Handling an old 12' - 16" Jointer

[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.