Preparing to Move a Lathe Safely

[mikey]

Nice thing about Carrymaster casters is that you can roll the machine around all you need to, then level it with the leveling pads and it will be level and solidly planted. There are cheap knock offs of these casters and I don't know how well they work but Carrymasters are the cream of the crop. They work as intended and are well worth considering. I would have no problems using the casters that @Z2V showed above on a 3,000# lathe.

 

[ACHiPo]

Even with casters, you still have to set up some sort of a leveling arrangement - one way or another that machine has to have its' 4 feet on solid ground. I don't have any science to prove it, but I don't even like leaving the machine on the jacking bolts. I only use the jack bolts to lift the machine to get a bar under, or to adjust the leveling shims - in service, the machine sits on steel pads. A #3000 lathe is not something you should be moving very often.

Wait until you actually have the machine. Then, if you can get away with simple pipe rollers - then all is good. I'm sure those #4400 casters are not cheap either - so have a look before building a solution.

David,
Thanks. The dealer will install 4x4 skids attached to the leveling plates lengthwise so that should give me plenty of options.

 

[Joeman77]

David,
Thanks. The dealer will install 4x4 skids attached to the leveling plates lengthwise so that should give me plenty of options.

The 4X4 skids will give you a decent base to work off but probably won't be as wide as they could be. Be careful even with a cast-iron base it might still be top heavy. Take your time, being in a hurry is not a god thing when moving heavy stuff. Remember bad things tend to happen VERY FAST!

 

[GL]

Tom Lipton (oxtool) has several videos about moving lathes. I made a set of rollers like he has. Worked great. Even when rolling it around (1500 lbs) I had a engine hoist attached, and two other guys to help. Go slow, pay attention. Tipping one over just sucks.

 

[ACHiPo]

Tom Lipton (oxtool) has several videos about moving lathes. I made a set of rollers like he has. Worked great. Even when rolling it around (1500 lbs) I had a engine hoist attached, and two other guys to help. Go slow, pay attention. Tipping one over just sucks.

I've watched Tom's videos on checking out and moving lathes. I've decided to hire professional insured riggers to get the lathe into my shop. Not cheap, but I hope this lathe is THE lathe for me and will last a lifetime, so I don't want anything to happen to it (or me!).

I absolutely agree with Mike and Z2V on the CarryMaster casters. On my current Logan 10" lathe and 3/4-sized Enco I made out-riggers from heavy angle iron with CarryMaster casters outboard to reduce the "tippy-ness". While not 2-fingers to move the 1500 lb machines, they are easily movable.

I'm on the fence with this lathe on whether to try to make it "mobile". It is much more precise, and thus would benefit more from solid leveling and alignment, than either the Logan or Enco. That being said, the CarryMasters are stout and can level a machine. It still might be better to use shims under the cast iron base for a really solid, vibration damping installation. An added complication is the hydraulic pump for the duplicator, which is a bit of an anchor when it comes to moving things.

I've got a few days to mull it over. The lathe will go on the truck Monday or Tuesday, so it won't be in my shop until at least midweek.

 

[ACHiPo]

I did something similar with my lathe, which weighs in at about 5k. I used machinist skates (4) under the machine (similar to these: https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/detail/1217/0440060/8-ton-rigger/).

I was able to get a bottle jack under the bed to lift it onto them, though you don't seem to have that luxury. If I were to do it again, I'd use either these:

12 Ton 3 Point Rigger Set | Sunbelt Rentals

Rigger rollers are ideal for moving heavy objects with ease for variety of operations and applications. This option is great for installing and fabricating pipe in pipe racks or other tight and enclosed areas. This set has a 3-point system instead of a tradition 4-point system to provide better...

www.sunbeltrentals.com

Or, if you have a friend to help you out, these: https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/detail/1218/0440080/3-ton-roll-a-lift/

EDIT: The nice part about the last option is I think the required clearance is lower than some 'feet'. SO, lift it, remove the blocks and put feet on it, then move with these and put it down on the blocks.

Eric,
I'd forgotten about those roll a lift devices. They are very handy, and increase the footprint, thus the stability. Will do a bit of shopping this weekend to see if I can find an affordable set. Looks like Northern Tool has a 4k lb set for $600. Thinking...

Evan

 

[ErichKeane]

Eric,
I'd forgotten about those devices. They are very handy, and increase the footprint, thus the stability. Will do a bit of shopping this weekend to see if I can find an affordable set.
Evan

Sunbelt rents them for less than $100/day for the pair! I ended up doing a drop bed trailer from them, and the skates. I had tried to call a rigger to move my lathe, but I couldn't get anyone to give me an estimate on such a small job :/

I ended up renting the set of 4 skates and the trailer, and had 2 buddies over to help me push it around. Mine is quite a bit heavier than yours, and it moved around easy! As long as you don't have an inclined area, it should be pretty easy. When I brought the skates/trailer back, I mentioned how they were a bit of a pain to keep lined up in the right direction, and the guy recommended the roll-a-lifts for next time! Wish I woulda known!

 

[ACHiPo]

Sunbelt rents them for less than $100/day for the pair! I ended up doing a drop bed trailer from them, and the skates. I had tried to call a rigger to move my lathe, but I couldn't get anyone to give me an estimate on such a small job :/

I ended up renting the set of 4 skates and the trailer, and had 2 buddies over to help me push it around. Mine is quite a bit heavier than yours, and it moved around easy! As long as you don't have an inclined area, it should be pretty easy. When I brought the skates/trailer back, I mentioned how they were a bit of a pain to keep lined up in the right direction, and the guy recommended the roll-a-lifts for next time! Wish I woulda known!

Erich,
Just noticed your location. I lived in SW PDX for 28 years. Gaston is a great area. Good Pinot too!

 

[projectnut]

Make sure you're sitting down when you call the riggers. I called 2 different companies to move my Sheldon. Both wanted more than I paid for the machine to load it, move it 120 miles and unload it. It was a straight shot to load and unload. No fancy corners to turn, no stairs (I did that myself), so no special equipment was required.

I ended up renting a drop bed trailer for 4 days so I could have the luxury of loading and unloading it on my schedule. The total cost was less than $200.00

 

[ACHiPo]

Make sure you're sitting down when you call the riggers. I called 2 different companies to move my Sheldon. Both wanted more than I paid for the machine to load it, move it 120 miles and unload it. It was a straight shot to load and unload. No fancy corners to turn, no stairs (I did that myself), so no special equipment was required.

I ended up renting a drop bed trailer for 4 days so I could have the luxury of loading and unloading it on my schedule. The total cost was less than $200.00

I've already gotten over that shock. While not as much as the lathe, the riggers cost a substantial fraction. I decided that, particularly everything going on with the pandemic, for once I was just going to hire professionals. If I had a tow vehicle with a hitch I might do it myself with help, but arranging for truck rental, trailer rental, etc. got to be overwhelming (and would be ~$600 also so not exactly cheap).