Lifting and moving a woodstove - Help...

[Dennis Peacock]

I have a 450 pound woodstove that I need to move off my hearth and onto the floor so I can re-tile the hearth with new tile. The stove sits back 18" from the front on the hearth and I have free access on both sides of the hearth as well. I have an engine hoist, but the reach stops at the end of the roll around casters on the feet of the frame. I need an extra 18" of reach to safely remove and put back the woodstove.

Any other lifting and moving ideas for doing this? The key is lifting it from the floor and putting it where it needs to go on the newly remodeled hearth.

Tips, tricks, pointers, advice welcomed and preferred. :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Check with a rental place for some "Roller-lifts" like this: http://www.apluswhs.com/products/the-heavy-duty-machine-mover-/?cvsfa=3308&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=3230353735&gclid=CM_9jZ6u9bcCFS_xOgodERYAig

These have tracks that use roller bearings. I have moved punch presses and roll form mills with them. I have even moved MR scanner magnets that weighed nearly 25,000 lbs. with them. You can sometimes find them at rental places.

Bring your engine hoist in at one corner so it is straddling the corner and raise one end of the stove up and slide it over and hold it up over the hearth. Lower that end down onto two of the roller lifts.

Now reposition the engine hoist to the other end of the stove and carefully using the hoist and the roller lifts roll the stove until you can put the other end of the stove on another set of roller lifts. Then roll it into position. Use levers, blocks, and wedges as necessary to get the stove off the roller lifts.

Wish I was there Dennis. We could figure something out quickly and cheaply.

Don't forget to protect the new floor and remember pipes become rollers.

Good luck!

[Dennis Peacock]

Thanks Ken....that is an idea. I have a 12" drop from the top of my hearth to the concrete floor. I can't install all the new flooring until the hearth rebuild is done and the stove moved back onto the hearth. Once that is done....THEN....I can get all the flooring installed and trim down.

If I just had a hoist with another 18-20" or reach. ;)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dennis......use pipes as rollers......use doubled-plywood to make a platform...lift the stove on the platform......build a ramp using boards and blocking it up..........roll it up and onto the hearth...then use blocks off to lever the stove up and block it up to remove the platform.......

Never place anybody in a position where if something gets out of control they don't have an escape route.


Wish I was there!

[Graham Wintersgill]

?Dennis

Do you have to rebuild the hearth or just re-tile? If it was just re-tile I would be tempted to try and raise it place with a car trolley jack, might not need much, just a couple of inches and replace/ tile the are under the leg or legs. Leave suspended over night to let adhesive set then lower and do other side. Or use the trolley jack to raise it then put plywood (2 pieces) down and use the hoist to lift and pull the stove over the plywood, the edge will stop the hoist being pulled forward. Not sure about putting it back but something similar in reverse may work.

Regards

Graham

[Dennis Peacock]

Graham,
We are putting all new tile on the top and sides of the hearth as well as taking the tile up the wall behind the stove for about 4 feet. No new foundation under there, just all new tile and grout.