Tips on moving tools into basement

[Wes Billups]

I know I have seen these questions asked before but just can't seem to find any of the posts when searching for old ones. My wife and I are going to be moving to a new house half way across the country at the end of February and my shop will be going from a 20x40 detached building to a 16x32 basement with no exterior access. I have an idea how to move everything but the 8" jointer. Anyone have any ideas as to how to get it into the basement without breaking anything or anyone? It's too long for the appliance dolly I plan on using for the lathe, tablesaw, and other heavy items. I was also wondering if anyone that has moved before can suggest things to do that will help prevent transportation damage. I think I am going to be hauling the big tools out myself as I can't stand the thought of having the mover's banging around all of my tools.

I'm sure there will be more questions.
Thanks in advance,
Wes Billups

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Wes....about a year ago Dan Forman, a fellow Creeker, went through the same thing. Send him a pm or email and maybe he'd tell you how he did it. I just checked his thread and he never did respond on how he finally accomplished it. Good luck and THINK SAFETY!

[Mark Rios]

Someone mentioned piano movers or the like in a thread a while back. Kinda pricey but depending on the basement access...................?

Are the stairs wood? If so, are they built strong enough to carry the weight?

Would it be worth separating the base from the tables? If they separate that is.:D

[Jim Young]

An 8" jointer is relatively easy. I have a DJ20 on which I just removed the top from the base and motor. The top can easily be handled by two people. The base with motor is pretty light. My bandsaw and 15" planer were the hardest items, they each take about three healthy men.

[Tyler Howell]

Someone mentioned piano movers or the like in a thread a while back. Kinda pricey but depending on the basement access...................?

Are the stairs wood? If so, are they built strong enough to carry the weight?

Would it be worth separating the base from the tables? If they separate that is.:D

Break it down so it wont be broken. smaller managable packages
As my friend said one of those things get loose he'll be nothing but "stair lubicant".
I hired the last 2 biggies, Piano guys. PM 66 and DJ20 Just to much for an aging WW.
Have a list of other items for them to move too, sheet goods, cabinets etc.
They charge by the hour so get your moneys worth.
Clean, sweep and light the route so there is nothing to interfer with the process. pull doors off the hinges and move vehicles a head of time so there's nothing jacking up the meter.
Tell them ahead of time what and how many lbs you're moving.

[JayStPeter]

I'm with Jim, the 8" jointer is pretty easy for 2 people once the tables and base are separated. I let the movers put my tools in the basement (the 8" jointer came later). If I were moving again, I'd let them move my tools again!

Jay

[Wes Billups]

Thanks for the help. The jointer is a DJ20 and a couple of you have said two people can handle it. How in the world did you lift the table? I had always understood that you didn't want to lift it by the tables. I plan on taking it off of the base which should be easy to take into the basement but the tables are 76" long and I can't see how to do it unless we use a really long dolly. I do plan on hiring help but don't want them just hoisting it by tables either.

Thanks,
Wes Billups

[Wes Billups]

Can someone post links of people who have hauled their tools into a basement? I'd love to read up on this and am having no luck searching old posts. I'd also take suggested key words to search.

Thanks,
Wes

[Brian Parker]

Wes,

I worked for a moving company one year in the summer while in college. If it comes apart I would take it apart for the stair carry. Anytime that you can break things into sections it is lighter and usually more maneuverable. If you can't get it apart I would suggest some straps and have one (two if they are weak) people get on the lower side of the stairs to keep that end up and then one guy up on the upper side with a single strap that goes through the bottom of the legs and then has each end wrapped around a different arm/wrist.

Let me say from experience that if you don't workout alot let the pros handle it since they lift things all day long. Also if they damage the walls, steps or anything else while moving in simply file a claim and then the moving company pays to get it fixed. Sure you will pay more for them to move your tools and stuff but your back will certainly thank you. Just don't be one of those people who wants to see their sleeper sofa on the 3rd floor and then moved all around. What I am saying is have a plan beforehand of where you want things, movers hate holding things while you wait and ask the wife where she wants something.

If you let them pack your tools then if they get damaged in transit then they have to pay for them, now if you pack your tools up yourself into boxes that’s called a PBO (packed by owner) and most companies won't be liable for if things break in the boxes you pack. Its a trade off since things travel alot in transit I would suggest that they pack it.

If you want to save money pack your own clothes in the wardrobe boxes, those pictures and dish barrels are the money makers and those guys charge by the box that they pack and type. Good luck on the move.

Brian


Anyone have any ideas as to how to get it into the basement without breaking anything or anyone? It's too long for the appliance dolly I plan on using for the lathe, tablesaw, and other heavy items. I was also wondering if anyone that has moved before can suggest things to do that will help prevent transportation damage. I think I am going to be hauling the big tools out myself as I can't stand the thought of having the mover's banging around all of my tools.

[Richard Wolf]

Just a couple of things. It has beed mentioned about the strengh of the stairs. Two men and a machine could easily break a stair stringer. Check the stair construction and if needed get some 2X6 screwed under it for more support. If possible, I would think about having Bilco Doors installed. You will most likely need outside access anyway, even if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can do the digging and save some money.

Richard

[Reg Mitchell]

Wes my question is this, are the stairs stright down into the basment or are there any turns in the steps. If there aren't any turns in the stairs i would sit it on a sheet of plywood and slide it down the steps tieing a rope to the jointer and letting it down a little at a time. the plywood should slide pretty well on the steps. Still i would use two ppl, one on the rope and one guiding the jointer as it slides. But hey i'm a little on the extream side myself ;)

[Dan Forman]

Wes---Here are links to my jointer/planer moving threads, the second is the rest of the story that Ken must have missed.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18877

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=19130

A DJ20 should be easier than this one. Good point about the path of the stairs, mine was a straight shot down; if there had been a corner to turn it wouldn't have made it.

If you use a skid, it will slide VERY WELL, and one man on a rope would most likely be unable to hold it without a comealong, block and tackle, or some sort of friction device.

I sent you a PM as well.

[Jeff Geltz]

Wes,

I have a 2000 sf shop that is in a basement with no exterior access. I have brought the following down (and some up) the stairs:

600 pound 18" bandsaw - down
400 pound Cabinet tablesaw - down and up
500 pound PM66 tablesaw - down and soon to be up
350 pound 8" Jointer - down
800 pound 20" Planer - down
400 pound 15" Planer - down and up
150 pound floor standing drill press - down
300 pound shaper - down

Most of these tools I have moved down singlehandedly. For me at least, the key is disassembly. I also slow down and study the task at hand. For the trip down, I tend to use thick quilted moving blankets. For the trip up, it takes one person at the top of an applicance dolly with stair treads and another below raising one step at a time. Winches and I-beams help to disassemble and reassemble. Finding folks to help is key and as said before - safety is priority one.

[Jim Young]

Wes, when I moved my jointer down all I did was lock the tacbles down tight and then each of us grabbed one end of the jointer and went right down the steps. The top with the tables is not that heavy and it's also easy to manuever. You can see picks of all the iems I brought down the steps at www.simoli.net.

[Jeff Horton]

This thread makes me appreciate my garage door I installed into my basement and the way we build basements in the deep South. But I agree with Richard, I would look seriously at installing Bilco doors too.

[Dan Owen]

My rule of thumb is this. Nothing over 500lbs. Everything goes up and down on an appliance dolly one step at a time with two men on top and two men on the bottom. So far so good.

[Michael Gabbay]

Wes - I feel your pain! I'm in a basement shop with no exterior access. Pretty much what everyone has said I've done. I do try to limit the weight to under 300 pounds per piece. I moved my 17 bandsaw (300 pounds) with my nephew a few years ago. I was on the bottom and he was on top guiding the appliance dolly. One step at a time!

Then there is the

LOOK OUT BELOW!!!

method! :eek:

The next house WILL have a walkout. I'm getting too old to carry this stuff up.

Mike

[Dan Larson]

Wes,

I have a 2000 sf shop that is in a basement with no exterior access. I have brought the following down (and some up) the stairs:

600 pound 18" bandsaw - down
400 pound Cabinet tablesaw - down and up
500 pound PM66 tablesaw - down and soon to be up
350 pound 8" Jointer - down
800 pound 20" Planer - down
400 pound 15" Planer - down and up
150 pound floor standing drill press - down
300 pound shaper - down

1000 pound Laguna TS - soon to be down down?;)

Dan

[Steven Wilson]

If you go to the Felder of MinMax forums there are a number of posts on how to move 2000lb pieces of machinery into a basement; an 8" jointer is a piece of cake, bolt the table assembly it to a sled and slide it down or take the tables off and carry it down. If you're going with larger equipment then you might consider removing the stair case, and outside door and having a rigger hoist it down with a crane. Some folks have removed outside picture windows, then cut floor joists, crane the piece in, rebuild the floor and reinstall the window and siding.

[Rob Russell]

Wes,

Reading your post, it sounds like your basement access is only through an internal staircase.

For the DJ20, I'd pull the top off. Make a sled that you can bolt the top to. That way you can plan on carrying the sled down and not worry about lifing the jointer by the tables. The LAST thing you want to do is have a bunch of guys grab the ends of the jointer tables and move the jointer around.

Rob

[Wes Billups]

Rob, that sounds like the best idea I've heard so far. I just want to prevent tweaking anything by having somebody pickup the jointer by grabbing the end of the infeed table. I realize it may be ok to do this but it makes more since to me to spend 30 minutes assembling a 2x4 and plywood frame/sled to take the brunt of the lifting. We could also slide it down the stairs if need be but I am guessing 4 people could pretty easily carry it by having one on each end of the 2x4's.

Thanks for everyone's help. If anyone has a website showing how they setup their basement shop I'd love to see a link. I am having trouble swallowing moving from a 20x40 building with 11' ceilings to a 16x32 basement with 7.5' ceiling. I'm trying to figure out now if I should place the cyclone in the garage as the head room is pretty limited.

Wes Billups

[Curt Harms]

... If possible, I would think about having Bilco Doors installed. You will most likely need outside access anyway, even if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can do the digging and save some money.

Richard

Amen! When we had our townhouse built we spent $2k for concrete steps and Bilco doors. Cheap at twice the price.

Curt

[Jeff Geltz]

1000 pound Laguna TS - soon to be down down?;)

DanHeh Heh...

:D :D :D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Heck, I don't even have stairs.........

http://www.ablett.jp/graphics_jpgs_pics/workshop/stairs_down.jpg

But I get stuff down there, I mainly use my electric hoist...

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/jointer/base_take_off.jpg

.......and take things apart if they are too big and heavy.

Good luck!