Moving a lathe

[hman]

I just bought a "vintage" Grizzly 12x24 lathe. The current model number is G4002, and indeed the original invoice carries that number ... but the nameplate on this classic (made in Taiwan around 1990) says DF-1224G.

The instruction manual cautions against running the lifting slings around the outside of the bed, as it would bend and ruin the leadscrew. Instead, they said to run the slings through the webs between the ways, as I'm sure is the case with nearly all metal lathes.

Fine ... BUT ... the bed webs are way below the center of gravity of this (or any other) lathe, and the G4002 has a tall and hefty headstock/gearbox. So I decided I needed a way to make the whole arrangement less tippy.

My solution involved a length of common 1/2" steel pipe. I first tapered, smoothed and polished one end of the pipe. I then gave it a wrap or two of gaffer's tape (heavy cloth tape, sort of a high-grade duct tape). I ran the pipe through the spindle and into the tailstock's MT3 taper. It went in about 2-3". The smoothing, etc. was intended to prevent damage inside the taper.

There was about a foot of pipe still in the spindle bore. I snugged up the chuck jaws on the pipe to keep it from slipping out.

Then when I'd placed the slings through the bed webs, I looped both sides of the one nearest the headstock around the pipe (in opposite directions). The drive belts were left loose, so the spindle could turn in response to any uneven pull on the ends of the sling and the pipe wouldn't take any of the lifting load. I didn't loop the tail end sling, just made sure the two ends were on opposite sides of the pipe.

The lathe lifted nicely, and a cheap HF "load leveler" helped keep it nearly level end-to-end.

Yes, this arrangement has a trade-off. It precludes reducing the total weight by removing the chuck and tailstock. Luckily, my engine hoist had plenty of capacity!

 

[drs23]

That's another way to do it. I just used wood blocks to keep the chokers off the feed and lead screws. Worked like a champ. It did help having a professional rigger doing the rigging and running the equipment though.

Now make a mess!

 

[AR1911]

I have pretty much settled on lifting lathes by the spindle nose, behind the chuck. The forces in doing so are far below those the spindle is designed for in normal use. I do like the use of the pipe, I may incorporate that. And those levelers are the ticket.

 

[burgermeister]

If you took the headstock & tailstock off (which I did last time I moved my SB9), the webs will work fine. The bed might tilt, but eventually the ways rest against the lifting strap (assuming it's routed from top inbetween the ways) and balance it out. Or if you go at it from the outside, into the bottom, above a web, and then around the outside on the other side, that should work also - once tight, there should be enough friction to hold it upright. Of course, the SB9 bed is light enough to carry for 1 person, so no equipment is needed ...

 

[Round in circles]

I lifted my old 1940's Sphere back gear lathe by the webs just in front of the chuck and the last one showing when the tailstock & carriage was at it's greatest distance from the chuck and locked down. I used two one ton ratchet straps to get the balance point on the hook of a 2 ton chain block & pulley set



I'd also rigged two independent legs to a ratchet strapped on "over a web "transverse centralised ,over the web lump of 2x 3 ix 24 inches long inches planed pine to stop it rotating .
I used two more one ton ratchet straps to make these "anti roll straps " . It took three goes to get it so everything was balanced steady and secure.

Initially I used a simple scaffold tube rig & 3 x 2 inch thick 9 inch wide seven foot long builders planks to make a frames lifting bar over my trailer to demount it. Used a 3 ton chain to hold the 2 ton ratchet chain hoist in place and lifted it up, then my lass drove the car forward and took the trailer away .

It was lowered and placed on a 8 inchb high welded 4 x 3 foot steel skate board made of of 2 " angle on with 4 inch 1/2 ton braked castors The skate board has 2" thick planed planks on it But I had to use a few more long boards to extend the platform to sit the lathe on safely .
Once almost fully lowered to the skate board I slipped some 1/2 " treaded bar in to predrilled holes in the transverse stabiliser and with nuts & big washers either side of the wood I was able to make outriggers /stabilizers to stop it rotating once the crane was released .
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The fully laden skate board was then rolled 20 years over smooth concrete into the garage and set under & between two 4 x 4 beam timber roof beams . I slipped some upright supports either side of the intended demounting slot to hold the roof beams if needed , screwed them to the roof beams to stop them slipping under load , then slipped a 2 ton ratchet strap in a three thickness circle between the beams ( under the metal roof sheet profiles ) & hooked the now free 2 ton hoist over the six thicknesses of strapping and slowly but surely hoisted the lathe up off the skateboard to the preassembled cast iron legs and bench topping .I stood these on some civil engineering plastic sheet 1/8 inch thick ..it makes for a real good slippery sliding surface so long as what your sliding does not dig in.
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Had to use some timbers to gently lever the stand under the lathe as I could not get it far enough back , once on I quickly bolted everything up just above hand tight , then eased off the hoist a tad and started levering the lathe and stand over to its home position . It went smoother than I'd first imagined and was in situ with in a few seconds.

All that remained was to fully remove all the hoisting stuff and lever up the stand a bit to slip out the plastic sliders . I'll be setting it down permanently once it's correctly shimmed up level and use chemical set stress free torqued up high tensile steel anchor bolts to hold it in place.