tip the machine by pushing against the welded steel enclosure. This is how i managed to slide some 2x4s between the wheels and adjustable feet as close to the edge as possible to ensure stability when lowering. The 2x4s were cut to approximately 6' long and 1' long 2x4s were used as blocks to support the long spans at each end. The wood blocking and beams should be able to support or slightly lift the machine off of the feet when loosened. 
  

  Now that the machine is supported by 2x4 lumber, the pallet can be easily slid out from underneath. 
  

  Next, a careful lowering process involving a floor jack was used. I made a short 2x4 block to equalize the pressure my jack applied to the underside of the machine at the edge without the long spans sticking out. This allowed me to tip the entire side of the machine up instead of lowering the machine corner by corner one at a time. Each lowering step i could easily remove one 2x4 block from each end of the span without much concern of tip over. If i were to do it again i would use 1x2 or rough sanded 3/4" plywood sheets cut into small 6x8" pieces. 

  The lowering process was most difficult at the end because my low profile floor jack kept getting its front end caught between the machine and the ground after i lowered it. I had to pucker a bit and pull hard to release the jack so the machine could fall slightly to the ground. Not ideal. Fork lift advised but confirmed floor jacks work too.
  
  

  The machine is around 400kg dry weight fully loaded with the extras like the ATC. Easy task for a floor jack. 
  

  The moving wheels are a must have and thankfully are included in the base cost. They smartly located them on the inside of the machine envelope instead of at the far corners so the machine can be most stable when levelled later. 
  

  The machine was nicely made of thick 2mm welded steel sheet and tempered glass windows. The manufacturer offers simple end mills, ISO20-ER16 tool holders, a 3" precision ground vice, a centering dial indicator for fair prices. I opted for 5 tool holders and the dial indicator. 
  

  The machine requires some fluids and compressed air in addition to an electrical inspection before you can turn it on. I stupidly tried to power on the machine without compressed air and way oil since the machine shipped with empty fluid reservoirs. The manufacturer sent...

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