Moving a hardinge HLV through a ground level window

[max.levesque]

Just got an HLV, and all that I'm missing is a garage (... home shop hobby machinist here) !

But I have a basement with a floor level window that has enough height to take the HLV *without the cabinet*.

I'm studying the possibility of removing the chip pan while keeping the bedway, head stock, etc, on it, so it can enter by the window.

Keeping the lathe components in the chip pan seems like a big win, as it is quite sturdy, can be hoisted, etc.

Any info, cautions, etc would be appreciated.

Note: it's a 1956 HLV, not an HLV-H

 

[Chips Everywhere]

Just got an HLV, and all that I'm missing is a garage (... home shop hobby machinist here) !

But I have a basement with a floor level window that has enough height to take the HLV *without the cabinet*.

I'm studying the possibility of removing the chip pan while keeping the bedway, head stock, etc, on it, so it can enter by the window.

Keeping the lathe components in the chip pan seems like a big win, as it is quite sturdy, can be hoisted, etc.

Any info, cautions, etc would be appreciated.

Note: it's a 1956 HLV, not an HLV-H

You can pull the bed and move the bed and cabinet separate.

I would build a basic skid/pallet that allows you to handle the bed and protects it, you can do without it, but wood is cheap and extra handle areas are a big plus on move like this. How bad is the stair access?

 

[Billtodd]

You'll probably have to take the lathe bed off of the chip pan (three mounts ) . The head stock belt will need to be removed at the variator , if you don't want to pull the spindle.

The bed /headstock is very heavy (half/ third of the whole lathe at a guess) so make sure you have the correct handling gear ready in the basement.

 

[Stradbash]

Just got an HLV, and all that I'm missing is a garage (... home shop hobby machinist here) !

But I have a basement with a floor level window that has enough height to take the HLV *without the cabinet*.

I'm studying the possibility of removing the chip pan while keeping the bedway, head stock, etc, on it, so it can enter by the window.

Keeping the lathe components in the chip pan seems like a big win, as it is quite sturdy, can be hoisted, etc.

Any info, cautions, etc would be appreciated.

Note: it's a 1956 HLV, not an HLV-H

There is nothing that attaches the lathe bed to the chip tray, and the chip tray is pretty heavy. If it were mine I would likely move the three pieces separately.

My chip tray happens to be in my bathroom close to my scale, I might have time to weigh it later…

 

[rons]

I would remove the head and cart that downstairs. Then the same for the tail stock. Take as much off as possible.

In my woodworkers group there was a guy who offered to have monthly meetings at his place.
His house was already two story. The construction crew jacked up the house 2 - 3 feet and excavated whatever feet down.
His home shop was entirely beneath the foot print of his original house. The ceiling height was 10 feet with a spiral staircase
in the center of the room going up to the first floor.

The right side of the house had a stairway down to the shop. Next to the stairway was a ramp with a motorized winch to move stuff up and down.
I think is the only way to do this for below grade shop. Wait to you get to moving the lathe cabinet. Heavy.

 

[max.levesque]

There is nothing that attaches the lathe bed to the chip tray, and the chip tray is pretty heavy. If it were mine I would likely move the three pieces separately.

My chip tray happens to be in my bathroom close to my scale, I might have time to weigh it later…

Ok, I see the 3 screws on which the bed rests, they have a sping loaded bolt, another hint that the lathe is not meant to be lifter by the bed !

 

[rons]

It's lifted by straps underneath the bed. You can tell if a lathe has been a traveler by noticing the strap marks in a paint job.

 

[Stradbash]

It's lifted by straps underneath the bed. You can tell if a lathe has been a traveler by noticing the strap marks in a paint job.

I'm pretty sure if you look at the manual that you will see straps or bars going under the chip tray for moving the machine intact.

 

[Stradbash]

Ok, I see the 3 screws on which the bed rests, they have a sping loaded bolt, another hint that the lathe is not meant to be lifter by the bed !

Those three mounting points are spherical bearing areas with the springs and nuts inside the cabinet. The chip tray is attached to the cabinet with 8 studs that area welded to the bottom of the chip tray.

 

[Stradbash]

The TS end bed mounting point goes through the large hole near the bottom left stud in this photo.

 

[max.levesque]

View attachment 407793
The TS end bed mounting point goes through the large hole near the bottom left stud in this photo.

Thanks, very helpful.

Do you know how to remove the Speed indicator box (and the tube that connects it to the head stock) ?

I was unable to detach the box from the tubular post, even after removing the 2 set screws, and the post doesn't seem to want to unscrew, perhaps I should apply more force, but I'm afraid to do it.

I hope I don't have to open the head stock...

 

[rons]

I'm pretty sure if you look at the manual that you will see straps or bars going under the chip tray for moving the machine intact.

When my machine arrived the rigger had it suspended in mid-air for something like 45 minutes.

 

[jccaclimber]

Definitely by the (very solid) chip tray ends, not by the bed, at least when assembled.
The speed indicator is just attached via a thick wire that connects to the CVT assembly, look under the left side of the cabinet and you'll see it. I've not taken one out, but wouldn't be surprised if it just slips out. Not sure on getting the rest off.

I also wonder what stairway access looks like to this site.

 

[L Vanice]

When I bought a home with a basement in 1970, it was a bit of a pain to get the increasingly larger machines down the stairway in the middle of the house. I had to hire household movers to get the Rockwell vertical mill and B&S surface grinder (in pieces) down the stairs.

Forty years ago, I paid a contractor to cut a hole in my garage floor, dig down to below basement floor level, cut a doorway through the basement foundation wall and pour floor and walls for a sort of small adjoining basement room. I made two 1/2" steel plates to fit in a recess surrounding the garage floor opening and put casters on both plates to let them roll around once lifted out of the recess. My truck could safely drive across the plates in order to park it in the garage. Each plate had retracting lifting loops so my home-built rolling gantry could lift the plates out and move them onto the solid part of the floor. A couple years later, when I sold my 800-1000 pound lathe and replaced it with a better one of the same size, I was able to move each machine out of or into the basement and off or on the truck by myself. A few years after that, I bought a larger home and was able to move all the shop stuff on my truck with just a couple friends to help load. The big machines and steel storage cabinets weighed up to 1200 pounds each and each were rolled across the basement, lifted to the garage and loaded on the truck in one piece.

Converting that basement window to an outside basement entrance with ramp or well and concrete surround to support a rolling gantry will seem like a worthwhile expense compared to moving big stuff in pieces in or out through a small hole.

Larry

 

[Stradbash]

Thanks, very helpful.

Do you know how to remove the Speed indicator box (and the tube that connects it to the head stock) ?

I was unable to detach the box from the tubular post, even after removing the 2 set screws, and the post doesn't seem to want to unscrew, perhaps I should apply more force, but I'm afraid to do it.

I hope I don't have to open the head stock...

Hmmm, I know I wrote a response to this earlier…
Mine is an older machine and doesn’t have a speed control box. I don’t recall if the one on my DV is this way, but with anything Hardinge, you always want to check for a second set screw under the first.

 

[max.levesque]

Forty years ago, I paid a contractor to cut a hole in my garage floor, dig down to below basement floor level, cut a doorway through the basement foundation wall and pour floor and walls for a sort of small adjoining basement room. I made two 1/2" steel plates to fit in a recess surrounding the garage floor opening and put casters on both plates to let them roll around once lifted out of the recess. My truck could safely drive across the plates in order to park it in the garage. Each plate had retracting lifting loops so my home-built rolling gantry could lift the plates out and move them onto the solid part of the floor. A couple years later, when I sold my 800-1000 pound lathe and replaced it with a better one of the same size, I was able to move each machine out of or into the basement and off or on the truck by myself. A few years after that, I bought a larger home and was able to move all the shop stuff on my truck with just a couple friends to help load. The big machines and steel storage cabinets weighed up to 1200 pounds each and each were rolled across the basement, lifted to the garage and loaded on the truck in one piece.

I have plans to turn that basement window into a door (cutting a rectangle in the foundation below the window), and given that my house is on a small hill and that my basement floor level is actually higher than the street level by aprox 10", I will have the option to carve a portion of that hill, and build a garage attached to the side of the house. The newly carved door will lead into the garage.

Ideally I would have built that garage before I got the HLV, but the opportunity showed up, and I got carried away !

 

[Deerhurst]

I'm pretty sure if you look at the manual that you will see straps or bars going under the chip tray for moving the machine intact.

This is correct.

It is also how I moved my HLV last weekend.

 

[nbk31hk]

I would remove the head and cart that downstairs. Then the same for the tail stock. Take as much off as possible.

In my woodworkers group there was a guy who offered to have monthly meetings at his place.
His house was already two story. The construction crew jacked up the house 2 - 3 feet and excavated whatever feet down.
His home shop was entirely beneath the foot print of his original house. The ceiling height was 10 feet with a spiral staircase
in the center of the room going up to the first floor.

The right side of the house had a stairway down to the shop. Next to the stairway was a ramp with a motorized winch to move stuff up and down.
I think is the only way to do this for below grade shop. Wait to you get to moving the lathe cabinet. Heavy.

Pics of this? Sounds amazing!