# Moving heavy machinery, new workshop



## Escudo (12 Jun 2009)

I am mulling over the position, in the garden, of a new workshop.

I have a plan to head for the top of the garden, 60 metres from the road and up a pretty steep slope with some steps.

Here are some pictures;

View from the road up the path, steps toward the gate and back garden







Through the gate and a view up the back garden access up the grassy slope.






Past the wildlife in these here parts :lol: 






A dog left turn at the top of the slope, through some shrubs






To the steps which lead to the potential location, where the existing summer house is found.






Here is a view from the summerhouse over the town and out to sea.






The summer house is going to be moved, the children use this quite a lot and bringing it down to the lower level near the lawn is a good plan.

The area for the workshop will be about 5m2.

I am wondering about moving machinery up to this location, there is no access for lifting gear. What options exist to tackle this issue? Can machines be dismantled and moved in pieces? How big a job is this?

I already have power to this spot and can pump concrete up there for the base.

I need to be sure that I can move machinery to the new workshop, thoughts and comments much appreciated.

Cheers, Tony.


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## Night Train (12 Jun 2009)

That will be a difficult route to move a lot of equipment. How much and what sort of stuff are you thinking of moving?

I keep a large amount of assorted equipment for moving stuff about and for something similar I would be tempted to board and ramp a route and then winch machines up on large trollies or sleds depending on stability.

For getting heavy machines up short flights of stairs I have used the ages old method of 'jack and pack' to bring it up to the higher level and then winch across on runners. 

Another method I've used is to have a ramp to start the process and then raise the low end of the ramp to level once the machine is all the way on it before winching it along.

All this can be dangerous and risky if you don't know what you are doing though.
I always use a number of winches together so I can control the direction of pull, stability of top heavy machines and have a safety winch if the pulling winch fails. I also keep an eye out for where the machine can fall if it is going to and make sure no one stands down slope of it.

My Mum is a pain for thinking she can stand between a heavy moving object and a wall to keep the wall safe. She did that once when I was relocating a skip and it was getting close to my new stone wall. She dived in the gap to 'hold back the skip' nearly giving me a heart attack in the process.

Also you need one person in charge and no one does anything except what they are told to do and every one must have the power to shout 'STOP!' if they feel they need to.


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## The Shark (12 Jun 2009)

Hi Tony,
I can't help you with your question, but I would like to say what a nice looking garden you have

Malc


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## head clansman (12 Jun 2009)

Hi 

it's not just machinery to consider , all materials to build has to go up there as well as all materials that you will use when it built has to travel up there , as age come on do you really want to hump all that back and forth.hc


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## wizer (12 Jun 2009)

How much is crane hire for a day?


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## SVB (12 Jun 2009)

Wizer,

that was what I was thinking but looking at the photos I don't think it is an option as it is too far to reach from the road. (Add to that with modern regs you are not hiring a crane but buying a lift c/w banksman etc so it is v.expensive).

One thought - is there any possibility of coming at it from an adjoining property (from the rear would presumably be down hill!) and removing a section of fence?

Best of luck
Simon

PS - Very nice garden - looks like you put a lot of thought and work into designing and building it.


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## Boz62 (12 Jun 2009)

In the past I've used ply/OSB sheets to temporarily "surface" a lawn then used steel conduit pipes to act as rollers under a heavy item (or ply sheet with item on top), moving pipes back to front as they are uncovered. Think moving Stonehenge stones with logs . For a slope add a winch and wedges behind for security. Bends are OK with a little thought. Steps may be another matter...

Good luck
Boz


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## OLD (12 Jun 2009)

I think you should consider a winch with adaptations to secure it to fixed objects along the route. I use to use one to pull cars onto trailers they are easy to use . There is also a type of winch called a turfor i think, hire shops have them very strong just pull a handle through 30 degrees works in both directions


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## matt (12 Jun 2009)

Perhaps you need a Bat Cave instead? Tunnel in from the road and a lift up to the house :lol: 

Sorry, not very helpful.

What do you anticipate being the largest/heaviest piece of equipment you're going to need to move?


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## Chems (12 Jun 2009)

This is what you need:







And this is the link to hire it:

http://www.palamatic.com/materials/tracko-hire.php

£250 a day but can't see any other way your going to do it.


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## Escudo (12 Jun 2009)

Thanks for the replies fellas,

I knew that this matter, not to mention the job of building the workshop in such a difficult location would be challenging.

Martin, has a point regarding the long term issues of the workshop at the top of a hill, this has been on my mind. Although, the view is great, and I am far enough away not to annoy any neighbours, I also don't really have any other options. I suspect and hope it will be twenty years before the garden, and climb becomes too much to bear.

Regarding machinery three items come to mind, my bandsaw which weighs about 150 kg. This machine is not to bad to move by removing the table and then four fellas can easily carry this.

I have my eye on a bigger P/T (The jet jpt310 or hammmer C3-31 model) these get up to 250kg+ I seem to remember and are not so easy to man handle.

I do not have a table saw but suspect that one of these will be 200 kg+

I have not ruled out a big felder combination machine but that would be massive and very heavy also very expensive. 

I thought the best option would be dismantle and reassemble perhaps with the help of the manufacturer. Whilst there might be a cost here, at least my machines would be perfectly set up after the move.

Access from nearby properties is just as tricky as all my neighbours are in the same boat. 

Keep the ideas coming. Thankyou Simon and Malc, the garden is pretty well established now after a lot of hard work by my dear wife over the last ten years.

Regards, Tony.


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## Escudo (12 Jun 2009)

Good shout chems, Track-o motorised stair mover, description looks to fit the bill. Thanks for the idea.

Tony.


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## wizer (12 Jun 2009)

I'm not sure if it isn't worth getting together as many bodies as possible on a certain day and just carry it all up there. Yes, I know that's odd coming from me. But if your trying to muck about with pulleys on your own, one slip and there goes either a disc or a lot of money (or both).


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## promhandicam (12 Jun 2009)

You aren't going to get much machinery into a workshop that is only 5m2 - or do you mean 5m x 5m ie 25m2? Are you going to do the construction yourself or get a firm in? A couple of labourers should be able to move the things you have I'd have thought - most machinery comes apart into fairly manageable pieces - as you have said with the bandsaw.

Steve


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## Escudo (12 Jun 2009)

Steve, your right 25m2 not 5m2 (silly billy - ). 

I am thinking of building the workshop myself with the help of one or two chums, a carpenter and my mates civils firm for the groundworks base.

I also thought that dismantling the machines would be the best idea. The Track-o machine looks very interesting.

Tony.


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## Chems (12 Jun 2009)

£250 isn't a bad one off price if you could get it all done in a day. It shows on the offical site it can move across snow inclines etc so it should do fine up your garden and those steps. Maybe some ply boards to protect the grass from the tracks?


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## Night Train (12 Jun 2009)

For anchoring winches I use a tree strop around well placed trees and lengths of 25mm diameter rope to get the anchoring point where I want it.

If there are no suitable trees then a ground anchor is fairly easy to set up. Get some steel spikes, pipe or poles and hammer the first in the ground at an angle away from the pull like a tent peg. The winch will anchor to the base of that spike. Bang in a matching spike behind the first and then tie the top of the first spike to the base of the second spike. Then add another spike and tie as before. This gives you an arrangement of spikes and ties in a saw tooth fashion. Use as many as needed to resist the pull on the winch. For the sort of loads you are looking at then fencing stakes or even conduit or, better, half inch gas pipe should be sufficient, the quantity depends on the condition of the ground.

For winches, the cheap ratchet, 'come along' type rated at 250kg or 500kg SWL for lifting would be more then enough. I have pulled 7.5 tons of AEC Matador timber tractor up a gentle slope with one on a single line pull.

To make a sled you can use a sheet of 18mm ply with battens to hold the foot print of the machine and to allow it to be tied down. A couple of holes in the sheet at the front end, but not too close to the edge, will allow a rope bridle or two winches to be attached for pulling and steering the sled.
If the machine is heavy and has a small footprint then the ply sheet may need some full length battens fixing to it to add rigidity. The sheet can then be bowed a little to make it more sled like at the leading edge.


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## Ironballs (12 Jun 2009)

I would suggest you get in touch with a local man with van/gang of lads type outfit. 250 kilos is a big weight and will take several people to shift and maintain control/safety. Plus it will then be them poking their hernias back in and not you


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## Chippyjoe (12 Jun 2009)

Hi Tony,

just to let you know that the Hammer C3-31 weighs about 540 kg's :shock: so you might want to have a think about that one,although if you have one spec built they do make them to come apart for delivery purposes.

The jet P/T you mentioned weighs about 230kg's so not so bad,but as you are probably aware it is an absolute no no to lift these by the tables so that presents a bit of a problem with the situation you have.

I personally wouldn't let any of that put me off,as with views like that it is crying out to be built!!! Build it then worry about getting the machinery in,a team of helpers,barbeque, and a few tinnies and you are away.

Good luck if you do go for it.

Mark.


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## Mooeee (13 Jun 2009)

You say that the new workshop will be 5m2 which isn't that big if you are thinking of a Felder combination machine, Have you seen one of these machines they take up so much room.

I went to the Felder open day in Milton Keynes a few months ago and was supprised at the footprint of their machines, in fact I can say that you would not get a combination machine into your workshop, well you could get it into your shop but not be able to use it.

If your shop is even 5 metres X 5 metres you will struggle with this machine let alone have other woodworking machinery in there.

Just the bed travel must be over five metres from start to finish as the beds can be over 2 metres long and then you have to put what your cutting on it. If you are cross cutting then the width of these machines must be more than 4 metres wide not including what you are even cutting.

Get Felder to send you their free dvd on the combination machine it's 70 minutes long (A guy is making a desk using one) and you will get a feel of how big this machine really is and it will give you an idea as to how to get it up to your new workshop if you do buy.

That said they are Fantastic bits of kit.


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## head clansman (13 Jun 2009)

HI 


Well seeing it not yet built plan in good quality sound proofing and move it closer to the house , kill to bird with one stone so to speak keep the neighbours happy and you not knackering yourself quite so early keeping your self going for another 10 yrs on top of the twenty :wink:

As the stamina go's which will you give up first that bloody great garden ( nice though it is ) or your nice new shiny expensive workshop :?: :wink: just looking up that hill and thinking long term when it all built and you have just order timbers, boarding etc who doing the humping :wink: then :?: you, plus when whatever you make has to come back down the hill , I'm knackerd just looking up it in the pics. hc


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## woodbloke (13 Jun 2009)

Tony - great idea, but for my money there's too many if's, but's and maybe's...the risk factor with this project to me seems too great. If there were an alternative I'd look into it :wink: - Rob


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## Escudo (14 Jun 2009)

Thanks for the replies fellas,

It is true having to position the workshop so far from the house is a bind, not least when working on a projects in doors, or when you need that handy tool.

My options are so limited as the whole garden is on a slope apart from a small grassy area which is basically our back lawn, used by the children and is rather nice to sit in, like this afternoon. Missus has forbidden building there as well. 

The advantages of building on the site of the former summerhouse are;

The building will not be within two metres of the boundary which may bring some PP advantages. 
Electric and water already in place.
I can build an almost square shop, rather than a longer but more narrow building and may be able to go a bit higher as well.

I have mellowed regarding my concerns over machinery, but will have to set aside plans for a big felder at 500kg+. Where there is a will there will be away, may require some specialist help or equipment, or just six heavies.

I did have a brain wave :idea: I could get a small motorised vehicle for travelling up and down the garden. If I invested in a second hand golf buggy I could also use this at the golf club which is only just round the corner.  I could easily drive there from home.

Something like this;

http://www.ukgolfbuggies.co.uk/used-ezgo.html

I could modify the back to carry timber in a small way. I could also make an alternative route to the top of the garden with a ramp to over come the steps.

Sometimes you just have to go for it. Watch this space! (It may take some time mind you.)

Cheers, Tony


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## big soft moose (15 Jun 2009)

Escudo":3v4s1s02 said:


> I did have a brain wave :idea: I could get a small motorised vehicle for travelling up and down the garden. If I invested in a second hand golf buggy I could also use this at the golf club which is only just round the corner.  I could easily drive there from home.
> 
> Something like this;
> 
> ...



you can get golf buggies ready modified to have a pick up back - they are largely used by greens staff so have a word with the head green keeper next time you are on the course and he can probably point you in the right direction

things to watch out for are

a) the second hand electric models go wrong (a lot) and are expensive to fix when they do break - i was a green keeper for three years and our second hand electric pick up cart went wrong at least four times in that period - costing more than its value in total to repair. Buy a petrol model as even though more expensive initlly they work out cheaper in the long run.

b) a lot of courses wont let people bring thier own buggies on , so check that before you buy

c) if you are planning on driving it to and from the course note that most buggies arent road legal, and those that are, are more expensive

d) how are you going to regularly get the buggy from the front of the house to the back ? - driving down those steps regularly will not do it a lot of good and driving up them will be nigh on impossible.


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## big soft moose (15 Jun 2009)

Escudo":3kj32086 said:


> Thanks for the replies fellas,
> 
> It is true having to position the workshop so far from the house is a bind, not least when working on a projects in doors, or when you need that handy tool.
> 
> ...


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## woodbloke (15 Jun 2009)

Tony - I didn't mean to put a dampener on the project, it's just the idea of getting a lot of heavy machinery up a long slope gives me the willies. If however, that is the only option, then you must go for it, but just be *very* careful in the moving operation...thanks again for the Prize, very nice :wink:  - Rob


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## OPJ (15 Jun 2009)

woodbloke":3nd5i280 said:


> ...getting a lot of heavy machinery *up* a long slope...



Yep, normally, you'd be heading in the opposite direction! :roll:


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## woodbloke (15 Jun 2009)

OPJ":1ucpwbf7 said:


> woodbloke":1ucpwbf7 said:
> 
> 
> > ...getting a lot of heavy machinery *up* a long slope...
> ...


...and not just me :lol: :lol: - Rob


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## Escudo (16 Jun 2009)

By way of an update;

I telephoned Felder to ask about machinery given that this was the heaviest and more likely I assumed to be able to be reassembled in situ (Given their service / maintenance department).

They have seen the pictures and do not see any problem in moving the machinery up to the workshop. In fact they have experience of challenging delivery situations. 500kg+ I was shocked that this was possible :shock: 

Although, my concerns regarding machinery seem to be easing.

The workmen came round to begin the process of removing the old summerhouse, this was quite rotten in places and will need some repair work before reassembly.

I will post some more pictures of the site when this is cleared.

I think I have an opportunity to make the building quite tall, maybe a storey and a half (5m+?). The landscaping behind is approx 2m from ground level. Held up by a retained wall. I am going to check planning and building Regs. I think I can go 4m up from highest ground level within 1m. 

This project is going to take some time and will cost a few bob as well. 

Still scanning ebay for an old golf buggy, to help with moving items up and down, me included.  

Cheers, Tony.


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## Petiegolfer (17 Jun 2009)

What is at the back of the garden? If it is someone elses garden could you ask if they are willing for you to have access to get the machines / bulk of the materials in?

Piers


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## Corset (18 Jun 2009)

I have come to this post a bit late and while it does seem like a big job I think with a bit of thought it will go ok. I have the a hammer b3 saw spindle and I have had to move it twice in the last 8 months. What surprised me is how much of the machine you can take off to save weight and reduce the foot print. I took my 2m sliding table off to help get it in the van and it was pretty straightforward to get it back in. Plus you can take off the cast iron table I believe with spanners and that is a alot of weight. I also belive the the thicknesser seperates from the saw if you have the combi. The manual state s that all felder/hammer can go through an 80cm doorway if required. :shock: 
Owen


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## Escudo (18 Jun 2009)

All the gardens around, neighbours left and right and behind meet at a point which is the top of a high point over looking the town. I think this is called Bunker Hill.

All the gardens are on slopes to varying degrees and access is very poor. The issues I have are the same for all my neighbours. 

The view from the top is special, probably the best in the whole town. Perfect for a studio, home office, or even workshop, not withstanding the climb to get there!

Corset how do you find the hammer saw table? and what do you use it for? It is reassuring to think that such a heavy machine can be moved and dismantled without too much difficulty.

More pics to follow when the site is cleared.

Cheers, Tony.


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