DIY Riser Block for 6" x 26" Mills (Grizzly, Enco, etc.)

A lack of distance between the spindle and table appears to be a universal issue for owners of these popular import mills. I think I may have come up with a relatively easy to fabricate riser block to fix the problem.

McMaster-Carr carries a 6" dia. pipe flange (Pt.#68905K389) that is almost made to order for my riser block project. They are 6" in diameter, 3/4" thick, with a 3.10" x 1/4" flange on one side. They cost approximately $26.00 each, and with slight modification, will stack pancake style to whatever height you desire. The machine work necessary is:

Drill two 1/2" holes in each plate
Mill or face the flange off all but one plate
Bore the existing center hole in one plate to 3.10"
Cut to length two 3/4" dowel pins (drill rod or CR round)

I'm waiting for warm day to install it. There may be some minor dimension differences in these mills depending on name brand. It's a good idea to check dimensions on yours before going too far.

Attachment 38193 Attachment 38194 Attachment 38197

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would it not be eazer and possiably cheeper to get some thick walled pipe? even 2 thick walled pipes with end caps welded on and a few added supports welded beteen the 2 then face them all off at the length you want. I have the enco small mill like that with the longer column. Ive not looked at the one you have there,.How much if any does the head rise?? or is it just quill raise&lower? I do like your thinken with using the flanges, just not sure that many stacked will be stout enough to keep vibration,harmonics,chatter away. my mill is the 1975 or 79 year enco.Ive done lots fo stuff with both those years( I have one at home I no longer use,( birdge port to replace it) and had one at work I used almost daily, thus the 2 years.slight diferances in operation. also be sure to tram it in!!! mine was way off when I got it 20 years ago, witch is why it still looked like new..and still does as I do tend to take care of all my stufff real well.

Marksbug: This has been tackled in many different ways by others: Machined from solid blocks, heavy pipe with end flanges, individual tubes around each bolt, etc. Hadn't seen this tried before, so I thought I would give it a try.

Is that a souped up VW in your avatar picture? I did one with a small block Chevy engine about 40 years ago.

Attachment 38212

ya thats my old bug ,2332cc engine.lots of extra power and totaly awesome gass millage.(about 35mpg when your foot isant always on the floor) the std vw engines are so under powered they have to works way to hard, thus tens to heat&eat them selves up and use a lot of fuel for no reason.
my old enco milldrill has the long round tube with rack&pinion to raise & lower it as well as rotate the entire head around. if yours has a similar system that dont raise possibly make a longer tube and add a rack& pinion or something...even a screw lift.. I've seen the ones like yours but just never really looked at them. Im just worried that all those flanges and the 4 bolts may not be "solid" enough. if possible if I were going to do it that way I might do some thinking on adding 2 or 4 more bolts or studs. keep up all the forward thinking!! and keep posting ideas and mods!!!thats what moves us all forward.

Sir You have the part number wrong it is 68095k389. I called mcmaster carr in chicago.

Thank you - I transposed two numbers. The number is correct in the Drawing, but wrong in my text.