Moving a 52-inch Stomp Shear

[sbosecker]

I may be purchasing a used Tennsmith T52 manual Sheet Metal Shear (Stomp Shear) in the next week or so.





I've been looking for information on moving a such a machine...

I think I finally broke the InterWeb as I haven't been able to find any guidance on this. I was particularly surprised that YouTube, among all the cat videos, had nothing to offer.

The manual that I found on-line indicates the "Shipping Weight" is 950 pounds.

Anyone have experience with such a task?

I didn't know whether it would be better to post this here or in the Fabrication sub-forum.

Scott

 

[Aquamoose]

Moving it laterally could possibly be done with steel pipes as rollers but as for lifting, that’s another set of problems. Perhaps you could tell us more details and what you have available.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LeeG]

I have pretty much the same shear (Pexto). I had to move mine to the back yard. I used a 2 ton engine hoist to lift it off the trailer, then used a home built furniture dolly similar to this https://www.eventstable.com/all-terrain-dolly-w-10-wheels.html

I built the dolly with 2x6’s and harbor freight pneumatic casters. This dolly has been handy for moving all sorts of large, heavy items. I used 4 of these on the corners https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-pneumatic-swivel-caster-42485.html and fixed casters in the middle.

Oh, and take the infeed/out feed tables off first.

 

[sbosecker]

Moving it laterally could possibly be done with steel pipes as rollers but as for lifting, that’s another set of problems. Perhaps you could tell us more details and what you have available.

I have pretty much the same shear (Pexto). I had to move mine to the back yard. I used a 2 ton engine hoist to lift it off the trailer, then used a home built furniture dolly similar to this https://www.eventstable.com/all-terrain-dolly-w-10-wheels.html

I built the dolly with 2x6’s and harbor freight pneumatic casters. This dolly has been handy for moving all sorts of large, heavy items. I used 4 of these on the corners https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-pneumatic-swivel-caster-42485.html and fixed casters in the middle.

Oh, and take the infeed/out feed tables off first.

Thanks guys!

Sorry about not being clearer...

At the moment, I am concerned about lifting the machine off the floor.

If I can do that I think I'll be able to use dollies as you guys have mentioned.

I am intending to go look at this machine on Friday and I haven't seen, other than the picture, the lay of the land.

I have a Shop Crane and I think that's what I'd be using to lift it. Perhaps I'm overanalyzing the problem but I just wanted to make sure there weren't any landmines associated with lifting the machine.

Best regards,

Scott

 

[cvairwerks]

Pull the input guide off, use a shop crane to raise it up and lag it to some 4x4's. Run them same direction as the bed width and then you can add a couple of corner blocks and move it around with a pallet jack til it's in the final place in the shop.

My Niagara 136 is on a channel iron frame that holds the drive motor right now. It was originally line shaft powered. I unloaded it off the trailer with an engine hoist, but had to do one end at a time. It tips the scales around 3000 pounds, with about 1200 of that being flywheel.

It currently resides on a set of v shaped car dollies that are rated at something like 4000 pound each.

 

[superduty1]

Pake Handling Tools - Hydraulic Furniture Mover Set, 3960 lbs Capacity (Set of 2)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0757K4WGL/?tag=atomicindus08-20

You can rent these at some rental yards as well.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[mikegt4]

However you choose to move be aware that they (at least the one I used) are very top heavy and like a lathe will fall over without much provocation. I would suggest bolting it to some sort of skid to increase it's stability.

It looks like a nice score.

 

[LXCam]

All good suggestions. I have a set of rolling finger jacks and they’re damn handy for certain shapes. Maybe you can rent a set somewhere.

 

[CumminsFan]

You might be over thinking it a bit. That shear weighs roughly 1000lbs. You should be able to get under one end easily with a pry bar. Use a 2x4 as a pivot. With the pry bar/lever, you should be able to easily lift the end of the shear an inch or so. While lifted, slide another wood block or wedge under the edge of the shear. Pay attention to the center of gravity of the shear. Once you have an edge off the floor and the corners blocked up. Move over to the other side of the shear and repeat the pry bar lift. Repeat as necessary to get the shear high enough to slide a common furniture dolly under each end of the shear. Alternatively, use a tongue jack once you get and edge high enough off the floor to slide the tongue under the shear. More difficult to explain than it is to do the lift. Take your time, be careful of the high center of gravity, on make small moves. At 1000lbs, 500 per side, two common, wooden furniture dollies from the orange box store will easily move the shear to your truck or trailer without drama or major cost. Take your time, use your head, be safe. This move shouldn’t be a big deal. A pry bar in the 24” or bigger range should give you enough lift to easily lift the end of the shear. One more time, pay close attention to the high CG, don’t let it get away from your control, and you will knock this move out in no time.

 

[CumminsFan]

Temco makes a variety of quality tongue jacks that are pretty reasonable in cost. Pick one that works for the weight that you want to work with. You can get them off of Amazon. I bought two 10 ton jacks, and have ended up using them more than I ever imagined. They have been very handy to have. I have no relationship with Temco, just a happy customer.

 

[CumminsFan]

Oxtool, and Abom79 have done a couple of YouTube videos on the tricks, tools, and techniques they use to do low buck machinery moves. Well worth your time to check them out.

 

[CumminsFan]

Said tongue jack, meant toe jack. Too much whiskey waiting for Santa.

 

[davewo]

Pick up each end with an engine hoist, or blocks and small floor jack, and install a set of stem-mount locking swivel casters through the holes in the feet. These can permanent or just temporary for the move. Another option would be to bolt 2x4s with casters to the feet.

I moved a 37" Pexto by dragging it with a come-a-long onto my utility trailer using some steel sheets where the gate and deck transition. This was not ideal, but I didn't have much options when I arrived at the seller's garage. The proceding times I moved it was by picking up each end with an engine hoist and putting a Harbor Freight moving dolly under each side. This was also not ideal. As someone mentioned, these are top heavy and the dollies wanted to skate out from under the feet very easily.

 

[matt_i]

I had a 36" version of same minus the squaring arm, but that's just a large attachment. Miss that thing for precise work on thin sheets.

The best way to move it is with a forklift but I'm imagining that's not a possibility. Biggest thing to be concerned about is spearing the driveshaft that coordinates the two sides of the linkage.

If I had to move it with basic tools, I'd try for some 3/8" thick squares of plywood, some 3/4" thick squares of plywood, (or 1x hardwood like red oak tongue and groove flooring) and some 1-1/2" thick standard SPF 2x4s or 2x6s, etc.

Use a carpenter's crowbar (hex shaft, 135 deg bend nail pulling head) of around 24-30" long to lift up the machine a little bit on one corner. Slide in a 3/8" piece. Now begins the dance where you go around and around, raising each corner by 3/8" more each time and changing out the blocks as you go thicker. It will also involve creating a fulcrum that can be built up as well because the prybar has a limited amount of "raise".

So what then? I would keep going with this until you have 4-3/4" of lift. Seems like a lot but hear me out. Then you can slide something like 2x10/12s under it, and thru-bolt the machine to those....think there are 4 open-slots on the base designed for bolting it to the concrete. Now you can roll the pallet jack in, most can deal with 3-1/4" of clearance, and raise it until you can deck-screw some 2x4s, on edge (3-1/2" tall), to the ends of the 2x10/12s.

So now its basically prepped for transport. I'd go for one of those drop-deck trailers that kneel/sit flat on the ground and roll the pallet jack up and set it down slightly ahead of the axles' centerline to bias tongue load.

I would advise against pipes for this machine, you could use 1/2" solid round stock to keep a low profile. The machine is very top heavy and the front-back dimension is short compared to the ~60" width. Pipe rolling is also fraught with peril on any inclined surface as the pipes suddenly all roll from their equal spacing to one point when a little hollow is reached.

 

[sbosecker]

Thanks to all for their thoughts on lifting & moving a machine like this.

I learned of the shear being available through the brother of the owner. The owner is apparently having some health issues and his brother asked for me to wait until tomorrow to contact him. I hope to get to see the machine - and the lay of the land - tomorrow.

We'll see what happens after I call tomorrow morning.

Best regards,

Scott

 

[Craftfab]

Delete