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).