lifting EXE surface grinder

Hello,

It looks like I'll be collecting a small EXE surface grinder later this week. It'll need to be lifted with an engine hoist and I'm not sure how.

It's a bench mountable surface grinder on a factory cabinet with built in extraction - the base will be heavier than the machine and it's possible to separate the machine from the bench. Unfortunately the seller doesn't have a forklift and my options are either to rent a high-roof van and use an engine hoist, or (more arkward) to rent a lowish trailer and winch it on using a pallet truck.

Usually I'd know how to lift a lathe or mill but beyond an afternoon at college a long time ago, surface grinders are still voodoo - I don't really know what to expect in terms of how the ways and structure are put together.

The model is shown on the following page of the Lathes website:
EXE Surface Grinder Page 1

Do you think it would be safe to lift by the posts sticking out near the top of the cabinet? - maybe with bars and/ or straps.

Thank you

Cute little grinder 1360lbs is a bit heavy I would consider taking as much weight off it as can easily be done to try to make it less top heavy.

I think the posts are the lifting points you should check before you try to lift on them though.

Yes, those posts appear to be lifting point for rope for narrow straps. Be certain to remove the table or strap it down. If you were to split the grinder from its base, wooden wedges should do it, then two straps under the base.

My MSC branded 618 surface grinder has the same posts that slip out of the base for rigging. If it has ball or roller ways you need to protect them from brinelling during transport or you risk ruining it. I used some small tapered wooden shims slipped between the table and saddle to separate the ways. I'd also lower the spindle onto blocking.

Thanks to everyone who replied, I collected the machine at the weekend.

For future reference and anyone curious..

The machine and bench had been separated into 2 parts and put on 2 small pallets. The seller didn't have a forklift so I took a large engine hoist and some straps. After some messing we managed to get both pallets into the back of a high roof van.

The knobs do seem to be lifting points and worked fine.

The machine is rather old and doesn't have ball or roller ways, but does look to be in decent condition - some parts missing (those can be bought or made). There are some things I'm still figuring out but it should be a decent machine once sorted.

Good you got it home safe. it looks like a very nice machine. Odd that the long travel is on the other side but once used to that will be no problem. Good to jog start the spindle.

I have the bench mounted version of this grinder,without the factory dust extractor. If you need any photo's or any questions about your missing parts drop me a message.
Check how good the drive belt is, Tony from lathes.co.uk makes new ones and I ended up replacing mine as it delaminated.
Hope you enjoy the grinder,it's a nice little unit !

If you need any Genuine parts or servicing for Your exe including a spindle rebuilt, I would be happy to help. I bought all the stock and equipment needed to rebuild the surface grinders from EXE engineering, when they Liquidated a few years ago.
Oliver

that is a nice small grinder. It looks way more full featured than my Delta 24-105.

I like what I see in that article. Good luck with that.

The bench model weighed a massive 620 lbs and the cabinet version, complete with dust-extraction equipment, 1360 lbs (over a half-ton) and no, it will not fit in the back of a standard-issue Euro Hatchback - although the bench version will.

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Just to clarify that if yours is the bench model... it’s only around 650 pounds.