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Vertical Mill International Shipping

ethanmavay312

Plastic
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Hi everyone, soon i will be relocating from Germany to Australia, and desperately want to keep my 1940‘s vertical mill. Can anyone offer advice/recommendations for shipping a vertical mill such a long distance? The machine is approximately 5-600kg in weight. Is it worth the trouble? Thanks in advance..
 
I cannot imagine that there is any way to make this cost effective. To save on shipping and import taxes my cousins from Mexico used to disassemble vcr's, tv's, appliances etc, and each took a few parts in their suitcase for the flight home, might be a little harder to do with a mill:D
 
Where are you moving to out here? Feel free to send me a PM if I can help with workshop access out here.

Machine tools are getting more expensive out here currently. A nice milling machine might set you back 6 to 8 thousand AUD.

You could make a dime by filling a 40 foot with deckels and weilers and sending it out!

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Also be aware of quarantine rules....machine must be cleaned by accredited cleaners ,either at shipping or in OZ.....here it will will cost around $400,and drive water into bearings and seals .........Asbestos is a prohibited import ,in any form ......now the interest is mainly in motor vehicles .....but obvious asbestos in machines will also draw attention........internal clutches and brakes may escape detection......You will also be levied GST (VAT) at 10% on valuation plus freight.
 
I cannot imagine that there is any way to make this cost effective. To save on shipping and import taxes my cousins from Mexico used to disassemble vcr's, tv's, appliances etc, and each took a few parts in their suitcase for the flight home, might be a little harder to do with a mill:D

Don’t try this now or you’ll end up with a finger up your butt and ALOT of questions from very mean men..
 
If you dont try to nickle and dime it,get a freight forwarder to do the whole thing.....these guys are "in" with customs and quarantine,and stuff just goes through ,and lands on your doorstep.....no dramas.......And do bring the machine with you,there is nothing in this country to compare......just worn out pommy stuff from 70 years ago,or more recent Chinese machines.....Any decent machine here is passed down from father to son...good stuff is that rare.
 
Im moving to Albany, Western Australia. My home town. Yes this is another reason i want to bring the Mill with me, it was built in East Germany Pre WW2, so before everything went to the soviet union. Its in perfect working order and most likely one of the only machines of its kind left. I also got it for a steal. Its hard to find good old quality machine in Aus that are Metric, and im not a fan of chinese machines..
 
I have a 1950’s south bend lathe sitting in the workshop in Australia waiting for me.. but finding a good old mill is another story...
 
Can you recommend any freight companies for this? My biggest fear is too unpack the machine and find that it has been dropped, or worse.
 
Can you recommend any freight companies for this? My biggest fear is too unpack the machine and find that it has been dropped, or worse.

never the cheapest, but easy is fed ex freight. I do not know dhl freight structure but they pay international duties for you (fed ex just does the paper work).
 
You will have to crate the machine,in a substantial enough enclosure that it can survive being tipped over.And the crate will be steel ,due to quarantine requirements.(wood needs to be fumigated....more cost).There are a lot of freight forwarders,who amalgamate loads to make a full container .....but if this is do able from Germany to WA?.....Road freight is also very costly,and goes on weight ,whereas sea freight is on volume.
 
Not very closely related, but my only experience trying to ship a machine with household goods resulted in me getting fed up and doing it myself, so I wish you luck.

Last time I shipped something internationally the wood all had to be treated (heat, chem, not sure) for pests. Trying to be clever we asked about having a stack of the lumber treated rather than the fully assembled crate and it turned out that was going to cost more than just having the crate done.
Whatever you do, you'll want to secure it well enough that the crate could be flipped on its side without the machine moving. I'm not exaggerating.
 
Well . I´ve been shipping internationally for about 30 years, with maybe 50 containers and another 70 machine tools on top of that, plus maybe 300 packages aka LTL (less than pallet) loads.

Get an industrial freight forwarder and it will be cheap and easy.

The normal ones will hugely overcharge You at the back end, since they can, when they have your goods at the receiving end and can charge whatever per day in storage fees.

DHL has an industrial arm dhl scs supply chain services.
Anyone like that.

For 600 kg, probably one pallet, you will probably pay 300$ ocean freight and 300-400 $ other fees until it is at your doorstep or truck, if near any major port via dhl scs.

The typical freight forwarders can and do tack on extra fees at the end, that you must pay to get your goods out of bonded storage.
The industrial freight forwarders don´t, their business is based on 98% repeat rate.
And they will happily sell anything to anyone, an individual is just a new client with possible entry to new future business.
They are all nice to deal with.
Again, based on dozens over 3 decades in 5 countries, at least.


Dhl scs or similar can and do typically quote a flat fee door to door, including all customs, duties whatever.
We shipped over 80 haas machines to me in Spain, 2000+ per year in europe, via dhl.
I shipped maybe 8000 PCs via ocean freight, when I was in my twenties.

A big 4000 kg VMC costs about 4k to get to europe from oxnard california and 1500 - 2.500 -4500$ to get to customer door anywhere in europe.

Shipping is dirt cheap.
I bought a Bridgeport M head as an individual, 150 kg (cost basis), and it was *air freight* to my door for 400$ US to barcelona.
My 450 kg industrial lathe was 150€ for 2500 km trucking, Chester UK to Barcelona at my door.
 
Typically ,in Oz ,you will pay E130 for two hours hire of an 8 ton truck.....If said truck has a crane attached ,then E200 for 2 hours......interstate freight is costly partly because of the distances involved.....If your machine lands in (say) Melbourne ,and needs trucked to Albany ,at least $1000./crate on a pallet.Hence my advice,get the thing landed in WA.......Many (40) years ago ,freight from Gdansk ,Poland to Brisbane was cheaper than the container handling fee at POB(very strong wharfies union),and road delivery of the container ,same (much corrupt influence in anything to do with ports in Oz.)
 
ethanmavay312,
Welcome to Albany, my home town also, but now live in the big smoke. If you decide to go down the shipping route, load up with whatever other gear you think you may need, WA is the tool drought state of Oz and shipping from the East Coast is expensive, the only fellow I knew importing machines form the UK / Europe to Perth is now gone, but I suspect a short container also packed with your other household items would be the best option. Good luck with it. Alan.
 
Well . I´ve been shipping internationally for about 30 years, with maybe 50 containers and another 70 machine tools on top of that, plus maybe 300 packages aka LTL (less than pallet) loads.

Get an industrial freight forwarder and it will be cheap and easy.

The normal ones will hugely overcharge You at the back end, since they can, when they have your goods at the receiving end and can charge whatever per day in storage fees.

DHL has an industrial arm dhl scs supply chain services.
Anyone like that.

For 600 kg, probably one pallet, you will probably pay 300$ ocean freight and 300-400 $ other fees until it is at your doorstep or truck, if near any major port via dhl scs.

The typical freight forwarders can and do tack on extra fees at the end, that you must pay to get your goods out of bonded storage.
The industrial freight forwarders don´t, their business is based on 98% repeat rate.
And they will happily sell anything to anyone, an individual is just a new client with possible entry to new future business.
They are all nice to deal with.
Again, based on dozens over 3 decades in 5 countries, at least.


Dhl scs or similar can and do typically quote a flat fee door to door, including all customs, duties whatever.
We shipped over 80 haas machines to me in Spain, 2000+ per year in europe, via dhl.
I shipped maybe 8000 PCs via ocean freight, when I was in my twenties.

A big 4000 kg VMC costs about 4k to get to europe from oxnard california and 1500 - 2.500 -4500$ to get to customer door anywhere in europe.

Shipping is dirt cheap.
I bought a Bridgeport M head as an individual, 150 kg (cost basis), and it was *air freight* to my door for 400$ US to barcelona.
My 450 kg industrial lathe was 150€ for 2500 km trucking, Chester UK to Barcelona at my door.


Anything shipped via Dhl scs or other freight forwarders will need to be crated before they collect it ? Or can some of these companies also collect and crate machine tools?
Do you know of inexpensive but decent craters in Germany and the Netherlands?
 








 
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