Continuing the hinge idea...
Hinge to allow the head to be swung to the side out of the way, but only for storage (ie not a precision hinge mount for actual milling).
For work, you mount head to the ram using the ram dovetail. Some form of quick release for clamping the head to the dovetail, then you remove the connection between the head and hinge.
I'm thinking along the lines of the offside portion of the head female dovetail mount being removable so the head could be swung across to engage the nearside of the dovetail, offside dovetail part fitted (perhaps using dowels or some other form of locating mechanism) - then locked to the ram dovetail.
Head is now solidly attached to the ram dovetail and you can move it in and out.
Breaking that down though, you just end up with the head mounted to the ram dovetail and a hinge for storage.
Might be simpler and just as functional to keep the female dovetail on the head solid and use some form of simple jib to support it during mounting and allow it swing out of the way. Support the head on jib the in a position far enough forward to withdraw the ram, then just swing it out of the way. Reverse the operation to fit it.
Steve
Hinge to allow the head to be swung to the side out of the way, but only for storage (ie not a precision hinge mount for actual milling).
For work, you mount head to the ram using the ram dovetail. Some form of quick release for clamping the head to the dovetail, then you remove the connection between the head and hinge.
I'm thinking along the lines of the offside portion of the head female dovetail mount being removable so the head could be swung across to engage the nearside of the dovetail, offside dovetail part fitted (perhaps using dowels or some other form of locating mechanism) - then locked to the ram dovetail.
Head is now solidly attached to the ram dovetail and you can move it in and out.
Breaking that down though, you just end up with the head mounted to the ram dovetail and a hinge for storage.
Might be simpler and just as functional to keep the female dovetail on the head solid and use some form of simple jib to support it during mounting and allow it swing out of the way. Support the head on jib the in a position far enough forward to withdraw the ram, then just swing it out of the way. Reverse the operation to fit it.
Steve