Moving a big old drill press?

[MushCreek]

There's a huge old drill press, a Buffalo 21 I was looking at. One thing that stopped me was the logistics of moving the beast. I believe it's over 1,000 lbs. (no big deal), but it's also about 10' tall. How does one move these things? Take it apart? I once moved a 12' long metal lathe single-handed by disassembling it and bringing it home in two trips. The drill press would be too tall and top heavy to move upright. I don't know how you'd lay it down gracefully. All I have is my engine hoist. Ideas?

 

[MAD]

I would watch some videos of people moving milling machines. It amazed me to see my father in-law to shift his 2000 lb Bridgeport around with just a prylever bar and some dowel rod.

 

[RoninB4]

Nice old drill press but I'd have the same reservations about moving it too without a forklift (I don't have one). Wouldn't try moving it from original location vertical, it would have to be horizontal if moving farther than a city block. Laying it down seems like it would have to be a controlled tip-over, a roll-back wrecker would be safer/easier/cheaper considering what you currently don't have for rigging equipment. I moved my entire machine shop by myself (lathe, Bridgeport, surface grinder, 800 lb. granite plate, etc.) but hired a roll-back to move the 5,000 lb. jig borer, It was $200 (IIRC) to transport it 40 miles and he placed it upright (carefully) on the concrete apron of my garage. Money well spent to avoid disaster/damage/injury. For all the other machinery I built a gantry made from wood on surplus heavy duty casters and used a chain fall at the top header. It worked just fine lifting the 2,000 lb. Bridgeport and all else.

Since that DP is likely top heavy I'd lift it with the gantry enough to slide some machine skates under it (which can be shop made) and then roll it all to final location. Top secured against tipping by chain-fall, weight supported by skates rolls easier so the gantry is along for the ride and doesn't allow swinging the DP when traveling. Between machine skates, a toe jack, and the gantry I can move any/all of the machinery and do that periodically when I need more space for projects. Can provide details, CAD drawings, and/or personal experience if requested. You'll have to spend a few bucks to do this but you already knew that. Additional devices for moving heavy machinery will be used later so it's not wasted money. Gantry plus chain fall was under $250. Wood/hardware for gantry can be dis-assembled for other uses or stored.

If you were closer I'd drive over to help but I'm up to the elbows with HVAC + ducting replacement for another month or two.

 

[MushCreek]

I've moved Bridgeports plenty of times. I take the turntable on the ram apart, and carry the head separately. Not nearly as tall as this monster, though. I've moved things with gantries, too, but this one was 30 miles away. I'm wondering how hard it would be to take the head off, removing a lot of weight high up, then move the rest of it.

 

[cvairwerks]

Might help with photos, as there are a couple of different Buffalo 21 drill press models.

 

[RoninB4]

I've moved Bridgeports plenty of times. I take the turntable on the ram apart, and carry the head separately. Not nearly as tall as this monster, though. I've moved things with gantries, too, but this one was 30 miles away. I'm wondering how hard it would be to take the head off, removing a lot of weight high up, then move the rest of it.

-I presumed you'd had your share of moving BP's and other machinery. What I can't answer is the difficulty/ease of dis-assembly. Do you have the means to re-assemble if you only have an automotive engine hoist? How are you going to remove and then mount the weight/mass at that height? What I listed is how I moved things without dismantling anything. Seemed like time spent removing and re-assembling components takes longer than just moving intact, your mileage and opinion may be different.

Above post^ is correct, a photo or two would help.

 

[MushCreek]

I don't even know if it's still available, but here's a pic. To me, it looks like you could loosen the clamp and lift the entire head assembly off as an assembly. Probably easier said than done, though.

 

[cvairwerks]

Run the table to the bottom, unbolt the bottom foot and lay it down in the bed of a truck or trailer. Don't bend the table lift screw. Weight is going to be about 1100 pounds for for the whole press.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Hmm… last time I went thru this, I purchased a couple of pieces of thick walled 4” square tubing about 4-5 feet long. I then drilled holes to match the base of the machine. I my case is was a mill. I then carefully lifted the mill up with a hoist and bolted the two pieces of tubing to the base oriented left to right. In the case of not having a tall enough hoist, I would have CAREFULLY lifted the machine up with pry bars and stacked thin spacers. Then I rolled a narrow pallet jack (20.5” wide) under the machine between the two pieces of tubing and rolled it on to a drop deck trailer.

After using lots of straps and wood cribbing to keep the base from moving, I then drove it to my shop. I removed it from the trailer with the pallet jack and permanently left if on the 4” tubes for better stability and ease of moving in the future.

 

[crguy]

Might help with photos, as there are a couple of different Buffalo 21 drill press models.

That isn't going to make a difference in how the thing is moved.

 

[mike93lx]

I had a large Charles Allen drill that was over 1k lbs. It came apart the 3 times I moved it. It was cool but I am sure glad it's gone

 

[Firebrick43]

I don't even know if it's still available, but here's a pic. To me, it looks like you could loosen the clamp and lift the entire head assembly off as an assembly. Probably easier said than done, though.

Not really. Pretty easy unless it’s rusty but that press looks clean. Use a nylon choker. Don’t know what engine crane you have but mine would do it.

 

[crguy]

This is how I moved my big camelback drill press: First, lay it down on the trailer for the ride home. Then, stand it up in my shop as it comes off the trailer under the hoist. Then, move it around the shop into place on 3/4" pipe rollers.

 

[RoninB4]

Probably easier said than done, though.

-It does look in reasonable shape for it's age and the head (or some of the assembly) probably will separate from the column. The question is how much force is going to be needed to persuade the head assembly to leave home. It's probably been on there for quite a while and machine components seem to grow an attachment for each other over time. Will it come apart, sure. At that height I'd rather not count of it being a simple "lift off". Even if it's successful there's re-assembly alignment to deal with, which isn't a real big deal either but I'd still prefer to use the KISS principle to guide me and move it intact. Your reluctance is about laying it horizontal isn't it? Valid concern, but it does make the actual transport less worrisome. A top heavy 1000+ lb. load has a lot of inertia and I can feel Newton cringe at transporting this upright for 30 miles on the roads around my location regardless of the amount of cribbing/strapping/chains. Murphy lurks at every curve and pothole.

Maybe finding out if it is still available would be a good thing to do?

 

[cvairwerks]

crguy: yes it will make a difference. One version, the column and head are a single casting. The second version, is what the op shows. The third has a box column that splits in the middle. Version two also has the capability of having at least one gearbox on the head that makes it even heaver and more complicated to disassemble.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I bought a 23 inch, W F and John Banes camel-back drill press from the original owner's family. The drill press was made in 1856, in UAS. It was located in Everitt, Washington State. The drill press weighs over 900 pounds. The seller had a bobcat. We used the Bobcat to lay the drill press over and then set it in my Ram 2500. I removed some of the heavy parts. The DP was laid on the side with the least number of parts that could be damaged. Blocking was used.
I paid $1000usd.
When my son and I crossed into Canada, I made the declaration. The border person sent me to secondary for an inspection. He took a quick look then called for a few collogues to come for a look. I was not suspected of anything illegal. I got the impression that very few of these really old drill presses cross the 49th.
Do I use this drill press? Well, maybe a few times. It is not like a modern drill. There is nothing gentile or delicate about it. In the first test run, I snapped off a new Cleveland 3/4" twist drill.

 

[isb cornbinder]

These old Camel-Back drill presses often used a sash weight to counterbalance the heavy quill assembly. The WF has a steel tube filled with concrete and metal scrap. My other big Camel-/back uses a very large 40 pound bolt as counterbalance. The counterbalance weight rides inside the hollow column.
I may offer the WF and John Barnes for sale.

 

[crguy]

I bought a 23 inch, W F and John Banes camel-back drill press from the original owner's family. The drill press was made in 1856, in UAS. It was located in Everitt, Washington State. The drill press weighs over 900 pounds. The seller had a bobcat. We used the Bobcat to lay the drill press over and then set it in my Ram 2500. I removed some of the heavy parts. The DP was laid on the side with the least number of parts that could be damaged. Blocking was used.
I paid $1000usd.
When my son and I crossed into Canada, I made the declaration. The border person sent me to secondary for an inspection. He took a quick look then called for a few collogues to come for a look. I was not suspected of anything illegal. I got the impression that very few of these really old drill presses cross the 49th.
Do I use this drill press? Well, maybe a few times. It is not like a modern drill. There is nothing gentile or delicate about it. In the first test run, I snapped off a new Cleveland 3/4" twist drill.

How did you come up with that 1856 manufacturing date? I don't think they were in business that early.

 

[isb cornbinder]

How did you come up with that 1856 manufacturing date? I don't think they were in business that early.

My memory is not what it used to be. I think the seller might have offered that date. The W.F. & John Barnes company was founded in 1872 so, with this date, the seller may not have his date correct.
The great grandfather was the original buyer/owner of this D P. He had it mounted on a workshop barge. the barge was towed around Puget Sound and anchored at the location of the next job. This Barnes spent the last 40+ years in the basement of the family home.

There was a time, long ago, when IHC insisted their major dealers had a BARNES drillpress in their shop. I found this information in my research into WF & J Barnes and IHC. There was a time when Ford dealers were encouraged to buy this drillpress. The history of Ford suggests Old Henry was a big fan of the Barnes company.
The Barnes company lasted over 100 years until it was acquired by Acme Precision in 1980. https://leblondusa.com/wf-john-barnes/
Years ago, I bought a 22 inch WF & J Barns from the great grandson of the original owner. \My Barnes is more than 1150 pounds and over 6 feet tall. I keep my Barnes as a restored and working antique.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I would have called for the services of a professional machine mover, if the drill-press were in Canada. Moving these top heavy machines is dangerous.

 

[Packard V8]

I would have called for the services of a professional machine mover, if the drill-press were in Canada. Moving these top heavy machines is dangerous.

Yes, No, Maybe, but I've moved a couple that large/tall with just two guys, levers, ropes and a truck. If one knows how, it's no big deal. If one doesn't it can kill people. The internet is not the best source of getting a read on one's abilities.

jack vines

 

[2oolhound]

It looks like there may be some overhead timbers you could hook a come-a -long to then take the weight up until you could slip a heavy plank under the foot on some dowel rods. Then have someone pull the base sideways while slowly lowering the come-a-long.

Not sure what the rest of the situation is as far as getting it out to a truck or trailer.

A motorcycle platform lift is handy for moving heavy stuff and then lifting it to truck box height.