Cast Iron Surface plate 3 x 4 foot ???? uses, maintenance, and many more

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

I found this huge cast iron surface plate in my travels and I just knew it needed to be mine. It is 39 inches by 48 inches and maybe 1.5 inches thick with half inch or 3/4 inch steel pieces welded into a webbing under it. the sides are 4.75 inches and it sits on a piece of 3/4 inch plywood that is resting on the steel stand. i usually like buying and using big vises and anvils and i'm quickly finding out that this is not just a big hunk of steel. it feels like i'm heading down the road to become a welder and a machinist so we'll see where that goes, but for now i don't have either of those skills.

I've bought it and still need to work out the details about moving it since i'm guessing and hearing it weighs about 1000 pounds plus another 200-300 pounds for the stand that it's sitting on. the owner owns a fork lift and pallet jack to move it on to a trailer or truck whichever i decide to rent. I've been told a drop deck trailer is the best way to move it to my driveway and just pallet jack it off, but i haven't been able to find one to rent yet. i'm thinking of renting a UHaul utility 5 x 9 trailer and using a pallet jack to roll it on and off and wondering if i can't get that perfectly level if that might work. also maybe a moving truck with a Tommy gate? look forward to hearing what some of you have done to move some of your heavy machines.

my questions are many since I'm not a machinist (yet) and didn't know this was made out of cast iron until i asked a few questions on another thread asking how to move this. so here are the questions i know i need answers to and any others you might think of please post if they apply.

1) moving it from point A (previous owner) to point B (my garage/shop)

2) Highest and best use is my main question?

3) Maintenance so it can be as nice as possible for another 100 years?

I'm planning on buying a pallet jack to move it around in my shop/garage or should i leave it in one spot and try to get it perfectly level? i'd also like to make a different stand that maybe has hydraulic jacks and wheels so i could move in and out without a pallet jack and not sure how to move the plate off one stand on to another.

ttpete · Aug 12, 2014

That won't be cast iron, judging from the webbing welded on the underside. You couldn't do that if it was. Nice job, though. It's steel.

That's something that's intended to be installed, leveled carefully, and left in one spot. Are there threaded holes in the plate so you can install eyebolts for lifting purposes? If there are, you can use a cherry picker to get it off the trailer and move it around. If not, you could rent a mag drill and put some in.

JeremyBurke · Aug 12, 2014

Drives: I agree one of the pictures the webbing looks welded. In the other (of the webbing) it is a little less clear. If you have a chance to get a close up shot of the webbing please do. If it is welded TTpete is of course right it is steel. However, I personally would still be very slow to add any features to the table itself. Finding a truly flat unblemished surface like that is nearly impossible and the uses for layout, assembly and fabrication are nearly endless just like it is. If you need a good welding table that you can grind on and beat on those are a dime a dozen a perfectly flat assembly and setup table is priceless if you have the space.

As for maintenance to remove surface rust, I would go as lightly as possible hand rubbed 3m pads or steel wool followed with paste wax.

awesome find and best of luck moving it.

rsanter · Aug 12, 2014

You need to see how flat that plate is. If the plate is not currently flat enough to act as a surface plate then you need to have it reground ir it's just a welding table.
If it's good enough to be a surface plate and that's what you want it for then you don't want to weld on it. You also don't want to drill holes in it.

You want to keep a light oil film on it if you are not going to use it all the time. I would make a plywood cover for it. Paint the top of the plywood but not the bottom as you want a little oil to get into the wood as it will help prevent rust when it is on the plate

Bob

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Jeremy: i did get a close look and the webbing is in fact welded to the surface piece. thanks for the well wishes and tips and hopefully i can find a permanent home for this in my shop.

Pete: thanks for the input and sounds like you are correct in the fact that it is steel. I was told by others that it is cast iron, but maybe they couldn't see the welds as well in this picture i posted here.

i do have a neighbor with a mag drill i'm sure he would let me borrow, but do i really need to drill holes in this? there are brackets on the sides of the stand with a little hold in it that might have been used to move it at one point, but i haven't seen any other holes on the surface or the sides.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

RSanter: i'm pretty sure it is level and i'll take a few pictures with my straight edge on top of it so you and others can see. and from both directions and diagonally too.

it does have a wood top and i think it is unpainted on both sides so i'll paint only the one side per your advise. any particular oil you might recommend??

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
I found this huge cast iron surface plate in my travels and I just knew it needed to be mine. It is 39 inches by 48 inches and maybe 1.5 inches thick with half inch or 3/4 inch steel pieces welded into a webbing under it. the sides are 4.75 inches and it sits on a piece of 3/4 inch plywood that is resting on the steel stand. i usually like buying and using big vises and anvils and i'm quickly finding out that this is not just a big hunk of steel. it feels like i'm heading down the road to become a welder and a machinist so we'll see where that goes, but for now i don't have either of those skills.

I've bought it and still need to work out the details about moving it since i'm guessing and hearing it weighs about 1000 pounds plus another 200-300 pounds for the stand that it's sitting on. the owner owns a fork lift and pallet jack to move it on to a trailer or truck whichever i decide to rent. I've been told a drop deck trailer is the best way to move it to my driveway and just pallet jack it off, but i haven't been able to find one to rent yet. i'm thinking of renting a UHaul utility 5 x 9 trailer and using a pallet jack to roll it on and off and wondering if i can't get that perfectly level if that might work. also maybe a moving truck with a Tommy gate? look forward to hearing what some of you have done to move some of your heavy machines.

my questions are many since I'm not a machinist (yet) and didn't know this was made out of cast iron until i asked a few questions on another thread asking how to move this. so here are the questions i know i need answers to and any others you might think of please post if they apply.

1) moving it from point A (previous owner) to point B (my garage/shop)

2) Highest and best use is my main question?

3) Maintenance so it can be as nice as possible for another 100 years?

I'm planning on buying a pallet jack to move it around in my shop/garage or should i leave it in one spot and try to get it perfectly level? i'd also like to make a different stand that maybe has hydraulic jacks and wheels so i could move in and out without a pallet jack and not sure how to move the plate off one stand on to another.

Real estate background shining through, I see

For moving it, it sort of depends on your garage too. If you have some descently strong rafters, I would just get a flatbed trailer and back it into your garage, and get some heavy duty straps and 4 come-alongs. Wrap some straps around the legs, and some around the rafters in the square shape of the table, and use the come-alongs to lift it up off the trailer, pull the trailer out, than lower it down. Making sure to give yourself enough slack before lifting it, to actually be able to lower it all the way to the floor.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Filson: sounds like sound advice except the 25 x 25 shop/garage i lease doesn't have the access or the beams. i'll have to drop it in front of the garage and then roll it inside.

keep thinking and since you just moved did you see any drop deck trailers to rent or borrow on my side of the mountains?

macgee · Aug 12, 2014

Here is some basic info on surface plates:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_plate

I agree about keeping it stationary and leveled. If it is, a perfectly flat assembly and setup table is priceless, like others have suggested and I don't mean just for marking layout or tool set up. Don't worry about getting it grounded or calibrated, it's probably very, very flat for what you'll want it for.

What is your intension of use for this table?

I use mine a lot for all sorts of things but when I don't need the metal surface I keep the wood top cover on and use it as a regular table, I matched the height of the wood top to the height of my other work surfaces as the majority of the time the cover is on.

I totally agree with others not to use this a welding table, it's way too nice for that.

I think your idea of finding a member or someone on craigslist with a fork lift to help you. It will be the quickest and easiest solution to off loading and setting exactly where you want it. The other ways suggested can be time consuming to set up and cumbersome plus it could require expenses that could be used for the fork lift fees.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Mac: thanks for the link and i might have already read that one. funny you should ask about what i'm going to do with this table because originally i was just looking for good welding table. since i think i went a few steps above by buying this one i'm curious to know what the uses are that i can use it for since it sounds like it will be in the middle of my shop.

i have a few of these old metal desk benches and a couple of these carts i can use for welding once i have that skill. as you might have seen in the Vise thread i do like some good old US made steel and i couldn't resist owning this one. if i can find a use for it instead of selling it that would be awesome.

thanks for the tip on the Carnuba wax or would you maybe use an oil like has been mentioned? i bet that depends on how i use it doesn't it?

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Filson: sounds like sound advice except the 25 x 25 shop/garage i lease doesn't have the access or the beams. i'll have to drop it in front of the garage and then roll it inside.

keep thinking and since you just moved did you see any drop deck trailers to rent or borrow on my side of the mountains?

No, we went without a lift-gate, though getting my Reed up in the truck wasn't exactly fun without it.

I think a forklift would probably be your best solution, though a bit spendy. If you could rent a dovetail trailer, and put a piece of plywood down before you have them set the table on the trailer, you might be able to slide it off due to the decline from the dovetail onto your shop floor, with the help of a couple people, but that's not really ideal, and you risk ripping up the floor and trailer.

jakemac · Aug 12, 2014

I like the plywood under the table idea. Since the PO has a forklift, why not make a low sled for him to set it on when he puts it on the trailer ? You could then slide the whole thing off the trailer with a ramp, then into your garage. Once you have the table roughly in place, you could jack it up and slide the sled out from under the table.

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

jakemac said:
I like the plywood under the table idea. Since the PO has a forklift, why not make a low sled for him to set it on when he puts it on the trailer ? You could then slide the whole thing off the trailer with a ramp, then into your garage. Once you have the table roughly in place, you could jack it up and slide the sled out from under the table.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Jake: wouldn't it be easier to drive down the road 20 miles with it flat on the trailer and then just use a pallet jack to roll it off? i'm thinking seriously of buying a pallet jack either used or new. I might be able to use the table owner's pallet jack for this trip if i haven't bought one yet.

or if you have a picture or a link to the sled you are talking about then I could be persuaded to change gears.

All: may have asked this question already, but lets say i do try to move it off the ramp and if i can't get perfectly level could i be in a runaway pallet jack situation? or could it fall forward if i'm backing it down? that's why i'm looking for a drop deck trailer to get it on the ground in my driveway, but i might be able to get the UHaul utility trailer's ramp level because there is a little slope at the alley I've used before on my own trailer for a fairly level access.

woody 73 · Aug 12, 2014

If you use any kind of wood DO NOT USE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD, not if you value your steel surface plate; Oil from a rag will work best, wax tends to be very messy.

I admire your zeal and the very fact that you have the room to store it in your man cave; for me my space is so small that I could not ever have something that big.

Keep us updated.

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Jake: wouldn't it be easier to drive down the road 20 miles with it flat on the trailer and then just use a pallet jack to roll it off? i'm thinking seriously of buying a pallet jack either used or new. I might be able to use the table owner's pallet jack for this trip if i haven't bought one yet.

or if you have a picture or a link to the sled you are talking about then I could be persuaded to change gears.

All: may have asked this question already, but lets say i do try to move it off the ramp and if i can't get perfectly level could i be in a runaway pallet jack situation? or could it fall forward if i'm backing it down? that's why i'm looking for a drop deck trailer to get it on the ground in my driveway, but i might be able to get the UHaul utility trailer's ramp level because there is a little slope at the alley I've used before on my own trailer for a fairly level access.

I've used pallet jacks a lot in a warehouse I used to work in, and I don't think you'll have a problem. We'd pull 2400+ lb pallets out of a truck (backed in, down the loading ramp, so the floor was angled down) and never had too much problem.

Make sure to use some straps to tighten the table down to the pallet jack, so it wont tip without taking the pallet jack over with it (it wont).

When taking it off the trailer, do it in this manner, walking backwards.

View media item 42608
Yoiu'll be able to push against the handle (basically pushing against the weight of the load) and back it off the trailer slowly. The pallets we unloaded every night were roughly 2x the weight of your table and this is how we did it. If it does feel like it's running away from you, you have two options. On the side of where the handle meets the main body of the pallet jack will be a stomp petal that will drop the whole thing right on the ground, and two, you can quickly and sharply twist the handle, turning the wheels quickly to a 90 that will do much of the same thing. I really doubt you'll have much trouble though.

ttpete · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Jeremy: i did get a close look and the webbing is in fact welded to the surface piece. thanks for the well wishes and tips and hopefully i can find a permanent home for this in my shop.

Pete: thanks for the input and sounds like you are correct in the fact that it is steel. I was told by others that it is cast iron, but maybe they couldn't see the welds as well in this picture i posted here.

i do have a neighbor with a mag drill i'm sure he would let me borrow, but do i really need to drill holes in this? there are brackets on the sides of the stand with a little hold in it that might have been used to move it at one point, but i haven't seen any other holes on the surface or the sides.

If the holes in the side are big enough to support the weight, you could fab up a couple of lifting eyes to bolt on using the existing holes. 5/16" plate would work OK. The idea is to make it possible to unload a trailer and place it in the garage without having to use a drop box trailer or a hi-lo.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Woody: some days i do count my lucky stars and thanks for the well wishes. there are always a few bumps in the road and you can get stuck on them or just mosey around or over them and keep on truckin as they say.

Filson: that is the sort of information I really needed. I've moved some heavy gym equipment off my little 4 x 8 aluminum trailer or the bigger Uhaul ones with only a hand truck and did ok. now i just need to figure out if buying a used pallet jack is a good investment or if i should buy a new one because i already know i'll use it even after i move this table.

All: any thoughts on a good brand of pallet jack to buy and where to buy one. i looked at Northern tools and they have a nice one for $450 including shipping, but i can drive an hour and buy a used HF 10 year old one for $125 which is a homeowner owned one in his warehouse with just him moving around pallets of cardboard boxes.

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Woody: some days i do count my lucky stars and thanks for the well wishes. there are always a few bumps in the road and you can get stuck on them or just mosey around or over them and keep on truckin as they say.

Filson: that is the sort of information I really needed. I've moved some heavy gym equipment off my little 4 x 8 aluminum trailer or the bigger Uhaul ones with only a hand truck and did ok. now i just need to figure out if buying a used pallet jack is a good investment or if i should buy a new one because i already know i'll use it even after i move this table.

All: any thoughts on a good brand of pallet jack to buy and where to buy one. i looked at Northern tools and they have a nice one for $450 including shipping, but i can drive an hour and buy a used HF 10 year old one for $125 which is a homeowner owned one in his warehouse with just him moving around pallets of cardboard boxes.

New one, hand's down. We had over 30 at the place I worked at and only about a half dozen of them were worth a damn. Everyone raced to get one of those right after clocking in lol. The old and worn out ones made it extremely difficult to pull stuff around with. There were times we'd have one guy pulling and another guy pushing for a 1400-1600lb pallet, on smooth and flat shop floors. I could push a freaking car easier.

If you decide to buy used, play with the controls and stuff and see if they feel like they have much "play" in them or not (bad thing if they do). The trigger thing on the handle should feel crisp and free of any play or "squishyness" or have any catchy type feelings to it. But honestly, if I ever buy one, I'm just going to buy a new one, it makes all the difference in the world.

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

Another note on worrying about it running away on you. Momentum is the name of the game with a heavy load on a pallet jack. Be proactive and not reactive. Don't let it move any more than an inch or two a second, because once it starts getting going, it can be too late to do much. Best thing you can do if it starts to make you feel rushed is just step out of the damned way and let it go. Nothing on that pallet jack or in your shop is worth you getting seriously injured over.

Speaking of... if you have a the driveway for it outside of your garage, park the trailer out there and take it off. Even if it picks up some speed, and so long as it isn't going down hill, it'll start to slow down on it's own, and you can just run up beside it and stomp that drop lever and step back. Having some room to maneuver (especially when you need to move) is always appreciated lol.

ttpete · Aug 12, 2014

No matter what you do, always remember that that plate/stand is seriously top heavy. It won't take much to tip it over, and it's heavy enough to seriously injure or kill a person. That's why I have a hard time picturing it on a pallet jack running down an incline under marginal control. All it takes is a slight bump or swerve, and it's going over.

EOC_Jason · Aug 12, 2014

Yeah I think Filson pretty much said all there is for a pallet jack. I wouldn't recommend twisting the handle 90, if you are on in incline you are likely to tip that over with it being so top heavy. Just keep it as low to the ground as possible and release it down if you get a runaway. Also keep a 2x4 handy and you can block the big wheel if you need to stop.

I helped a friend move a huge lathe once with me pushing on a pallet jack on one end and he was lifting with a forklift on another. As long as the ground is smooth and the jack is in good condition you would be amazed at what you can push around.

That is interesting being a surface plate but having the webbing welded. I would look close to see if it is welded or if that is just where they hand-formed some curves if it was all cast in one piece. If it was welded then you would think it would have a lot of warpage and require a lot of grinding of the top... *shrug*

ttpete · Aug 12, 2014

EOC_Jason said:
Yeah I think Filson pretty much said all there is for a pallet jack. I wouldn't recommend twisting the handle 90, if you are on in incline you are likely to tip that over with it being so top heavy. Just keep it as low to the ground as possible and release it down if you get a runaway. Also keep a 2x4 handy and you can block the big wheel if you need to stop.

I helped a friend move a huge lathe once with me pushing on a pallet jack on one end and he was lifting with a forklift on another. As long as the ground is smooth and the jack is in good condition you would be amazed at what you can push around.

That is interesting being a surface plate but having the webbing welded. I would look close to see if it is welded or if that is just where they hand-formed some curves if it was all cast in one piece. If it was welded then you would think it would have a lot of warpage and require a lot of grinding of the top... *shrug*

You'd have to run it through a big face mill before grinding it. That wasn't inexpensive to make.

macgee · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Mac: Funny you should ask about what i'm going to do with this table because originally i was just looking for good welding table.

I have a few of these old metal desk benches and a couple of these carts i can use for welding once i have that skill. as you might have seen in the Vise thread i do like some good old US made steel and i couldn't resist owning this one. if i can find a use for it instead of selling it that would be awesome.

thanks for the tip on the Carnuba wax or would you maybe use an oil like has been mentioned? i bet that depends on how i use it doesn't it?

Drive,

Your going to be totally fine and with a very nice shop.

That desk table in the photo would make a good welding table for a beginner if the steel surface top is solid & flat enough. Bolt on a nice vice to it (you wouldn't by chance have one?

) and let it rip.
After you got some more experience under your belt, you'll know better what the next step will be in regards to tables and if it's worth the investment.

You'll probably hate hearing this but I agree with a earlier post, having the table on wheels will just frustrate you while welding, jigging and prepping. The slightest movement on the table can effect your work quality unless you can lower the legs and it stays solid and balanced. Having everything on wheels is awesome to shift the space and make room for projects but some things are better without wheels.

PS> Here's a similar one but bigger for sale in LA
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/tls/4615810829.html

jakemac · Aug 12, 2014

Filson said:
When taking it off the trailer, do it in this manner, walking backwards.

View media item 42608

NO NO NO !!!!!!!!!!!!

When using a pallet jack on an incline, you ALWAYS want to be on the uphill side. This allows you to drop the load and use it as a brake if it starts to run away. Keep your hand on the brake lever so that if the jack runs off, your hand will naturally pull the brake as it gets away.

I once watched a co-worker get run over with a pallet full of stone because he pulled down a ramp on the downhill side. The pallet stopped when it hit the rollup door at the bottom of the ramp. The kid was thrown threw a closed pass-thu door and landed 20 feet on the other side. He sailed past a school group of 60 kids on tour (lots of screaming and crying). Both feet were crushed. He had to have multiple surgeries to walk again.

jakemac · Aug 12, 2014

Drive -
The sled would just be a 4x4 or 4x6 with a 45° angles on each end to make it ride over bumps. Lag bolt some cross bracing to keep it from racking, and parallel braces to pull from. Make some cleats to keep the legs of the table in place.

The reason that I suggested a sled over a pallet jack is because it will allow you to use a taller trailer, and the friction of the skids will reduce the chance of a runaway with all that weight. Pulling/Pushing will be more difficult though. A chain and come-along (and patience) will be helpful to move it.

Filson · Aug 12, 2014

jakemac said:
NO NO NO !!!!!!!!!!!!

When using a pallet jack on an incline, you ALWAYS want to be on the uphill side. This allows you to drop the load and use it as a brake if it starts to run away. Keep your hand on the brake lever so that if the jack runs off, your hand will naturally pull the brake as it gets away.

I once watched a co-worker get run over with a pallet full of stone because he pulled down a ramp on the downhill side. The pallet stopped when it hit the rollup door at the bottom of the ramp. The kid was thrown threw a closed pass-thu door and landed 20 feet on the other side. He sailed past a school group of 60 kids on tour (lots of screaming and crying). Both feet were crushed. He had to have multiple surgeries to walk again.

Sorry to hear about your co-worker. But I'd have to disagree about it being very dangerous. A load full of stone is a damn heavy load that seems like it should if been handled with a forklift or one of those powered pallet jacks. I unloaded trucks every night for a year and a half with this method (no other way, as you cant get behind the pallets on the truck anyway.) I've never been hurt or seen anyone hurt doing this, and I can't physically picture how it would be done in any other way, with any closed in trailer truck. Millions of pallets in dozens of industries are unloaded in this position.

rsanter · Aug 12, 2014

You can use any light weight oil
If it has the wood top then great. You don't really need to paint the top but I like it more that way. If the top of the wood is already dirty then painting may be tough.
You can also put a this steel layer on the top of the wood top so you can use it as a workbench for carb builds or something like that

Bob

jakemac · Aug 12, 2014

Filson -
We turned the pallet on the jack around in the truck. Or, if it was too long, we pulled it out and to the side. Then moved the pallet jack around to the back side to lift the pallet if we had to move down a steep ramp. If it was just a dock plate than it didn't matter which way you went, the incline was shallow enough.

Many of the loads I had to deal with were 800lb - 1200lb pallets/crates across carpet (some artifacts were weighed in Tons). No forklift because once we were off the dock, we were moving through public crowds (house rules).

2oolhound · Aug 12, 2014

I would buy a gantry crane for your shop. A pallet jack won't lift it high enough to get it on it's table. (like this but the price *****, same one here on sale is $450 or 599 regular so shop around. A cherry picker would also work well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/http-w...-ton-telescoping-gantry-crane-41188-html.html

Also you need to slip steel tubing rails under it and lift on those where they stick out the sides. Steel surface plates are the worst for going off true. That's why they are mostly granite now a days. I'd hire a delivery truck with a power tail gate, they can be reasonable.

macgee · Aug 12, 2014

After looking at my two cast iron surface plates I would have to think yours is cast iron despite what the others say. I may of course be wrong but I'll bet on it.

This is a pic of the underside on my small cast iron plate and a pic of yours. Does your looks similar? I think so.

A_Pmech · Aug 12, 2014

What you think are welds are actually the impressions of the leather pattern fillets in the casting sand.

Nobody in their right mind would build a plane reference surface from welded steel.

drivesitfar · Aug 12, 2014

Jake and Filson: i'm more worried about it tipping than a runaway because i think i can make the access almost level. i also own a Melcher fiberglass ramp that i can use instead of the ramp on the UHaul or off the back of my trailer so i won't have a bump to roll over. keep talking and we'll figure this out.

AP and Mac: so you think it's cast and not steel. it looked like welds to me, but as i mentioned i'm not a welder so i'll get back to you on that.

2oolhound: funny you mention that because a neighbor of mine had been trying to sell me his frame with a hoist on it for $250 for almost a year and i hadn't needed it until now. so i asked him if i could buy it about a week ago and he sold it the week before that.

Mac: i only mentioned putting wheels on the frame under my surface plate because i remember seeing one on the front page of GJ for months last year where a member had wheels that would go down with a hydraulic jack and lift the table up on the wheels, move the table and then drop it back down on the floor. i think the plan is moving to having this table find a permanent spot that is perfectly level and it will stay there.

All: anybody have a few pictures of that white framed table with the half inch 4 x 4 steel top to post on this thread?

ngray · Aug 12, 2014

There's a lot of good advice here. I just want to say how much I wish you were getting a better one though....

.... and I was getting yours!
:3gears:

macgee · Aug 12, 2014

drivesitfar said:
J
AP and Mac: so you think it's cast and not steel. it looked like welds to me, but as i mentioned i'm not a welder so i'll get back to you on that.

I say with 100% certainty yours is cast iron. A_Pmech is correct, what you are seeing are just impressions left from the casting, they may have cleaned the imperfection in the fillets but you just purchased a big cast iron plate. It's probably has been hardened and stress relieved. I'll say it again, you'll love it after having to move it.

After reading all the posts and suggestions about moving it, I still say look for a forklift to rent, you'll only need it for 1/2hr or less; it will be way easier and safer. I would put your feelers out to local GJ members and friends as well as craigslist to finding a forklift. I think you'll be surprised how cheap it may be.

The plate I just found in my neck of the woods is a 4' x 6' and it's not expensive. I may go have a look at it later this week but right off the bat it's not as nice as yours nor the is the base.

bluebolt · Aug 13, 2014

Okay Drivesitfar quit piddling around and get that stand! I would build a temporary cart using 2x6's and casters. Raise the table by putting the levelers all the way down, have the cart built to just slide under the ends of the table in the raised position, raise the levelers to lower the table and you are mobile! Same concept I use for moving my vise/arbor press/anvil table that weighs around 600 pounds. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3561590&highlight=reed+vise#post3561590

Then use a come-a-long to pull the table onto the U-Haul utility trailer. I would probably use the come-a-along to take if off the trailer too. Slower but safer.

WhoWhatNow · Aug 13, 2014

I’m with bluebolt – put some casters on it and roll it off the trailer with a come-along.

Just make sure your welds are nicer than mine!

WhoWhatNow · Aug 13, 2014

under the mill

drivesitfar · Aug 13, 2014

Mac: for now i'll assume it's cast and take more pictures and measurements when i can. i'll keep you posted if i find a fork lift which i would like to own one day when i move and have a shop next to my house.

BB: i agree with some of your post like the "just do it". i can't think of anything i can attach to so i could use a come along, but it is a good idea.

WWN: that looks like a nice mill and who cares what your welds look like as long as they work. one question i have though is how do you like working on your mill if it is on casters? doesn't it move around a bit or do you stick something under the wheels when you do some actual work on it?

ALL: I think I'll have very little slope so a pallet jack should work either with the ramp off the UHaul trailer or i have a 8 foot Melcher ramp that would be a smoother transition. i'll take my empty trailer over to my shop and put the Melcher ramp in place and take a few pictures and see what you all think before i actually have the table on my trailer.

I need to move a few things around in my shop to find a spot for this or i might have one spot now up against a wall to put it. that way i can try and figure out what and how i'm going to use it for.

drivesitfar · Aug 13, 2014

All: I've been mentioning putting wheels on my stand, but not ones that can't be lowered or raised so had this sort of design in mind. there was a white painted framed steel top one on the front page of GJ for months the end of last year. I can't find all those pictures so if anybody has them please post here or on my vise stand thread because i would like to build that bench some day.

I also started a thread asking about pallet jacks and which ones to buy if you have any you prefer and want to share on it. i'm looking for a good quality one either used or new and price is always an issue but i don't want to sacrifice quality on this tool. any help appreciated if you have a favorite or any info.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258470

Cast Iron Surface plate 3 x 4 foot ???? uses, maintenance, and many more

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