Moving machine

[JohnG]

I may be relocating my 5x8 machine in the near future. I will be going about 15 miles away.

What would be your input if I said...... I am thinking about attaching some commercial wheels, and rolling this baby up onto a "low boy" trailer (or something of the sort)??? I was thinking I could gently "ratchet strap" the gantry in place.

I am in a rural area, and could putt putt the 15 miles with a couple escorts & 4 way flashers blazing. :D


Your thoughts??? Bad idea?

[SterlingDevelop]

Fine idea.

Many have done it, myself included.
A lot of people use cheap trailer tongue jacks with wheels from Horrible Freight.

Go slow, be safe, clamps and tie downs are your friends.

Brent

[JohnG]

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=trailer+jack+with+wheels

And not a bad price for a 1500 lb one either.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Brady Watson]

You may find swivel 'shopping cart' casters with a 1/2-13 thread stem to be a lot easier to implement than the trailer jacks I have previously used and suggested. They will thread right into the legs of a PRT or fit slightly loose on a PRS - which can be bolted via a nut.

I would advise against the 'careful ratchet strapping' of the gantry. Get a pair of 24" 4x4s and pull the entire gantry off of the rails, and set it on the 4X4s. Then strap that to the table. Then you're all set to go 1 or 1000 miles. Since the v-rollers and rails offer ZERO cushion or suspension, any bump will shock the wheels and rails potentially causing damage.

-B

[jerry_stanek]

I have those three wheel casters that I put under each leg I use a piece of unistrut to lift one end and slip the casters under the leg then do the same thing on the other.

[zeykr]

A flat bed wrecker makes for easy loading and unloading.

[fredtoo]

I only moved a few hundred yards. Used the trailer tongue jacks. Took off the bottom cross braces and used a hydraulic pontoon boat trailer to lift, move and drop. It was a wonderful thing!

[B. Pile]

Hey John,

I have owned my shopbot for about a year now,and have moved it 3 times
and will be moving it again in 2 weeks. I purchased 6 good quality trailer jacks
and welded boxes with jacks at each post. The jacks roll very nice, and help
with leveling in the final position. The other things we do is release all the stepper motors and shim the gantry with 5/8 ply strap everything down
well and your good to go! One good piece of advice take great caution
to secure wiring and most important, use a good electrician to rewire or do it
yourself I learned this the hard way. By the way where in Pa. are you located?

best wishes:)

Buster Pile

[khaos]

Buster, I love the desk. And the trailer cranks. :)

[B. Pile]

Thanks Joe they do come in handy!

[pkirby]

I like what some of you have done with the trailer jacks (very sophisticated setup). But I moved mine about 2 months ago and I'll share my redneck way of transport (not recommended but it worked):

1) I man-handled one corner at a time and lifted it up about 4" to place each corner on an "auto dolly". (Used for moving cars around)
2) Rolled the bot to the edge of a trailer without ramps.
3) Place engine hoist on trailer and raise front of bot so the front legs can clear the trailer deck.
4) Roll engine hoist and bot together until back legs hit back of trailer.
5) Lower front legs onto wheel dollies on top of trailer deck.
6) Move engine hoist to ground and raise up back of bot and push rest onto trailer.

Not the easiest way, but it worked :D