How high is Atlas shaper stand?

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Birdpath

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Hi folks:

I am looking at buying an Atlas 7B shaper about 2 hours away from me. Trying to come up with a strategy to move it. From pictures I have seen, the shaper looks to be bolted (4 bolts?) to the original stand, possibly with a wooden top. Does anyone know about how high the stand is? I am wonder how close it is to the level of my Silverado 2500 tailgate. Considering whether it is an option to back right up to it, pull the bolts and slide it onto my truck bed. I also have a 14 foot two axle trailer or could rent one of those small open Uhaul trailers. Unloading it at home it not an issue (lots of help and equipment). Looking for the right mix of safe, economical and practical. My other concern is how top heavy the shaper is. I have moved a knee mill, lathe and horizontal mill, but they were all lifted from above with straps or with a forklift. This shaper looks to be right in the middle of easy and awkward. Thanks for any input. Daniel
 
Birdpath said:
Hi folks:

I am looking at buying an Atlas 7B shaper about 2 hours away from me. Trying to come up with a strategy to move it. From pictures I have seen, the shaper looks to be bolted (4 bolts?) to the original stand, possibly with a wooden top. Does anyone know about how high the stand is? I am wonder how close it is to the level of my Silverado 2500 tailgate. Considering whether it is an option to back right up to it, pull the bolts and slide it onto my truck bed. I also have a 14 foot two axle trailer or could rent one of those small open Uhaul trailers. Unloading it at home it not an issue (lots of help and equipment). Looking for the right mix of safe, economical and practical. My other concern is how top heavy the shaper is. I have moved a knee mill, lathe and horizontal mill, but they were all lifted from above with straps or with a forklift. This shaper looks to be right in the middle of easy and awkward. Thanks for any input. Daniel
Click to expand...

I don't think the original base ever had a wood top, but it could be the generic craftsman tool stand (same as mine). They come in different heights, but mine was pretty low. I brought a bunch of wood to put under the legs, then used a floor jack to lift the stand 2" at a time (then switched sides). I was able to get it into the back of my pickup by then unbolting it and sliding it into the back of the the truck.

I was able to lift mine with a forklift (actually, forks on my tractor) from above, I strapped it around the ram itself, front and back (though in retrospect, I MAY have gone around the cast-iron 'drip tray' at the back of the ram).
 
I have an Ammco, not an Atlas, but basically same size. Original stand is I think 32", can measure it later today if that will help. I brought it home in the back of a station wagon, with the shaper off the stand.

Unloaded the shaper by sliding it on 2x4s onto one of those $100 "1500-lb capacity" carts, then removed the motor and just dead-lifted it onto the stand. Not saying I could have carried it any distance, but the foot or two straight up from the cart to the stand was manageable. Didn't have any help so my backup plan was to stack lumber under it until I could slide it onto the stand.

It's really not too bad to move, the weight is all in one place unlike a lathe or a mill.
 
My stock wood-topped stand is 33 1/2 inches high.
 
When you say wood, I'm assuming you are looking at the stand that resembles a saw horse, with cast iron or steel legs and a wooden top?

Like this?

1593026581385.png

Atlas specs show the "floor stand" as 33-1/2" tall.


The only other factory stand that I've seen is all steel. The shaper alone weighs about 250lbs, so it is heavy, but a couple of strong guys could lift it a couple of inches from the stand to the tail gate. When I got mine they had a forklift available to load it, and I unloaded it with an engine hoist and tow strap. I didn't get a stand with mine. The stand was an accessory so you find a lot of these with a stand somebody bought or made for it.
 
Thanks for all of this great input folks! I really appreciate it. I will likely stop in with more questions when I am familiarizing myself with the shaper. Daniel
 
Birdpath said:
Thanks for all of this great input folks! I really appreciate it. I will likely stop in with more questions when I am familiarizing myself with the shaper. Daniel
Click to expand...
Theres quite a few of us who just picked them up recently and have been using them! I've had mine about a month and have had fun so far. Additionally, there is a big teardown thread in the shapers-forum (https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...d-teardown-pic-heavy.84697/page-2#post-753907) that has some wonderful details as well!
 
If you had a photo of the shaper on whatever stand it is on, that would cut down the possibilities as to what the possible heights are. But to answer the question of all possible heights, one must consult several catalogs. Atlas sold the cast iron legs either with or without the original factory wood top and shelf for the 10/12" lathes (in two different lengths), for the shaper, and for the mill. They also sold two different length hardwood cabinets for the lathes, plus one each for the mill and the shaper. And at a different time, they sold all of the same options in a steel cabinet. And unfortunately in this case, unless you have proof that it is sitting on the correct one sold for the Shaper, the Shaper will physically fit on most if not all of them. So the only safe option is a measuring tape,
 
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