Moving Presses
Hey Folks,
I am going to be moving my shop about 10 miles in the near future. The move will include an Vandy Uni 1 and an 8x12 C&P, along with a few hundred cases of type.
I’ve moved all these presses in and out over a period of years and fortunately both the access out and in is ground level right off the driveway.
For this move I do not want to rent a truck and struggle with getting them up and off the truck.
I’ve seen several of you post pix of presses being moved on roll-off flatbed car towing trucks.
I’m wondering, for those that have used such services how you found them. Car guys want to do cars, riggers want to do heavy work. Any thoughts?
Thx
s
flat bed drivers have moved quite a variety of stuff. call around for their experience and comfort with presses. don’t forget insurance on both ends.
Hello Steve,
I have used Pedowitz quite a bit. They are not cheap, but are reliable and do a good job.
DGM
At The Printing Museum we find a dropdeck trailer is the fastest and safest way to move presses. Roll-on, roll-off.
http://www.fusionengineering.co.nz/#drop-deck-trailers
Roger Tappy in Indiana is good. He’s here on Briarpress. We just did a 10 mile move across town, no problems. And he made sure the machines were level, which some riggers forget to do.
Hi Folks,
Well the Southpaw Printers shop has been safely moved and set up in my new home.
I’d written on November 1st looking for some advice. Having moved quite a few presses and type cases full of type over the years I know that it can be quite difficult. This time I think I got it right.
The link attached here will take you to a flickr album of photos of the move.
The first thing I did was build 20 x 38” sleds using 5/8” plywood and 2 x 4’s on edge, the 2x’s were cut with an angle to make them easier to slide and load. Additional 2 x 4’s were mounted on the top side 33” apart to act as braces for the type cases and a place to fasten stretch film. (Type cases are 17 x 32). The type cases were stacked approx 10 high, between the 2 x 4 braces with cardboard corner guards on each corner and wrapped in stretch film, then taped. A rope was fed through holes drilled in the front edge of the plywood to facilitate pulling the sleds. Each sled weighed between 100-200#s.
To move the presses I replaced the (previously stained and finished) 2 x 6 runners under each press with “sacrificial” 2 x 6’s, also cut with an angle on the lead edge. The presses were then levered and jacked up onto dollies and wheeled out of the shop/garage and out to the awaiting flat bed tow truck. The truck had been hired for the morning from a local firm @ $90/hr.
With the help of 3 friends and the truck driver/operator we loaded the truck traveled, 10 miles, and unloaded the truck in under 3 hours.
Once in the new shop we used a rented engine hoist ($45 for the day) to lift and move the Vandercook to both replace the finished runners and position the press.
I confess that it took 3 months to get the shop back in condition to take these last few photos, but now I must say I have the shop of my life.
If anyone is contemplating a move and wants more info let me know.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/jaspers_pix/E4q1MF
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