How do I move this lathe safely to my workshop?

[better-lathe-than-never]

Ok. We now have a Gentleman's agreement for the purchase of this lathe and I'm scheduled to go pick it up next Saturday. I'll bring a flat bed motorcycle trailer for the machine and I'm told that they have a fork lift on site to help load it onto the trailer. Supposedly the machine with it's base and additional steel dolly that they use to roll it around the flat ground weighs about 1,300lbs, but as you can see in the attached photo - I have plenty of straps, but as you can see in the photos it's very top heavy plus it's on heavy casters and I don't see a good way to rig it safely to the trailer.

I'm trying to figure out what the best way is to secure it for the journey home - some four hours away up some steep mountain passes. Perhaps I should take if off the dolly and remove it off the base, then set it flat on the trailer in three separate pieces - is this the best way?

Taking it apart maybe best for transportation but when I get home I'll just have a 1 ton engine hoist for unloading. How do others do it?

 

[matthewsx]

Congratulations!!!!

The most important thing to remember when moving machinery is that you move it with your brain, not your muscles.

I would definitely seperate the lathe from it's base, should just be 6 or 8 bolts. While you have the forklift work to find the balance point where it doesn't tilt downwards at the headstock. Be very mindful of the feed rods and leadscrew, you don't want to mess those up.

Spend some time thinking through how you will unload it and put it back on the stand a gantry crane is ideal but many of us have done it with the HF engine hoist. Pay attention to the legs of the hoist, you may have to block up the legs for clearance. Having the rolling frame is a good thing, at least while you are figuring out the machine and where it will go.

Good luck

John

 

[woodchucker]

first, bring 2x4s and other blocking. you want to prevent the straps from bending the screws and rods on the front ..
Bring some blocks to stick under the unit so the wheels are not in play.
I don't know how sturdy your trailer is. I hope its not a bolt together type, and is a welded trailer. The bolt together (HF) is too twisty.

take off whatever you can that's floppy. secure it in the vehicle or truck bed.
if you can take the chip shield off great, you now have access to strap that baby down. run your straps over the top of the bed, down under the bed to a webing and back over the top of the adjacent bay back over the ways. so it's coming in over the ways, and out over the ways, the webing of the bed is what provides a solid tie down.. Your 1 ton lift is enough to lift it, problem is you wont have enough reach.
Any way to bring it into the garage, setup some chain fall over your rafters???
Or take it apart and carry it off.-- reassemble in it's location.

 

[matthewsx]

Yes, wood....

2x4, 4x4. 4x8, 6x6, etc....

Short and long.

And pipes.

John

 

[woodchucker]

one more thing... you are right it is top heavy. I have a woodworking lathe that kept going over, because it's a cabinet like that.
you cannot prevent it from going over you will get crushed. I would recommend 2 2x4's drill the cabinet low, with 2 holes on each cabinet, and drill the 2x4s the same. Make them out riggers so that it stops the machine from falling over, something that stops it... lower the better.

it's just a good way when you are rolling it to be sure it doesn't go over.

Just a thought.

 

[cwilliamrose]

I just moved a bunch of machines including a lathe. I would think you could set the lathe on blocks and strap it down similar to the way it was done on mine. I wouldn't take it apart unless your trailer is the issue but I might take it off the wheels.

 

[better-lathe-than-never]

I don't know how sturdy your trailer is. I hope its not a bolt together type, and is a welded trailer. The bolt together (HF) is too twisty.

Any way to bring it into the garage, setup some chain fall over your rafters???
Or take it apart and carry it off.-- reassemble in it's location.

The trailer is very sturdy, welded together with a flat ramp on the back - friend of mine transports two huge Harley Davidsons on it. The lathe probably weighs less than one of them. Not concerned about it.

I could definitely back the trailer into my garage, but I don't have any rafters to attach anything to - however my neighbor down the street has a car lift and we could unload it there and just roll the dolly three houses down on the concrete sidewalk - if all else fails we'll just do that.

Or I'll just have to improvise a gantry crane with some pieces from the Steel yard, if not too expensive plus a chain hoist. Also, my Landcruiser has a winch (12,500 lbs) which I should be able to rig somehow... Got a week to figure it out.

 

[better-lathe-than-never]

I wouldn't take it apart unless your trailer is the issue but I might take it off the wheels.

That's also a good idea: If I could remove the wheels off that dolly and then take off the chip shield then I maybe able to rig it tight while still keeping it all together. Then.... when I get home, I could just use the Engine hoist (one end at a time) to help get it back on the dolly and then just roll it down the ramp while controlling its decent with a come-along, etc.

 

[cwilliamrose]

We had two options for lifting the lathe. There were two through holes for lifting bars in the base but we chose to use the substantial cast structure instead and leave the chip shield in place. Using that method meant we were off the CG a little but it wasn't going to tilt any more than what you see below so we went with it.

 

[matthewsx]

Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention the best thing for getting my 13x40 lathe moved....

Help from a couple of forum members who showed up with know how and equipment. All I had to do was ask, thanks guys

John