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I just bought a powermatic 1200 drill press! Now how to move it?

setlab

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Location
Florida
Well I won an online auction for a pretty big (for me) Powermatic 1200 drill press. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to get it home. If I can't lay it down in my truck bed without scratching my paint or bed liner all up I was planning on taking the head off at least and loading it one part at a time. If I remember right once I loosen the clamps for the drill head and the ring that clamps to the spindle the head should be able to be lifted right off correct?




67.jpgdrill press
 
It can be done. If you google it, there is a guy who moved one downstairs to his basement in 4 pieces. Good luck.
 
Awesome, thanks for the suggestions. I wish I didn't have to plan ahead before I went over to pick it up but there is only one day that they let people in to pick up their stuff. That sounds easy enough, I was hoping I could do something like ramping the drill up to my bed after laying it down but wasn't too sure how awkward a 650lb+/- drill press would be to maneuver around on my own like that.

I googled that guy moving his drill too, that was interesting to see. Worse case I'll make a second trip and bring over my folding shop crane to take the head off.
 
Take-apart is too much like work for a baby drillpress. This ain't no Hole-Wizard radial, here.

Throw 4 each 2" X 4" X 8' studs in the truck, a four-pack of 'ratchet strap' tie-downs, a couple of Dollar-Saver $4-$5 recycled-rubber doormats, and one old motorcar tire if you have one handy.

Strap two of the two-bys TIGHT to the least delicate SiDE of the DP, head, base, and table, doormats to protect the paint. Lay the other pair of two-bys as a 'ramp' to the pickup bed.

'Walk' the DP to the truck, tilt the 'package' over, slide and 'walk' it up past the balance point, shove it into the bed. Use the loose 2-by's as ramp, then lifting barrow-handles, then re-arrange as blocking.

Now nestle the head into that old tire as a cushion, strap it down, drive away.

In due course, you'll find another use for the 2-by AND the straps.

Bill

That's how I moved mine (1100), worked like a dream
 
Well I won an online auction for a pretty big (for me) Powermatic 1200 drill press. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to get it home. If I can't lay it down in my truck bed without scratching my paint or bed liner all up I was planning on taking the head off at least and loading it one part at a time. If I remember right once I loosen the clamps for the drill head and the ring that clamps to the spindle the head should be able to be lifted right off correct?

There it is, the problem with America -- buncha dilettantes buying large pickup trucks and not wanting to use them for the intended purpose...;-)
 
You can rent an appliance hand truck for a day from any rental yard. That thing weighs less than many fridges. They have straps to hold it in place, are designed to move up and down stairs, and will do the job easily, but it might take two people to do it.
 
I got a truck a few months old and I moved a bridgeport no problem bed liner didn't mind. Also moved a drill press ( Clausing vari speed) a safe, a roll-in band saw and a small block Chevy on a stand. I used a double axle flat bed trailer from U-haul. Quick and easy. Had a lay down/ ramp tailgate. Use a sheet of 3/4 plywood as a ramp surface. Just frog walk the DP up and tie off. Easy peasy. For just a DP, I'd prolly get a little single axle trailer
 
Failing a bed liner, cut a piece of cheap ply to fit your truck's bed. Make it so you can pull it out over the tailgate and you can slide all sorts of things in and out with impunity.
 
Don't scratch the bed.... Truck beds should always be pristine.


I was moving a fairly big guillotine a few years back. We'd arrived at the site and had un sheeted the guillotine on the back of the truck awaiting the arrival of the mobile crane. The mobile crane arrives just as it's starting to rain, it's an absolutely brand new crane and quite an old guillotine. I'm in a hurry to get the guillotine inside before it gets really wet and rusty.

We rig the lift and get the guillotine down onto the ground and we're ready to bring the jib in so the guillotine butts up to the crash bars on the front of the crane and then set off and get everything under cover inside the building.

At this point the crane driver gets out of the cab and starts walking around the yard of the building apparently looking for something ! The rain gets heavier and I'm getting pissed on and pissed off. After a minute or two I say to the driver " What are you looking for Pal " ? He says " Some wood to put between that old guillotine and the crash bars of my crane, it's brand new and I don't want to scratch the paintwork " !

You can image what my response was ! When I got my hammer out of my toolbox and asked him if he'd prefer some hammer marks instead of scratches he got the message.

Regards Tyrone.
 
On a long past trip to the lumber yard I purchased some extra 1X3s to make loading the plywood I had purchased easier. I just left them in the truck and they are the handiest thing ever. Makes loading and unloading of boxes and many other things a lot easier. And the paint on the bed is still without rust. A few surface scratches perhaps, but no rust.
 
Just out of curiosity, how much did you pay for the drill press? I just bought one a couple days ago as well (Looks the exact same, but it's painted yellow/gold instead of green).
 
Here in Houston, the land of the Real Cowboy, we know how about trucks.

1) Buy a 1/2 ton truck, cut off the perfectly good stock stainless steel muffler and replace it with an obnoxiously loud carbon steel muffler

or

2) Buy a 3/4 ton 4WD truck and make sure it becomes nearly useless by lifting it, adding huge mud tires, and 4,000lbs of accessories including a 1,000lbs. front bumper - so you have plenty of weight as far forward as possible. Then buy one of those receiver hitches that drops the ball back down 18" so you can actually attach a trailer (which of course you won't be pulling anyway)

3) When you park it at night at your apartment complex, be sure to hang one side over the line so your big bad truck prevents someone else from parking their little doo-dad car.

4) Always drive at night with your fog lights on. Although this will add no detectable visibility for you, it will intrude upon every other driver's ability to see when you come his way.
 
If you're doing this alone, you might want to consider renting a small U-Haul trailer. They are relatively low to the ground compared to your truck bed and have a ramp that you can walk the drill press up and strong hold-downs that you can strap the drill press to. I'd consider doing what Thermite recommended re lowering the table and head. It will really improve stability and make it easier to load.
 
I always buy "pre-dented" trucks....:D

The only reason I can see not wanting to scratch up a truck bed
if it's on lease.
 








 
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