My neighbor bought a really nice British toolroom lathe from a local machine shop. The owner inherited the shop from his father and the place is very cluttered up. He has 70 semi vans full of stuff down there. Getting it out of all the clutter the yahoos on the forklift dropped it on the crossfeed and the quick change gearbox. Totaled the lathe, no parts on the planet for it. Fortunately no money had changed hands. Why is the most inexperienced goofy always the forklift operator? There is a lot of skill needed to run one in my opinion, especially to move machine shop stuff. A while back the local co-op forklift operator landed a forklift in somebody's pickup at the loading dock. My neighbor bought a little Birmingham Asian lathe from another guy, like new, most of the tooling still in the plastic, 220 volt single phase, came out better probably.
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Lathe forklift mishap
- Thread starter RJ-Jr
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- Jan 4, 2021
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One last time: riggers cost less than repairing machines.
Back in the 90’s the riggers that I had used on several projects (local, family business with reasonable rates) got a call from 3-Mile Island (infamous power plant), located 5 minutes away: the plant maintenance crew had tried to move a lathe across the shop and managed to get it tilted & wedged against a wall. Several hours later the rigging company and crew had received emergency clearance to enter the facility, received training and Tyvek jumpsuits and spent less than an hour rescuing the lathe and placing it in the new location.
That said, you need to make sure your riggers know what they’re doing. About the same time, rigger that an out of state auctioneer always used dropped the auctioneer’s pickup unloading it from the flatbed they had it loaded to bring it to Pennsylvania.
Back in the 90’s the riggers that I had used on several projects (local, family business with reasonable rates) got a call from 3-Mile Island (infamous power plant), located 5 minutes away: the plant maintenance crew had tried to move a lathe across the shop and managed to get it tilted & wedged against a wall. Several hours later the rigging company and crew had received emergency clearance to enter the facility, received training and Tyvek jumpsuits and spent less than an hour rescuing the lathe and placing it in the new location.
That said, you need to make sure your riggers know what they’re doing. About the same time, rigger that an out of state auctioneer always used dropped the auctioneer’s pickup unloading it from the flatbed they had it loaded to bring it to Pennsylvania.
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I've added 'hobby rigger' to my list of things I do. I started with a good base: My father was a professional rigger and gave me quite a bit of grounding, (sharing mistakes he/his colleagues had made). The scariest was his story of walking the beam of a 100 ton single bridge crane, 80 ft in the air. For some reason the 600V 3ph wires were 3 parallel bare wires vertically stacked, that threaded between his legs. ewwww! [edit] live wires!
They did a lot of crazy stuff in those days.
He taught me to never trust wire rope and wire rope slings. He had seen too many WW slings fail. Check out youtuber "bobcloc" depending on old wire rope HERE
I've made some mistakes, but I've learned a lot over the last 40 years (my first rigging).
A youtuber recently tried to right a bandsaw, and toppled it right over, because he didn't know the rigging basics. (and he was arrogant enough to chide the 'rigging experts' about it) - and then nearly toppled it again in the next video!
The biggest mistake anyone can make is the attitude "I can do it" without due caution and worry about what will happen if something goes wrong.
They did a lot of crazy stuff in those days.
He taught me to never trust wire rope and wire rope slings. He had seen too many WW slings fail. Check out youtuber "bobcloc" depending on old wire rope HERE
I've made some mistakes, but I've learned a lot over the last 40 years (my first rigging).
A youtuber recently tried to right a bandsaw, and toppled it right over, because he didn't know the rigging basics. (and he was arrogant enough to chide the 'rigging experts' about it) - and then nearly toppled it again in the next video!
The biggest mistake anyone can make is the attitude "I can do it" without due caution and worry about what will happen if something goes wrong.
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I also read this as the machine shifted back into the forklift mast, not forward onto the floor.
In any case, if both shop managers have a good relationship and they are willing to let you set it up and get it running in your shop before any money changes hands then you’ll only be out your time if it doesn’t work out.
I had a Bolton lathe that fell on its face before I traded a little Craftsman lathe for it. That one was a learning experience to say the least. Not sure it was good before it fell either.
Dropped machines can be just fine or can have hairline cracks that will only appear later. Victor is a good brand and $3500 isn’t bad for that size lathe. Since we don’t have any pictures it’s hard to say how much of a discount it should have being damaged.
In either case it sounds like everyone involved are professionals who know what’s what. I worry a lot more for folks with no experience who don’t know what to look for.
John
In any case, if both shop managers have a good relationship and they are willing to let you set it up and get it running in your shop before any money changes hands then you’ll only be out your time if it doesn’t work out.
I had a Bolton lathe that fell on its face before I traded a little Craftsman lathe for it. That one was a learning experience to say the least. Not sure it was good before it fell either.
Dropped machines can be just fine or can have hairline cracks that will only appear later. Victor is a good brand and $3500 isn’t bad for that size lathe. Since we don’t have any pictures it’s hard to say how much of a discount it should have being damaged.
In either case it sounds like everyone involved are professionals who know what’s what. I worry a lot more for folks with no experience who don’t know what to look for.
John
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- Dec 24, 2020
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I recently brought home a Victor 1640 and the auction company was handling the rigging. They were just going to pick it up with a skid steer that has pallet forks. A skid steer isn't as steady as a true forklift, and I know that having one of each. I politely insisted we use slings around the bed webbing and they went along with my plan. A couple of tries to adjust the slings and she lifted up level and was easy to get on the trailer. The guy running the skid steer actually said "wow, that worked really well"...go figure.
I've seen three lathes hit the deck and two were on forks....one slid off the front of the forks when the forklift stopped and one slid sideways on the forks to the point it rotated long ways with the heavy headstock end falling, and did a partial summersault. Luckily the tailstock end hooked on the corner of the trailer so it didn't do a faceplant on the front of the machine which would have probably totaled the machine.
If I ever have to lift a lathe with forks I'm going to strap the lathe down to the forks, as well as to the fork frame so it can't slide off the end or rotate.
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Safety is no accident 
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I don’t know if this is visible but wow! Watch out for falling forks!
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That brightens my day- shake hands with danger, kids
Notice how the load gradually comes over center as it swings
That flying tine would have split someone's head like a melon
Notice how the load gradually comes over center as it swings
That flying tine would have split someone's head like a melon
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- Apr 22, 2020
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I got the lathe under power and aligned. Aside from some scrapes and dings from the mishap things look great. I was able to get a 10" wide test dumbell to under .001" between the diameters. The lathe is going to be moved again in a month or two once a remodel is completed in the shop so I'm declaring victory. Nice lathe and they knocked off $2k due to the mishap! We didnt even ask. It is a decent (actually a steal) lathe for $1500 given the tooling we got with it.