Reed Prentice Lathe

[Griff93]

I bought this lathe today. It's a 1943 model with about 18" of swing. I'm pretty excited to have a larger lathe as my previous one had 10" of swing and only around 26" between centers. Now I have to figure out how to get it off my trailer and into my shop. I think I'm going to rent a forklift. Any suggestions?

 

[omr]

wow thats big for a home lathe

 

[rsanter]

3 floor jacks and a bunch of blocks
you can remove the tires to get the trailer closer to the ground
roll the lathe to the back of the trailer and just off the edge
move that jack from the trialer to the ground and keep rolling the lathe back
get the heavy end just over the edge and transfer those 2 jacks to the ground
roll away from the trailer
best done with 3-4 friends
one on eack jack and one for a spotter/pusher if you can get the 4th guy

bob

 

[NASTYZEN]

X2 on the fork lift. Be careful man! Those are top heavy.
Nice score.

 

[vpd66]

When I got my 16"x78" American Pacemaker home I had the same problem. I picked it up from the guy I bought it from with a 18ft tandom axle trailer. I talked with a buddy of mine that owns his own Trucking/construction company and he came over with a Lull extendable boom fork lift rated for 10000lbs. It had no problem lifting my lathe (weighs 6800lbs) off the trailer and setting it in my shop. Even with a 10ft high door it was unable to drive into my shop with it, so he just extended the boom forward and was able to set it in my shop. Once in my shop I used a floor jack and pipes to place it where I wanted it. He didn't charge me anything and was happy to help. I did have to leave it on the trailer for 2 weeks until he had time to come over and do it. I did price out what a local construction rental company wanted for renting a simular lift and it was $85.00 for 8 hours delivered and picked up. Not too bad in my opinion and the only way to go.

 

[gorilla]

A forklift is the best way to unload that lathe, once on the ground you can move it around on some roundstock easily. I've moved many lathes around in my life and I'm always concerned about their ability to tip over. I would never attempt to move something that top heavy on three floor jacks.

 

[tdkkart]

I bought this lathe today. It's a 1943 model with about 18" of swing. I'm pretty excited to have a larger lathe as my previous one had 10" of swing and only around 26" between centers. Now I have to figure out how to get it off my trailer and into my shop. I think I'm going to rent a forklift. Any suggestions?

Well, it IS on the trailer, how did it get there??

Know anyone with a wrecker with an extendable boom?? They work really well for lifting oddball stuff.

 

[Griff93]

Thanks for the advice guys. We loaded it with the guy's forklift that I bought it from. How my shop it laid out, I can't just unload it with a forklift and drive it in place. It won't fit height wise. Will 1.5 .120 wall erw tubing hold up to being the rollers on a machine this size to get it in place? I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get it off the trailer and into the shop before doing anything. I don't like the floor jack idea being that it's not exactly level and this thing is top heavy.

 

[lametec]

Call the local towing company. Cost me $50.

 

[gorilla]

The tubing should be OK, You will need three pieces of tubing for each end of the lathe. Two to roll on and one to roll onto. Unloading with a wrecker is OK, the balance point is usually close to the headstock. Try to protect the ways with blocking under the straps. Don't use cables or chain if you can help it. you will need a long bar and some blocking to get it off the rollers, try to let each corner down about 1/2" at a time. Good Luck!

 

[rsanter]

guys, dont mess with the old tubing/roller method
I have done ot before and its a pain

3 floor jacks will get it done easier
the undustry uses 'machine skates'
almost the same thing

bob

 

[larry_g]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1127997#post1127997

Post 100 in the above thread shows some rollers I built. Also toward the end of my build thread shows some machine moving pictures. For moving your lathe I would highly suggest a wrecker/crane to lift from the top to be the best choice. Forklift under the bed is a distant second. More than a few pieces of machinery have been dropped off of fork lifts because the metal to metal pick point allows the machine to slide. All the other jacks and roller solution are last choice. Whatever you do if you think that thing is going over then run. Many people hurt, maimed, or killed trying to 'save' a machine.

Be careful, be safe we want stories of a sucessful move and many good parts made.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[gorilla]

Skilled riggers put a rubber pad between the lathe bed and the forks so it can't slide. We will also block and strap to the forklift mast so a load can't slide. I agree that lifting from the top is best if you have a way to do so. Machine skates are a good way to move machines, two on the heavy end and the steering one on the light end. If the OP had skates available I don't think he would be asking for advice. Before you compare a skate to a floor jack consider the rollers and the load center over the rollers. Much different from a floor jack.

 

[hunter1151]

I have a machine shop and have moved and have had moved some heavy equipment, some in excess of 28,000lbs. The pro's have never had metal to metal contact with the fork lifts they use, they always put wood between the forks and the machine. Never a problem with slippage. They moved a 12ft. old Cincinnati shear the other day, talk about top heavy. And yes they did chain it to the mast. As far as moving it with pipes, hell yes you can, it's slow but works well, as the others have mentioned, be careful! I've seen a few lathes in my time with the carriage and crossfeed handles brazed back on.........

 

[Griff93]

When we loaded it we used some wood under the bed and didn't have any problem with it sliding on the forks. I'm getting a rigger to give me an estimate tomorrow. If it's not very expensive, I'll probably just have them do it. It's $220 for me to rent a fork lift locally. If it's to expensive, I'll be making some machinery skates. I have a full size bridgeport as well so they would be good for moving it if necessary. I ended up taking it all apart a piece at a time and reassembling it in place. I've had my eyes out for a bridgeport series 2 if I run across a deal on one so they would be handy to use for that as well. If I can get it off the trailer, getting it place will just take me some time and effort. I absolutely do not want to tip it over.

 

[hunter1151]

Have you ever looked on gov-deals??? There have been some on there lately, I think there is a Southbend which looks like a bridgeport copy on there now.

 

[hunter1151]

Sorry.......it sold for $1015.00 Had power on X and Y and had DRO scales but no head for the scales. Was a variable speed. That's cheap for that mill.

 

[hunter1151]

Pretty nice Monark lathe on there currently at $225.00..........nine days left.

 

[lametec]

If it's to expensive, I'll be making some machinery skates. I have a full size bridgeport as well so they would be good for moving it if necessary.

Here's my take on "skates". Based on someone else's idea, might have been a GJ member.

I made them wide enough that my lathe would easily fit on 'em as well. Should do most anything I'll ever have to move.

They work slick, and are 50x faster than rolling on pipes. I used pipes for moving my first Bridgeport off the same trailer into the same garage, so I have a pretty good base for comparison.

 

[scott37300]

Nice lathe!

Might be a good excuse to build a strong gantry crane. If you can back the trailer into your shop and put pipes under the end closest to the front of the trailer and then lift the back end with the gantry and pull forward enough to set the back on the ground. Then lift the front and pull out.

 

[back2class]

looks about 2000lbs, maybe a bit less. Just buy a shop craine and go slow. BTW, I thoughy my old Bridgeport was the only navy blue one. Maybe it's my old one I sold last year. anyhow...when the guy picked up the mill, he just dragged it from the floor up some angle iron skids where he wanted it on the trailer. Lots of ways to do this, though I do agree a tow truck with a arm for under $100 is hard to beat. But Shop craine (unless you are old and clumsy) is another great way. get that lathe in pisition where craine can slide under trailer...then drive trailer away and leave it hanging. then lower it on to ground. Just don't try to roll it any real amount. Lift, use a bar to push it a few inches forward...set down.....move and re-set craine...repeat untill it is where you want it or on concrete and just lift it 1" when you roll it.
Onyl slightly dangerous part in my way is when it is 2' in the air when you get the trailer pulled away. Otherwise easy...and safe. Also good excuse to invest in a shop craine.

 

[lametec]

Nope, not yours. I bought this one off the guy that painted it himeself years ago.. friend of mine.

Here's my first Bridgeport, also blue. Replacing with the one that was pictured on the trailer.

 

[justanengineer]

I like these for moving machinery.

http://www.chdist.com/1/1/2014-wesco-machinery-dollies.html

I also like pipe rollers, and have occasionally used the local towing service. The tow guys generally do it ridiculously cheap bc they get a kick out of playing rigger for a few minutes.

 

[rock mafia]

looks about 2000lbs, maybe a bit less. Just buy a shop craine and go slow. BTW, I thoughy my old Bridgeport was the only navy blue one. Maybe it's my old one I sold last year. anyhow...when the guy picked up the mill, he just dragged it from the floor up some angle iron skids where he wanted it on the trailer. Lots of ways to do this, though I do agree a tow truck with a arm for under $100 is hard to beat. But Shop craine (unless you are old and clumsy) is another great way. get that lathe in pisition where craine can slide under trailer...then drive trailer away and leave it hanging. then lower it on to ground. Just don't try to roll it any real amount. Lift, use a bar to push it a few inches forward...set down.....move and re-set craine...repeat untill it is where you want it or on concrete and just lift it 1" when you roll it.
Onyl slightly dangerous part in my way is when it is 2' in the air when you get the trailer pulled away. Otherwise easy...and safe. Also good excuse to invest in a shop craine.

The lathe pictured weighs over 4000 lbs. Just bought and sold one like it with a shorter bed last month.

 

[Griff93]

A shop crane wouldn't cut it. This thing weighs around 5000 lbs according to online sources. I suppose one made to lift large diesel engines would work but I didn't have one and I wasn't going to buy/build one just for doing this.

We moved my lathe into place today. The guys at Roadside Towing did an awesome job unloading it off the trailer. They were even able to put one end through the door then the other to get it completely inside using their boom. We started out by trying to roll the lathe on some tubing. That worked ok but it kept getting hung in the recesses of the base. We got the idea to use some bearings. I had 4 bearings that would fit over some tubing and shaft I had. We were able to roll it around really easily with two people after we did that. Thanks again for the tip on using a wrecker service.

 

[larry_g]

Glad to hear ya got it safely placed. Now the fun can begin.

lg
no neat sig line