New lathe pick up

[Dustin Lewis]

Hello all,

I have been using a small benchtop lathe for a few months and I got overzealous and bid on a couple of lathes on a surplus auction. Now I have to pick up a Yates American J-170 and an unknown model delta lathe from a school wood shop.

I know, I don’t need two but I bid on both expecting to maybe get lucky and win one and here we are.

My question is can I lay them down for transport or might that cause issues? Laying them down on small wheeled carts seems the safest way to move them without equipment and get them up a ramp onto the trailer without having them tip over and possibly turning me into flat Stanley.

Thanks,
Dustin

 

[hockenbery]

My question is can I lay them down for transport or might that cause issues?

My success in doing just that may not guarantee your success. Things can go wrong.
Probably be just fine.

My 20” woodfast made about eight 6 mile trips lying flat in the back of a pickup.

I put the tailstock and banjo in a box taped the belt cover so it couldn’t fly open made sure the motor door was closed up tight.
Double checked the motor mount lock. Roll up power cords tape them to something.

Basically remove anything you can, lock anything that locks, Tie or tape anything that can move.

One thing I found that worked well for light lathes like the woodfast is tipping them up toward the headstock and sliding a furniture dolly under the handwheel. Takes two people but the one holding the furniture dolley doesn’t need much strength.
The furniture dolly gets it to the truck easily. Two people can flip it into the truck bed.
A hydraulic table and a strap can raise the end making it easy one person to slide it k ton the truck bed.
Be sure to tie it in place in the ruck bed.

 

[Dustin Lewis]

Thank you for the response Hockenbery.

I also plan to try to remove as much weight as possible before any moving is done to hopefully make life a little easier for me and my back.

 

[Dean Center]

One option for transport is to flip the lathe legs and bed upside down and secure. Another is to take the legs off, put the bed into the bed of the truck, then put the headstock, banjo and tailstock back on the bed and lock down. That's how many of them shipped originally, attached to a pallet or something. Some of those older lathes came mounted on a cabinet with the motor and belts inside the cabinet under the headstock, which might a different approach, perhaps laying it down on the side opposite the turner.

It's not exactly ideal open air transport weather in NY state at this time of year. I'd consider one of those $19 Uhaul local truck rentals, so you can have everything out of the weather.