Give me a lever, and a fulcrum on which to place it..............

[Runs With Scissors]

Ok everyone, I have/had been looking around for a bigger/better/more robust lathe for my "retirement shop".

Now my "plan" is/was to buy the "big tools" while I am still "working for the Man" and I have been earnestly looking for the "Mac Daddy" lathe.

Well I got a little carried away at the last auction, (which is damn easy to do BTW) and this little fella "accidentally" got bought.

Ok, full disclosure: I am not sure/doubt if this will actually be my "forever lathe" as promised to Mrs. RWS, but it is probably the biggest one I could actually fit down the stairs.

Kinda like that 44 Magnum Henry rifle that was gonna be my "last gun".........but I digress...........

I "guesstimate" that it weighs in at a "svelte" 1,000 lbs'ish

But first things first.

I am pretty sure my stairs could handle the weight, but this picture of me and my "new to me" lathe, crashing through the stairs and landing in a crumpled heap of blood and twisted metal kept flashing in my mind.

So I decided to "hedge my bets" and "shore up" the stairs.

Last time I did this (for my big safe) I used a series of 2x4's cut and placed strategically. here is the area before.

instead of timber I decide to use my "hoist jack stands".

But the small "footprint" is not sitting well in my already crowded mind........

Hmmmm....what to do?.......what to do??????

Ah ha!!!!!!! It's off to the "newly organized" scrap pile.......

And they they are.......the remains of the "failed PHD stand"

This is will give me a "bigger footprint" but I am still not "lovin it"

I decide that they would be better employed on that middle "stringer" so off to the drill press to make some mounting holes.

Then I attach them to the middle "stringer" with som lag screws/bolts?

This gives me that "warm and fuzzy" feeling I was looking for.


After that, it's out to the garage.

So I borrowed my BIL's "cherry picker" to get it on the porch. (what an odd name....Cherry Picker)

then make a ramp to get it into the "foyer"

 

[skeets]

You my friend have one very understanding better half!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

It is at this point, where I am at a "cross roads" of sorts.

I originally planned to just use two 2x8's to protect the tile as I roll it "Egyptian Style" across the floor; but again, the image of me hearing that "pop!" sound as I crack a floor tile, then envisioning Mrs. RWS going from "calm and nice, to Full Blown Apeshit Pissed Off at the speed of light, goes though my mind.

So its off to Home Depot to grab 2 sheet of 3/4" plywood to lay down as "insurance".

(Next house is gonna have a 1st floor work shop, for sure!!!!! I am tired of this downstairs BS)

Well all is going well, but the legs of the "cherry picker" do not allow for me to get as close to the porch as I would like.

And pulling it "by hand" is a "losing battle" for my old fat ass. (I swear I could have done it 25 years ago?)

So it's off to HF to get some help from Nicholi Teslea.

I am having a hard time figuring out how to "anchor it" but after 2 "botched" attempts, I place the board across the opening and use the walls and use a 2x8 to bridge the gap.

It's about this time that the "safety Nazi" in me, goes on break for a while.

The damn "safety lever" keeps tripping the hoist due to the angle, so after abut 20 times of stopping , I decide to employ the "angle grinder".

From there all is going as planned.

I cut down 2 aluminum bars to act as rollers and she pulls across those 2x8's and plywood floor protectors like "butter".


It took longer than expected to turn 90 degress, so about 30 minutes later and we are "transitioning" to the "down slide" part.

Here is my grandson "giving me and grandma advice" on how to proceed......

Now the the moment we have all been waiting for......"The Descent".......

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I do not like the idea of a "single smallish Chi-Com cable" being the only thing between the anchor point and my 1K pound lathe as it decends.

So when I was at HF, I also picked up a 2 ton "chain fall" to act as a "safety stop" in case things go "kaddi-wampus"

Just like I did when I put the "big safe" down there years ago, I decide to use the walls as an anchor point.

To avoid damaging the walls and paint, I grab my soft "Snatch Strap" and use the ends to attach both "Teslea" and the "chain fall".

Although I dislike using the same anchor point for both my "main" and my "secondary" hoisting machines, I reason that the snatch strap is rated at something like 15,000 to 20,000 lbs, so we should be good. (I can't remember the actual rating but is was in that area)

OFF WE GO!!!!!!!!

Here is the Mrs. "manning the chain fall", and doing a fine job!!!!!!!

Slow and steady wins the race here.

The Eagle has Landed!!!!!!!!

As you can see, I had to use Teslea again to pull it when it got to the base of the stairs, I tried prybars but could not get a "bite on it".

Now I gotta get that damn cherry picker down the stairs to lift it in place this weekend.

I also have to decide on the fate/placement of the other 2 lathes.

I am not good with "change", but some difficult decisions have to be made soon.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

You my friend have one very understanding better half!

Yea, she's a "keeper" for sure!!!!!!!

 

[PHPaul]

Jeebus, and I thought I was tempting the Gods of Disaster moving my new-to-me Atlas 12x24 with the forks on the Cabota!

My wife is pretty understanding, but I don't think that that would fly in my house!

 

[Old Machinist]

Is the motor on that thing single phase?

 

[Oleracer]

Bilco doors probably in your future
Good job.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Is the motor on that thing single phase?

Yes it is.

2hp single phase.

You all actually talked me into wanting a 3 phase, but I got 'caught up" in the moment.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Bilco doors probably in your future
Good job.

Thanks.

but I am hoping for something like this instead of Bilco doors.....

But as my grandpa used to say......"Wish in one hand, and sh!t in the other, and see which one fills up first"

 

[D2Cat]

Looks to me like when you move you'll be older and less motivated. You'll have fun getting all these tools out of the lower level !!!!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Looks to me like when you move you'll be older and less motivated. You'll have fun getting all these tools out of the lower level !!!!

Oh that has certainly crossed my mind.....

So thus far, the "new owners', (some time in the future), will be getting a free "big ass" safe .....and a ????

 

[rc51stierhoff]

What not backho? Those southern generals still dont like cold weather I guess.

Ultimately great job….safely in place and nobody hurt

If you did all that without legal counsel that is truly an incredible feat.

 

[Grateful11]

Be careful you're lifting it with a basket hold on those chains and not a choke hold it could easily roll right over not being choked. Lifting straps would be safer. Engine lathes are top heavy because of the head and tailstock. A coworker and I learned the hard way once taking the head assembly off of a very large Radial Drill Press, it ended up on the floor and the weight of the gearbox and spindle smashed the electric motor. I learned a lot about rigging when setting up, programming and running a large CNC horizontal boring mill running mostly assemblies weighing 2000 lbs. or more. Retired Journeyman Machinist.

 

[Lil Foot]

Well done!
Moving my (nearly identical) Birmingham was almost that much fun, but at least I didn't have to go down a flight of stairs:
(from a previous post)

Moving the lathe was a cast iron bitch. The basic machine (no chucks, tool post, etc) weighs 1250lbs, plus the pan & pedestal (about 250lbs) First, after separating the chucks, tailstock, pan, pedestals, tool post, kick panel, backsplash, and two fiberglass covers over the electronics, we used my folding crane, slings, & skates to move it through two rooms, down two steps, into the garage, then into a trailer. The place I picked it up was off 17th st north of Hatcher, near the top of a mountain- very narrow, very steep asphalt drive.
My F350 crew spun in 2wd on pavement trying to get up there. After I got it home, we just reversed to process, assembling as we went, but only had to get it into the garage, no steps, thank God. The previous owner & I loaded it, and myself & a friend unloaded it. Wife & I assembled it. A further complication was that the PO had a back problem & could not bend, so he had 14" tall risers under the pedestals, putting the spindle at eye level.

 

[ctfjr]

nice job!
Many years ago when cast iron oil boilers weighed 800-1100lbs we used to get them into a house on hand trucks. Used plywood much the same as you did (2 layers of 3/4") to protect the floor. Whenever we needed rollers we used 2x12" steel nipples.
We stupidly would lay the boiler down on its side (the cast iron block) and slide it down the basement stairs on a pair of 2x12's. 2 guys on the bottom holding it back while the top guy had a rigging rope attached to a 2x10 across the doorway that he was able to slowly let out. No OSHA back then.

 

[mikester]

I sense this in the future:

For Sale: House comes with Lathe in the basement

 

[Sidekick]

I can't wait to see how you get the sheets of 1/2 steel down there for plasma cutting . Can't believe your wife allows you to put those stinky tools in the basement. You have hazardous fume filtering system down there ?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Nice job, very well done !!!! Reminds me whe I helped a friend get his friggin HEAVY milling machine into his basement(staircase in basement with tunnel to house....)

Now you know WHY I wanted a house WITH walkout basement door. It was a 'must have' on the list and of course wife thought I was nuts.....She kinda appreciated it though when the wood furnace blew up though.....

 

[BXHoosier]

Nicely done! My wife wouldn’t have been as understanding if I said “Now hear me through….” Lol
I’m glad I didn’t have to go through any of that with my machines. When I got my mill, I borrowed a neighbor’s old Allis Chalmers rough terrain forklift to pick it off my trailer and set it in my garage. Then, I used my BX to push it into the back corner.