Moving a lathe

No loader? We moved a big counter top saw with a 60$ used 5000 lb pallet jack and careful blocking and planking for the jack to roll on. Sheets of 3/4 plywood work good if you can get the ground level under them. Leave a little step between planks or sheets. Easy to go down but the little wheels on the tips won't go up much of a bump.
 
As Ted said. Be carefull when moving it as a lathe is more top heavy than it appears to be and lots of them have tipped over when moving, the result isnt pretty.
 
I moved ours by lifting it with a front end loader on and off the trailer. I set it at the edge of the building just inside the door. We have concrete floor so there was just enough room for small floor jacks under each end lift enough to take the weight off and then push it where it needs to go. I don't think ours was that big though. You maybe can rent some machine moving dollys or maybe the call them floats ? Little metal boxes with rollers built into them you set under the machines to push them on.
 
Hopefully the seller can load it for you so that won't be an issue. Once you get it home make sure that regardless of what you pick it with that the middle of the bed ways are supported. The worst thing you can do to a lathe is to pick it from the ends and let the middle hand free to sag. The longer the bed, the more important this is.

Now, once off the trailer, or out of the truck, if you've got a dirt floor I don't know what to tell you if you don't have a lift. Now if it's concrete, and it really needs to be to set a lathe on, use steel rollers. The milling machine I've got weights nearly 6000 lbs and I used about eight 1 1/2" diameter steel tubes to roll it from the door to it''s final resting place. With a couple of people it's not hard to do, but when doing it by yourself it's a real challange, to say the least.
 
i moved my radial drill and lathe by myself. drill weighs close to 7k pounds. i used bridge timbers (6x6) and some 2 inch pipe. bolt the 6x's to the bottom of the lathe, then use the pipes as rollers to move across the floor. i used a come-along to pull it. take your time, not bad to move.
 
It be me, I'd rent a forklift. Only take minutes and no broken toes or lathe parts.

I move my old South Bend lathe quite often. Drive the forks under the bed lift and go. I move it back and forth from production to the tool shop.
 
If you can get a forklift in to move the machine hiring an equipment mover might be the way to go.
I received a quote recently to move a 2400lb lathe.
200 dollars
The seller would not allow me to move it myself inside his shop (commercial operation).
The mover was coming from 20 miles away and placing it onto my equipment trailer. Well worth 200 dollars

If you can't lift the weight back at your shop dis-assemble the machine.
Call surplus equipment dealers. They may also have a better deal on a machine for you. Prices are real low at the moment on quality machines.
 
The last one I moved... I got a set of forks under the ways and lifted it from there. It's a very tedious operation... not wanting to drop it or smash the pans...
Otherwise I'd say you'll ned to put it on a good solid skid and mabey use a couple of pallet jacks.

Rod
 
When we moved my 6 foot bed South Bend, we bolted two 2x8x8 to the feet with carrage bolts-pulled it onto a rollback wreaker with the wench, drove across town into my shop and slid it into position--I don't think it would be this easy for everybody--so good luck & be carefull.
 
Rent some machinery dollies, is what they're called they go under each corner will roll real easy with them on a concrete floor. You will need a concrete floor for it anyway. Would be best if you can have at least 6" thick where it sets helps to keep it level. It will also need to be leveled when set up to cut straight. Not a hard job some steel plate about 4" square would bw big enough about 1/2" thick then use the adjusting screws on the bottom of the legs to set it.
 
Fullmer,
I have an old chain hoist. Big chain hoist. Have a steel I bean garage. It lifted a very big lathe. I would reinforce the rafters of barn and hoist it off trailer.

If you live close to Terre Haute, I'll let you use the old chain hoist. I think it's rated at 4000 lb. You pull and pull on the chain at get it to lift a little.

Left my email open if interested in my offer.
George
 
Once I got mine on the concrete floor I used 2 floor jacks and some 4 x 4 lumber. I had to move it about 50 ft. No problem. Getting it off my trailer and onto the floor was another deal. Had to call in a friend with a 100 HP tractor and it was a load on it. Might still be sitting on the trailer if he had not been able to do it.
 
To do it safely without damage to the lathe or YOU it might take a little more investment. How big is the barn door? One thought, if the door is big enough, is to use a tele-handler. Wouldn't take a very big one. It can pick up the lathe and extend it's boom quite a ways into the barn. Might have to use dollies of some sort after that. When I bought that 8" pipe threader that weights in the 5000 pound range a medium sized tele-handler merely picked it up and drove it to my trailer. It didn't look like it was straining at all, but the boom wasn't extended very far. Jim
 
I just moved a 13x40 jet lathe into my shop. They loaded it on to my trailer at the dealer. A couple of suggestions. Rent a "toe jack" (I made one out of a small hyd jack). cribbing a come a long & 2x8 planking.

Lift one end then the other and work the planks underneath, and set it on some pipe rollers (like the old days), you can steer it just about any where in your shop. I have done this with 2 lathes and a vertical mill by myself

if you have or can get a tilt bed trailer that would help a lot.

Be careful if you have never done this before as this equipment is surprisingly top heavy
 
as somebody else suggested - rent a forklift if you've got the headroom for it.

Don't even mess around.

Just get it in and where you want it with all fingers and toes (and lathe) left intact.

Of course - assuming a cement floor - if it's wood you might not want THAT much weight.

Fork lifts are very heavy - even without a lathe hanging off the front.
 
I've had a 1910 13 inch x 72 South Bend for 45 years, bought during college, while working in machine shops. Used it on the farm all these 42 years. Bought an 18 inch x 96 inch bed a few years ago. Quick change gears, vs the old gear change. Off-loaded it from the trailer, under a 2 ton hoist. Needed to shove it into place. Dumped water onto the floor......pushed it into position with the skidloader. Water with a bit of oil will also work- just make it slippery, then let it dry!
 
As a teenager I was working Saturdays for a fellow and I helped him move a heavy metal lathe from his garage shop to a new shop he'd built. It was about 100 yards down a hill through the trees. He backed a Ford 8N with 3 point forks on it under the lathe but it wouldn't lift high enough so he added cribbing. The tractor strained and managed to get the lathe only about 2 inches high but as soon as the clutch was pressed to put it in gear the lift dropped. I can't remember if I pushed the tractor and he rode or if I rode and he pushed but we let the tractor lift it and we had to push the tractor out the garage and let it roll slowly down the hill then push it into the shop. I do remember it almost fell off going down the hill as it started hitting the rough ground in places. I certainty wouldn't recommend doing this although I'm sure I've done just as bad myself.
 
I'm not positive, but I thought you were supposed to lift a lathe by the chuck and then maybe rig to another spot on the lathe also. Might want to research it a bit to see if I'm correct, but I'm almost positive I've heard this before
 
I've worked in machine shops about 30 years and although I've seen it done, lifting a lathe from under the bed with a fork lift is not the way. The beds are designed to take downward forces and be supported from the ends. Lifting from the middle can spring the ways A lathe should always be lifted from the ends.
 
Mike, I must agree. As I mentioned, I'm pretty sure you can strap around the chuck, and then the other end! Look into this guys, especially if you own or are moving your lathe often. The chuck is the strongest part on the lathe, keep in mind!
 

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