Moving My Shopbot

[matt_r]

The good news is that I'm getting out of my garage. The bad news is that I have to move this big piece of equipment. So, I have a PRT96, with a steel table built to ShopBot plans. Is it realistic to think that, if I remove the gantry, that I can move the table with a bunch of manpower (like 8 guys)? (And when I say move, its out of my garage, up a ramp into a trailer - out of the trailer, onto vehicle mover trolleys, and wheeled into place.)

Any other tid bits of knowledge that any of you have about moving a ShopBot would be really appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

[sagreen83]

Recently I moved my Alpha across the country. I pulled the gantry off of the bot and packaged it in a wooden box. My son and I lifted my steel table up on one side, while my wife pushed a 4 wheel dolly under the crossmember on the bottom of the legs. Repeated this on the other side and rolled it onto the trailor. Worked fine.

[billp]

Matt,
This worked for me...
7752
7753

[les_linton]

Not knowing any better, we bought our PRT used about three hours away.

We centered the spindle, then centered the gantry. Attached 4 rubber "hook" straps gantry to the table and then used about half a roll of the "shrink" wrap around the spindle to the gantry and then both sides of the gantry to the table.

They had a hoist and we set it onto a car trailer and tied it down good with some heavy duty tie down straps and off we went.

6 guys and two 2x4 on edge lifted it off the trailer and into the garage.

Worked pretty well, but I'm not sure that it would be the recommended method...

Les

[scott_smith]

Recently moved a PRT96 about 30 miles. This is what I did:

Dropped the X motors and lifted the X gantry off the rails about an inch by clamping plywood to the X support channels.

Tied the Y and Z in place with big wire ties.

Rented a 12-foot tilt trailer and bought four 4 wheel carts.

On the loading end we had a forklift so we forked the bot onto the carts on the trailer (2 carts on each end).

Screwed 2x4’s to the carts on both sides of the cross supports and chained the bot to the trailer with chains and binders that came with the trailer rental.

On the unloading end there was only two of us. With the tilt trailer we were able to roll the bot off the trailer. I didn’t think it went to bad but I was on the front end of the trailer. The guy in the back looked like a deer in the headlights when the trailer tilted, un-tilted, and tilted again. Not to mention it went quite quick.

To get the bot back off the carts we used a floor jack and 2X4’s clamped to the middle of the X support channel.

Hope that made sense.

The bot needed no major squaring or adjustments other than re-surfacing the spoil board.

The PR that Bill shows above we moved into a trailer with 4 people and no wheels. The PRT is way heavier.

[boxbuilder]

Has anyone traveled farther for a used Bot?

When the time came to purchase my Bot I decided I would have to go used to get everything I wanted. So I started watching the For Sale posts and I found a used PRT 96 in Vermont and I'm in North Carolina. I walked across the street to my amazing neighbor Paul and he knew I was looking for a Bot and I guess he could tell by the look on my face that I'd found one and his first words were "let's go get it." Then I mentioned it was 864 miles away in VT and he never even batted an eye. That was Friday evening and we left Sunday morning. Spent the night in Cambridge, Mass. Loaded up the Bot on a car hauler the next morning and headed back for warmer weather. Just over 1700 in less than 40 hours and it's been working hard ever since.

To go along with the thread, we took the router off the gantry and put it in the cab of the truck, loaded the gantry in the back of the truck, and strapped the table on the trailer. Backed up to my garage and four of us off loaded the Bot and had it ready to cut in just over three hours.

[patricktoomey]

Scott, I went almost exactly as far, about 850 miles from Central Florida to Northern Virginia. I had to do it alone which was a long drive but the excitement of knowing what I was picking up made it easy to stay awake :-)

We left the Z and Y on the X gantry and put the whole conglomeration on a custom wood carriage and tied it down. Then we took the crossmembers out from between the leg/rail assemblies leaving 2 large pieces consiting of 2 legs, the rails and some lower steel beams added by the previous owner. So all I had was the 2 leg assemblies, the cross bars and the assembled gantry. It took me and a helper less than a day to get it back up and running in its new home including pulling a 220 line for the spindle controller.

[hines]

Large zip ties from Home Depot worked great for us to hold the gantry in place. We bought some really cheap plastic tarps and duct tape to protect it from the storm we had to drive through.

[mikejohn]

Scott
1609 miles in each direction, to collect my new 'bot.
I also did it alone with the last 3 feet of the box sticking out of the back of my van!

..........Mike

[jhicks]

Moved mine from Denver to Chigaco. went, saw, unbolted and packed on a couple skids. had commercial mover ship and put it back in the major pieces. Just moved it again about 30 miles to the new shop.
HERES THE CAUTION!
After 2,1/2 years "assuming" the rails etc were shimmed right and other settings occasionally checked and adjusted over time, I decided the new set up would include check, double check, and adjust each part level, square, etc.
I found many small issues but they EACH ADDED UP TO ANSWERS ABOUT WHY CERTAIN RESULTS WERE BELOW MY EXPECTATIONS.
AFTER FINE TUNING EVERYTHING, RELEVELING EVERYTHING, BOLTING TO THE CONCRETE FLOOR, AND ANYTHING ELSE I COULD CHECK. IT PERFORMS BETTER THAN EVER.
So while its possible to move in sub assemblies, don't forget to check everything TWICE and don't be surprised if many bolts are loose or pieces out of square.
Once you have it, you can no longer assume it was right at its previous owners. Especially after a move.Spending this front end time will save hours of head scratching PLUS you will know the machine inside and out mechanically.
Good luck.

[gwilson]

In process of buying a used PRT96 w/ steel table. I will pick it up, does any one know or have an idea what it weights. Have large trailer just want to double check to make sure it can handle it.
Gerald Wilson

[gwilson]

I got too jump, Shopbot replied and said tool and table weight 928lbs, plus weight of wood for vacuum table, spoilboard, etc.
Thank You
Gerald Wilson

[matt_r]

Some additional info. Luckily prior to building my table, I modeled it up in SolidWorks. Once I applied material properties of the steel, I got a rough estimate of 516# for just the steel. (PRT table, plans circa 2004, but including 4 additional L-Bracket braces). If I add another 60# for plywood base board, fastners, and feet, I'm at about 575#. I think 6-8 guys should be able to move that around. Mind you I'm removing the gantry for this move. BUT, if I have enough help, I might leave the gantry on. We'll see.

[hines]

Gerald W., you should be fine. I moved my Alpha in the back of my pickup with a standard 6 ft. bed. The rails stuck out a bit (obviously), but since they were wrapped with tons of tarp then banded together it was fine. I didn't have a vac table or spoilboard though.

[gwilson]

Thanks everyone, should be fine. With this info I know the trailer is more than strong enough. It moved an early 1900's upright piano just a few months back. Can not wait for the trip.
Thanks Again