Moving my lathe

[denn]

I just purchased one of these.
http://badgerclamp.com/index.htmlOur basement has dropped ceiling, so I can take a panel out to get to the 2x10.
For a 22" wood lathe, I put the lathe on a hydraulic lift table, then raised it, then put the legs on.

 

[Richard Hed]

I just purchased one of these.
http://badgerclamp.com/index.htmlOur basement has dropped ceiling, so I can take a panel out to get to the 2x10.
For a 22" wood lathe, I put the lathe on a hydraulic lift table, then raised it, then put the legs on.

Ah, thanx for that. I lookt it up and for smaller items, I thimk that would be fine. But this lathe would most likely break the rafter--anyway, I don't have any rafters visible. I do have an overhead hoist--problem with that is it is in the garage and to use it outside, I would have to disassemble it. That's why I just want to get the lathe off the truck, then it should be a pizza cake to move it anywhere else.

 

[dnalot]

That shop looks so familiar, as if I had been there before. And that lathe looks exactly like the one I hope to buy soon. Seriously tho', I see you have run a strap around the heavy head section sort of like a baby holding saddle. (Don't know what they are called.) Or am I just imagining that? Is it safe, I mean it won't slip? Do yo have any more fotos of this setup?

Here is a photo that shows the strap wraps around the base. I adjusted the strap to keep the lathe level despite having the motor hang off the back of the lathe.

 

[Richard Hed]

Here is a photo that shows the strap wraps around the base. I adjusted the strap to keep the lathe level despite having the motor hang off the back of the lathe.

View attachment 121036

That looks really stable and it looks like the straps won't damage anything nor slip. What about the other side, it looks like cardboard to protect the metal. I'll be having nylon straps with various types of lifts.

 

[Steamchick]

I used this very ramp for a very heavy Cincinnati Mill a couple times, it was difficult but I managed it. The lathe will be in a wood crate and much lighter. I thimk with the engine hoist AND the ramp, I should be able to manage it, however, it is still a frightening bit of work, so I appreciate all the thots and ideas. I thimk I will try the engine hoist first, because if that works, it will be so much simpler, hower, if that fails, bring out the ramp.

You know, I always tells my son, daughter and friends that I always LISTEN to advice, take one third of it immediately, reject 1/3 immediately and thimk about the other third for a couple days. Some advice is frivolous from inexperienced persons, but how frivolous was the ten year old's advice to flatten the tires? Here's what happened, a watermelon truck got stuck going into a tunnel. The adults couldn't figure out what to do. The kid said, Let some air out of the tires.

One time a man's tire fell off while driving by Steilacoom (a town in Washington with a psychiatric asylum--commonly we of the Soviet call the asylum 'Steilacoom' and not the town). The owner of the car didn't know what to do but an inmate was at the fence. He said, take a nut off each of the other three tires and put them on the spare. I may be crazy but I'm not stupid.

So often a simple idea can be utilized that oneself never thot about, so I always hunt for ideas. Also, one should remember that not all advice by seasoned swarf warriors is good advice--usually, but not always.

Bin there dunnit.... - As a teenager, I saw a truck stuffed into a bridge that said "low bridge" - 14'10"... but the truck was 14'11".... I watched the driver let the air out of the tyres to get back out and he asked me for directions to the nearest garage for air for his tyres, then for a different route past the railway to make his delivery...
On another thing you mentioned, I had a boat on a trailer - and halfway across Scotland (Tyndrum to Ranock moor) the trailer became "noisy" and one wheel had lost 2 wheel nuts, the others being loose but still fitted. So we completed the rest of the journey with 3 nuts on each trailer wheel and the spare nut (me) driving. So good tips work!
On moving heavy equipment - Wood surfaces are best for ramps - they have the most suitable stick-slip conditions in my experience. Usually you can arrange some regular wood clamps as stops every 6 inches or so to prevent runaway... Just make sure you don't use any OLD wood, but good straight-grained scaffold planks or similar proper wood. And prop mid-points of spans - 1/2 the span is 4 times as strong! 2 planks on top of each other are twice as strong as 1, but a plank of double thickness is 8 times as stiff as the thinner plank. Thick wood = clever designer. Solid straight grained wood makes better beams than plywood. Steel on steel is more like Bambi on Ice and should be avoided where possible. Soft materials - like elastomers - are useless. Wheels on slopes need restraining ropes to prevent runaway. Any other simple rules from experts? (especially if I am wrong! - Always good to learn before making mistakes!).
K2

 

[L98fiero]

Any other simple rules from experts?

Not sure I'd consider myself an expert but if you're moving a machine in your pickup truck or on a trailer, don't put it straight onto the steel deck, put a piece of plywood or timbers under it and strap it down! Failing to strap it appropriately is not only dangerous but if for some reason the Department of Transport gets involved here in Ontario, the fines are pretty significant. Within reason, there is no excuse for having to worry about how fast you accelerate or the guy in front of you brakes if the load is properly secured.

 

[dnalot]

Years ago when I was young I was hauling a v8 diesel engine on a to-small pallet. There were no tie downs on the deck of the pickup so you had to tie to the top of the truck's box. So I placed the engine close to the cab and tied the engine so it could not shift in any direction. I had to drive down one of Seattle's very steep streets. When I stepped on the breaks to stop at the light all hell broke lose. I thought I had been rear ended, I looked back in the mirror and saw no car behind me. And I saw no engine in the back of my truck. Looking around I didn't see it laying in the street either. So I got out and there it was sitting upright on its pallet on top of my cab. It had done a summersault and rolled inside its bounds and escaped.

Never send a boy to do a man's work.

Mark T

 

[Richard Hed]

Years ago when I was young I was hauling a v8 diesel engine on a to-small pallet. There were no tie downs on the deck of the pickup so you had to tie to the top of the truck's box. So I placed the engine close to the cab and tied the engine so it could not shift in any direction. I had to drive down one of Seattle's very steep streets. When I stepped on the breaks to stop at the light all hell broke lose. I thought I had been rear ended, I looked back in the mirror and saw no car behind me. And I saw no engine in the back of my truck. Looking around I didn't see it laying in the street either. So I got out and there it was sitting upright on its pallet on top of my cab. It had done a summersault and rolled inside its bounds and escaped.

Never send a boy to do a man's work.

Mark T

Hardy har har, that may be funny now, but that would have been WORSE than horrifying then.

 

[Iampappabear]

Faced with a similar situation, I ended up with a hoist at each end the beam, I then lifted with the hoist on one end, then gradually transferred the weight to the other, it didn't actually take that long. One difference I had though was more height to work with, your beam looks too low for such a method.

Colin

 

[dwulfe]

Wow, you sure stay busy Brian, I enjoy your posts. Keep up the good work

 

[denn]

My first lathe was a 11" Sheldon and when I got home, I'm thinking, how am I going to unload this off the pickup.
I could ask the farmer, but I don't ask for help.
So my Dad and me put long plank under the lathe and slid inch by inch back, then moved the plank back.
Stacked fire wood under the plank, then moved the lathe on top of the wood.
Then keep taking the wood out till it was on the driveway, put pipe under and rolled it into the basement.
Now I'm thinking, there has to be a better way, so I built a tri-pod out of pipe so I could back under with a pickup.
Then after a couple lathes and milling machines I got a pallet jack...life is good...now I have 4 pallet jacks.

 

[Richard Hed]

My first lathe was a 11" Sheldon and when I got home, I'm thinking, how am I going to unload this off the pickup.
I could ask the farmer, but I don't ask for help.
So my Dad and me put long plank under the lathe and slid inch by inch back, then moved the plank back.
Stacked fire wood under the plank, then moved the lathe on top of the wood.
Then keep taking the wood out till it was on the driveway, put pipe under and rolled it into the basement.
Now I'm thinking, there has to be a better way, so I built a tri-pod out of pipe so I could back under with a pickup.
Then after a couple lathes and milling machines I got a pallet jack...life is good...now I have 4 pallet jacks.

Are the pallet jacks different sizes? Does one or more work like a forklift?

 

[denn]

They don't go very high but they well carry a heavy load, I put blocking under so when I want to move, I just push the pallet jack under, about 3 1/2" height.
https://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/hand-trucks-carts-dollies/pallet-jacks.htmlSome things I keep one under.
There is a height lift pallet jack, but I never see them at an auction.
I could use a narrow pallet jack though for some things.