Transporting a used lathe

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Transporting a used lathe

This topic has 31 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 24 January 2024 at 14:23 by Steve Rowbotham.

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15 January 2024 at 11:35 #707252
Steve Rowbotham
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@steverowbotham77083
I am in the process of purchasing a Myford Super 7B which has been mounted on a Myford cabinet for many years. I need to transport the lathe to my home (a journey of some 150 miles) and am contemplating whether to remove the lathe from the cabinet and transport as 2 items in the back of my car, or whether to leave the lathe mounted on the cabinet and hire a van. As I will need to set the lathe up once in my workshop anyway I am thinking I may as well remove it from the cabimet for transport, but before i do this i would welocme views on whehether it would be beneficlal to leave mounted.
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15 January 2024 at 11:56 #707259
Grindstone Cowboy
Participant
@grindstonecowboy
Don’t see any issue with splitting them, but not sure you’ll get both items in the back of most cars. If you decide to leave as one lump, be sure it is absolutely securely fixed, as it will be top-heavy and very prone to toppling over. Which will ruin your day and not do the lathe any good either. Even if you hire a van, I’d be inclined to split them anyway.

Rob
15 January 2024 at 11:59 #707263
mgnbuk
Participant
@mgnbuk
I would take the lathe off the stand – easier to handle & safer and, as you say, it will require setting up in its new home anyway.

I have transported 2 x S7s – my current machine, which I bought from a machine tool dealer in Sheffield & brought home on the stand in a small trailer. The dealer loaded the machine using a gantry crane, but getting it out of the trailer at home was a bit fraught, as I didn’t have an engine hoist at the time. Moving it into position on rollers assembled was also fraught, as they are very top heavy and on a narrow base.

The second one was more local and, as it was cheap because it was damaged, I dismantled that & brought it home in the back of an estate car. I mainly wanted this for the screwcutting gearbox, as my other machine was the changewheel verison, so it was to be stripped anyway. The damage was caused when it had fallen over while being moved on the stand – the rear aluminium (casting which supports the auxilliary shaft & clutch) was in 5 pieces & the cast iron “swing head” that allows for belt tensioning was in two parts.

Nigel B.
15 January 2024 at 12:24 #707281
peak4
Participant
@peak4
I moved my S7 in a van, but separated the lathe from the cabinet.
In my case, the main drive is via a link belt, rather than a continuous V belt.
If you unwire the motor, and split the belt, then the motor and its associated castings, clutch etc can all be removed from the lathe in one lump after removing the belt guards.
This saves the lathe being both top, and back heavy.
Don’t remove the very bottom bolt, as the casting is slotted, so it helps support the weight when disassembling and re-assembling.

Bill
15 January 2024 at 13:45 #707295
noel shelley
Participant
@noelshelley55608
Having moved S7s several times definitely part it ! The 4 bolts that hold it down is enough, does it have raising blocks ? if so take them off. If the switch gear is on the cabinet, CUT the wires as near the motor as possible, there by keeping the colour coding of the motor intact. IF the wire is long enough then just reconnect IF not then it can be rewire in the comfort of your own home. Whilst BACK heavy 2 men can easilly lift it and a sheet of board in the back of the estate will make it easy to slide in. have some 1″ thick bits of plank to keep it up right. With luck and some old duvets or soft padding/carpet it should be possible to get the cabinet in beside/ on top of the lathe. I bought a long bed and cabinet back from London in a 306 estate and my first S7 on the back seat of an MG magnette with the cabinet in the boot ! Noel
15 January 2024 at 15:41 #707321
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi, well I fetched my Boxford CUD lathe away from Glasgow to Norfolk, without separating the lathe from the stand, it was just plonked onto my trailer, tied down with ratchet straps, and towed with my 1600 Hatchback Cavalier, which I had about 19 years ago and didn’t have any problems, just backed it into my garage, and lifted it off with a set of chain blocks.

Regards Nick.
15 January 2024 at 15:58 #707327
Les Riley
Participant
@lesriley75593
I have done it both ways. Nowadays I use a piano trolley with two heavy ratchet straps around the lot to make one rigid unit. Depending on the location/destination I either use a ramp-backed trailer or my Iveco van and ramps to winch the lathe aboard. (I have a 4″ traction engine so need the van). Reverse the procedure at the other end and trundle into the new home.

I find the above much easier on my back now I am older. Also most of my moves are for fellow club members, many of whom also cannot lift things like they used to do too!
15 January 2024 at 16:27 #707340
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
The lathe on the cabinet will be big, probably too big to fit into the car.

With the lathe still on the stand, the whole thing will be top heavy and unstable.

The lathe alone, with the motor attached will be unwieldy enough. (When I moved my ML7, twice, it needed two of us to ensure that it was within our combined lifting capacity,and could be handled safely).

It will be safer to separate, and easier to fit into the car. And the lathe will be lighter than the whole lathe and stand combination.

Also, when you finally site the lathe and cabinet at home, you would need to “level” the lathe to remove any twist from the bed , in the new location. (Easier if the lathe is on riser blocks, otherwise you will need to shim, which will be less precise than using screws to adjust)

Howard
15 January 2024 at 16:27 #707343
mgnbuk
Participant
@mgnbuk
I fetched my Boxford CUD lathe away from Glasgow to Norfolk, without separating the lathe from the stand,

Underdrive Boxfords are a bit different to cabinet mounted Myfords though Nick.

Myfords were bench lathes that mounted to an accessory cabinet via adjustable mounting feet. Boxford set the bed casting for underdrive machines onto the cabinet at the factory on a bed of polyester resin (Isopon) & “levelled” the bed at that point before the resin set – it was not intended that the bed casting would be separated from the cabinet after that. The resin provided a cast-in-place shim to take up the gap between the bed & the cabinet.

Nigel B.
15 January 2024 at 17:10 #707352
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi Nigel B, even so, if it had been a Myford, I would have still used my trailer in the same way.

Regards Nick.
15 January 2024 at 19:23 #707385
Robert Atkinson 2
Participant
@robertatkinson2
Point of reference:

A ML7 and Myford cabinet stand will fit in the back of a Ford Focus Estate (Mk2) when separated.

Robert.
15 January 2024 at 20:39 #707414
Steve Rowbotham
Participant
@steverowbotham77083
Thanks all for your very helpful responses, i will split using the guidance above. Noting the Ford Focus Estate reference point i think i should be OK getting both in the back of a Range Rover. The manual states lathe inc motor is 245lb, so assume 215 ish with motor off – slightly above the HSE approved 2 man lift and a good test for the hernia i had repaired last September! I have an engine hoist at home so offloading will be OK, now need to resolve assistance removing from cabinet and loading into the car at the vendor end.
16 January 2024 at 16:48 #707564
Les Riley
Participant
@lesriley75593
Steve, if you have or can borrow a small trailer, why not take your engine hoist with you when you collect?
16 January 2024 at 16:58 #707572
Journeyman
Participant
@journeyman
Might take a couple of bits of 2’x4″x2″ timber to screw the feet to will stop it toppling over in the car if you have nothing else to secure it to.

John
16 January 2024 at 21:40 #707668
Steve Rowbotham
Participant
@steverowbotham77083
Hi Les, getting the hoist to the pick-up be ideal, I don’t have a tow bar but am looking at other transport options. John thanks for your input, I will take suitable timber to secure. I will report back in due course!
17 January 2024 at 10:49 #707794
Martin Kyte
Participant
@martinkyte99762
If it’s got a gearbox you may do well to drain the oil before the move. Also if you drop the motor off the lathe is less back heavy. I don’t need to say that removing the tailstock lightens the load. Myford’s are easy enough to lift with two people without the need for a hoist.
regards Martin
17 January 2024 at 13:27 #707840
martin haysom
Participant
@martinhaysom48469
it seems to me you have two choices 1- faff about taking it apart, risk a injury lifting it into your car and likely damage to car in doing so plus same again when you get home. not to mention what would happen if you had a crash on the way as there is nothing to tie such a weight to. or get a pick up/ van/trailer and a crane, lift it safely, tie it down properly, move it safely and you won’t have to take it apart.

one last thought if you take it apart and then you find something you are not happy with it. seller will say was ok before you took it apart
17 January 2024 at 17:11 #707944
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
It is only a little Myford. An engine hoist is bigger and heavier than the lathe!. Easy fit in most cars for the lathe but the stand is an awkwardly large thing. My suggestion (if it weren’t for having a trailer) would be get a friend with and estate to go along to take the stand.
During a trailer-free period I moved a Boxford in a Perodua Nippa, (aka Daihatsu Mira) only 850cc but I was able to take all the seats out of that. Every ME needs a trailer.
22 January 2024 at 11:59 #709075
Steve Rowbotham
Participant
@steverowbotham77083
So, I ended up hiring a small van for £30, securing to a pallett, and arranging 3 friends to help unload – the seller had kindly arranged help at his end also. Now safely in my workshop ready for the stand to be bolted down, and the lathe mounted, for which I have an engine hoist and strong friend to help with the lift and setting down onto the raising blocks. Many thanks for your helpful inputs
22 January 2024 at 14:18 #709098
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
Once the cabinet is fixed in place, the raising blocks will enable you mto “level” the lathe, by removing any twist from the bed.

This will ensure that the machine cuts parallel, rather than a taper.

Howard
22 January 2024 at 15:48 #709125
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi Steve, good on you to use a van rather than are car, much safer, and can be securely strapped in place. And of course it doesn’t mess your car upholstery up.

Regards Nick.
22 January 2024 at 16:47 #709138
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
You’ve probably finished already but remember if putting a strap round the bed it goes inside the leadscrew and you then put a rope round the strap and pull it (the rope) tight through the spindle bore to stop the lathe flipping upside down.
22 January 2024 at 23:09 #709258
Steve Rowbotham
Participant
@steverowbotham77083
Thanks Bazyle, I havent mounted it yet so a timely input. I spent this afternoon levelling the cabinet on the slightly uneven concrete floor and then removed the raising blocks to remove all of the congealed oil from the drip tray.

I got load of accessories with the lathe – chucks, faceplates, catch plates, tools & holders, taper atachment, tailstock die holder etc etc. Included was the object below – what is it??
22 January 2024 at 23:31 #709260
peak4
Participant
@peak4
It looks like a 60 tooth gear which you can fix to the left hand end of the spindle using the expanding mandrel
Then you can use it for indexing with a detent to drop in between the teeth, marked up for a set number of divisions.

When I wanted to make a 22 tooth splined shaft for the Ducati, I arranged something similar, but with a compound gear train, as I also needed the workpiece to pass through the spindle.
I then arranged what was effectively a single point cutting tool, but twisted through 90° towards the headstock.
I could then use the carriage to plane the grooves/splines.

After a while, I adapted the top slide to lever action for the same purpose, but that meant I could also cut tapered splines, and without straining the rack.

Bill
23 January 2024 at 08:39 #709285
Martin of Wick
Participant
@martinofwick
The little colour coded dots will be common divisions like 3, 4 or 6 etc
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