How Did You Handle Getting Your Lathe Home?

No, no damage done(except for the heart beats skipped for me and my Son). I had it chained, so the hoist could lift from just above the table, with crossed chains going through a big shackle. After it was in the air for a minute or so, the chain s slid through the shackle, allowing it to lay down on its back. It was a dumb purchase. It is a tracer mill, where there is a pin that should follow a pattern, that controls a hydraulic valve, that moves the X and Y axis (hence the two hydraulic cylinders in place of the lead screws). Before I knew much about mills, I thought I could just change the controls to hydraulic levers, and mill that way, not realizing how you need to be able to control (and know) the amount of travel. Was not much longer that I got the deal on the Van Norman 22LU, and have never done anything with the Wells Index since.
 
Ok, here’s a scare story for you...when I bought my Bridgeport (clone) the seller said he’d deliver it to my hangar. He did, brought it on a low trailer. He had a chain hoist, and we lifted it from the main I-beam, which was plenty sturdy. He then pulled the trailer out, and the mill was suspended about 18” above the concrete floor. He went over to the chain hoist, looked at it a bit, and said “ I think you just throw this lever here”. POW, the mill dropped straight down, smashed onto the floor. Incredibly, it stayed upright, and missed him by a couple inches! We were both stunned and lucky we weren’t killed or even worse. I thought it was ruined, but believe it or not, there was zero damage. It’s been a great asset for 12 years now.

So please be careful, guys and gals. This is serious stuff we’re doing.
 
Very lucky nobody was hurt, for sure. It sounds like the guy didn’t know how to use the tools he had, but it should not have dropped the load just by “throwing a lever”. The guy didn’t know how to use the broken tools he had.
 
mcdanlj said:
The 4' A36 hot-roll 1" round lift bar in the headstock end bent. That was impressive!
Click to expand...

Also, one of the 5/8" lag screws I was using as axles for the wheels bent too. I forgot that I took pictures to memorialize these:

it-bends.JPG
bent-bolt.JPG

I preached a sermon before we started something about not being a hero, don't try to catch falling machinery, move slowly, and it's OK to call stop if you aren't sure and want to think things through more.
 
Here is how I moved my mill and my lathe:
https://www.collegeoaktow.us/
The owner is a friend and former customer of mine, back when I was selling International (now Navistar) truck parts. He has over 80 tow trucks now (I think, all are International), and multiple yard locations in Sacramento county. I sold a bunch of machinist machines and tooling of all kinds for him that he had accumulated over the decades, also bought some for myself, including my mill.
I think towing companies are a good choice for moving equipment. Less expensive, and they get it done. Ask for an wrecker operator with plenty of experience moving machines.
 
We got real lucky with the Birmingham, except for the part about my 2500 blowing her engine after we first loaded up the lathe and were on the ramp onto the freeway.
The lathe fit nicely in the bucket, the hydraulics held luckily. The LS170 supposedly had a capacity of 1700 LBS when new, and I shave off 20% for age and figured the lathe @ 1000LBS
Door to door second time around. Kept the ramps level when loading and unloading and then @home drove it into the garage door and placed it on pipes and rolled it into position.

1542909923018.png
 
I brought mine home on a flatbed trailer.
We used two engine hoists to raise it off the trailer bed and pulled the trailer out from under the lathe.
We lowered it down onto blocks and then moved it in with a pallet jack.

Lathe on the Trailer-1.jpg
On the trailer.

Hoist-1.jpg
The hoist on the headstock is a heavy duty U.S. made engine hoist.
The tailstock hoist is a China special.



_MY-PBR-1.JPG

Refurbished and installed

Hoist-1.jpg

_My Lathe.JPG

_MY-PBR-1.JPG
 
I'm a retired millwright, so rigging was one of the things we did. Never Never get anywhere it can land on you. Use a chain come-a-long to balance and level the load. Nylon straps are getting common, get a bunch, but buy them in pairs, every brand has a different idea of length. To take up difference in length, use wood blocks. In fact use wood blocks as softeners and spacers to protect dials, handles, etc.. If you are using a fork-lift ,tie to the mast , there is always a bump somewhere. Ratchet straps come in handy, but get the 1500# ones.
 
Downwind track,

All good advice.

My installation was supervised by a good friend that is a Certified Rigger.
All lifting apparatus was certified for condition and capacity.
The two engine hoists only did a vertical lift - no horizontal movement.

I am an avid fan of safety and doing it right.
 
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