Moving the lathe

I’d start with the big stuff, I figured. And the biggest thing I own is my lathe, a 15″ Harrison said to weigh 3000#. The Blue Monster, and if I can move It, I can move anything.

 

 

 

 

 

First you get it up on pipes so it can roll. Then you roll it to the door.

 Then you raise the rollers to clear the threshold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you cross the threshold, transfer the weight onto a pair of I-beams on the patio, and roll it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you build a hoist frame around it and strap it in. Then you hoist it up so you can back the trailer underneath it.

You watch at close range as a tearing sound rips the air and the ground beneath your feet shifts suddenly to the left. The lathe fell to the ground, looked at me and said “I ain’t going.” Fortunately, I was unhurt, but if this is just Day 1 of my moving project, how long before That changes?

 

 

 

So I righted the lathe, ditched the hoist frame and rigged the deck with a higher, stronger hoist.

 

 

 

 

 

I raised it, and this time it held. I backed up the trailer underneath it.

 

 

 

 

 

Compared to that, it was no problem to load the safe and beams, strap it all down and drive to the STU with it. A very nervous ride, watching the mirror the whole way. 

I set up at the STorage Unit with the beams on the ground, the trailer on the beams, the hoist frame on the trailer, and the lathe on the hoist.  All this attracted the attention of an old guy on a bicycle riding by, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. I interviewed him and put him to work. His job was to get on the trailer and stand, at arm’s length, steadying the lathe as it dangles from the hoist chain, making sure it doesn’t twist in the wind or catch on anything as I drove the trailer out from under it. He did a great job, and we lowered the lathe onto the beams. We rolled it on pipes up to the door, transferred onto the concrete floor, and rolled it to the back of the STU.  The safe was easy, but, for the Old Guy, probably just as interesting.  Thanks, Old Guy, wherever you are.

I closed up the Stu and got a cold drink. I am so fortunate.