Handling an old 12' - 16" Jointer

[Larry Feltner]

I have always wanted an old 12" - 16" jointer but I've been nervous about wiring a VFD and also about moving and handling such a heavy machine. For those who bought one, how did you get it in your building? If a company delivers it, will they sit it in your building, or do you have to unload it? If so, how did you do it? I can't figure out how a person would unload a 1,500 pound machine from a truck. I would really like to start looking and perhaps buy an old machine, but I feel like I need a game plan before I even start to look around. The last thing I would want is to buy something and then not be able to get it in my shop.

[Mark Gibney]

The shop next to me have a forklift, they helped me with that. It was a tension filled experience - I felt it could go wrong in an instant.

If your shop is at your home and you don't have access to a forklift, but you do have a good flat and smooth area outside your shop, maybe consider a gantry to lift the machine up, then take the trailer away.

Then lower the jointer onto a custom made large dolly - which could be just two $15 dollies with a plywood platform screwed to them. Strap the jointer to this dolly and screw wood blocks at either end so it doesn't slide off - I've seen it happen.
Have a few strong friends help you to roll this into your shop, and repeat the trick with the gantry to get the jointer down onto the floor.
You can then usually scoot the machine into its final placement.

[Jim Andrew]

When I bought my 12" Grizzly jointer, I used my skidsteer to carry the thing into the shop. Luckily I have a 9 x 8 overhead door that the skidsteer would go through. The 7' high garage door scrapes the top of the skidsteer. If I were buying a used jointer, would transport it with my tilting floor lawnmower trailer. Also use a 21" Stanley pry bar to move the machines, and blocks to put under it to jack it up a small amount to get the jointer off the trailer. My trailer has an angle iron frame that is about the same height as the wood flooring, but machines seem to want to catch on that edge.

[Alex Zeller]

I've always unloaded everything and brought it into my shop. I usually think about it first and have game plan before attempting the move. Over the years I have modified my starting point as I find better ways. I currently use an engine lift with a homemade rig that looks like an "H". In each corner of the H I have hooks so I can use chains or straps. In the very center of the H is an eye bolt to attach to the lift. Where the sides of the H connect to the center is U-bolts so it can be adjusted for an out of balance load. I also modified the lift so the legs aren't a V shape but more of a U. This allows me to put the legs on each side of the tool I'm moving. I lift it up, slide some 2x4s across the legs and then set the tool on top of the 2x4 to move it so it can't swing. It's just narrow enough to fit through a 3' door. It'll lift 2000 lbs. I usually use my small trailer as I can slide the legs under the axle to remove tools from it.

[Mike Kees]

I have always just got to the shop and gone from there. I have a skidsteer ,engine hoist and now two different sized pallet jacks. Several pieces of steel pipe, various webbing slings and lots of rachet straps plus a welded steel dolly. I know not everyone has all this stuff available. It is one of the benefits of being in construction for 30 years. So far have been able to set up anything that I have purchased. If you were going to rent something the engine hoist combined with a couple endless loop nylon straps and a floor dolly go a long way.

[Justin Rapp]

It all depends on where in your putting this machine. My shop is in the basement, and while I have a walk out basement, getting to the backyard with heavy equipment would be a nightmare getting over the lawn. So, I need to strongly consider how to get equipment down into the basement from my garage where a freight company would drop a crate. So far my 3 heavy pieces of equipment was my jointer, bandsaw and my dust collector. I have an appliance/furnace dolly that I can use to help, and luckily it can take a heck of a lot of weight, but only as much as I can muscle up a few stairs than down the stairs to the basement. So - if you have no way of putting a 1500 pound machine into it's place, it might be best to hire some movers/riggers to unload it and get it moved into place.

2nd to that, if you are worried about the wiring, that is also a call to an electrician. Both moving heavy equipment and doing electrical work you re not comfortable with are two areas that can get you injured or killed.

[Kevin Jenness]

Many old jointers have easily detached tables, so the tables, base and motor can be moved separately.

Yes, you should have a plan, but it's not rocket surgery. Make sure of the access and clearances. A come-along or chain hoist, slings and a dolly, or a big pry bar or Johnson bar, some skids and three pipe rollers will accomplish a lot. Heavy ratchet straps will keep the load stable during transport. A rollback car transporter or box truck with a heavy duty lift gate can be hired for the day, as can a pallet jack, hoist or forklift. Or you can hire a rigger.

A vfd is pretty straightforward, whether you hook it up or have an electrician do it.

The most important thing is to identify a machine that is worth the effort- flat tables that are coplanar or can be made so, crack-free castings, accurate fence, an effective guard, decent bearings and motor, and a price that will allow you to make any necessary repairs or upgrades. Avoid square or clamshell heads.

[William Hodge]

Larry, Where is the machine going? Everything depends on that. You might have a 4' loading dock, or be in a basement. Strategies would differ.

I have a frame built into my shop to support a pick point, 11' off the floor. I can back a flatbed truck under it, pickup the machine with a chain hoist, and have the driver drive out. I then lower the machine on to a pallet jack.

[Richard Coers]

A roll back flat bed wrecker is the way to move any kind of machine like that. Costs me $100 for a local pickup and delivery, and they will put the tip of the bed inside my garage and use a winch to slide it down the bed and into the garage.

[Andrew Hughes]

To move my jointer into the shop I added a eye bolt to the header of the shop doors main opening. And used a chain fall to lift the jointer up off the trailer. Then drove the trailer out then lowered the jointer onto furniture dollys. Rolled right in. My jointer weighed in at 1900#.

[Terry Therneau]

This has been discussed moderately often on the owwm.org site. Three bits of advice return again and again. 1. Put the machine on skids. Take along some lifting device plus 2 4x4 or 4 2x8 of sufficient length, lift up each foot of the machine onto them, then bolt it down. It is much easier to roll (using pipes) or even just prybar it along an inch at a time, and makes it harder to tip. The bigger the machine, the stronger this advice, extra strong for 3-toe jointers 2. Go slow, and if something goes wrong get out of the way! A broken machine is one thing but a broken you quite another. 3. Have a mechanical plan at the destination. I have a ceiling lift point inside the shop. Some make a gantry. If there is access, roll back wreckers are much loved: they can pull it off your trailer, pick up or whatever, and set id down right where you want it.

[Bill Dufour]

The so called "cherry picker" engine hoist is popular for up to one ton loads. used ones sell for about 120$ around here.
Bil lD

[Mark Gibney]

Engine hoists can be good, but I couldn't get one to fit under the trailer - the trailer wheels were in the way.
I guess the main advice I'd give is to get the help of a friend who has done this before, more than once, or hire a professional crew.

[Jim Becker]

Most of the time, when you buy a big tool, old-iron or new-steel, you'll be the one making arrangements for getting it into your shop in some way, shape or form. Sometimes that's just having the right tools available and sometimes it means hiring a rigger. 'Depends on the nature of the machine and the nature of the move that your particular shop brings into play.

[Ryan Yeaglin]

Many above have given great ways to move equipment, If this sounds like something that isn't right for you, either hire a Mover or a Rigger ( A rigger is an industrial mover of machinery).

[Carroll Courtney]

To do what you want to do will require special equipment. First there are trailers that has hydraulic lift that can be rented which will bring the machine almost down to ground level so that maybe a pallet jack can be used. As others have said I also have a Gantry Crane that has a HF elec hoist on it so that can stay focus on the job itself. I also have an engine hoist to help out but requires little room. My routine was to raise the machine and build a pallet with 4x4's and decking lumber which is about 1" thick. Then set the machine on the pallet then move around with a pallet jack which will just about turn on dime.
Over the yrs I have loaded/unloaded BP Mill, Clausing 13" lathe, 36" BS, etc which requires everything that I had plus several endless straps of different length. Point being there is a lot to it, its not easy and if your just occasionally going to make purchase might be better to rent that trailer and a pallet jack

[anne watson]

Ryan is right. Hire someone who moves things, like a moving company, cheaper than a bum back for the rest of your life.

[Jeff Bartley]

To move a large jointer the best thing you can do is build a 4x4 pallet that allows it to be bolted down through the 4x’s. There are other considerations as well; like only run straps through the center casting, not over the tables, if the tables slide for and aft run a strap lengthwise to prevent the tables from sliding off in a sudden stop, and never ever pick up a jointer by the tables.
If possible enlist some experienced help. As previously mentioned the OWWM folks are fantastic enablers in the acquisition of old iron, some would even come out to help for the sport of it.
To the OP, the best thing you could do to learn about this would be to volunteer to help someone move something heavy.

[Larry Feltner]

Thanks for all the advise. I have a metal building with a concrete floor in the back of my property. It has an 8' garage door. A delivery company could probably set it down inside the door, then I would have to move it from there. I also have a 12' trailer that I use to haul mulch and other things with. I'm not sure what 1,500 pounds would be like on it. I think I would be a little nervous going to pick one up and bringing it back on the trailer. It sounds like an engine hoist would be cost effective way to move it once it is in my building. I like the idea of bolting the legs to a 4 x 4 to make it more stable for moving. Is it possible to lift one end 4' up to get it on top of the 4 x 4. What method are you using to get it off of the floor onto a couple of 4 x 4s?

[Mark Gibney]

If you get an engine hoist make sure the legs of the hoist can fit around either side of the jointer's base. I moved an 8" Oliver jointer with an engine hoist and the legs wouldn't fit around the base (the base is wider than most 8" jointers). I had to lift the jointer up onto 4x4s first - I lifted the end of a table and a friend slid the lumber under. Not ideal, but I knew I'd have to make the tables co-planar in any case.

We went in reverse order to get it down. An 16" jointer is much much heavier than an 8", so beware!

[Jared Sankovich]

Buy a pallet jack, and rent a hydraulic drop deck trailer. A engine hoist isn't the easiest way to move machinery inside a building.

[Ryan Yeaglin]

I work for a industrial metal fab/rigging/ piping company. If at work I would use "skates" to move it around as they are low to the ground and depending on type can rotate 360 degrees under a load to crab walk if needed. If your building is open and there's plenty of room a fork lift and some nylon straps would be fast and easy. If you have a bunch of "stuff" in the way, then some dollies rated for 800lbs plus with 4 swivel casters would be another option. Call your local rental place and inquire about a chain come-a-long meant for lifting or a chain fall. Use (2) 4"x4"x8' spanning the rafters to rig the jointer and lift one end at a time onto the dollies. Otherwise, call a rigger.

[Warren Lake]

Larry to lift stuff use a pry bar, I have a magical pry bar origin unknown that a friend gave me years ago. I suspect it came from the auto industry from a tire machine. I had modified the ends. I can lift a 1,600 lb jointer then slip a piece of wood under, then lift a bit more larger piece of wood and work up from there. To move it I still just use some dedicated bar from pipe from pipe clamps that is only used for that,The pipes may get deformed a bit so thats their only purpose. The heaviest machine ive lifted was 2,500 lbs more or less and that is getting so heavy I have to put all my weight on the bar. THe bar always flexes but its never ever bent and stayed that way. I think it was made by some Samuria sword maker. I lost it once for years and friends will tell you I needed therapy. Doing a roof rebuild years later I heard a noise and figured some tools had fallen. Next day a neighbour asked what that was in one of my pine trees and it was the pry bar. Life has been better since. I moved a 36" wadkin bandsaw with that bar and I weigh 160 so it shows what one can do with leverage.

As the old cabinetmaker aged one day he was saying he "aint the man he used to be" he had also had a huge tumour removed and was recovering from that. I said I guess now would be the time if there ever was one for me to take you and he said no id take you with leverage then a smile. Just our usual banter and his usual fast answer and sense of humour. I think they used this bar before to build the pyramids.

I have seen strapping on jointers from the tables, they just strap right at the machines close to the frame. I should get straps but one thing about chains you can put a bolt in anywhere and adjust lenghts, I can also hook my tie down straps to the chains as well.

I have my own unconventional way. I drill holes in the base of the machines and put bolts in and use chains. Then the machines are picked up with a fork under the chain over top of the machine, there is no stress at all on the machine as its lifted by the base which is what it sits on. it takes some time and the chains are heavy. Its never failed me, forklift on pick up and farm tractor at this end with a fork under the chain. Friend did a machine for me and it had to turn sideways for low ceiling height, he used one of those motor pickers, I was more than concerned but he did well, somewhere i have a photo of it on the picker sitting sideways floating in the air.

Ive always moved stuff myself but have a back up guy with a large truck and fairly priced. Money saved has paid for machines, I take my time, driving back i always do it after hours when traffic is low and usually most of the morons are already at home or wherever they go. No question it takes care when you are pulling weight unless you are rigged up like Darcy then its almost cheating. :)

I use chains and even though I get what they show with my chains I run chains to each chain so they could never slip off. I dont like how they have done it as much as it would work fine under load. Murphy is relentless in my life so ive learned overkill with almost all things.




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[Alex Zeller]

If you are only lifting it up a couple of inches to get a wooden skid under it a crowbar and some 2x4 cutoffs for cribbing would work. Just do one side at a time. There's really two approaches to doing it. One is to think of it as a one time thing and not invest in the tools to do it. The other, of course is to find out what works for you and once you spend the money on the tools then you can expand what equipment you are willing to buy for your shop.

[Jim Matthews]

Ryan is right. Hire someone who moves things, like a moving company, cheaper than a bum back for the rest of your life.

Amen, Reverend.

[Scott Bernstein]

+1 on the rigging company, if you have the means. I’m just a hobby guy living in a small house on top of an extremely steep driveway (true 25% grade). Shop is in my garage. Have no special/heavy moving equipment or experience. Need an intact back and limbs for work. When I have purchased heavy equipment (such as a 1000lb jointer), I had it delivered to the rigging company’s warehouse. They sent a truck, 3 strong guys, pallet jacks, hoists, ropes, and a special off-road forklift that could handle the grade. They helped unpack everything and stayed until i had assembled it enough to make sure everything was working. Totally worth it, especially knowing they were fully insured in case anything happened. Before the job i thought it was expensive, afterwards i thought I got a great deal.

[Warren Lake]

There is no right or wrong

There is what is right for you.

[David Sochar]

You can easily rent a forklift to remove from delivery truck and then to get it into the shop.

[Mike Wilkins]

When I got my Hammer A3-41 J/P machine delivered, it was placed in my driveway and left for me to move from there to my shop across a grassy yard. I purchased a couple of sheets of cheap 1/2" plywood and rented a pallet jack. Picked the box up with the jack and leap-frogged it over the plywood sheets. Roll it across one sheet onto the next, move the previous sheet under the next, pull the pallet jack further, and so on. When I got it to the shop it was uncrated and placed onto some cheap Harbor Freight furniture movers and into the shop. These dollies are cheap but stronger than they look. Used them for several heavy machinery moves. Use your brain, not your back.