Spindle handle for carrying headstock??

[Gary Pennington]

Have a new lathe on order so will need to lug a 3520 up the steps of my basement shop and lug an American Beauty down :). Robust recommends putting a faceplate on the spindle as a "handle" to provide something to grip. I'd like something more substantial. Thinking that I could turn a solid chunk of white oak into a comfortable 12" tee handle by drilling and tapping 1 1/4"-10 hole in the center.

Curious if anyone here has done something like this or has a better idea?

Thanks, Gary

[John Keeton]

I would trust a cast iron/steel faceplate with the spindle locked to prevent rotation over a piece of wood. Perhaps the oak might be easier to grasp, and others may have different thoughts, but it seems it would be difficult to get something “more substantial.”

[Tim Elett]

Professional movers ? Just a thought.

[Steve Nix]

Hopefully you’ll disassemble before attempting to move.

[Richard Coers]

The most common method I have read about is a short length of rebar through the shaft and have a man on each end. Menards sells short pieces with no cutting involved. If the wood you used didn't have really straight grain, you take a chance of it snapping with the head up in the air.

[John K Jordan]

… by drilling and tapping 1 1/4"-10 hole in the center.


Before you drill and tap something perhaps double check the spindle thread. I thought it was 1-1/4” x 8 tpi like the PM and others (unless you opt for the metric version).

[John Keeton]

The most common method I have read about is a short length of rebar through the shaft and have a man on each end. Menards sells short pieces with no cutting involved. If the wood you used didn't have really straight grain, you take a chance of it snapping with the head up in the air.
Rebar is really textured and has a coarse surface. I would be concerned about scoring the inside surface of the Morris taper.

[Gary Pennington]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have hired professional movers, just hoping to make their task safer for them and the headstock, the basement entry isn't the easiest to navigate I've ever seen. Both will be disassembled to move. The AB was ordered with the standard 1 1/4-10 spindle, I'll be awfully disappointed if it shows up with a metric spindle.

Thinking further, a good, solid 12" chunk of straight grained 5/4 white oak screwed to a faceplate would be a better solution. Far more grip area than just a faceplate and no doubt more substantial than drilling & tapping.

Thanks again, Gary

[John Keeton]

Greg, as has been pointed out, the spindle is 1.25”, but the thread is 8tpi, not 10.

[Gary Pennington]

Greg, as has been pointed out, the spindle is 1.25”, but the thread is 8tpi, not 10.

Brain fade. I do have the correct tap.

Thanks, Gary

[John Keeton]

Gary, sorry about the name error. Greg Pennington is a well known chair maker and I had a brain fade as well!:o

[Reed Gray]

No easy way to do it. I do know that if you are going to take the headstock off of an AB, you have to disconnect some wiring. If it is not assembled, then you will have to wire it when it gets down into the basement. I have taken headstocks off of several lathes, and they are all awkward to carry in any position. Not sure if you can pull the motor off before moving it first or not. You may be able to make a short bed that matches the lathe bed and slide and lock the headstock onto that before moving it down into the basement. Have fun...... Part sarcastic...

robo hippy

[Brian Tymchak]

...You may be able to make a short bed that matches the lathe bed and slide and lock the headstock onto that before moving it down into the basement.

My first thought as well. I wouldn't want to put that kind of pressure on the bearings in the headstock. A simple bed could be easily and cheaply constructed from 2x4s that is long enough for 2 people to grap at the ends.

Postnote: didn't pick up on first reading that Robust recommended attaching the face plate. Kind of surprising to me...

[Dwayne Watt]

Per spec sheet on the Robust site, the spindle bearings are 6300-series. Assuming 6306 (30 mm shaft), you could literally pickup the entire lathe on one bearing and not affect it whatsoever. These size bearings have a static load capacity of 3600 lbs (16 kN).
Professional movers will likely just grab onto the piece with a moving strap and carry it downstairs. Use the headstock advice from Robust and let the pros do their thing. I have learned from personal professional moves that the homeowners "help" is seldom appreciated by the folks that do this for a living.

[Brian Tymchak]

Per spec sheet on the Robust site, the spindle bearings are 6300-series. Assuming 6306 (30 mm shaft), you could literally pickup the entire lathe on one bearing and not affect it whatsoever. These size bearings have a static load capacity of 3600 lbs (16 kN).


Thanks for that post Dwayne. I'm surprised to hear those bearings have that kind of load rating. Learned something today.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Its been a while since I moved my AB - picked it up in 2012 at the symposium in San Jose - Brent set it up to make removing the headstock simpler with quick disconnect connections where possible, but power to the motor still hardwired (needed to retire. A faceplate to use as a grip for the front would be a great idea. Two people both using the faceplate in one hand and the other hand under to base on the opposite end could handle it with ease. Getting it down stairs could be a whole other chore though. When new, my son and I got it out of the trailer I used to haul it and got everything setup in a very short period - less than an hour. A few minutes to retire and I was in business.

When we moved north and got the new shop ready I had it brought up to the island by the moving and storage place that had been storing for me. The mobility set casters were a real godsend, but even then there were no stairs to negotiate.

Trust your movers, do what you can the give them a fighting chance and make sure they’re bonded/insured.

[Gary Pennington]

The moving/disassembly instructions on the Robust site are pretty specific. The lathe was ordered with the limit switch disconnect so all I have to do electrically is un-wire the motor, then re-wire when it's in place. The movers are pros, completely insured and bonded that we used five years ago when we moved into this home. They have always had a good reputation and a staff of burly guys.

Thinking I'll have my largest faceplate prepared with an oak "handle", if the movers prefer the bare plate I can remove eight screws in a few seconds.

Not too many years ago my best friend and I would have done this with a pizza or two and a case of beer. Together he and I have made four trips down and up basement stairs with 3520's, sadly, those days are gone. Fortunately LOML has helped me see the light re: pro movers.

Gary

[John K Jordan]

… Fortunately LOML has helped me see the light re: pro movers.

Yes. That’s the way I feel about moving pianos these days! We once moved a heavy player piano down a flight of stairs and lifted it through a picture window. Had six healthy guys.
By contrast I had my heavier grand piano moved by piano movin’ pros - just two guys with the right tools and the right experience.

I moved a 3520B myself but no stairs, just off a trailer, moved the pieces inside on a furniture dolly and used a floor jack to help with assembly.

JKJ

[Paul Haus]

Just a comment for those thinking of moving something like the PM. I have moved a Jet 1642, cabinet saw, RAS, 60 gal compressor and a whole lot more tools into a basement shop that has 2 sections of stairs to go down. I happen to have a furniture hand truck similar to this: Steel Appliance Hand Truck - 2 Wheel H-5047 - Uline (https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-5047/Hand-Trucks/Steel-Appliance-Hand-Truck-2-Wheel?pricode=WA9183&gadtype=pla&id=H-5047&gclid=CjwKCAiAjPyfBhBMEiwAB2CCIhR3EBF8MT5p4SEe6F7v mBULUGBSsyGOtkGrp61R-pZxRIIIw9PrJBoCOhcQAvD_BwE)
You can put most anything on it and strap it down tight then it's up to you to guide it safely down the steps. You can use it to take things up the steps too, but it's harder and may require another body or two to accomplish the task.

[Kevin Jenness]

Here's a good video by Ernie Conover describing dismantling and moving a big Oneway lathe, using a rented powered stair climbing lift truck for the heaviest part, shown at 5:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFFixTVDFtg
https://handtrucks2go.com/Battery-Operated-Stair-Climber-With-Winch-Lift.html?variantid=4202&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Bing-PLA