# Lathe Delivery, Backhoe Required



## Eddyde (Oct 11, 2018)

Hi All,

Back in mid March, I found the lathe I'd been looking for on eBay, a 13" Clausing Colchester. The lathe looked pretty good in the pictures and the description sounded accurate from what could see. The price was around the usual for that machine. I took a chance and put in a lowball offer, the the seller accepted. He offered a money back guarantee, so I figured the worst I'd be out would be the drive to Connecticut (about 100mi) to check it out, which I planed to do the next week... Well as is the usual story with my life, I suddenly got very busy and I had to keep postponing the inspection. The seller was totally cool about it saying he could hold it for a couple of months if necessary. Finally by mid April I was able to carve out enough time to get out there, only problem I didn't have time to check it out first, I had to go with a truck to get it, and would be out the rental fee if I declined to take it...  So I rented a truck, got a friend to help and went to get it.

Luckily, the machine was as described, running smooth and quiet, the ways looking nice without much noticeable wear. The seller paced the lathe in the back of the truck with a forklift and off we went...


Brand-new rental truck, only had 300 miles on it.


Unloading was pretty easy. However, my shop is in a basement and I hadn't quite figured how I'd get it down there...
Luckily, another friend down the road had the answer, though I wasn't able to get him there till late May.




Now you see where I'm going with this...


It wasn't till last week, the beginning of October, I had time to make the final move.


Had to cut out a section of the retaining wall...


I welded up a ramp out of some angle I had salvaged from a job site.


A little rigging and...


Got it onto the ramp without too much trouble...


My third helper...


a HF electric winch mounted to a temporary column.


It went pretty easy, the ramp had enough friction to prevent a runaway...


But we had it secured on the other end just to be sure.


We took it slow-n-safe


Nice-n-easy


Finally home


Getting her cleaned up...


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## Barncat (Oct 11, 2018)

Wow, that is dedication. Good work!


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## MAKEITOUTOFWOOD (Oct 11, 2018)

Great lathe. Enjoy


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## Cadillac (Oct 11, 2018)

That’s using your resources good job. Would dread getting out of there though. Nice work.


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## Ken from ontario (Oct 11, 2018)

As the say, if there's a will there's a way.
That is one great looking lathe with lots of life left .


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## RJSakowski (Oct 11, 2018)

That is determination!  

Fortunately my basement entrance is a straight shot so a much easier proposition but I have used similar techniques to get my Tormach, lathe, and milling machine in.  I use 2 x 8 planks with ties across to keep them in place and a pair of come-alongs to control the slide down the ramp.


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## markba633csi (Oct 11, 2018)

Is that about your 5th lathe now Ed?


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## Technical Ted (Oct 11, 2018)

Great job! I had to put in a complete outside entrance with a Bilco door to get my lathe in my basement in the house I lived in 40 years ago. Now I'm lucky and have a drive in access! Makes things a lot easier!

Ted


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## derf (Oct 11, 2018)

Now since you have that much tore up, it would be a good time to make it a permanent machine ramp.


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## Eddyde (Oct 11, 2018)

Thanks for all the positive replies! It was a fun challenge getting the lathe down there. Now to get her tuned up and making chips!



markba633csi said:


> Is that about your 5th lathe now Ed?


Ha, it's only 4, but good to know your trying to keep score!



derf said:


> Now since you have that much tore up, it would be a good time to make it a permanent machine ramp.


Yes, I was originally going to build a permanent ramp before moving the lathe, but time was running out and I had to get it down there before winter.  I'll build it in the spring, hopefully...


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## FOMOGO (Oct 11, 2018)

Nice machine Ed, and it's always interesting getting them where you want them. Having a backhoe handy is a great thing. I'd be lost without mine. Mike


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## westerner (Oct 11, 2018)

Nice! I sure would have been puckered up good, about the time the headstock end tipped down to the angle iron ramp!


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## Eddyde (Oct 11, 2018)

westerner said:


> Nice! I sure would have been puckered up good, about the time the headstock end tipped down to the angle iron ramp!


Yeah that "event horizon" was my biggest concern, went smooth though, thanks to the strap to the car.


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## RJSakowski (Oct 11, 2018)

Eddyde said:


> Yes, I was originally going to build a permanent ramp before moving the lathe, but time was running out and I had to get it down there before winter.  I'll build it in the spring, hopefully...



Why stop there?  A freight elevator would make the next job easier!


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## RJSakowski (Oct 11, 2018)

When I built my ramp, I used planks almost twice as long as the required ramp.  The planks were laid out horizontally and a Bobcat was used to lower my load onto the ramp.  The load was pulled slowly past the tipping point where it was possible to control the angle of the ramp with a little muscle power.   One chain and come-along was attached to the downhill side and the Bobcat was used as an anchor  on the uphill side.  The load was slowly pulled in until it was inside the basement.

The advantage with this approach was that the load was always on the ramp.


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## Silverbullet (Oct 12, 2018)

Very nice lathe , great choice . Good luck with her. Looks to be like new.


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## Eddyde (Oct 14, 2018)

RJSakowski said:


> When I built my ramp, I used planks almost twice as long as the required ramp.  The planks were laid out horizontally and a Bobcat was used to lower my load onto the ramp.  The load was pulled slowly past the tipping point where it was possible to control the angle of the ramp with a little muscle power.   One chain and come-along was attached to the downhill side and the Bobcat was used as an anchor  on the uphill side.  The load was slowly pulled in until it was inside the basement.
> 
> The advantage with this approach was that the load was always on the ramp.


I thought about doing something similar but the angle iron I had on hand wasn't long enough. Also, the lathe weighs around 2,500 pounds, I wanted everyone present to be well clear of it while it was in motion or in a potentially precarious position. We moved it hands off.


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## Janderso (Oct 28, 2018)

Wow, what a project.
I have heard good things about that lathe, I am very jealous.


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 28, 2018)

You guys with shops in your basements don't know how you do it. I found it hard enough to get my 500Kg, 1100lbs,  lathe into my car garage, mind you I don't have access to backhoes, bobcats, and front end loaders.

Still we all do what we have to do to satisfy our need to make chips.


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## eugene13 (Nov 8, 2018)

You did it like an Egyptian, great job.


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