I just bought a used Pro4896 and I am looking for advice on move it. I think I have a good idea on how I want to move it.
I am going to buy 6 moving dollies and screw a 2x6 across it with a hole big enough to put the foot through. Then I am going to take a piece of 3/4" plywood split in half with a hole in it that is just bigger than the stem of the leveling foot. I will slide the two pieces of plywood under the 2x6 and above the foot itself, then screw those two pieces to the 2x6 and run the foot up against the plywood. Hopefully this will hold everything together so it can be dragged onto a flatbed tow truck.
My main concern is the dragging it on to the flat bed part. These machines are pretty strong, but I am nervous about this part. Any ideas on make this any easier or better would be great.
I have seen a few guys use trailer jacks bolted to the legs. The type that crank down when you are putting your trailer on and off the ball. You can get them with a swivel wheel on the bottom. Something like this…
When people ask me what CNC machine to buy I say a “2 ton crane and 6 machine skates minimum.”
They will sit silent for a few seconds wondering if I heard their question correctly but I assure them I did.
Big machines require big tools. I have 8 machine skates and a 2 ton crane. The crane is just a regular collapsible engine crane. Over the years I have made some 1/4 inch steel plate attachments to help pick things up.
Now, I would love to have a air motor powered cylinder for the crane so if I could change one thing that would be it. No sense in breaking a sweat, right?
Oh, and material loading is an absolute dream with a few custom attachments to that crane. You can also change out spoilboards, add and remove water tables, flowthrough fixturing and a whole host of other things you normally beg people to help with. So keep that in mind when buying one. Its more than just moving the CNC machine. These are tools you will actually use day to day.
I cannot rave enough about my crane and skates. They are just so useful when you are all by yourself. Of course, be careful with them as they can also get you in a bad position pretty quick.
I bought four 8 inch casters and jacked the table up. I secured the casters to a 2x12 and put one caster on each end of the 8 foot board four wheel in total of course. Lowered the table onto the wheels and I moved it across my shop by myself. Seemed to work well. I of course recalibrated it after moving.
I would really like to see what attachments you are using with the crane. I have been thinking of getting one for material loading in particular, but I’m not sure if it is the best fit for how I have my machine setup. I would appreciate the inspiration to help decide.
Maybe you would consider making a separate post about it? Thanks
Oh! Sure! I actually google “crane load spreader” and copy other peoples stuff if it looks like it fits. Nothing better than looking at how others do it.
My favorite site are these guys because they have nice drawings and sometimes several sizes;
I just take the drawings and make them out of stuff laying around the shop. I always have 4130 tube from all the aircraft I build and its great for welding up something that works pretty well.
I just got the new (to me) pro 4896 into the garage. I used Eriks idea of t using Harbor Freight’s trailer jacks. It worked pretty good getting it on and off the flat bed tow truck. Just wanted to show what it looks like if anyone needs to move a fully assembled table.
Wow, it took me forever to get my table level. Now that it’s level I loath ever moving it again so those wheels are just pure evil They encourage moving the dern thing!
If you think these machines have flex to them, just put them on uneven ground and try cutting something without leveling it
Great to see you had success! I’m getting ready to move the same machine – plan to use a 6x12 covered trailer (its a long 10 hour road trip!). Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated – I am thinking about using the trailer jacks. Other tabble preparations? Special handling of bridge, router, etc?
Had to move my machine (5x9) a couple years ago. I built 2 frames out of 2x4s wide enough to span the width of my machine and tall enough to set on a moving dolly and hold the machine 3 or 4 inches off the floor. I then clamped the frame to the machine and clamped the frame to the dolly . I used 2 frames and 2 dollies and 8 clamps. I moved the machine from one building to the one next to it by myself, a lot easier to do than I thought it would be.
If I were going to move a machine again, I would u-bolt a 2x8 lengthwise at the same height as the lowest height of the jacks. The trailer jacks I used were from Harbor Freight and not the greatest, but if you go slow you will be fine. Once in the trailer/tow truck I lowered the machine down onto its feet then strapped it down. The biggest concern I had was the gantry moving so I over strapped that so it would not move. I also took the spindle off to lessen the weight.
They encourage moving the dern thing!
