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Can anyone advise on lifting a 12 X 36 lathe into position on a stand?

W

Wayne

Member
Hi everyone,
I just bought a 12 X 36 inch King lathe from KMS tools in Calgary. The stand it comes with does not bolt up as it should as the pre drilled holes do not line up. I can re drill new holes and get it together [I think] although that may void the warranty. I asked the sales guy from the store in Calgary and the main store in Quebec but they have not bothered to answer. ANYWAY... I am not sure how to lift the lathe once I have that figured out. The thing is about 1000 pounds and is very top heavy and unbalanced. Any advice would really be appreciated.
Thanks,
Wayne
 
Wayne, you might have better luck contacting grizzly and asking how to lift their version of the lathe. Their manual just says you need 2 - 1300lb slings and a forklift.
 
There is a whack of posts out there on moving a lathe. Probably worth digesting some of them just to see the issues & avoid the pitfalls. There are some unhappy stories & no warranty is going to cover that or your injuries. The main thing is do as much homework beforehand so on moving day its get it in & mounted with as little drama as possible with all the tools, ramps, rollers... you envision using (plus a few more). You will see all kinds of methods employed. One thing I can pass on from personal experience, don't allow any straps to circumnavigate the lead screw or the moving carriage. It can put bending force on the leads screw. This happened to me & explained unwelcome cutting patterns, I couldn't un-bend it so had to be replaced. Some guys manage to avoid it altogether & get straps under the chunky cast parts, others make a kind of sub plate. Id just say avoid the delicate bits at all costs.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/new-enco-12-x36.25174/
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-are-you-mounting-your-pm1340gt-lathe.42112/

Some of the bolt-together stands aren't bad according to some, other swear they are the root of vibration evil. On my 14x40 lathe I had a frame welded out of 2" square steel tubing. My garage has a pretty healthy slope so I bought some of those heavy duty rubber bottom screw-on feet. That worked well for adjusting & seems pretty smooth running. It also provides a way to tweak any uneven floor condition in the lathe bed twist axis which is also important. I can take a pic if you like, it was about s simple as I could afford at the time. I measured the bolt-down hole pattern from the supplied tray & actually that was a dangerous leap of faith because the pan was off slightly, so beware. In hindsight:
- yes, integrating some sort of drop down castor wheel arrangement would be a added bonus. It would allow you to move the machine around with another picker episode or calling 5 buddies over. For example one day you may want to install a DRO & you need to get in behind there.
- integrate your chip tray & backsplash metal for sure
- some guys go with fixed shelves integrated into the either side frame. My idea was making/modifying a cheap roll-in unit so its not tied to the frame itself. This can be drawers, shelves, whatever you like. Either way, give some thought about storing chucks & tooling.
 
Wayne said:
Hi everyone,
I just bought a 12 X 36 inch King lathe from KMS tools in Calgary. The stand it comes with does not bolt up as it should as the pre drilled holes do not line up. I can re drill new holes and get it together [I think] although that may void the warranty. I asked the sales guy from the store in Calgary and the main store in Quebec but they have not bothered to answer. ANYWAY... I am not sure how to lift the lathe once I have that figured out. The thing is about 1000 pounds and is very top heavy and unbalanced. Any advice would really be appreciated.
Thanks,
Wayne
Click to expand...
Hi Wayne. I made an A frame cart on castors to pick up, move and load my machinery on to trailers. I could rent it to you on my next days off or custom build one for you if you have other machinery you wish to move. I have used it to safely move a Bridgeport and my South Bend 12x40.
 

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Wayne, I have lifted my 800 lbs lathe on to my stand twice, and it can be done with a jack-all, pry bar and cribbing, but PeterT's suggestion is safer and a LOT faster. BTW I did NOT build the lathe on the stand and erect it - I bolted the lathe to the pan and raised the pan up, attached the legs and lowered it into position... If your stand is closed in with storage, etc, that won't work, of course.
 
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