Moving a 12 " jointer

[Walter Stokes]

I got a new Grizzly 12" jointer and had it delivered into the third bay of my garage placed just where I want it BUT I can't figure a way to get it off the metal pallet it came on. Originally thought I would use an engine hoist but this won't work because the wheels are to high to go into the pallet. The unit weighs about 950 pounds. Ideas how to lift this so I can get the pallet out would be greatly appreciated..I mean really really appreciated.

[Chuck Wintle]

Do you know anyone with a tractor with a front end loader?

[Brent Dowell]

Maybe you could get under it on one side with a lever, and lever the pallet up and put some 4x4 blocks under it. Work on the both sides until you could get the engine hoist into position?

[Rob Russell]

Why don't you block the whole pallet up? Get it up on blocks so the engine hoist will roll under the whole thing. Then you can lift the jointer off of the pallet, remove the pallet and drop the jointer down.

Just remember not to lift the jointer by the infeed/outfeed tables. You need to lift it by the main chassis.



Hmm - it seems as if Brent and I had similar ideas at the same time ... :-)

[Kermit Hodges]

Slide the legs of the lifts base in. Slide the arm of the lift out. If it still isn't enough. Just slowly lift it anyway. Watch for it to get to the top of the legs of the lift. Then by hand or with a prybar just lift the pallet over the legs and be ready for it swing some. It only looks scary. Remove the pallet and just sit the jointer down.

Or do it the easy way. I can lift an end of a 1,200-1,400 lb jointer and move it around. You should be able to swap ends and walk it off the pallet.

While I agree that I prefer not to lift by the table, I would hope that is not so poorly made that you couldn't lift it by hand and not do any damage. We move old ones by the tables without any damage. Of course they don't make them em like they used too.

[Robert Miller]

I got a new Grizzly 12" jointer and had it delivered into the third bay of my garage placed just where I want it BUT I can't figure a way to get it off the metal pallet it came on. Originally thought I would use an engine hoist but this won't work because the wheels are to high to go into the pallet. The unit weighs about 950 pounds. Ideas how to lift this so I can get the pallet out would be greatly appreciated..I mean really really appreciated.


I think I can answer this for you. I had to move my Northfield jointer it weighs 1150 lbs.
The answer is to follow the Ancient Egyptian method. Get some 2" pvc pipe and cut it into five or six 3 ft lenghts. It will easily support the weight.Then, use a car jack to lift one edge off the pallet. Slide the roller under and put the jointer down easy on it.
Jack up the other end high enough to pull the pallet out sideways and slide a few more pipes under the jointer. You now have the weight on the rollers. You can now move the jointer with one hand. As you move it off one rear pipe, put another in front of the jointer to roll onto. You can even steer it if you want by sliding the rear of the machine as you get were you want it.
I wanted to be able to move my machine when I needed, but I did not want it to move during use. Make a 3/4" plywood base one inch wider than the jointer base all the way around, then screw a one inch hardwood edge as a lip all the way around. Get a 3/4" 12x12 piece UHMW ( ulta high molecular wieght) of plastic from the local plastic supply place. ( mine was ten bucks). Cut it into 4, 3" squares and bevel the edges 45 degrees on a router table. The UHMW will support the weight but slide when pushed hard across the floor. You are beveling the egde to move easily.
Drill and countersink, and screw the blocks into the base.
Slide your new base in front of the jointer, you can now just roll the jointer forward right onto the base. The UHMW will slide on the floor when you want to move it, but will not move in use. I've built these bases for all my machines .
Total cost about $20.00 bucks.

Here it is. 1150lb 1950 Northfield 8" Jointer on the base. Hope this helps you.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/P6260033.jpg

[Robert Miller]

Another view of the base.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/P6100059.jpg

[Robert Miller]

The un-restored jointer on the pallet that I made for it when I bought it, they put it on my pallet with a forklift, I got it off using the aboce method.http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/P2270037.jpg

[Al Willits]

Think canibals and the pole they hauled their victums around on...well ok they probably never did that other than the movies, but try using a couple of 2x4 or 2x6" , lenghts of strong rope and three of your neighbors, four of you ought to be able to lift it and move it off the pallet.
Possibly 2 if your backs are in good shape.

I did my jointer and planer alone, but I had a major beam I could use to anchor straps to and hoist them up with.

Al

[Kermit Hodges]

Very nice restoration there Robert! Love the UHMW idea, wish I had thought of that one.

Moving 1000 lb machines is not nearly as hard as people try to make it is it?

Kermit

[Steven Wilson]

You want to find a pry bar used by riggers. http://www.easternrigging.com/steelbar.jpg It's handy to have one of these in the shop if you get into larger machines. My lathe came with one which has proved usefull for other machines.

[joe greiner]

12" Grizzly jointer, 950 lbs.: Nearest I see in their catalog is model G0609, shipping weight 1036 lbs. Has a fully enclosed base with small gaps at the ends. Is that yours? If so, I'd suggest a variation of Robert Miller's description. Pry one end up, to place several small steel pipes between the base and the pallet; repeat at other end as needed. Then place about 3 larger pipes beyond the pallet so that the tops of all pipes are about in line. Roll off pallet, leapfrogging the larger pipes until it's all on the large pipes. Continue to final location, turning as needed. If you're placing it directly on the floor, use wedges and pry bar to lift off the pipes and lower to the floor; if on a separate base, place smaller pipes on the base and reverse the removal procedure.

A picture of the jointer on the pallet might generate more enlightened suggestions.

Joe

[Alister Orme]

Nice jointer....but what's the boat?????


The un-restored jointer on the pallet that I made for it when I bought it, they put it on my pallet with a forklift, I got it off using the aboce method.http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/P2270037.jpg

[Jeff Raymond]

Steven's got it: That is called a Johnson Bar (no wisecracks).

One person can move mountains with it...a bit at a time.

As to the pyramids, there is some controversy about moving the blocks, but that's probably more germaine to something like www.we'rewaytooboredandneedtogetalife.com (http://www.we'rewaytooboredandneedtogetalife.com) .

[Hunter Wallace]

Hey Walter,
I have the ShopFox version of yours and was having
the same problem...I found a company downtown that
used those hand operated pallet jacks and borrowed it
from them for a few minutes...I adjusted the arms (forks)
up to the height of the metal pallet, chocked the wheels
on the jack and slid the machine onto the jack, then
lowered it onto stacks of scrap plywood under each end of
the machine and alternately lifted each side of the machine
while my "assistant" removed one piece of 3/4" Pwd at a time.
I don't think the whole process took more than 4 minutes tops,
and I felt safe doing it.