Moving a big/heavy lathe

[Roger Chandler]

Moving a Big/Heavy Lathe

My G0800 lathe has a bed extension attached, and it is a big, heavy, beast of a machine, Approx 1000 lbs. Not one to try to move without a sound plan! I know I'm going to be relocating in the not too distant future, so I needed to find a good, safe, yet inexpensive solution to being able get my lathes up my tailgate ramp on my trailer. I did not want to go to the expense of purchasing a lathe dolly, and I don't have a welder, so I thought about a safe dolly that I could build out of scraps and materials I had on hand in the shop.

The casters are quality 360 degree swivel casters made with bearings, and each dolly has 4 casters and will hold 1200 lbs. x 2 = 2400 lbs. total weight bearing. I also put a 3/8" eye bolt on each end with a washer on each side of the 2x8 board and tightened down, for the purpose of attaching a ratchet strap across the bed ways, and securing the lathe to the dollies, so as to make them roll safely, without danger of them coming off during the roll. I use a jack to lift the lathe, and place the dollies underneath the legs. The pic shows only one side on the dolly for illustration purposes.

I guess I could have purchased cheaper swivel casters from Harbor Freight, but when I looked they were out of stock on the size I wanted, so I ordered from Amazon.com. They are 3" heavy duty, locking casters.

Lathe dollies.jpg lathe dolly 2.jpg
I hope this solution helps someone else to solve the problem of moving a big heavy lathe [or other equipment] in a safe and inexpensive way. I didn't have the correct length lag bolts, so I just used heavy duty 2 " screws with small washers to attach the casters, then ground off the excess with an angle grinder, because I had them on hand.

[Forrest Forschmiedt]

Looks like a reasonable, affordable solution.

One thing, though. It looks like the pedals for the wheel locks are going to run into the adjacent casters keep the casters from rotating very far.

When moving heavy stuff, don't even bother with cheap casters.

[Richard Coers]

Around me you can have a roll back flat bed wrecker come and load the machine on their flat bed, then tip it back and it'll slide on your trailer. Costs around $65 since the truck will be barely moving.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Had to move a 15 inch metal lathe years ago. I jacked the lathe up off the floor and constructed a frame made of 6x6's underneath. I kept the ends of the two parallel to the lathe bed on the ground and had rounded their lead corers so I could drag it like a sledge. I bolted the lathe down to the frame and then jacked up the wooden frame and put lengths of 2 or 3 inch PVC pipe under it. lowered the frame onto the pipes and laid more in front of the lathe. I could push it with one hand. Across the shop floor, out the door and 30 feet across the driveway.. Used a come along to get it up the ramp into the truck.

[Reed Gray]

Recently helped a friend move his new 3520C into his shop. Much easier to move if you take it apart. Much can be done with a hand truck, dollies, and an engine hoist. The headstock is a pain to move because there is no real way to get it to balance on top of a cart.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

Recently helped a friend move his new 3520C into his shop. Much easier to move if you take it apart. Much can be done with a hand truck, dollies, and an engine hoist. The headstock is a pain to move because there is no real way to get it to balance on top of a cart.

robo hippy

That's what I was going to say. I moved a 3520b with bed extension. It was easy to remove the head and tailstock, unscrew the legs, and move the pieces. I used cheap furniture dollies to assist in moving the parts to and from the trailer. I had help taking it apart but I unloaded, moved, and reassembled the lathe by my self. I had to get creative a time or two. No engine hoist.

JKJ

[Roger Chandler]

After more consideration, I have decided to replace the 2x8 lumber with 2x12 lumber. That will give even more stability, and allow the casters to rotate completely the full 360 degrees. For what I'm going to be doing in relocating my shop, and needing to get the lathes up the ramp on my trailer, this will be a fine solution without any issues. I've done this before, and if needed to reposition in my new shop, then an easy thing to just jack up the legs, place the dollies underneath, tighten down the ratchet straps and move easily across the floor.

On the trailer, the dollies will be removed and the lathes strapped down with 6 very heavy duty ratchet straps, rated at over 6000 lbs each. I once moved a lathe 45 miles up the interstate at 70 miles per hour, with this setup, and the thing did not budge a millimeter from where we placed it. 3 straps on each side of the ways, and tethered to the trailer frame.

[allen thunem]

hire riggers to move it. end of story

[David Metzman]

i had the biggest size oneway with an extension moved from florida to NJ. I had the oneway wheel kit. The movers were from a national chain and good. They ignored the wheel kit, got each leg up on a normal movers wooden dolly with 4 wheels and pushed it right up the truck ramp like that (maybe three or four guys) . When they delivered it, it was still on the dollies. Two guys (not big) moved it down the truck ramp and down a driveway into a basement garage. it was impressive. They did it like nothing. I did not know were I was going to put it so they left it on the dollies. I had a harder time getting it off the dollies with friends then they did moving the whole thing. The also moved a big table saw and a bandsaw.

[Michael Schneider]

When I moved my Vicmarc 300, I bought a large harbor freight https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...art-60438.html.

I took it apart with 3 big items and box of "extras"

1) motor
2) stand
3) lathe

Great rollers, and you can lift up to slide the bed off the stand. I have found it very handy to use the table around the shop.

I also used 3 sheets of 4x8 plywood outside to roll on.

If I was going uphill I would probably use a wench or come along to pull up the hill


Good Luck

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...art-60438.html

[Brice Rogers]

Roger, my G0766 is about half the weight of your G0800 so that is a factor. But previously I had bought an engine hoist on sale that I first used to assist in drywalling the ceiling of my 800 s.f. shop. I fabricated some accessories so that I could drywall above standing shelving units so it did some things that a standard DW hoist could not do. I find having a hoist something that takes up room and is seldom used, but when it is needed, it is invaluable. But instead of buying one (under $200, you can rent them for a day).

So with my G0766, I used it to remove the 550# crate from the back of my pickup. I just picked it up, moved the truck and lowered it. Then I broke it down into headstock, bed, tailstock and legs. So the heaviest piece was probably the headstock at only ~ 200#. I didn't have any help and I am a senior. But moving it broken down made things a lot easier. My concern with having a 1000 pound lathe on rollers would be rolling it "up hill" into the bed of a truck. A trailer (which is probably lower) would be less of a concern. Perhaps it could be done with a "come along" and some really sturdy ramps. There is no way that you would want the lathe to get loose !!

My next job for my engine hoist is to lift a metal shed so that I can replace flooring that has rotted.

Good luck on your lathe move. Let us know how it goes.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, my G0766 is about half the weight of your G0800 so that is a factor. But previously I had bought an engine hoist on sale that I first used to assist in drywalling the ceiling of my 800 s.f. shop. I fabricated some accessories so that I could drywall above standing shelving units so it did some things that a standard DW hoist could not do. I find having a hoist something that takes up room and is seldom used, but when it is needed, it is invaluable. But instead of buying one (under $200, you can rent them for a day).

So with my G0766, I used it to remove the 550# crate from the back of my pickup. I just picked it up, moved the truck and lowered it. Then I broke it down into headstock, bed, tailstock and legs. So the heaviest piece was probably the headstock at only ~ 200#. I didn't have any help and I am a senior. But moving it broken down made things a lot easier. My concern with having a 1000 pound lathe on rollers would be rolling it "up hill" into the bed of a truck. A trailer (which is probably lower) would be less of a concern. Perhaps it could be done with a "come along" and some really sturdy ramps. There is no way that you would want the lathe to get loose !!

My next job for my engine hoist is to lift a metal shed so that I can replace flooring that has rotted.

Good luck on your lathe move. Let us know how it goes.

Brice, I have both a come along, and a winch system with pulley rigged to move heavy items on my trailer bed. As to the wheeled dollies I made coming off the lathe legs….I will take heavy duty ratchet straps, and tension those things so tight that they won’t come off, and will actually act as if they are an intregal part of the lathe frame. I did change the 2x8 lumber to 2x12 lumber, and the foot pads on the G0800 are hard rubber over steel with no slip grids on their bottom. This method for me will be extremely stable. My former G0698 traveled up the interstate at 70 mph for 45 miles to our club without moving so much as a millimeter on the trailer back a few years ago. In my tiny shop, this is the most maneauverable, stable and practical way of getting my machinery onto my trailer for relocation to another shop.

[Brice Rogers]

That should work fine. I either missed that you had a winch or didn't take that into account. Good luck. Safe moving.