Questions about a Sharp Mill

You will want to lower the knee and swing down the head (remove the power drawbar) to lower the CG, you will want a ratchet to pull the mill up into the trailer. See if you can remove the DRO/CNC control head, light, etc. as you do not want that bouncing around on the trip. You still need a means to lift the mill (2T hoist or check if he can block it up in advance so you can get the pallet jack under the mill and it still will be tippy. Once in the trailer, bring some 2x4s or similar, a saw and electric drill with screws, so you crib the base into place. I recommend wrapping the mill with some packing stretch plastic wrap (get a roll). Be careful with tie downs placement that they are not over sharp corners that can break the strapping nor likely to damage something on the mill. As Woodchucker mentioned, use a line or a reversing ratchet winch when loading/unloading, with the weight it can be very hard to move and once it gets moving very hard to stop.

Make sure you get all the manuals, parts, handles, etc. for the mill as it is very easy to forget stuff in the loading process.

I have my mill on a rolling base which also has feet that can raise the base about 3" so it is easier to move with a fork lift for loading.
 
I have a drop deck and just keep in mind that the 2" lip to the floor seems like nothing until you start a pallet jack down with a top heavy load. then it mimics the Grand Canyon. I put the pallet jack on so that I'm pulling rather than pushing. As the wheels go down the little ramp, the arms can touch the deck. I raise the machine up so the arms will scrape when descending and then feather the jack to raise the arms just enough to send the jack farther down a little at a time. Speed is your enemy and there is no way to stop on the way down, even for two inches. Friction is your friend. Dave
 
mksj said:
You will want to lower the knee and swing down the head (remove the power drawbar) to lower the CG, you will want a ratchet to pull the mill up into the trailer. See if you can remove the DRO/CNC control head, light, etc. as you do not want that bouncing around on the trip.
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The seller rotated the head for me already. He said to get some help to bring it back to vertical, not that theworm drive can't do it, just that it helps to have someone give a hand.


Beckerkumm said:
I raise the machine up so the arms will scrape when descending and then feather the jack to raise the arms just enough to send the jack farther down a little at a time. Speed is your enemy and there is no way to stop on the way down, even for two inches. Friction is your friend. Dave
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Yes! Excellent point. I have used this method with other things I have purchased. I actually did that with my tractor and pallet forks when I was unloading a large machine table. I am not going to use my tractor for this move though because I feel that I would have more control doing it with ratchets and such.
 
My shop has easy peasy access to it, and a very flat floor. I just need to move all my crap aside.
 

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You should be able to pick it and move it around with that engine hoist you've got.

For a Bridgeport anyway, the feet on a standard engine hoist are --- just barely --- wide enough to clear the narrow dimension of the base. Hook it up from the lifting eye on the ram. The ram can be moved in/out as appropriate so that it hangs level. Then you can just wheel it across your shop into position.

May not work if the 'foot' on the Sharp is much bigger than that of a Bridgeport.
 
Neil,
I hired a tow truck when I got my First/Sharp/Acra home but mine was bolted to a pallet. The truck had a boom and lifted it up off of the pallet for me. I think I paid him $40. Being on a pallet made it easier as I could use a pallet jack, sort of.
Rent it in Brooklyn Park have giant size engine hoists that might work. It worked well for my lathe but that's obviously lower than your mill.
 
This video shows a guy getting a mill on and off a drop trailer with a mobile base that looks like it would be somewhat similar to how you might do it with a pallet jack.

 
Neil, good luck with the move - check your messages here. I send you a DM.
 
In terms of space, have you thought about building a rack for the lumber? Being able to sort wood on a rack and have some additional space underneath for other storage would be high on my list. I've restacked lumber piles that size too many times when the wood I needed was near the bottom. (Yours may all be the same type of wood.)

I saw a sign at the local farm store, "My shop, My rules", which I may have to go buy. So just a suggestion, run your shop as you see fit.
 
rabler said:
In terms of space, have you thought about building a rack for the lumber? Being able to sort wood on a rack and have some additional space underneath for other storage would be high on my list. I've restacked lumber piles that size too many times when the wood I needed was near the bottom. (Yours may all be the same type of wood.)

I saw a sign at the local farm store, "My shop, My rules", which I may have to go buy. So just a suggestion, run your shop as you see fit.
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also it keeps the wood from picking up the salts from the concrete. Which ruins the bottom wood unless it's stickered quite a bit.
 
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