Moving a Heidelberg // Recommended Movers

Never thought I’d be considering a Windmill this soon, but the time has arrived that I (very luckily) get to deal with the unique privilege of moving a Heidelberg Windmill a few hundred miles to Duluth.

Having searched the forums I’ve decided that it’s probably best I leave the fun of moving to the pros, but have come up a tad short in my search for specialty movers. Does anyone in the Twin Cities [Minnespolis/St Paul] have any favorites they tend to lean to when moving a press? Or for that matter, have good ideas on how to do it myself? I have access to a truck and could easily rent a trailer. I moved a C&P with worse accessibility into a basement so I feel somewhat confident that it’d be a possibility to do this myself as well.

On that extremely vague and indecisive note, I’d love to hear feedback from anyone who has done this before?

Cheers,
mnreggie

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Hey Reggie-

The windmill has a square, one piece casting as it’s base; it has through- holes you can shove a set of strong steel bars or pipes through to allow it to be lifted up. These can then be jacked up, one side at a time, using a floor-jack and some good strong timbers if you wish to transfer it onto a skid or something. The timbers can support the pipes if they are wide enough. Basically, once you get one side up a little, say a few inches, stick a bit of wood under the pipe; undo the jack, and then move to the other side of the machine, repeat. A couple inches at a time per side should do the trick, if you work Incrementally, you should be able to get it lifted up enough that a pair of timbers with cutaways for a palette jack or a small skid could be moved under the base and bolted in place for the rest of the move. Then it’s ‘on wheels’ and mobile, and also more easily lifted via a forklift if either site has one available. You could also RENT a forklift for a day from a construction rental company- check to see that the weight capacity extended above the bed of the truck is, of course, more than the windmill.

From there, it’s really just a matter of having access to a loading dock or a forklift, and barring any difficulties like steep driveways, you should be able to move it yourself I should think.

Good luck.

Irrespective of who actually does the move, either D. I. Y. or the Professionals just under the clip for the chase (once removed ) there is situate a threaded hole for a *Ring Bolt* normally in the tool drawer on delivery, but mostly long gone,!! with the motor and bracket removed and the appropriate ring bolt screwed in ( it aint rocket science to have one re-manufactured, or hired or borrowed, even mediocre Hire Shops,?) with the motor off,the point of balance is virtually perfect.

The best machinery movers, are not always aware of this device/system.!!

Pucker movers with a an arm/gib that will lift 1.5 Tons at full extent will lift it with ease, (the same arm gib will lift 2 -3 Tons at short arm) . .The 10 x 15, with the Motor and Bracket removed for transportation, comes in at just over One imperial Ton.!!

If circumstances permit (with the appropriate trailer) a mechanics Engine crane rated at 1.5 tons at shortest arm, with splayed Roller Legs will straddle the base of the machine and the obligatory Hook on the arm, (with 360 degrees rotation) will clip straight on to the ringbolt!!! the M/c, only needs lifting 2-4” and all things being equal can be *Tracked* at will, of course surface(s) providing.

Here U.K. the professionals frequently use the Ring Bolt and Engine Crane method, often to get the Machine(s) through and out to the loading dock, and THEN the Crane lorry… When it comes to big cylinders, under the same circumstances i.e. buried deep in the factory etc. a king size version of the Engine Crane is used, as in 2 *T* footed uprights with Ladder Rack adjusters supporting R.S.J. cross beam with travelling chain hoist, M/C. usually lifted *En Masse* and *Tracked* to meet the Crane lorry.

Just to add to the description provided by HavenPress. I followed the procedure described above recently and would recommend that you use solid steel bars five feet long. This gives you the room you need on the sides to do the jacking and block placing and to insert and remove the pallet or the drip tray. I would also recommend using floor jacks. Their low reach is an asset when doing this operation. It is really not that difficult a task if you have the proper tools, two floor jacks, two poles - 5ft. , lots of wood blocks.
My 10x15 Windmill was moved by a local trucking company. It was bolted to a solid pallet. They used a 5 ton truck with a power tailgate. Loading was done with a forklift and unloading was done with a power pallet jack that came with the truck.
I found moving the windmill easier than moving my C&P.

A few questions, is it ground level, on skid. If you have your own johnny bar and pallet jack your halfway there. We have moved 2 or 3 this way, getting press in closed position is where you start then with the johnny bar start blocking the press up high enough to get on a pallet truck, roll to loading dock or outside, of course if you have a jitni all the better load to truck or trailer. If no jitni/forklift, have a towning service with hydrolic boom, towtruck a really good operator can do alot with those booms, lift with a couple of nylon straps. piece of cake. Also a tiltbed truck can also be used. A rigger/machine mover probable charge $250.00 to $750.00 to pick-up and set if you don’t want all the excitment of a diy. Good Luck!

HavenPress - Thank you, from the posts I’ve seen jacking it up and all that, this made the most sense and also was reassuring that it could be done by us. Sadly, the press is inaccessible by fork lift, but I think we could get a decent pallet jack or something underneath.

Mick - I thought about that, I’ve searched around and am considering finding some type of engine hoist/gib that can handle the load. Thank you for reminding me about the load capacity at the extended arm vs. the closer position. Hopefully the press-owner will allow me to check it out soon so I can pull some dimensions. Someone a while back posted their pictures following this, I’ll definitely consider it as an option!

dwallen - Good to know! Also, I hope and pray that this is easier to move than my C&P. Originally it was back in a boxcar (no joke!) and had to be partially disassembled in the frigid winter of northern Minnesota, then hauled 3 hours south, then fully disassembled outdoors and hauled through a tiny side access door into our house. It was brutal.

b.biroscak - Thanks! I thought about a truck with hoist/crane but we also have access to a truck than can actually haul the press, so I may just go with a trailer (eek!) to haul it. Hopefully the scouting mission yields some solutions and a plan of attack.

what kind of environment is it coming out of and going into? IE: loading dock, ground level, gravel driveway, basement, upstairs, narrow doors? etc.
Lifting, moving,and trailer or trucking is easy part. contact me if you need help..;.; i am not that from from twin cities.

My apologies on reviving a dead thread here….

Ericm: It’s in a studio space with a regular height loading dock in an alley. The trick there is that the driveway has a bit of a slope going up to the loading dock, it’s not a huge hill, but worth noting. I’m moving it either to a storage space here in Duluth or to a potential new studio. The new studio has a ground level doorway with a width of 41”, is that too narrow if we remove the motor and side table? I’d rather not remove the feeding trays unless I absolutely have to…

Where abouts are you located?