how not to move a machine

[wallace]

Hi all, my newest machine acquisition came this morning a lovely wadkin MJ planer and this is what happened. I had my concerns when it came on top of three pallets which raised its centre of gravity, then the guy who dropped it off said do you want a hand, I usually like to work by myself then I can sit down and look at something I am trying to do and work it out in my head before I do anything. Most people who help are gun ho and tend to rush things. To get machines to my workshop I have to go down quite a slope for which I normally just lift the machine with a pallet truck until it just moves and then lower it quickly and slowly progress to the bottom. Anyhow I was in control of his pallet truck and it started to run away and by the time I had found the drop it had got quite a speed so I had a choice drop it and hope for the best or let it crash into another two machines. This is the result. I felt physically sick when I heard the crunch of broken cast. I could not face the results so just came in the house, I will look tomorrow

 

[dm65]

Oh no, hope its not too bad

 

[MickCheese]

I do hope that is not as serious as it appears.

Mick

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Thats one thing that can make a man cry..

Hope its not to bad.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Commiserations. Not a happy event.

There is one blessing; it didn't land on someone. The uninitiated underestimate just how much damage a machine of that size and weight can do to the human frame.

 

[Graham Orm]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Cast can be welded. Keep us up to date.

 

[Grahamshed]

Ouch. Hope its fixable.

 

[wallace]

Thanks Chaps, I really hate getting 'help' off people I have moved loads of machines by myself and everytime I have help something goes pear shaped. Its horrible, this machine has lasted the best part of ninety years with no damage then within 10 seconds splat.

 

[Baldhead]

Fingers crossed there's no serious damage.

BH

 

[nathandavies]

feel sick for you Wallace

recently I won an ebay auction for a load of machines, which included (and attracted me to the lot) a wadkin p/t won auction for 2700. went to pick up (4 hour drive) when I got there the guy said "I've got an admission to make, we dropped the planer" I almost threw up over him. ended up taking off a dung load of money and taking some extra bits and bobs. they had dropped it from the jcb breaking the cast on both sides of the beds. couple of days later the same model planer sold on its own on ebay for 2500. still not sure if i'm going to be able to fix it. know what you mean about other people "helping" they are doing what they think is for the best but it's not the same as how some of us think

good luck with it

nathan

 

[wallace]

Hi Nathan what model was it. The only good thing about cast is that when it breaks it doesn't distort. And it breaks cleanly so it can be welded.
Mark

 

[custard]

Thank heavens there was no one in front of it when it went, but why was it on three stacked pallets in the first place?

 

[nathandavies]

wadkin bts 500. hopefully I can save it. it was pretty much free though

 

[Dangermouse]

Those old wadkin machines built like panzers and just dropping from such a small height hopefully will not have done much damage. I was taking off the top of my Wadkin SO saw a few days ago and silly me I was doing it on my own , not realising it weighted a LOT more than I could handle. It fell to the concrete floor with a crash and like you I felt sick as a pig. But when I got the courage to have a close look at it there was no damage at all, not even a hairline crack. ( So there is a God after all [-o< ! ) So all may be well when you have a look at your PT, here's hoping anyway.

 

[No skills]

Oohh dear, fingers crossed for you.

Good job it didnt fall further, could of shifted the earths orbit and doomed us all!

 

[wallace]

I managed to get the planer upright today. I had a long length of 6"by6" oak to hang the block and tackle off and some 6by2 to make a frame. Luckily the damage was not bad and no damage to the fence or tables. The bracket that holds the guard and the motor casing is cracked. I think I got off lightly considering. I am pleased the motor was strapped to the top of the table because this took the brunt off the force, If that wasn't there it would have smashed the fence.










It has the original skew knife block with removable section for using moulding irons



This is as far as I got because I went to move a bag of sand and my back went twang. I'll have to give it a couple of days

 

[Water-Mark]

Good news on the machine, not good on the back.

 

[Graham Orm]

EDIT: Hadn't seen the bit about your back, get well soon. :wink:

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

8 weeks recovery last time I did my back, you be careful. Good news on the machine though.

 

[Bigdanny]

Hi Wallace,
Thats bad luck with the back and the machine. Hope they are both repairable.
I will be following you renovation closely as I also have a 16 inch MJ. They are heavy beasties. Probably 900Kg without the motors. Yours looks like belt drive to cutter and to the thicknesser drive. Mine has been changed at some point to belt drive for the cutters but still belt to the gearbox.
Unfortunately mine is missing the 2 brackets and rollers at either end of the thicknessing table. They probably will be relatively easy to fabricate. I would appreciate some dimensions of your brackets when you are able .

Hope your back gets better soon.
Danny