The amateurs guide to moving a 16" Jointer

[John TenEyck]

Who's the amateur you ask? Me. I've move a few pieces of equipment, some up to about 750 lbs., but this monster weighs over 1600 lbs.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MFE_AWr7EkkW5wvk9vXKGBEjs39PtYzULlPOWRVRYJgAYHjDKZ AKTr2P7l8NYE5fXogFHjmmeDKlhD5qz3bMsAo8SzoVKNQZxllb 46mzzK4PaL8WT-WWjQgTa3XKtAPP7kUoKQ5EkUvwqxlsKWJgfvaXSUERWCDW26Ud rjwIQTz-nKL3HJWhn1qzXiaiofB1lvLwR1aw0iZZq_KaoXQyYowaeTMWmG RBYmJg_ByF3KM86KCHrjesqIxlVdnl64rjWhV4d-iROxOnnCp1GxmwLzEBKtPA5nrrA258O2DQ5CBpj51vxPjRfrh9 NEtrsCWt7ifuXxZzHTrM50w0EHPzMeeKtTzpNf_v6kWlAg1NWv 8_qO7aC0QY0MXn-6SFScI7l1eMu7Zc3kfu9qKURslLjvIdjInKNtJ_J8XQ10-kFzpw3qsla_ePqoNBezsw8AoyekOIC1MY9fXt3XEFW9g-k_gvAnIM_j0P9rZ8e_71Rrq970Cg1ATgw_BqPMb7XNsFHd8c-73eevQudu0U2lX8o5Rcgp_rSSgY6yUrWy1Mmotk03lmFVcGgNy XnbYQHt5zAshEBXS1OlIvCTBGia9u90-HMHSozcuDO5p6xLP4EJsQX0P365GsnJYEZJzF779KanwoNHF2h NdU6WKipg7y0C0cVFSpk7tKDkAUzB1QKEU=w838-h628-no

The guy who sold it to my friend has the forklift you see, so it was a piece of cake for him to load it onto the UPS Freight truck I arranged to pick it up.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/o43818hr9SrB3xN4-40-hU0Kr0qIG3fqZViK9Y0nWXimR2UMoR4bmeZi0yKSdYCBgDPsnu uuDYDqvOUTpxtJ2Vp-mI4AHHj_b0PVvTyVRpUepSMv7EDRCF3icyGdHiroK7Il5G_o46 owgy9J-py0UmvVYw8ewh0wgKZhLfUhh45J7tK_V9tEAZaqClpr6YlZYtC 4XLbnYeu2q-USJZwBsc8jFVvtLusLZwank4VzcRNGXMJP42IPUOJEs3-C8mPiwv2rRFw6empYVFvbMLRuKZNmR37GvkUpG37HlMonuEWXf jjkpuIPgwzCKgsfcoTILdqt-61QlxW5G9ajNL3g240YfIjDwc6BZrmAhsdJDqvHu8zbpQvbaPn oUW0JLY-NrzIzG0NGbAXYgX-MLbffDsdiaf-3w0Ji_ZivQbnQB3T-ZychHVMmWmoHF-DYWl_wx4mODtLFf_93-sHLCN5-kR7-bglfb2pgUh1jy2plOzhTnVuIcoQ3r6gI7wYV1VbEwvo0Gcrpw0 KEDqL0QhQNFN63rTUfGcXoiCWubIv5FQTKOtAxNTz2lgjyMcUC qWLFNfJ7PgQO6WI29ZunaC910NPGfcHgncpi4t-qcxuCapekp7lcZYgM4g2Ma3Y45HvncEcK6N4Pqo7KarHl0zhUZ X91LlmkTDV8snCfFSYrofc=w838-h628-no

In preparation for it's arrival I installed an anchor point in my friends garage, a big D-ring bolted to a piece of 5/4 oak, bolted to the floor with 1/2" x 6" Tapcon screws.

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The machine was supposed to be delivered via lift gate truck to my friends house. Yesterday, however, I got a call that said the machine was too long for them to get it onto the lift gate. I was afraid of that. OK, plan B. I rented a 10' U-haul truck and went to the freight terminal this morning to pick up the machine. They drove the machine down a ramp and loaded it at ground level using two forklifts. I'm not sure why they couldn't use a single forklift like when it was loaded, but it all worked out OK.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2gjUvuV0OlOOO77hsCTZlmxHEq4bEZYlMw_AACDcY5OQ0IkIyo 6tNZAKMnaTM1KRaw4a_RtkS1oUIoPR-2HPNEVRXht3jTh9qYw24EdZwMxvJ_caP02oaTymJLW8PHHJbX2 MywlxndmalTKXDmtH7KylJRWUgE-mFC94BTW2S8Bw5YRC7E3w9XZjYjfDE0csuJrm9qT45OhCEQk0G cQMvZRwnl_9CMsajl4HYfTboOFNsg09Wf3UsLDU3yC6iZrHHCE aZisrNOYHFKS3GNel9UdwHJdSfPCCzh4IJcJqRHxqHTdo4-PPJm1zLHysCGWE8i9EziM6j5hqMdLWlQwYP45uiJPCQKLXqd1x WlqyPN-Tw9OilQtDZB9824T4woNdkqV3Wa00509U0SOi-TOBBzUvCaCQpl3wDiDaNa9mwGJHrhCB7fuSXgF7RQWcrmgtSlj 5xqgVoI5RGURM7uB791iyqRiTQeN9gcXAGVzDB5zZVby4FJLKL ZdBWy-EJvbw8Gwf3jeMJciJuA4VNdf_uM0wpTiHqy3nHXQ9CG1anUfW3 _e-f7wqaY8B_s9PpDTh7idl9ZF47aolOtHiE0xL5SCjvAw_8Iry8Z MguwpxlvqMAor-KMO7AzqX8I_QK4lJ021e6OM5LJdjlf8-1NWAgTBlGPj4q6jvJN8r5LgsRVE=w1117-h628-no


The skid and machine just about filled the bed of the truck between the wheel wells. Off I went to my friends house with no problems, about 15 miles away. I backed the truck up close to his garage shop, close enough that 8', 4x4's would reach to the floor. Then I built this little ramp from 4x4's screwed together, braced it to the ground at the bumper, and ratchet strapped it to the bumper of the truck. I backed my car up to the front of the truck and ran the winch cable under the truck, thru the ramp, and to a chain attached to my anchor point. I used a snatch block to run the cable back up to the skid.

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Then it was just a matter of pulling the skid down the ramps, slowly, readjusting the attachment point of the snatch block on the chain when the cable end got close to jamming into it.

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But it all went smoothly and I think the entire operation from the time I left home was only a couple of hours. And here is what he has.

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It's a 16" Zefam. His little 8" Jet is looking mighty puny and nervous now. When my friend gets back from FL in the Spring we'll get it pulled off the pallet and into final position. Then it will be time to figure out how to hook up the VFD he bought to power the 3 phase motor that's in this beast. I have to say, it is a beautiful looking machine, and those planed tables are gorgeous.

All in all, it was a very simple process. Having the winch is what made it all possible. I suppose I could have used a come-along or chain fall, but that would have been a very slow process. But you use what you have and it's possible for even an amateur like me to move some pretty big stuff safely. So if you see a monster machine, don't shy away just because it's heavy. And in the end, if you can't move it yourself, there are plenty of people you can pay who do it all the time.

John

[David Kumm]

Sweet jointer. some Home Depots rent drop deck trailers which are great. I moved a 6500 lb lathe that broke two pallet jacks. Nothing worse than a machine starting to tip. The world seems to stop. Show a close up of the tables. the thick planed tables on the eastern Europe machines are impressive. Dave

[Edwin Santos]

What humility! You called yourself an amateur but I would have thought you have a rigging background.

I don't think I fully understand what's going on with the jumper cables though.
Thanks for posting

[John TenEyck]

What humility! You called yourself an amateur but I would have thought you have a rigging background.

I don't think I fully understand what's going on with the jumper cables though.
Thanks for posting



Well, I am an engineer. More important, I think, I watched a lot of riggers in my corporate days move equipment into place through seemingly impossible openings. Their skill and ingenuity is remarkable.

The jumper cables provide power to my winch which is attached to a receiver on my trailer hitch at the back of the car where you can't quite see it. It's a HF 5000 lb ATV winch and it has moved a lot of stuff with never a whimper. The winch cable hook actually caught on the door latch hole in the bed of the truck this morning - and the winch pulled the U-haul truck and load a few inches before I realized what was happening! That had to be getting close to the load limit of the winch.

John

[John TenEyck]

Sweet jointer. some Home Depots rent drop deck trailers which are great. I moved a 6500 lb lathe that broke two pallet jacks. Nothing worse than a machine starting to tip. The world seems to stop. Show a close up of the tables. the thick planed tables on the eastern Europe machines are impressive. Dave

I'll try to remember to take a close up of the tables when I go back to pick up my 4x4's. They really are impressive. Much smoother than most ground tables.

John

[Chris Hachet]

Very impressive work in Moving that!

[William Shelley]

Wow, this is really cool. I am going to be dealing with a similar situation in two days and your approach seems very effective.

My new 16" jointer is "only" 950lbs, but still WAY above what is feasible to move by hand.

[Dan Friedrichs]

The jumper cables provide power to my winch which is attached to a receiver on my trailer hitch at the back of the car where you can't quite see it. It's a HF 5000 lb ATV winch and it has moved a lot of stuff with never a whimper. The winch cable hook

Ha! I thought you had just tied the cable to the trailer hitch and were using the Subaru to pull it. Your way is better.

Very impressive and very cool!

[Marty Schlosser]

John,

Glad it worked out. But, without making too light of the ruckering job you faced, I'd like to mention that for me it was a case of moving a Wadkin RD 16 (16" jointer) down into my basement workshop.

Again, nice job.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice work. Looks like a pretty safe move to me.
That is an odd arrangement with those fork lifts. Possibly they were just worried about stabalizing the machine on the initial movement. A stinger beam and a sling, mounted to the fork tines, would have been much easier, but to have one just saying around at a freight terminal is not something I would expect.
How did you get it off the pallet?

[John Seybold]

Yes, nice job. I had to move a 1200lb Felder jointer/planer off its pallet (fortunately the delivery guy was able to use his liftgate, so I didn't have the big vertical drop to handle). I wound up building a frame with a chain hoist to lift it up, slipped a dolly with heavy duty wheels under it, rolled it into position, lifted again, and set it down on the floor.
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[Martin Wasner]

The six P's hard at work. Though putting holes in the floor wouldn't fly for me.

I've got two pieces of equipment I'm not thrilled about moving. I'm just going to hire millwrights to move those. Them having insurance being the biggest reason.

[John TenEyck]

Sweet jointer. some Home Depots rent drop deck trailers which are great. I moved a 6500 lb lathe that broke two pallet jacks. Nothing worse than a machine starting to tip. The world seems to stop. Show a close up of the tables. the thick planed tables on the eastern Europe machines are impressive. Dave


I was over to my friend's house today to measure the base to see if we can find a mobile base for it. It's 17" x 45-3/4". Anyone know who makes a mobile base in that size that can handle over 1600 lbs.?

While there, I took a couple of close-ups of the tables.

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John

[John TenEyck]

The six P's hard at work. Though putting holes in the floor wouldn't fly for me.

I've got two pieces of equipment I'm not thrilled about moving. I'm just going to hire millwrights to move those. Them having insurance being the biggest reason.



I don't know what else I could have anchored to (certainly not the cement block rear wall!) and to me (and my friend) holes in the floor are no big deal. They are only 1/2" in diameter and would be easy to repair. Just pour in some hydraulic cement if they bother you. I think my friend will leave them or maybe fill the top little bit with some caulk or putty so we can use them again if needed.

You are right about pro riggers. They sure know their business.

John

[Mike Heidrick]

HTC used to make custom bases. You could call and ask. Honestly though just build a custom pallet and use a $150-$200 5500lb pallet jack or hire a welder and get some Heavy Duty casters.

[Warren Lake]

Good idea there John a custom sled. Ive looked at Skid design drawing up stuff before moving machines. Sometimes having to adapt, I moved a machine that was 2,500 lbs that rested on four small feet. when the forklift guy lifted it he said im concerned the feet will punch through the trailer floor. I said its okay I have 12 foot 2" thick hard maple beams and im strapping it down to that as well as to the trailer. This is a different machine but still strapped to the maple beams. Normally I use my 16 foot car trailer. The issue ive had in the past is I want stuff mounted between the wheels and a fork cant lift from the bottom as the double wheels are in the way. Most fork trucks cant reach in far enough from the end and in the case of a jointer with two long tables same thing. I started drilling my machines in the base and just bolting up chain with 1/2 bolts. I did this as I would rather lift a machine from the base rather than the table, shaper whatever machine just less stress on the machine probably fine though they lift car engine blocks of pretty minimal hook up. I loop the chain at the top and then they just put the forks under the loop and the machine hangs, I normally put a few woodwork clamps on the forks so the chain cant move its located then they just lift and place it where I want. At my end here use a farm tractor and he just puts two forks on and same thing under the chain.

Here is one not the little tiny feet but rather a large base but I still put the beams down to spread the weight. On my trailer I probably have 30 strap locations maybe more, this one had next to non, borrowed it silly set up. With the machine strapped down to the beams that is a good start then strapped to what I could. also below drawing from a manual how they recommend lifting. Im sure its fine but it makes me a bit nervous. Once had a machine lifted off by an older guy and his technique was pretty bad, then his grandson did a few with a massive John deer I think electric over hydraulics and he was like a surgeon.

Your idea for a skid and sled same time is good, on my car trailer it is dovetail and has ramps I could winch it on but taking it off would have to figure something else out, oh See what you did now bolting to the floor and using the winch the other way to pull it out.


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[Robin Frierson]

I second the notion of using a pallet jack for a mobile base. When I had my big shop I moved all my machines around with a pallet jack. Right now I have my 12 inch joiner on a double piece of plywood with four casters and it works OK . You just have to find heavy-duty casters to handle the weight. It does make the machine a little high though.

[David Kumm]

If you can handle the height either Zambus 2200 lb castors or 4x4 with pallet jack. Don't use castors any lighter than the 2200 and if going the pallet jack route, get a decent one that feathers down slowly. Too many cheap ones jar the machine too hard. A jointer really shouldn't be moved but rather leveled and stationary. If it needs to be moved to use, mark the spot on the floor and always put it in that same spot so you only need to level once. Shim the 4x4 to the base or to the floor. A four point jointer is easier to rack than a three toed so returning to level is important for wide tables. Dave

[John TenEyck]

Thanks Warren. That drawing is pretty much how I was thinking of lifting his machine. Are you saying that's bad? Seems to me it gets under most of the mass but still above the center of gravity so it should be stable to just lift vertically and then set back down.

John

[John TenEyck]

Thanks Dave. His ceiling height is low, maybe 8', but I think I have room to build a wooden gantry type crane and use my 2 ton chain fall to pick it up, pull out the skid, and set it back down. Good advise on leveling/racking. I can see how that becomes a larger issue the wider the machine, even on what appears to be something very rigid. I've often wondered if there was much impact on my MM 14" J/P. It's on a 3 point mobile base and I haven't seen any problems, but it's only 14" wide and the tables are relatively short at 60" total. This one is 100" long combined. There's actually no good reason I can think of why he needs it on a mobile base. Maybe we should rethink that and just put it on 4 leveling screws, level it, and leave it be.

John

[David Kumm]

Lifting either under the base or where you are drawing is OK. As long as you aren't directly under the tables and not going far you will be fine. 1600 isn't all that heavy and at least half the weight is in the base and motor. Dave

[Warren Lake]

John the drawing is from the manufacturer so should be good, straps are tight to the frame of the machine so dont see a ton of stress on the tables. My way is probably a bit flintstones but I want the least stress then if need be I can lower a machine five feet down to a different level. LIfting as per the drawing should be fine plus what you are talking about is just lifting not lifting and moving so even less stress. I guess that aspect of the skid is the only negative thing it still has to come off the skid so pluses and minuses with each way. This is the young kid moving one for me few years back, sadly he took his life at christmas. I still havent digested that and hurts when I think about it.

The frame in the photo above is good, I built a wood frame years ago to take a car body off it worked excellent.

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[Mike Heidrick]

That 7730 made me drool a bit. That loader will like 5250 to 5500lbs. BAM! 190hp tractor too.

[Warren Lake]

Nother thought do you really have to lift if off the skid, from the looks you could just raise one side pry bar put blocks under it take that cross piece of the skid off then lower it to the floor off then do the same other side then it would be on the floor and no longer on the skid and take the skid apart. I lift machines that weight with a pry bar and can do it with one or two arms to push the bar down andraise it, use my knee to hold the bar down and free up hands to put different blocks under it, easier to have a friend slip different blocks under in increments while you raise it up or down

[Jim Andrew]

I moved my 12" jointer the way Warren Lake described last fall when I put down a wood floor. Just used pieces of pipe to roll it back and forth after getting it high enough to go back on top of the wood floor.

[John TenEyck]

Warren, that would probably work just as well with less effort. Gotta look at it in the Spring when my friend gets back from FL. Just need to be able to move it about 5 ft first, and I can pull it with the floor anchor and winch to do that, and then get leveling feet installed, before sliding it a foot or two sideways.

Thanks,

John

[John Sincerbeaux]

I went through the same exercise a few months ago. I purchased a Northfield 16" jointer from a guy in Michigan. He had used two forklifts to load the nicely crated machine into an Old Dominion truck. I knew the crate was too long for the lift gate but OD said it could be delivered and off loaded using just a pallet jack and the lift gate? To make a very long story short, it took the driver, myself, two friends and two pallet jacks to offload the 2000# beast. I forgot to mention a chainsaw we used to trim and re trim the crate/pallet to get it on the lift gate while 1/4 of it was hanging off the gate:(.
To get the jointer off the pallet, I used blocks, 6x6's, and a floor jack to lift then lower the jointer off the pallet onto my driveway. From there, I cut the 6x6's into 2' lengths and used them as risers for the pallet jack. Never touched the tables at any point of the move.
Now sitting happy in her new home😀
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[John Sincerbeaux]

Now, if someone can tell me how to post pictures here with correct orientation? Have now idea why they end up all over the place??? Errrrrgh!

[Brian Henderson]

Now, if someone can tell me how to post pictures here with correct orientation? Have now idea why they end up all over the place??? Errrrrgh!

Most people don't realize that pictures taken with cell phones have an orientation coded into the image. You have to hold the phone in the correct orientation to get it to be right side up. Even adjusting it in a photo editing program won't change that internal orientation most of the time.

[Martin Wasner]

These threads drive one thing home for me and that is I'm thankful to have a forklift.

[Joe Calhoon]

Now, if someone can tell me how to post pictures here with correct orientation? Have now idea why they end up all over the place??? Errrrrgh!


John, I had trouble with that and found if I rotate the pictures back and fourth once before posting that seems to do the trick. No idea why.

[John Sincerbeaux]

I would love to have a forklift but neither my wife or my HOA would go for that😜

[Warren Lake]

Forklift, thats cheating :)

thats a nice beast never tried one but looks comfortable standing wise


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[John TenEyck]

After reading your adventures, John, I think it's a good thing UPS Freight said they wouldn't deliver this one on a lift gate truck. It really was a simple process to get it off the U-Haul truck. The beds on those things are only a little over 2' high, so pulling it down a ramp is pretty straight forward and safe. The skid never did slide on its own, I had to pull it the entire way.

John

[Rick Fisher]

That Northfield Jointer is awesome .. Love it ..

[Marty Schlosser]

I'd caution against the use of cement blocks, as they are very weak - especially in the orientation you're showing.


I went through the same exercise a few months ago. I purchased a Northfield 16" jointer from a guy in Michigan. He had used two forklifts to load the nicely crated machine into an Old Dominion truck. I knew the crate was too long for the lift gate but OD said it could be delivered and off loaded using just a pallet jack and the lift gate? To make a very long story short, it took the driver, myself, two friends and two pallet jacks to offload the 2000# beast. I forgot to mention a chainsaw we used to trim and re trim the crate/pallet to get it on the lift gate while 1/4 of it was hanging off the gate:(.
To get the jointer off the pallet, I used blocks, 6x6's, and a floor jack to lift then lower the jointer off the pallet onto my driveway. From there, I cut the 6x6's into 2' lengths and used them as risers for the pallet jack. Never touched the tables at any point of the move.
Now sitting happy in her new home
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