How to get a lathe shipped?

[AndySomogyi]

I’m currently shopping for a lathe, around 12x24 or so. Most of the used lathes I’ve found on eBay, sellers aren’t willing to ship.

So, how would you guys go about getting a lathe shipped?

I’m in central Indiana, and found an interesting lathe (Clausing 5428) in Oregon. Any idea what professional movers would charge?

Sadly I don’t have a truck, and renting one would be insanely expensive.


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[matthewsx]

Hi Andy,

There is a section of the forum dedicated to just that.

MACHINE PICKUPS & RIGGERS AVAILABLE & NEEDED

Request help or offer transport for picking up and/or moving machinery not local to you.

www.hobby-machinist.com

But as I’m sure others will point out you are in a much better part of the country to find used machinery than someone in Oregon. Indiana is kinda in the middle of the rust belt and we have lots of manufacturing tool & die shops that have surplus machines.

I’d suggest you start looking at other auction sites besides eBay, bidspotter.com has lots of machinery auctions and I’m sure there are plenty of others including some which might be local to you. Condition is everything for used equipment so don’t buy anything that you haven’t thoroughly checked out in person, lots of help with that here on the forum too.

Good luck,

John

 

[projectnut]

I can't tell you the price shipping companies are charging for that distance move, but I can tell you they are expensive. When I purchased my Sheldon 13"x56" lathe in the Chicago area riggers wanted between $3,300.00 and $4,300.00 to load and ship in 140 miles to Madison Wisconsin. Even the truck rental companies were expensive at around $600.00 for a truck with a lift gate large enough to handle the machine.

I ended up renting a drop deck trailer from a local equipment rental company for a little under $200.00 for a 3 day span. One day was spent picking up the trailer, driving to Chicago, loading the machine, and returning to Madison. The second day was spent unloading the machine, and the morning of the 3rd day it was returned.

As mentioned you are in the heart of the rust belt where machinery is plentiful and far less expensive. I would exercise some patience and look at the Craigslist postings on a daily basis. I'm sure you'll be able to find a quality machine for far less money and lower transportation costs.

I was able to find a Sheldon MW-56-p Lathe like the one linked below that was totally rebuilt including grinding the bed and cross slide ways.

Sheldon Lathe Model # WM-56-P | eBay

Sheldon Variable Speed Lathe. Sheldon Machine Co. Weight : 2500 lbs. Spindle Speed : 0-2500 RPM. 3 Jaw chuck. Capacity : 13" X 36".

www.ebay.com

I paid less than the asking price for the above lathe, and the sale included two 4 jaw chucks, two 3 jaw chucks, a 5C collet closer, 3 drill chucks, 2 live centers, a couple dead centers, a BXA quick change tool post, and a bunch of other accessories.

A quick look at the Craigslist postings shows a couple dozen lathes available in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Many look to be in reasonable shape and not terribly expensive.

 

[Bob Korves]

I’m currently shopping for a lathe, around 12x24 or so. Most of the used lathes I’ve found on eBay, sellers aren’t willing to ship.

So, how would you guys go about getting a lathe shipped?

I’m in central Indiana, and found an interesting lathe (Clausing 5428) in Oregon. Any idea what professional movers would charge?

Sadly I don’t have a truck, and renting one would be insanely expensive.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I suggest that we do not buy any machine that we have not carefully vetted in person, looked at closely with our own eyes, and put it through its paces to make sure everything works correctly, or at least we have a real and good idea what needs to be repaired. It is not worth spending a lot of effort, energy, and money to get scrap metal shipped to us... Pictures and information from sellers must not be taken at face value.

 

[ezduzit]

Recently sold an 8" jointer to someone on the east coast who got it shipped through Fastenal for ~$200! In order to fill their trucks, Fastenal offers this third-party shipping between their stores. Equipment must be palletized and delivered to a Fastenal store which has a forklift: pickup at same type store.

Regarding checking out a machine, in person, not necessary if you vet the seller sufficiently and/or hire a local professional to inspect for you.

 

[Cadillac]

Just was cruzin CL and saw a clausing for sale for 500 bucks. I think he was out of grayslake which is on the northern side of ill. Said it was disassembled to move and still apart but ran smooth and quiet when assembled. Even though it's apart it might help you with moving yourself?? Rent a truck from your local Home Depot or menards pretty cheap.

 

[jwmay]

Just another vote for DIY with a rented trailer. Limit yourself in distance to what you could do in a day. There are plenty of machines around. Or...buy something brand new and they’ll ship it to your door with a warranty.

 

[Janderso]

You live in Indiana,
I would venture a bet that the selection of quality older American Iron is about as good as it gets within a few hundred miles of your location.
I agree with Bob. Put your hands on it, run it, look for wear, be a detective, as Richard King would say.
The lathe you buy will probably stay with you for a long time. Take your time.
I don't listen to my own council unfortunately. But I have learned some lessons.
That's my 2 cents.

 

[AndySomogyi]

Thanks guys. Not having a real easy time shopping for a lathe, especially when you've got a day job. Over the last few months, I did drive out to check out a couple older South Bends in person, and they were complete junk, like almost 1/8" of wear in the bed, wasted a bunch of gas, and used up a bunch of truck borrowing favors.

I'm looking for something about a 12x24 or 12x32 size, but not sure which ones I should be looking at. There's a use Taiwanese made 12x32 for sale at a machine dealer who'll ship it reasonable price, might go that route.

My first choice would be a Colchester Student, but these aren't too common. I looked at a Logan 200, and didn't seem very solid, the Taiwan 12x32 seems MUCH more rigid and better built. One of the things I like about the Taiwan 12x lathes is the gab bed -- that means I can actually make/modify a flywheel.

There's a Rockwell 11x25 for sale, what do you guys think of these? I've got a budget of about $3500 at the absolute limit.

 

[ezduzit]

If you buy from a dealer you will pay retail and likely receive no tooling. Better to wait for a clean, quality machine from a private seller who will include comprehensive tooling.