Having a machine shipped - looking for insights

C

Charlieman22

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First post, so perhaps a short intro:
- Growing interest in fabrication which include MIG/TIG welding/ 2 stroke motor tuning & modification
- Projects have outgrown my bench top drill press - by quite a bit.
- Recently found myself fabricating a jig to mount a boring head on to surface some 2 stroke motor cases
- Decided I needed a lathe - but before I could pull the trigger on one - found my way to the mill pages.
- If these machines were alcohol - I would be headed for AA - and I haven't even managed to get in the package store yet.

Which brings me to here:
I have a line on a full size mill
I've flip flopped on finding a real deal BP for rebuild, but landed instead at very lightly used fully decked out Asian clone.
It's pretty, and its clean, and just a few years old - with quality ball screws/DRO/central oiling/lubrication and drip pan/VS/power draw bar/all axis powered...
Some method to my madness tho: I decided I want to get right to using the machine - rather than refurbishing out of the gate.
Oh - and the price is quite right.
I never stood a chance.

My question:
Seller is in midwest.
I am out west.
Seller has no interest in any prep, or shipping...
I mean - I'm not sure he will even put it on a pallet.

Looking for advice on how to approach this.
Are there companies that will palletize/wrap/remove handles/lower head/block... and load?
Any input/creative solutions highly welcome.
Many thanks.
-CM
 
Welcome to H-M.

Is going to pick it up yourself out of the question? I've been told that truck rental companies have attractive rates for one-way trips to CA at this time. Fly to where the machine is, pick up a Penske, Enterprise or (God forbid) a U-Haul truck (w/ liftgate) and bring it home.

Have you already closed the deal (delivered the money) or are you in the planning stage?

If you're in the Los Angeles area, I can't believe you can't find a better (lower total cost for equivalent or better machine) deal very close to home.

Regarding your actual question. Of course such crating and freight forwarding companies exist. It sounds like high risk to me, given that it's far away and (assumed) you don't know what's available in the area. If you find someone to crate it, insist that they provide you with comprehensive and detailed photos of the condition of the machine and the packaging. You will have an up-hill battle trying to get a satisfactory reimbursement for any damage incurred during transit. Google rigging companies near the machine's zip code and talk with them for leads and or quotes.

Good luck.

Following is a link to a very recent thread about shipping damage on a new machine:

www.hobby-machinist.com

PM-1440TL shipping mishap

I’m curious, what was the drivers response? Looking closely at the photos... I could be wrong but it looks like the shipping company added a couple of pallets to the load to help hold broken and loose parts in, and then wrapped the new additions. Repackaging is a sure sign the lathe was dropped...
www.hobby-machinist.com www.hobby-machinist.com
 
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Sounds expensive to me! I don't know of any shipping companies that do rigging. There are lots of rigging companies but you would be well over a hundred an hour. Sounds like to me a forklift would need to be brought to the location. Unless you are doing it yourself and renting a low trailer and moving it on pipes and come alongs to load it, It won't be cheap. Riggers aren't all rainbows and unicorns either. I paid $1200 (only half, the other party paid the other half) and they showed up with an outdoor lift truck after 4" of snow. I ended up unloading and or pushing them with my lift truck.
Another solution is a roll off. You are still going to pay $80 an hour both ways. Only use a roll off with someone you know of or someone can recommend them.

Make sure its on ground level
Dock level would be better
Will he supply a pallet?
Make sure it will be tarped

I see machines from California on here all the time from Mr Woopie. Looks like a gold mine of machinery in California!

Wish you good luck with the machine.
Cheers
Martin
 
Yeah I second the thought that you can find what you want far closer to home. How about looking at it this way:

Figure that getting it to you will cost, oh, $2000, which is probably optimistic*. Anyway, add that to the selling price of what your looking at, and start looking locally. That $2000 is a lot of money when it comes to used Big Iron, so, yeah, I think you need to step back and be patient. Being in a hurry = $$$$, but if you need something now, there are a number of used equipment sellers in the LA area; I see their ads all the time in Craig's List. Besides, you said that you wanted a BP... well, put that $2000 toward one - locally.

* I wanted a 2500-lb lathe moved 3 miles to my house, and the first mover I contacted wanted $1000.
 
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First I think you would be wise to step back and think this through. You haven't seen or checked out this mill yet. There is nothing like an in-person visit to be sure you aren't wasting your hard earned hobby dollars. If you go, and you like it, then you are there to make appropriate arrangements.

1) The machine has to get onto a pallet. Crating is not necessary or desirable to ship a mill. I have shipped two mills across country and personally moved 5 more, so I kinda have a handle on this. Removing handles and rotating the head are essential, however.
2) You need to know in advance who will be doing the pickup and that they are equipped to load a palleted machine weighing (approx) 1 tonne. Research before you go is the way.
3) You need to have a shipping quote in hand before going to the mill so if you like it you can pull the trigger immediately.

Doing the research for #2 and #3 will prepare you for your final purchase no matter what mill you buy.
Viewing the mill in person - perhaps with a senior local HobbyMachinist.com member to help you will help you avoid a lemon.
 
I'm with the others. What you spend on shipping, etc., is going to make it less attractive. Ball screws or not, if it's one of the worse asian clones, it may be lipstick on a pig.

The one thing I was told when I started looking for machines is to just be patient. I was patient, and got really lucky on the machines I have. Both needed work (the lathe is done, the mill is next) - but it also lets me get intimate with the inner workings of the machine. I'll know more than just an operator.

I'd hold off until you found something local. Plus it will give you more time to do more research.
 
If I could ever fully retire , this would be a great hobby job to get into . Got a truck and trailer to haul machines . Charge by time and gas I guess .
 
If I couldn't do it myself, or didn't have a lot of good help on the other end, I wouldn't even consider it.
 
Alright gents,
Thank you for the responses & insights.
If honest - I thought they might be worse...
I mean - sight unseen purchase of Asian mill and long haul needs with no help - recipe for disaster...
But I thought I would ask worse case and see what y'all thought.
Some good stuff came back.

Some details:
From my hunting, I would say that the rates out here are:
$2K-3Kfor BP in rough condition but not quite scrap.
$5K-$6K for BP hard beaten manual BP - maybe with original geared x axis and old DRO if lucky. Operational but well used.
$9K-$10K+ for BP with modern DRO and X axis in what seller says is good working order or new Precision Mathews or the like with same features.

The one I have my eye on is $4700 ~ about half the price of a new PM machine or the like with same options added. And I would still pay shipping...
I can see it on Monday.
Seller has a loading dock and fork lift.
I do work in the area - so not out of the question that I would go and prep it for shipping myself on their floor - someone will have to do it if they are ever going to get it to leave.

Curious if the group thinks I have my numbers off from above?
Thanks to all for the direct feedback and suggestions.

-CM

*Edit: Son is in that part of the world finishing up school. Have to get him home with his stuff mid summer. Is palleted and placed in bed of 2500 pickup viable option for transport?
 
Dabbler said:
First I think you would be wise to step back and think this through. You haven't seen or checked out this mill yet. There is nothing like an in-person visit to be sure you aren't wasting your hard earned hobby dollars. If you go, and you like it, then you are there to make appropriate arrangements.

1) The machine has to get onto a pallet. Crating is not necessary or desirable to ship a mill. I have shipped two mills across country and personally moved 5 more, so I kinda have a handle on this. Removing handles and rotating the head are essential, however.
2) You need to know in advance who will be doing the pickup and that they are equipped to load a palleted machine weighing (approx) 1 tonne. Research before you go is the way.
3) You need to have a shipping quote in hand before going to the mill so if you like it you can pull the trigger immediately.

Doing the research for #2 and #3 will prepare you for your final purchase no matter what mill you buy.
Viewing the mill in person - perhaps with a senior local HobbyMachinist.com member to help you will help you avoid a lemon.
Click to expand...
Dabbler - good details on this one based on your direct experience. Thanks.
 
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