transporting a jointer

[Jeff Bartley]

This weekend I plan to pick a new-to-me 8" jointer. It's a grizzly with dovetail ways, weight somewhere between 450-500 lbs. I'm thinking about taking the top off the base and securing it to a home-made pallet. Then I'll either bolt it down or strap it to the pallet. If I strap it I was thinking about putting a 2x6 across the beds (after leveling them) and then strapping it at the center; is this a good idea with dovetail ways? It seems like it would work but I thought it'd be best to discuss with the forum.
I guess this might be a pre-gloat but I'm not saying a thing till it's in my shop running! This will be my first experience with a Byrd head so I'm excited!

[Jim Andrew]

To my way of thinking, you are making the move a bit difficult. Of course, you probably don't have a tilt bed lawn mower trailer. If I were moving a jointer, I would not take it apart, would just back my trailer up to the door of the building it is in, let the bed down so you could scoot it up on the trailer, and strap it to the trailer like you would a motorcycle, and raise the floor of the trailer up to level and drive it home, and reverse the process.

[eugene thomas]

I moved my old 8" grizzly jointer three times took bed off base one guy on each end and carried out to van then carried out the base.

[Doug Ladendorf]

That sounds very thorough. How are you transporting? When I picked up my previously owned Grizz 8" parallelogram we took it off the base so it would be more manageable and fit in my minivan.

[Larry Edgerton]

I transport my jointers and tablesaws upside down. All the weight is on the bottom and they have a nice flat surface to ride on. I moved a 12" Minimax last week that way, rolled it on the trailor and rolled it back over at the shop. It weighs 640 pounds and was no problem.

Larry

[Jeff Bartley]

I hadn't thought about that Larry! Did you level the tables before flipping it upside down? How did you strap it down? Jim, no I don't have a trailer, I'll be transporting with a full-size pick up. Thanks for the tips guys, hopefully I'll have some pics by the end of the weekend!

[Larry Edgerton]

I roll it over on a rubber mat. I did level the tables. On a rubber mat it does not move laterally so tie down is less critical, but I used four race car tie down straps anyway.

Larry