Move 3 in 1 Mill/Lathe/Drill

[bcoke]

Friend buying a Smithy Granite 1324 mill/lathe it is about 39"high 42 inches long 18 inches wide and weighs around 850 lbs........has a stand will seperate the stand from the mill........I have the truck etc..... what is the best way [I have a 3 ton foldable cherry picker] which I figure we wii use to load it the question is what is the best/safest way to get it down a flight of stairs going to basement????? thanks bcoke

 

[zmotorsports]

Friend buying a Smithy Granite 1324 mill/lathe it is about 39"high 42 inches long 18 inches wide and weighs around 850 lbs........has a stand will seperate the stand from the mill........I have the truck etc..... what is the best way [I have a 3 ton foldable cherry picker] which I figure we wii use to load it the question is what is the best/safest way to get it down a flight of stairs going to basement????? thanks bcoke

When I both originally set up my Smithy as well as when I sold it, I merely used an engine hoist to set it in place as well as place it on the guy's trailer that bought it. Find the center of balance and try not to sling it by the headstock. It is better to grab it through/around the bed ways.

I have no input on getting it down a flight of stairs other than to advise breaking it down into smaller components and packing them down individually. Maybe line some 2x4's down the stairs and slide the components down the stairs while somone with a winch or rope holds the weight from the top of the stairs, just a thought. I am sure there are people who have actually done it that will chime in and offer more sound advise on getting it down stairs.

Mike.

 

[ibedayank]

take it apart into main chunks would not trust wooden stairs to hold more then a ton... people + machine and all togather it WILL be top heavy

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[1982fxr]

Have these gotten better? Read a bunch of threads from machinists boards dated early 2000's and they all said .001 was unobtainable, more like .003 accuracy...?

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[Maui]

I purchased a Sheldon Vernon #0 Horizontal mill last year and had to haul it out of the previous owner's basement. I broke it down into the base, the table, and the mill itself minus the table. I hauled it out using a dolley that I purchased form harbor freight. Worked fine. But to do it you need some muscle. The base alone weighs about 400 lbs, and I had to go up one step at a time.

Maui

 

[zmotorsports]

Have these gotten better? Read a bunch of threads from machinists boards dated early 2000's and they all said .001 was unobtainable, more like .003 accuracy...?

They get a pretty bad rap on any machining forum but it all depends on how rigid you hold things. I had a Smithy 1239 for over 16 years and it machined a lot of custom parts for my race cars/quads and motorcycles. I could hold accuracy to .001" but not by using the dials on the machine, I would add dial indicators in the various directions of travel and work from them rather than trusting the dials.

For onesie or twosie items I could hold fair tolerances, but if you are planning on doing more than that there are better machines out there.

I upgraded almost two years ago now and have been quite happy but I was able to do a lot of machining on that 3in1 that I otherwise would not have been able to do.

Mike.

 

[txvwnut]

They get a pretty bad rap on any machining forum but it all depends on how rigid you hold things. I had a Smithy 1239 for over 16 years and it machined a lot of custom parts for my race cars/quads and motorcycles. I could hold accuracy to .001" but not by using the dials on the machine, I would add dial indicators in the various directions of travel and work from them rather than trusting the dials.

For onesie or twosie items I could hold fair tolerances, but if you are planning on doing more than that there are better machines out there.

I upgraded almost two years ago now and have been quite happy but I was able to do a lot of machining on that 3in1 that I otherwise would not have been able to do.

Mike.

I can X2 this quote. I was able to get .001" without any trouble on mine. Like stated before its all about the set up and how you go about the machining process, and never trust the dials on a machine.

As for moving one they actually have a slide out handles(or they used to). I would sling mine off of those handles and lift with the cherry picker or the A-frame hoist which ever was easier for the job.

Not too sure about carrying it down a set of stairs though.