How to Unload/Unbox new 14x40 lathe

[matthewsx]

Must be getting cold in the upper Midwest about now

One other thing to mention is wear good steel toe boots. And yes, if riggers are an option it might be good to have them bid on the job. Nothing especially fun about moving machinery.

John

 

[epanzella]

My Grizzly 12x36 was delivered to the end of my driveway. I had to get it from there to my shop on my own. I premade a pair of 2x10's with heavy castors on them and ratchet strapped them to the shipping crate as it was removed from the truck. I rolled the machine up my driveway and right into my shop. A ramp got me over the one step from the garage to the shop. In the shop I used an existing beam to lift the lathe and get it on the stand.

 

[jareese]

Thank you all for the suggestions.

I can have the PM1440(*) lathe delivered into my garage near the final location which saves me the trouble of trying to get it from the road/driveway in.

My truck will just *barely* fit under the garage door, I have about 1/4” clearance, so larger gantry type setups are out of the question. Ceiling height is 8’. I park in the driveway.

As far as building something, no this is not something I am willing to tackle as I don’t have the rigging experience, and being somewhat of an introvert, I don’t know many people that would be capable of it either.

I like the several suggestions about cutting away the pallet and then using a 2 ton hoist on each end. I have machine rollers and toe jacks available to me from the machine/maintenance shop where I work. I’m actually thinking I’ll need to purchase smaller ones, ours are for moving very large equipment and I feel they will be too tall for this application.

Thank you again

 

[Dabbler]

[update] Rentable gantry cranes are adjustable for height and easily fit into a garage. All they have to do is span the width of the lathe to be effective, which all of them can do.

Here is a picture of how to use a sling to lift a lathe: it avoids the leade screws and delicate bits:

 

[Harry Knutz]

I wouldn't dare with the engine hoist on a 14" lathe. Not worth it.

Pallet jacks, floor jacks, *toe jacks*, and crib blocks are all your friends. Raise the lathe enough to unbolt and remove the pallet, and ease her down. Some 4x4 posts, a stack of end cut 2x wood blocks, and a floor jack will do the job. Place the posts like a litter, crib one end, jack and block, move to the other side, jack and block, never tilting the lathe more than it takes to get jus one piece of dunnage under the litter. When the pallet is out, do the reverse.

As one who has embarrassingly toppled a lathe, I will be the first to say go easy and have help on hand. And as one who has also flipped an engine hoist and twisted the ram like a pretzel, engine hoists should never be used for large stuff and never over 1/2 ton no matter what the label says.

Listen to John,

He knows from experience, So he knows what he is talking about. Engine hoists are fine for lifting a 12x36, But a 14x40 is asking a little too much. The engine hoist's highest rating is rated when the extensions are all the way in for the legs and the lift, Pulling them out reduces capacity substantially. Most of the times that I have used an engine hoist, I needed to move the extensions out. You spent the money on a new machine, Rent a forklift, Or take the risk of damaging that new machine. JMHO.

There is pics all over the internet of tipped machines, Some never live to make a chip again.

 

[jareese]

@Dabbler
I don't see any forward support on that little gantry, what is keeping it from tipping?

 

[Ultradog MN]

I think you intended that to be directed @Dabbler, not me.

I did this one by myself. Drove to Cleveland, where they loaded it up on my trailer with a bridge crane. At home I designed and built a gantry crane, engineered to lift several times the lathe weight of nearly 10,000 lbs (yes, 5 tons). Used the gantry, skates, and a pry bar to move it into place. By myself.
It took a couple of months. Next time I moved it with a 12000 lb capacity telehandler. Took a couple hours with some help from a friend.

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Yes I meant Dabbler. Sorry.
Nice machine. Another Monarch?
And great work on the gantry.
Of course some here will still be dissatisfied as it likely didn't have an engineering test done before you used it.

 

[Dabbler]

@jareese The picture is from a friend's move. You cannot see the other end of his home made gantry crane but it is an A frame just like the one in the background. the rentable ones are 2 tonnes, made of aluminum, and can be erected by one person (with a demonstration on how to do it)

here's a video of how they are assembled the video shows 2 guys, but I've done them by myself:

 

[Ultradog MN]

My Grizzly 12x36 was delivered to the end of my driveway. I had to get it from there to my shop on my own. I premade a pair of 2x10's with heavy castors on them and ratchet strapped them to the shipping crate as it was removed from the truck. I rolled the machine up my driveway and right into my shop. A ramp got me over the one step from the garage to the shop. In the shop I used an existing beam to lift the lathe and get it on the stand.

 

[jareese]

@jareese The picture is from a friend's move. You cannot see the other end of his home made gantry crane but it is an A frame just like the one in the background. the rentable ones are 2 tonnes, made of aluminum, and can be erected by one person (with a demonstration on how to do it)

here's a video of how they are assembled the video shows 2 guys, but I've done them by myself:

Nice. This worth looking to see if anyone around has one to rent.
Thanks