- Joined
- Jun 15, 2015
- Messages
- 38
I'm new but thought I'd share my experience hoping that it may help someone. I recently purchased a lathe and mill. Like most people that buy used, I wasn't ready when the big day arrived. I did a quick search on moving lathes and headed out the door. I used an engine hoist and a "treesaver" strap about 4" wide and 6' long. I saw numerous pictures on the net where people basically wrap a SINGLE strap twice around the body of the lathe near the head to choke it, use the carriage travel to balance it, and lift. Easy right? Well this worked well to bring her home. The problem came later after I had to move her again in the shop. I had the lathe stored near the door and had taken the time to wipe her down with oil to prevent rust. DO NOT WIPE A LATHE DOWN WITH OIL IF YOU INTEND TO MOVE IT WITH A SINGLE STRAP. The next time I moved it the strap slid just a LITTLE from the oil. Maybe 1/2 an inch. Just enough to change the center of gravity. As it tipped slightly the carriage suddenly decided to freewheel and started travelling down the bed towards the headstock and the lift went bad in a hurry. Luckily I was only a couple of feet off the ground when this happened and as far as I can see no damage was done. The lathe slid FAST at an angle until the base hit the cement floor. It happened in the blink of an eye. I would highly recommend using at least two straps. I will never again lift with a single strap and I will remove any oil from the area I intend to lift from. LOCK the carriage any way you can!!!