Lifting straps for Hammer A3-31.

[Darren Brown]

Hello all. I'm preparing for delivery of my Hammer A3-31. The plan is to use an engine hoist and lifting straps to move it off of the pallet. I was looking at the lifting straps down at Harbor Freight the other day and the only ones they have are 6.5 feet or, what appear to be super long straps (length not listed on the packaging) for 3 times the price. The 6.5 feet straps don't sound like they will be long enough to do the job. :confused: I don't want to spend any more money than I have to (I'm tapped out after buying the Hammer) but I'll buy whatever I need to do the job safely. Can I get a little help here?

Thanks,

Darren Brown

[jason lambert]

Congrats on the Hammer I also have one on order you must be getting one of the ones being flown in like me. In any case harbor freight has laching straps
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=67386
these have helped me out alot they go on sale for .99 sometimes. I would just use these and double up or triple up and at the end of the day they are usefull straps and totally adjustable.

Although in the past when I had to remove machinery from a pallet 2 people and sliding off just seemed the easyest and fastest and the least chance of something getting bent or falling.

[Roger Jensen]

Hi Darren,

Do you have to move it up/down steps? I got mine with the rolling carriage and installed it when it was still on the pallet (slid part way off to exposes the back side and make room for the axle). It won't help you with steps, but if you're just moving it across your shop or garage it works well. BTW - I've since replaced the rolling carriage with casters, which I like much better.

Good luck,

Roger

[Darren Brown]

Roger, thanks for your reply. I have to hoist the Hammer onto a dolly, (which I have to fashion), roll it up onto a trailer, trailer it through my yard and around my house to my walk-out basement door, roll it off the trailer and into position, then hoist it off the dolly again. Thats the plan anyway.

Darren

[Alex Silva]

I was in your shoes 2 months ago.

Here's what I did step by step :

- get the transport guy to move the pallet in the center of your shop
- unpacked
- remove the 4 metal pieces attaching the A3-31 to the pallet
- slide the machine to the side of the pallet while you're sitting and pushing with your back
- place the machine so that's it's side is along the side of the pallet
- at the same time you're tipping the machine towards the center of the pallet, insert one piece of a 2x4 under the edge that is close to you
- add more 2x4s until the edge of the machine is enough raised so you can drill additional holes and insert 2 casters
- now slide the machine more and put many 2x4s under the casters
- repeat the same you did but now with the other edge and drill the other holes and install the last 2 casters
- using the 2x4s in a stair configuration, lower the machine to the ground
- it worked for me, and I was able to drill 2 12mm holes in order to install the Great Lake casters on mine
- you only have to supply 2x4s with this method

cheers

Alex

[Matt Wolboldt]

I ended up getting some straps from Northern Tool, though I'm not sure which ones exactly. I just made sure they were rated for the weight of the beast :). Then I got a few burly friends and we lifted/slid the tool onto the dolly. I ran the straps below all the planer parts, where nothing moving was located. Hope it helps.
Matt

[jason lambert]

I ordered teh mobility kit, wonder if I should of just got the canisters?
Does someone have a poick wit hteh canisters mounted.




I was in your shoes 2 months ago.

Here's what I did step by step :

- get the transport guy to move the pallet in the center of your shop
- unpacked
- remove the 4 metal pieces attaching the A3-31 to the pallet
- slide the machine to the side of the pallet while you're sitting and pushing with your back
- place the machine so that's it's side is along the side of the pallet
- at the same time you're tipping the machine towards the center of the pallet, insert one piece of a 2x4 under the edge that is close to you
- add more 2x4s until the edge of the machine is enough raised so you can drill additional holes and insert 2 casters
- now slide the machine more and put many 2x4s under the casters
- repeat the same you did but now with the other edge and drill the other holes and install the last 2 casters
- using the 2x4s in a stair configuration, lower the machine to the ground
- it worked for me, and I was able to drill 2 12mm holes in order to install the Great Lake casters on mine
- you only have to supply 2x4s with this method

cheers

Alex

[Roger Jensen]

Here is a thread with a picture of the casters: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1355063&highlight=greatlakecasters&page=2 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1355063&highlight=greatlakecasters&page=2) (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Roger

[Tom Welch]

Darren, I have those same 6.5' lifting slings. I also use a engine (shop) lift to move or unload my machines. they work great. You can put two slings together to form 13', just feed one of the end through the other sling's eye and pass back through it's own eye. Just make sure the weight of the machine is within the safe working load of the sling. Don't forget to pick up a shackle from the hardware store.
As a matter of fact, I have a brand new Powermatic shaper coming very soon. Now lets see, where are my slings......? :o

[Darren Brown]

Thanks Tom. I don't know why I din't think of that. (as he smacks himself in the forehead)

[Matt Przybylski]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I'm about to embark on this same step and was going to do the exact same thing. I bought the HF 1 ton chain hoist and put it together today and was going to buy the 6.5' straps to use with it.

Darren, did this end up working out for you?

Also, how do you actually get the hoist under the pallet to get the machine hooked up? The "legs" of the hoist don't seem like they'll fit into a pallet so you can easily hook it up.

This is my first time dealing with a hoist, straps, and getting a machine this size off of a pallet so all input is greatly appreciated. I want to hoist it up to install the Great Lakes casters I just purchased so I'd prefer to hoist rather than any other way to easily install them.

I don't have the machine yet, should be arriving early April, but I'm making preparations now so I could hit the ground running.

[Darren Brown]

Holy cow, a blast from the past. . But let me just see if I can remember how it went. I think what I had to do was have as much slack as I could get in the lifting straps, then get the hoist as close as I could and very slowly raise the jointer till I could swing it in to place. Just go slow. It's not that big of a deal once you get used to it. Also, be careful when you open the release valve on the hoist. The jointer will lower to the ground very quickly!

[Matt Przybylski]

Thanks for the reply Darren. So a couple of questions if you don't mind.

1) did you slide the jp to one side of the pallet to get as close as possible?
2) did you use the 6.5' straps from HF? If so, did you double them up or just used two, one around one side and the other around the other side?
3) once you start lowering, I feel like the same problem may arise of putting it down on the legs of the hoist, no? Or does it fit sideways in between them just fine?

thanks again, appreciate the help.

[Rod Sheridan]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I'm about to embark on this same step and was going to do the exact same thing. I bought the HF 1 ton chain hoist and put it together today and was going to buy the 6.5' straps to use with it.

Darren, did this end up working out for you?

Also, how do you actually get the hoist under the pallet to get the machine hooked up? The "legs" of the hoist don't seem like they'll fit into a pallet so you can easily hook it up.

This is my first time dealing with a hoist, straps, and getting a machine this size off of a pallet so all input is greatly appreciated. I want to hoist it up to install the Great Lakes casters I just purchased so I'd prefer to hoist rather than any other way to easily install them.

I don't have the machine yet, should be arriving early April, but I'm making preparations now so I could hit the ground running.

Hi, if you're moving it off the pallet onto the floor, I would do this. using a helper to stabilise the machine.

- put 4 pieces of 1/2" pipe under the machine to act as rollers.

- slide the machine so one end is off the pallet almost to the tipping point.

- make a pile of pieces of 3/4" thick wood under the end that's off the pallet

- start pulling the pallet out from under the machine, once most the machine is off the pallet put a pile of 3/4" thick lumber under that end of the machine

- remove the remaining pipe rollers and pallet.

-Using a pry bar, lift one end ot the machine so you can remove one piece of 3/4" wood

- repeat for other end, continue alternating ends until the machine is on the ground.

Regards, Rod.

[Darren Brown]

Hi Matt,

I bought four of the purple straps from HF and those metal couplers which look like big links of chain with threaded locking nuts. I can't quite remember how I configured the straps. It was kind of a puzzle because you want enough slack but not too much because you have a very limited articulation of the hoist. While I can't recommend you do so, I extended the "boom" of the hoist as far as it would go even though the jointer exceeded the weight limit at that length. Of course, sliding the jointer to the edge of the pallet as much as you can will help. When you lower the jointer, you will have to push it as far out at an angle as you can, then drop it on one edge so it will fit between the legs of the hoist. This is easily doable. Also, I had to get a stubby drill bit from McMaster Carr to enlarge the factory holes so the stem of the Great Lakes castors would fit. I can't remember the size of the bit but I could check if you like. You will have to set the jointer on blocking and drill from underneath, thus you want the shortest drill bit you can buy. Also, do yourself a favor and get a ratcheting wrench that's the correct size for the nut on the caster stem. There's not a lot of room to move under the jointer and this will save a lot of frustration. Good luck.

Darren

[Matt Przybylski]

Thanks Rod and Darren. I think combined I have a better idea of how to handle this now. Really appreciate your inputs.

[ian maybury]

Coming in late - but a thought and some precautions. These machines are not all that very heavy - presuming it's just a case of moving it off the pallet and across a floor it may be simpler, and easier to get some good help and manhandle it off the pallet using packers/rollers/a ramp as Rod than to try and lift it in straps. Lifting with straps could be a little high risk unless it's really required by stairs, getting in a high door or something - easy to have it slip.

Another option is to move it using a low profile and narrow manual fork truck/pallet truck. How to is set out in the manual, but there's holes near the lower edge of one side of the cabinet. These take bolts and washers to make pins for one leg of the truck to get under, the other goes under the machine. Be careful in this case as the machine (the 410 anyway) ends up balanced a little precariously on the forks - it's deinitely a two or three person job. Lifting the tables may help to stabilise it by moving the CG.

Be very careful whatever you do not to try to lift by the tables - their attachment to the machine on at least the last model is not nearly strong enough to tolerate this.

Another precaution based on personal experience. These machines look like a very stiff cube/box, but in practice they are very flexible lengthwise and easily twisted. (the central platform is just that, and the upper cross members don't add much twist resistance) Raising or lowering just one corner (using either adjustable feet, or because a floor is out of flat) produces quite significant changes in table alignment and over knife height - and since it's caused by twisting it's different from side to side too. Interesting to say the least to mount a OneWay gauge on one table to reach across the knives to the other - then lift a corner a shade and see what happens. Especially since knife heights are normally set to within a thou or so...

The latest model may be stiffer, but I'm not a fan of mobility kits for this reason, not unless your floor is extremely flat….

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Daren,

I used an engine hoist to get my A3 31 off the pallet. I used the long strap. Took it down one side (long side), across the bottom, up across the top with a board under the strap to spread the load across the tables, back under and up the other side. That balanced the load fairly well.

Lifted it just enough to slide the pallet out of the way and lowered it onto the mobile base. Had a couple of guys to help but no heavy lifting needed. Not sure I'd want to manhandle the machine off the pallet. No good places to grab it and at 660 lbs that's a back injury just waiting IMHO.

Cliff