Move a lathe like a boss 

I'm watching how to move a lathe rather than being in the garage moving the grinder :-) Thanks for this, Tom.

great topic/great video!

I've never seen my boss move a lathe. He usually makes us grunts do that.

Some good ideas there Tom, plenty of info for moving or relocating a machine. Number one tool though is a sweeping brush!!, Slightest chip, gravel or fasteners will stop you dead. Ever thought of a work out video💆

Thank you for showing this. It is amazing what can be achieved with just some simple accessories and proper technique.

Thanks Tom. This video is perfect timing for me as I’m about to go move a medium sized lathe and it’s at the back of a cluttered workshop. Had a few thoughts on how to do things, but this has been a great help. 👍

Tom, all of the info that you had shared in your blog, answering my questions and the info in your other videos about the toe jack, the pallet jack and rigging was very useful for me for moving my machines. Now you have out it all into one single video which is extremely useful for hobby and small shops. Thanks very much. Daniel

Tom, thanks for being a source if information and inspiration. I'm nearly 33 and hopefully about to take on a position as an apprentice tool and die maker. Before watching your channel, I didn't even know what a tool and die maker was, and I've got no formal training. But between general shop and machining experience in my last job, and all the wisdom I've been able to absorb from guys like you, I feel confident enough to pursue this line of work and believe it's a really good fit for me.

Prep work is always needed and often neglected. Thanks for the video Tom.

It is always such a pleasure to watch YOU WORK! This video brought back many memories of late night “unofficial” moving adventures. It was such fun to be shoving something down the hall at 2:00 AM and have University Security show up, “Hey what’ya doing there?” It is good to know that the venerable Double EE will be rebuilt, appreciated and live on to do more good work. Thanks Tom.

This video came in super handy. Picked up an old Reed Prentice lathe last night. It was way heavier than I thought but everything went smoothly. Thanks for the great video!!

Well done, in a safe manor, as always. Thank you.

New tool cliffhanger, love it, can hardly wait! Great idea with the all thread and wheels. You're a clever fellow indeed. Thanks for the videos.

This is exactly what I was after sir, well done.

Great video. thanks for taking the time to make it

Thank you very much for this very interesting video ! 👍

Gotta say a massive big THANK YOU! I welded up a wheel truck from palette jack wheels like you demonstrate in this video to move a 14x40 lathe... FAN-FRIGGIN-TASTIC! Oh! ... and I got more experience with TIG welding as a bonus. :)

You would be a great mentor for a young person to learn your craft!!

The practical knowledge contained in this video spared me a lot of headache when moving a machine recently. Also made me as a first-timer look like a Pro. :-) Thanks Professor Tom!

Great encouragement and information in another excellent video. I didn't even know you had a 10EE.

Live saver. Watched your video and bought my first lathe. It only weighs 1100lbs, but the dolly idea was perfect. I used 8 inch wheels and with two guys were able to get it up a fairly steep ramp into our trailer. Awesome video.

Thanks for this video. It’ll probably be worth a few $100 in value to me over the next few weeks and a few $1000 into the future

That was a great help! I have made these dollies after watching your video. The lathe was 1.5 ton and i was able to move it with my friend from the drive way where it was dropped on to the dollies to the garage with no time and very little effort.. Thank you!!

Thanks Tom - getting ready to move a lathe - PM1440 this week. Great instructional video!

Thanks Tom this was great advice. Love those wheels you made. Have to think about making those at some point Hope you have a prosperous New year buddy.

Great video Tom 👍🏼 Picking up a lathe this morning, so it was a good refresher!

Very nice! I learned a lot. thank you.

Great tutorial. These lessons are hard won without this advice. On your third or fourth machine move you start to get good at it, those first few are brutal though. Thanks Tom. Great content as usual.

Grazie Tom. Ho usato il metodo del video costruendo prima il carrino e poi le ruote laterali e grazie a te sono riuscito a spostare il mio tornio Weiler che pesa circa 1t e a posizionarlo nel luogo di lavoro in assoluta sicurezza e con semplicità. Grazie ancora il tuo video mi è stato molto utile.

I have a lathe and a mill I am in the process of moving now I like your information thanks.

slacker helper don't show up until the end! Amazing video! This is why I love RU-vid for people like you!

Thank you for this video

Sir thank you for all you share.

Man, you really do very clean, efficient work. Those tools you built look really professional and clean. I love when people take the time to make things the right way. That Monarch is beautiful by the way. Whoever is getting it is a lucky guy.

Hi, Tom. John York showed us a similar wheel arrangement for his moving rig, but instead of making the width adjustable with allthread rods, his has a fixed width platform with wheels on each side (basically narrow enough to fit through doorways but wide enough to move any machines you’re likely to move.) Instead of a three point arrangement with movable wheels at the other end, he moves the two-wheel platform to the balance point (or very close). That way he can safely move and turn with just two wheels in an extremely tight space by himself. Since the wheels are still outboard, it’s still a very stable arrangement.

Well done be safe Tom and Merry Christmas to you and the Misses.

Only important thing you missed Tom is that when moving such things on a pallet jack or forklift is to keep the load as low as physically possible at ALL times unless clearance is necessary for obstacles, ground irregularities etc. At least then any tip is reduced as much as possible. 4,5 ton shot blast machine, 2 good mates, 1 small chain come along, 1 hardware store wire winch and a bunch of steel tube rollers wedges and pry bars. 6 hours, 32 meters(14 meters of slight uphill incline), 1 x 90 degree turn and no pinched or removed fingers ! It was free apart from the effort : )

Very cool, I learned a lot, thanks!

Sorry, you remind me of my uncle Manny in his prime. A cool guy, wealth of knowledge, machinist when I had no idea what that meant. He Said “ uh” a lot , a happy giggle and unique phrases “ bob s your uncle”with your similar voice which triggers my memory of him. Great guy, Man I really miss him. Thanks I appreciate it every time.

Nice job Boss I like the idea of travel lite for a heavy load.

oh yes,, I needed that ,, good to see you , thanks for the video..

I recently built a Johnson Bar and it's the bee's knees as far as I'm concerned. Very handy for moving my Royersford into the shop. You also took a lot of advantage in the fact that the 10EE has a very solid bottom cabinet wheras many lathe cabinets are pretty noodly. Most would not have a place to put that front dolly. Good video, I appreciate the effort you put into it.

Some excellent ideas.

Great video, don't forget to check the owners manual as well. When I purchased my Colchester Student lathe I did that and found out there was a threaded hole in the bed at the balance point for a lifting eye. So I rented a engine hoist and was able to pick it up with that and get it on and off the truck with minimal excitement.

That's super trick. Thanks man.

nice work!

Those adjustable wheels are a great idea.

You da boss Tom! Very nice! I learned a lot I can apply to a few machinery moving challenges of my own :)

Those wheels look like the work really well.

Nicely done Tom! Happy holidays to you and yours.

It helps to strap the rear “wheels” to the lathe with a tie down, so they don’t fall off when you drag it over a bump or a pothole. Nice video - thanks!

The pad for old knees is an essential part of the machine moving kit!

It's good to see new, safe and effective ways to do the job. Thanks “The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right.” - Confucius

Good Job Tom, after watching you tonight I know I will sleep like a boss, what a workout yow! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Moving it like a boss is having someone else do it.

You're going the wrong way! The shop owner clearly wants you only entering that door. 😂 Thanks a lot of taking the time to make this video. It's very helpful.

Tom, I really appreciate the design of the angle iron/wheel dolly design. I built a pair of them for moving my Monarch 61. My tailstock end dolly is similar to yours but I used 4" channel iron. I cut a ball race in the channel iron and added a 3/8" square plate on the top with a ball race. 1/4" balls and a 3/8" flat head king pin screw make my dolly swivel. I added 5/16" threaded holes on the corners of the 3/8" square plate allow me to attach a friction pad.

Very nice work Tom! Anxious to see what is taking that spot in the shop. ATB, Robin

I like the Picasso comment at the end. Reminds me of Henry Ford saying something like “whether you say you can or you can’t, either way you’re right”. And of course, the person who says it can’t be done shouldn’t interrupt the person who’s doing it.

Great DEMO… I made up the dolly wheels when I saw your first video, have used them a few times, and love them! My third wheel, the single steering one, leaves a lot to be desired and I’ll be updating soon (with proper height to match the back wheels 😊) with something better like what you have shown. I do need to get my blocks a bit more organized and add some wedges too! Once you move something like this on your own, using the original, simple machines (incline, lever, wheel) the pyramids don’t look so big anymore…. do they. Thanks as always

WoW Thank you very much for excellent clip

An old friend of mine once gave me a working panel-mount frequency counter from the early 1970s which had Nixie tubes in it. I later found out that it came off of one of these lathes, and it was a factory option which provided a highly accurate digital RPM readout.

awesome man

Great video showing how to safely move something really big. Whoever gets the lathe will be certain that it has been well taken care of.

That "johnson bar" is great for moving safes. Those generally have smaller footprints and may be taller and more prone to tipping. Ones I have worked with have a bevel built into the bottom at the edge to allow some purchase for the lifter. But the wheels are great for rolling on pipes or bars.

👏👏👏.. Great video Tom..old timer passed on to me this exact same universal wheel system. The only difference is that on his design vertical plate that wheel axle is attached he has one each side of the wheel two jack bolts. When assembled, all you do is turn those jack screws against machine and nothing will move. I really like your bearing dolly design as well... Overall great video 👍

You are so smart.

Merry Christmas from Indiana.

Gave Tom a like as soon as he mentioned wood strips , absolute life saver. Bet you wish you made that steering handle pivot vertically (Back saver!)

Very nice instructional video, thank you for sharing with all of us, I of course, subscribed.

G'day Tom, a great video, I've missed not having time to watch your channel. I hauled back all the way to Australia from the US some sidewinder trailer jacks (at the time they were quite expensive here, but peanuts at USA's favourite peanut tools store) then welded up a simple frame similar to your toe jack only taller. A couple of ratchet straps wrap the machine and secure the trailer jacks, so I just slide the toe under, ratchet down, and then just wind the machine up. Mine are good for 1000 lbs each and I use 4, so I can move the size machine I wouldn't want dropping on my toe! The only issue I didn't fully think through was the wheels having enough room to pivot fully. I'm sure a smarter guy than me would have thought of that when he was welding them up! Next time I need to use them I'll modify them in that regard. The big advantage is trailer jacks can move on roughish surfaces.

Thanks for this great video Tom! Chock-full of great information. Same way of moving a vertical mill would be assumed, but would be interesting to see do to the obvious difference in center of gravity, height, and foot print. Keep 'em coming brother, can't get enough meatloaf brain food.

Give enough pallet jack wheels and tie rods you could move the world…at least I think that’s how it goes. As always great video, thanks for sharing Tom!

Looks like you need to put an old guy bend in that steering truck handle! Great video to show what's possible with the right leverage!

That is great info

You make it look so easy because you plan ahead just as in machining a part. The little "skate board" is genius and might be improved by adding a T-handle that also swivels up and down and is secured to the stub handle with a pin. Then you can either pull or push without bending over. You could also add a trailer hitch and dispense with a trailer. :-) BTW, I made a Johnson bar with a telescoping handle which lets me get close to a wall.

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot. I recently brought home a Bridgeport on my small utility trailer, took it off with an engine hoist, and moved it into place by rolling on some 3/4" heavy wall pipes. If I would have videoed the process I could have posted the video and titled it, 'Move a Mill like a bozo'. The only thing I can say is that neither the machine or the mover was harmed in the process.

Once had 3 guys turn up in a transit van to move the biggest cnc milling machine Iv ever seen at a place I used to work. I thought they didn’t have a chance. Turns out they had a huge pump and hover craft like pads that sat under the mill. They pushed it round like it was nothing. I don’t know what it weighed but it must have been 20’ x 10’ x 8’. Pretty impressive.

No need to be in a hurry, last I heard it took forever to grow new fingers.

Awesome.

Happy New Year 2019 Dayton,OH

I like those wheels. It beats using skates and having one drop out on an uneven floor.

Glad to hear that it is going to a good home. Keeping the kneeling pads with the box of blocks might be a good idea. Another options is strap on knee pads like tile layers use. (Old knees hate concrete.)

Great Video Tom! I'm definitely going to build some 4"x 4" taper blocks now to have on hand for getting my machinery off the floor. I plan to copy and build a couple sets of your caster wheel/angle bracket design except on second set (for preferably the lighter end of the load) I will weld another heavy angle to the carrier angle iron in reverse sticking up and away from the machine so I can put swivel casters on each one. If that makes sense. Great demonstration and thank you :-)

Nice!!!

i need to get my self set up with some of them rollers there . need to shuffle my 31 south bend and old horizontal b & s around

I like how you have a Wilton mounted to a carpeted table.

Hi Tom, this was VERY helpful. I'll be moving my father's lathe and old R8 end mill from his former shop in Grass Valley into a Conex box in early December. Never done anything like this before. Daunting, to say the least.... Wish I had access to a toe jack and/or that custom roller set up you built for the purpose. Cheers.

Thanks

Over 45 years in engineering and I learn something new every day. Great equipment and solid technique and advice. Thanks Tom.

clever use of the closed cell foam for knee relief, I know my 50+ yr old knees no longer appreciate concrete or steel grating. Nice millwright work.

Good video.

To be or not to be: the infinite infinite! Long time no see, Tom.

Its hard to motivate yourself to fix up a lathe when you already have a good lathe in the shop. I can't wait to see the cnc up ans running

Informative video, especially as it covers literally from the ground up, but BEWARE. Articulated trucks (semis to you) often have the trailer fall over because the tractor is placed at 90 degs to the trailer and pulls. This means that the trailer is on 3 points of contact and as the tractor pulls, the trailer's front overbalances and rolls off the kingpin. You have created an identical scenario and a sharp tug at a sharp angle on the front dolly would allow the lathe to overbalance and fall off the front dolly. You could use a long piece of wood on top of the dolly, under the lathe that would prevent the lathe tipping over by grounding out on one side or the other (take it away going through doors as you're unlikely to overbalance there, then replace), or better, use two steering dollies. Take care.

Excellent video. I moved large safes , ATM.s and buildings for years. A faster simpler way might have been to take it to the door with the pallet jack since you already had it up there. Then drop it on pipe rollers. And then it's pretty easy after that.

Ha when I bought my Colchester student lathe off a guy who used to machine whistles in the west of ireland. It was on gravel down a hill behind his house a digger horsebox and five giants and a sheet of marine ply did the trick😂

Great video, I really like the bottle jack lift you made, looks really nicely made! I know you said you can buy them but I bet they won't be as good as you made!🙂👍

Nice technique. I personally would make the steering handle come up further to make steering it more ergonomic .

Great video!! Thanks to Rob Renzetti I found this. The first thing I did in my shop today was make the dollies as shown. I should have had those 20 years ago. On the practical side, with the parts I had lying around (4 big bearings and even a large axial bearing, etc.) I have made the steering dolly but have forgone the ball joint pivot. First I will see how it works without it. My nominal height is just a bit under 100 mm which I think is very similar to yours. For the larger wheels, I have had a set of original SKF 125 mm diameter ball bearing wheels in stock which look beefy enough for the job. I have to adapt the design a bit to accomodate the smaller wheels but that is all trivial. Also an iteration is to use a single M12 rod straight through the bored out wheel axle shafts. This saves manufacturing time an also will be quicker in use. And before I forget, I would like to know how the ball swivel function was realized on your build, which kind of parts were used. Thanks and greetings from Holland.