All:
I will be retiring within the year and while that is reason enough to celebrate packing my shop for the trip south is causing me a great deal of concern and anxiety. You can break our dishes and glasses, but my tools? Now we might come to blows!
I have all the standard stationary tools…cabinet saw, bandsaw, jointer, drill press, etc…plus workbench and storage. Hand tools and hand held power tools are easily wrapped and boxed. But then there is also my lumber supply and of course all the finishing supplies (which many moving companies will not move knowingly).
I am leaning towards getting several PODS for the shop and packing them myself. All the heavy machinery is on wheels so getting them on/off shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
How have others gone about this? Pitfalls I should be aware of?
Thank you
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Replies
Pods are carried by regulated motor freight. They will ask if you have solvents, etc. If you are crossing state lines you have to comply with HazMat requirements. You do NOT want to declare that you don't have them. Regulated freight drivers are frequently inspected. Liquids can be detected by scanning equipment the Feds and the States use. I have had my entire rig X-rayed. My Oreos survived.
There is a weight limit on Pods. They are not intended to be filled with cast iron.
Put the solvents in the trunk and keep the fresh air supply, AC, and the fan on. Opening the window will create a low pressure area outside your window which will pull air from inside the car, including the trunk. If you have a pickup truck (which you should if you are moving south) you can drive with the window open.
Good luck.
I recently moved my shop - here are some thoughts for what its worth. PODS or U-box could work really well to allow you to pack up a major portion of your shop - wood, supplies, hand tools, hand power tools, etc. From my adventures, for the large power tools there are f0ur issues to consider when thinking containers:
1) getting the tool in (and back out) of the container. You will need to ramp up or lift somehow the tool safely (watch the fingers and toes!) in a way that avoids damage or messing with alignment - e.g. for the tablesaw no lifting or stress on the wings, the fence rails, the motor; for the jointer no lifting by the tables
2) ability to adequately strap down. You will need to be able to strap down or around with heavy-duty ratchet straps in a way that secures the tool, but doesn't stress its alignment or put the tool at risk or crush whatever is next to it if the container shifts when its being lifted.....or when the truck is going up steep grade or down, ....or driving way to fast through a turn, .....or if the truck going 70 mph+ comes to a skidding halt - figure all of these will happen and worse.
3) weight - PODS can hold a couple of tons I believe. I used some U-Haul U boxes to move boxed up items and some wood and supplies - they do not hold anywhere near that much weight. However with a big jointer or full size planer (you didn't mention a planer) it adds up. Maybe more importantly since you can get multiple containers, is the distribution of weight within the container. Containers are lifted on and off a truck - big tools are top heavy, which contradicts how they instruct to load moving containers. PODS I think has some gadget that keeps loads level going on off the truck (unlike a forklift) but I am guessing that thing comes at a premium.
4) make sure the liability limit they give you in the standard deal per any given container is enough if you load one up with expensive tools and what the rules are - replacement? repair? does fine print mention depreciation, etc.
The ideal way to move heavy tools is a box truck with a lift gate - you roll them on and lift with the press of a button, strap them in, motor down the road, unstrap and roll them off and lower with a button - zero sweat. However, based on quotes I got, movers charge truly ridiculous amounts of money for this option. The next best option I could come up with was borrowing my uncle's (retired farmer) 16 foot hydraulic tilt trailer w/winch and side rails - it is quite a handy outfit/gadget for moving large tools. Of course over a long distance doing something like this (if you have a truck and could get hold of such a trailer) you would need to cover the load and there is a bit of risk if you stop overnight in the wrong place.
Some other things to consider:
I would spray all your cast iron with a fresh coat of Boeshield or whatever your favorite pick is
Suggest you might call manufacturer Tech Support if you have any questions or concerns on specific tools. For example, you probably want to pack some styrofoam support under (snug, but don't stress it) your table saw motor or worst case snuggly fit some moving blankets in there. Mine was shipped with styrofoam when I bought it and SawStop tech support told me that I should protect the motor from bouncing around and told me the moving blanket idea worst case, when I called them and asked them for advice on moving the machine
The bandsaw -(got this particular idea from ShopTalkLive show awhile back) strap a sturdy board to the spine (cross wise) so that when the saw is laid back it won't tip side to side. This worked quite well for me.
The drill press (if its floor model) - you might want to just loosen the head and lift it right off, mine was very heavy so take care and have help. Then, I lowered the table as far as it would go. Mine is on mobile base so from there it was a piece of cake to secure and transport.
Handtools - pack them with plenty of protection, don't underestimate how much stuff settles, moves/shifts and rubs and rattles around while its on a truck. You might treat (your usual choice of oil or protective wax) wrap hand planes, chisels, files/rasps, saws, etc. in corrosion inhibitor bags or treated paper, Lee Valley or Lie-Nielsen sell them. Without care, they pack up looking fine and unpack with rust spots already setting in.
Hazardous materials (aerosol, solvents, finishes, paint, oil, etc) - I would urge you to give away all of it (really, every ounce of it) to someone who will use it and/or dispose of the rest at local recycle site and get it new as you need it. It is really not worth the risk to you, to others or to your property to have something go wrong involving fumes or flames.
I'll second the recommendation to dispose of solvents and finishes before the move. There is too much risk and liability for a pretty small amount of money.
I recently moved my shop to a new state and I don’t know if I would move the large stationary tools if I did it again. The cost of the pods/uhaul was expensive and it was very stressful dealing with the heavy equipment. I would probably sell the heavy stuff and take the money saved not moving it to replace or even upgrade.
I just moved from one side of the county to the other. Pods were not available at were I moved from. If you can use them their are weight limits and your equipment and tools need to be packed and secured well. If you are able to move right into a shop location you shouldn't have to do to much to protect exposed metal surfaces. I used WD40. However if your shop is going into storage you will need to cover these surfaces. I did some down sizing by selling tools I was just not using. I do regret selling my table saw. Someone wanted it and offered a fair price. Buying a new one is troublesome because when thinking about that old beast, it was nearly as good as the new ones and somehow I developed a psychological attachment for it? Best wishes in your retirement.
Congratulations! Envy of all of us working stiffs for sure! :)
I don't have much to offer in terms of solutions or advice, but I can confirm your concern about safely moving your shop.
We relocated to Colorado from California last summer (July 2019) for my work. My employer contracted a moving company and covered the costs of relocating.
Most of our stuff arrived safely. Unfortunately, the movers broke the fence on my table saw and they broke the crank that raises/lowers the table on my drill press. Fortunately, I was able to find replacements on eBay and fortunately, the moving company covered the cost of replacement. Besides that, I was still shocked that they broke those items.
Key takeaway for me...next time we move, I will remove pieces from tools, etc. and carefully pack them myself. Having said that, somethings you cannot pack yourself, so you have to rely on the competency of the moving company. By the way, our moving company was willing to crate "valuable" items. I had the flat screen TV and a couple of high end bicycles crated, but should have also crated the drill press and table saw.
Unrelated to the original post, I would also add that it is a great idea to discard, donate or sell as much as you can before you move. Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but it is mind boggling how many things my wife and I moved that we are now discarding as we unpack.
Good luck!
You indicated you are moving South. I moved from Huntington Beach CA to Charleston SC.
My advice is based on my experience: if not protected anything metal will rust. And I include aluminum in that - yes it does oxidize.
Hand tools, machine tools, you name it. Use a wood-friendly oil but no silicone.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. Some of you went well beyond my expectations and I am very grateful for your insights.
The idea of selling my stationary tools had not occurred to me. Oh boy, I can get new?...should have seen my wife's face when I ran that idea by her! Did you hear the eye roll?
Seriously though, I can see the advantage of selling my jointer (6" Rigid) and my two lunchbox planers and replacing it with a combo jointer/planer (possibly the Jet). Selling my bandsaw (14" Grizzly w/6" riser) and replacing with maybe a Rikon is also appealing. My old Delta drill press I think can be moved easily enough. Especially if I remove the head as suggested. However, I think my SawStop PCS has to make the trek. The suggestion of packing the motor tight never occurred to me. Thanks.
Also, it makes complete sense to dispose of/give away all my solvent based finishes, etc. Agree they are relatively inexpensive to replace and had not thought of that.
As for all the metal (cast iron and steel) I am on top of that one. My unconditioned shop forces me to be diligent with keeping surfaces coated with wax, Jojoba oil, Boeshield, etc. Wrapping all of them in paper specifically for this purpose and throwing in several of those silica packets into the boxes was my intention.
Again, thanks to everyone for sharing their experience and insight. Let the adventure begin.
I used a "regular" moving company to move my shop when we moved to Colorado a few years back (https://threemenandatruck.net/) and it worked out fine. I did lay out the fact that everything needs to be handled with care beforehand and they were very good about taking care of it and got everything moved safely. I thought about doing the pod thing too, but I was nervous about things shifting around because I didn't really trust myself to get everything secured properly inside the pod. When they had everything loaded up, they strapped it all in to make sure it wouldn't budge when it was being hauled.
I retired 3 years ago and we moved to a retirement community (read 'wrinkle ranch'), the distance was only about 60 miles.
1. I got rid of the low value finishes, and packed the remainder in boxes and hauled them separately in my SUV.
2. Gave away a lot of the lesser value lumber. I separated the rest by size and used shrink wrap to make bundles. Generally, it survived the move, but there was some damage from the young kids simply throwing it in the corner in the basement, and then walking all over it with muddy shoes. I shrink wrapped all the veneer to a piece of plywood; I don't know how they did it, but they managed to walk all over it, ruining most, despite the 'Fragile' label. Grrrrr. I had a photo of one of the punks rolling a freshly painted round metal table down the sidewalk - could have killed him right there - they simply did not care.
3. Removed the cast iron wings and motor from the table saw.
4. Raised both jointer tables as high as they would go to protect the blades.
5. removed all stands, screwed the handles off the drill press. Clearly marked a 60 drawer cabinet with about 2,000 screws, etc "This Side Up" and wrapped with shrink wrap - they turned it upside down, stuff all over the floor, still not all sorted out.
6. Used a LOT of stretch wrap and duct tape.
Moving is traumatic enough without the sheer carelessness we experienced; lots of damage to some fine furniture. The semi assigned to us was late and they showed up with 2 U Haul trucks. I suggested they back one around the side of the house to load the shop and deck stuff - rather than back in from the street as I showed the supervisor, the driver backed across the lawn and 2 flower beds. As they pulled out I heard a very loud crash and several thumps but they didn't stop to check.
Make sure you understand the insurance and limitations. I probably would not have used this company, but our house sold in the first 30 minutes and we were pressed for time. I repaired some of the furniture was able to have the fine furniture repaired by a firm in Chattanooga, magnificent work. I then had to file suit against the movers; got a check within 24 hours after filing.
Annnnnnnnd noooooow............. the wife wants to move back!!!!!!
When we moved 9 years ago a total of 30 miles, we decided to pay my wife's brother and his sons what we would have paid professional movers. They were young and strong and happy for the extra money. I was happy because I knew they would be careful and I was happy to pay them rather than a bunch of careless folks.
Simple solution-Sell the old machines and buy new ones.
I moved from Victoria British Columbia to Philadelphia, Then to Florida then back to Philadelphia all in t he space of seven years.Any one who is married need not ask.
In all cases I purchased used shipping crates that are made from 3/4 inch ply,on skids,.and arrive broken down.All your machinery save your joiner and drill press fit in them.Pack your tools and small stuff in moving boxes and pack them around your tools and your short wood and other stuff.Screw on the top.Estimate how much stuff you have.Buy or rent a shipping container the proper size ,have it dropped on your driveway,and hire the heavies to load it up.Strap and brace everything ,lock the door and have a trucker bring it to your new location.Trucking is a lot cheaper than your mover so if you have space in the container,put some household stuff in.ABSOLUTELY NOOO FLAMMABLES
Logistics! My shop fills an entire 50 ft tractor trailer.Dont suppose yours does.A shipping container dropped on your driveway is working height nso you dont need a forklift but rent a pallet jack.Scrounge or buy a sturdy pallet for your lumber and rent a strapping machine to secure.The container will be dropped on your driveway in the new location so have a pallet jack and in both ends rent a metal ramp.Again get the heavies from a local agency.Incidentally the containers come in various sizes so pick the one you need.I will look up the shipping crate company and let you know
Shipping crates from "Container Exchanger" .Go to their site to see the different offerings.If they dont have 4x4x4 size,easiest to handle,ask them to shop around and call you.
Sell your biggest tools. The savings from not moving them will likely make the difference in buying new tools. This is starting with the assumption that nothing gets damaged and you are completely ready to move into a new shop and won't have any storage fees.
This will also be the opportunity to upgrade where necessary. Do the math, add in the potential risks and hassle, and see where it gets you.
A little late to this thread but I too will be moving a shop in his year. Appreciate all the above posts especially the shipping crates.
My question is has anyone used a Uhaul cargo trailer (enclosed)? I have only three machines to move - jointer, planer and table saw. Was thinking of using a engine hoist and ratchet straps to secure the machines. For me it’s not cost effective to sell given the age and current cost of new.
Thanks.
I moved from San Francisco to Boulder this year. I took a lot of tools, including a Bridgeport mill and 3500 lb Leblond lathe along with my woodworking machines. I had a box truck with a lift gate, so I crated most lightweight tools, and used a lot of that polyiso foam from big box stores and the expanding foam pouches from Uline. But, some tools are too heavy. For those, I towed them one at a time on a JLG drop-deck trailer, meant for hauling scissor lifts or forklifts. They are rated for the weight, and allow you to load flat with no ramps or forklift. I will echo what others have said, though, cover your cast iron in some kind of shipping grease, and get those paper inserts meant to inhibit rust for the hand tools. you probably want to leave those on until the temperatures of the equipment equalize.
In my case, it made sense to buy a box truck and resell it, rather than renting. Covid had caused the rental rates to be very high, so with minimal risk I was able to get a large truck, use it for several trips, and sell it again.
In response to rdubya I have used a inclosed car hauler trailer to move my shop several times. retired military,works great also made several boxes from 3/4in ply and packed all my small tools in them. 2x2x4 with a removable frame made of 2x4 on casters so that I could roll them into the trailer and stack them up. any machinery that can be put on a wheeled base also helps use plenty on the the down straps to secure stuff one thing I learned is to find some teenager offer him some money if he will help with the muscle power
This is an olde thread revived by spam for a mover.
Thank you MJ.
Four guys carried my old Powermatic lathe downstairs in my new home. Found out a few days later they stood it on end and shoved the main shaft out of its bearing races. Panic turned into shoving it back and replacing the washer/stop. For the most part, the big stuff came through ok. Disassembled everything I could and obviously removed all blades. Bear in mind, an interstate move boils down to about $1 per pound. So, pick and choose wisely. Could work out better to replace some tools.
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