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Lifting/moving 18" planer

Bill D

Diamond
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Location
Modesto, CA USA
I am thinking about getting an older planer. Something like a 18" Delta wedge bed. Weight around 1000-1500 pounds. I do not see any provision for lifting. I would hesitate to lift from under the table. Do you run straps were the wood goes and hope not to cut them with the blades?
They look pretty top heavy so imagine lot s of straps i n the trailer to keep it from toppling over.
Still not as bad as my 1750 pound lathe but that does have a threaded hole for lifting eye at the balance point.
Bill D.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1141/12610.pdf
 
I think I would slide a piece of plywood under the head, and lift by that, either with slings or forks. No risk of cutting the slings, or damaging the head.
 
Those legs look tailor-made to fit a pallet jack, like booksie said. If they're short a bit, put a thickness of oak board underneath them... (Screw, glue, or maybe magnets.)

You can rent a pallet jack, or just buy one if you see a good brand on craigslist or something. Often under $100, and handy to have for later moves/rearrangement. Transport by tilt or drop-deck trailer. No reason to get it up in the air, subjecting it to potential energy, damage,and catastrophe.

Chip
 
Agree with other posters that it is best to lift it from the base and get it on a pallet or skids. Pallet jacks can be rented, and a Johnson bar and lots of small blocks and slips of wood are all you need to get it off of the pallet/skids. I would generally avoid lifting a machine from places other than the base, unless it has built in provisions for lifting hooks or eyes.
 
Another good idea is to place a board into the machine between the bed and cutterhead and feed rolls and raise the bed until it clamps the board. That keeps all the planer components stationary during the move. I've moved several planers and always lift from the bottom.
 
If I were a woodworker, I would clamp a board in against the cutterhead per the OP's suggestion, make sure everything is secured, get a pallet of some sort under it, strap across the pallet and against the legs, and either use an engine crane or chain-fall to a joist overhead (with support posts under it), and lay it over very gently onto the pallet, then strap it down, drag the pallet up onto a trailer using a pair of 'rails' with a come-along, strap it down, and head down the road.

But since I'm a metalworking guy, anything under 2500lbs is 'light'... I'd probably just back a tilting utility trailer up to it, have a couple friends help me lay it over gently by hand, and roll it in on two pieces of 1.5" PVC pipe. It's just a little guy.
 
I would block the machine up and slide it over onto a pallet then bolt and strap it down. Makes it easier to load and lots harder to tip over.
 
I used to own one of these. They weigh just about 1000 lbs, which is not too heavy, but enough to be dangerous and needing some care. I always had excellent results by lifting from below the base. I would recommend adding a pair of skids to the holes in the base to make it a bit more stable. Alternately, I do believe the manual recommended lifting with straps through the cutting area- I would check on that as I haven't owned one in years, but I'm pretty sure it is the case. So basically, it is hard to go wrong.

Peter
 
I have similar sized 18" Northfield planer. Keep it on 4x4s "skids " and move it around with pallet jack when necessary. When I aquired it it was loaded onto a tilt bed wrecker with a good sized skid steer with forks under the bottom of the machine. (PO also kept it on 4x4s).

MILO
 








 
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