How heavy is a Poco No. 2? (or moving one by yourself)
Answer: VERY!
Tonight I built a table for my new poco no. 2. I didn’t take too many pics because I was busy building the table to get it done before it got too late. After all, I still had to get the press out of my truck and ON the table.
One pic shows the table almost completed. Built with 2 2x6, 5 2x4, 1 sheet of 1 inch plywood, 16 5 inch bolts and 4 heavy duty casters.
Another pic shows the finished table with casters right side up. Casters are 3 inch castors from Harbor freight. Cast iron / rubber. Can’t beat them for $3 each.
As far as dimensions, I pretty much eyeballed the whole thing and built it as I went because I couldn’t find my tape measure. :)
I had home deephole cut me 2 pieces of plywood 30x48 for the top. I wanted a little extra room on the table top to put stuff I might need handy. I figure I’ll build some wire drying racks underneath the press that I can just slide prints right into the racks and push the whole thing out of the way when I’m done.
…and now for the fun part. Moving a 400lb press from your truck to a table by yourself.
Luckily I put a thick formica tabletop in my truck when i went to pick up the press since the floor is plastic for the most part. This allowed the press to slide around pretty easy. (not fun for driving).
I pulled the truck back and the table to the truck. I was able to use a pry bar and pry the end of the table top up enough to get a long 2x4 under it as a lever. Using the table as a fulcrum I got the press high enough to stick a ‘ramp’ under the tabletop made of the leftover plywood from the press table I made.
From there it was sheer brute force and determination to not let this press beat me! :)
It took 2 good pulls (each interrupted by a picture snap seen below) and I got the press onto the table. All in all it took me about 15 minutes to get it from the truck to the table without ‘too’ much effort (considering it’s a 400lb hunk of metal).
So there you have it.
Now time to clean that baby up!
**sorry for the crappy pics.. it was midnight and I only had my blackberry.
finished table for my Poco No. 2. It should hold 400 lbs no problem.
this would be known as 'the point of no return'. hope that plywood holds. :)
My poco press resting comfortably on it's new table.
n/a
Been there and done that on the Poco weight issue. I have a No.2 and myself and two neighbors carried it down a set of stairs into my basement many years ago. We did take the bed out first to relieve some of the weight, and we probably could have taken the cylinder off as well, but two husky other guys and myself took it in two trips down a double-wide staircase simply by picking it up and carrying it. It has been stuff like that over the years that leaves my neighbors very leary when I invite them over.
Rick