Moving shop across the country

[Jeff Robinson]

Hello all,
One of my first posts here. Ive been lurking for a while and have chimed in on a thread once or twice recently. Fairly new to woodworking especially in any serious sense. As a farmer I have to be a jack of all trades and working with wood is definitely one of them. I also really enjoy the focus and sometimes tedious work after a week of bruting around in the fields, not to mention needing something to do during the slow winters.
I find myself having acquired a good pile of tools and shop supplies, including a couple bigger ones, and now facing moving house 40 hours across the country. My question is, does anyone have any suggestions about moving an entire woodshop across the country. The big items I have are a contractor table saw and a 10" compound miter saw. Other than that it's just the average tool box: squares, tapes, screwdrivers and bit sets, chisels, planes, sockets ect. Tips, tricks for packing, ideas?, I could really use some inspiration for getting this stuff packed up by the 24th. Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

You shouldn't have much issue moving what you describe you have. For the table saw, just remove any table extensions, etc., and pack them separately. Same with the "fence fence" so it doesn't get knocked around. Cover with a moving blanket and let your movers handle it. For the small stuff, box it up, using binding wrap to insure containers, etc., can't come open (like saran wrap, but for moving). My suggestion is that rather than writing specific descriptions on the actual boxes, for security, only label the destination room/space and then code/number the box. Keep a separate list of what's actually in each box. Nothing draws, um...temptation...than a box labeled "tools". ;) Oh, and be sure you properly insure all of your personal contents for replacement cost, etc. The "standard" moving insurance is only by weight and that severely undervalues even normal household items, let alone more valuable things like tools.

Of course, you also have the option of selling the table saw before the move and buying a new one at the other end...

[Bill Dufour]

Where are you moving too? depending it might be money ahead to sell the saw and buy a better cheaper one in you new location. Consider buying a cargo container or box truck and selling it after the move.
Bill D

[Jeff Robinson]

Of course, you also have the option of selling the table saw before the move and buying a new one at the other end...

Not a bad idea actually. Although I would be worried that I might spend alot more on the move than I'm thinking and not be able to afford another one right away. We are moving to an old house built in the late 1700's with a barn thats a bit younger and looks like a fun restore job. Also need to get started on multiple out-buildings pretty much immediately so I might actually need it like within the first week after the move. Did I mention that anything I need will be $25 and an hour and a half ferry ride away so Craigslist shopping for table saws will be more difficult than I'm used to I think.

Also, I have quite a few 10" and 7.25" carbide blades. I was thinking I would pack them in taped up Manila folders with a layer of corrugated cardboard in between each them. And then maybe in a some sort of flattish box like what amazon sends smallish things in sometimes (18"x15"x3"? Roughly) Any other ideas about that that might work better? I have some of the original plastic packaging that some of them came in but not nearly for all of them.

[Bill Dufour]

When my brother moved he ordered a lot of free flat rate boxes form the post office. delivered to his door. He packed them up and packed them in his truck to his new house. Of course the post office frowns on misuse of their boxes.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

A table saw in Alaska or Hawaii is going to worth a lot more then any where else. The supply of ones to buy will also be reduced so I would keep it if that is where you are going. On the mainland a sears saw is not worth much and a true cabinet saw will be a big step up in quality.
Bill D.
Modesto, CA USA

PS: if you are in Canada or Australasia I do not know pricing ranges there.

[Jeff Robinson]

A table saw in Alaska or Hawaii is going to worth a lot more then any where else. The supply of ones to buy will also be reduced so I would keep it if that is where you are going. On the mainland a sears saw is not worth much and a true cabinet saw will be a big step up in quality.
Bill D.
Modesto, CA USA

PS: if you are in Canada or Australasia I do not know pricing ranges there.

It's Maine actually. Not far from Portland, but it's on an island that's an hour+ ferry ride to get to anywhere thats worth buying anything.

[Jim Becker]

Not a bad idea actually. Although I would be worried that I might spend alot more on the move than I'm thinking and not be able to afford another one right away. We are moving to an old house built in the late 1700's with a barn thats a bit younger and looks like a fun restore job. Also need to get started on multiple out-buildings pretty much immediately so I might actually need it like within the first week after the move. Did I mention that anything I need will be $25 and an hour and a half ferry ride away so Craigslist shopping for table saws will be more difficult than I'm used to I think.

Also, I have quite a few 10" and 7.25" carbide blades. I was thinking I would pack them in taped up Manila folders with a layer of corrugated cardboard in between each them. And then maybe in a some sort of flattish box like what amazon sends smallish things in sometimes (18"x15"x3"? Roughly) Any other ideas about that that might work better? I have some of the original plastic packaging that some of them came in but not nearly for all of them.


I'd personally keep the saw and move it...you're going to need it for sure. But you'll also want to consider some new ideas/tools for the kind of work you'll be doing to setup your new estate. I say that from experience as part of our home dates to the 1750s, too. :) I assure you that my track saw and other "system" components made working inside this house a pleasure and a lot cleaner one, at that.

[Steven Hosler]

Jeff, I just moved last week from Chicago area to Atlanta area. I moved a three car garage full of tools (5hp table saw, 14in band saw, 8" jointer, 15" planer, 18/36 drum sander, full sized drill press, router table, etc...). I used a standard moving company (United), and they did a very good job with the tools. The harder part will be getting everything organized and setup in my new location. I plan to start a thread talking about my new shop.

[Dan Hulbert]

I've moved several times. I usually build crates and cabinets for the small tools and screw them shut before the movers arrive. Cutting edges get wrapped in rags or newspaper while packing. Cabinets get french cleats to allow easy install at new location.

I let the movers pack my tools once. They did fine except that their inventory was Garage, contents tools. Not much help when you need a tool the first day or two at the new location. I had purchased a house that my wife didn't get to see until after we owned it. The first night in after the movers left she decided that the kitchen peninsula had to go and go NOW. While I had anticipated a kitchen remodel, I didn't expect to start the first day in the house. I spent over an hour looking through the boxes labeled garage, contents-tools until I found my jigsaw to cut the offending peninsula out.

That was two houses ago, the crappy B&D jigsaw is long gone, but I still have the wife.

[Jeff Robinson]

I'd personally keep the saw and move it...you're going to need it for sure. But you'll also want to consider some new ideas/tools for the kind of work you'll be doing to setup your new estate. I say that from experience as part of our home dates to the 1750s, too. :) I assure you that my track saw and other "system" components made working inside this house a pleasure and a lot cleaner one, at that.

Thanks Jim, I think that's what I'll do. I am looking forward to having an excuse to spend a bit of money on tools in the next year or so. A nice cabinet table saw is high up on my list of favorites, but technically low in priority. I think my little craftsman contractor will be handy to get started with until I can find a worthy long term one - hopefully by next winter after the growing season is over.
Do you have any other specific tools or machines in mind that made your life easier during your work on your house?

[Jeff Robinson]

Jeff, I just moved last week from Chicago area to Atlanta area. I moved a three car garage full of tools (5hp table saw, 14in band saw, 8" jointer, 15" planer, 18/36 drum sander, full sized drill press, router table, etc...). I used a standard moving company (United), and they did a very good job with the tools. The harder part will be getting everything organized and setup in my new location. I plan to start a thread talking about my new shop.

Unfortunately, I am the moving company. We are very rurally located in southwest Colorado and moving to an even harder to get to place in Maine so movers ended up being a little out of the price range. Loading the biggest uhaul we can get with the help of family and friends on both sides of the move. There are some definite cons to doing to move by ourselves, but I do like not having to worry about a bunch of strangers moving all my things around without the care that I can put into it myself.
I'll be looking out for your new shop thread. Going to be setting one up in the old barn for temporary and hopefully building a new one soon. I'll be interested to see how you go about it.

[Jim Becker]

Do you have any other specific tools or machines in mind that made your life easier during your work on your house?

I kinda embraced the Festool system years ago...I just didn't mention the name in my previous post. It allowed me to work inside with little dust in a house we were living in to do major renovations in some rooms.

[Mark Blatter]

You might consider using ABF's Upack option. They drop a 28' trailer at your door for you to load. They will then pick it up and drop it at the new location for you. After you unload it, they haul it away. I did that on a move from Southern UT to Denver. A year later my company moved me back to Salt Lake using United. My cost for the move was less than $6000 whereas the United move was about $35000.

[Jason Breton]

It's Maine actually. Not far from Portland, but it's on an island that's an hour+ ferry ride to get to anywhere thats worth buying anything.

Welcome to Maine!

[Jeff Robinson]

Thanks for all the ideas and advice everyone. It's been a crazy week and going to be another crazy one. I've got alot of the shop packed so far. I found the original packaging for some of the carbide blades and for others I just taped them into Manila folders (unfortunately the width of only one wasn't enough so I used to for each blade) and stacked them flat in box with cardboard layers in between them. I packed up the table saw, miter saw, circular saw, and sanders. Table saw came off its base easily and the base will actually fit nicely stacked on top of the saw.an there was alot of dust in base of the table saw! Vacuumed and then blew it out with compressed air. And the same with the miter saw. Have alot of hand tools left to pack and I just got my pack wrap this evening so that will probably be the task for tomorrow.