Hints or tips for moving a C&P guillotine

Hi Quidditycreative,

It is a big task and although it seems as simple as getting a trailer, backing it up, rolling it on, those tasks alone will take hours. We have moved a windmill in the way that you are looking to tackle this beautiful C&P guillotine and I think your first way to attack this is to get two solid pieces of wood to act as skids to place under the feet. Once you have those bolted on, with the help of some solid steel tubing, you should be able to then roll the guillotine around on the tubing. You will of course need a few hydraulic jacks to raise the guillotine to get the steel bars underneath the skids. Then using a chain block winch (block and tackle is another name for them here in Australia) you slowly roll it up onto the trailer. We also put a ratchet tie down strap around the windmill as we were pulling it up as a second line of defence if the winch gave way.

Happy to show you some photos of our move if that helps you picture it a little better. You will find quite a few discussions here on Briar in regards to moving presses and although this isn’t a press its a heavy machine and they all are moved in a similar way.

Good luck!!

DISCLAIMER: Moving a heavy object is inherently dangerous. You should hire a professional moving company to move your press. I will not responsible for any damages or injuries caused by following these suggestions.

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy 2”x6”x8’ and 4”x4”x8 and have them cut that in half (4’ lengths). Also buy 4 lag screws and washers. Rent a 5x9 uhaul trailer with ramp and a bunch of tie-downs.

Bring that with you along with a hydraulic car jack and a pallet jack. With the car jack, lift one side up just enough to slide the 2x6 under and then do the same on the other side. Screw in the lag nuts so the cutter is secured onto skids. I would install them left to right in the picture. Once secured, lift one side with the car jack again just enough to slide the 4x4 under the two skid legs (back to front in pic), then do the same on the other side. Now your cutter is sitting on the 4x4’s and there’s enough space to slide your pallet jack under the cutter, with the arms as close to the legs as possible, then secure it to the pallet jack, then raise it. the 4x4’s should now be free and you can easily roll the cutter around and onto the trailer.

Once on the trailer, bring the 4x4’s with you and set the cutter down onto the 4x4’s, but also leave the pallet jack ever so slightly supporting the weight. Then secure the cutter onto the trailer. If you lift too much with the pallet jack, the whole cutter will move with the jack in the trailer. You want like 95% of the weight on the 4x4’s.

This is how we moved our C&P: http://simplyletterpressed.com/2011/01/moving-a-letterpress-chandler-pri...

FYI, I just bought a pallet jack for $50 off craigslist if you can’t find one to borrow.

Hi Quidditycreative,

Didn’t realise until after I wrote my post that you are in Australia. I’m in Sydney so if your picking up or unloading here i’d be happy to come help move it with you guys.

Good luck

Hi D and D, That’s so generous of you. We are in Sydney (although some people might argue that, as we are in the mountains, not city folk) haha. So wouldn’t expect you to travel so far.

We moved a windmill 18 months ago and that was a nightmare because of our steep driveway and the only spot the semi could access, but we had lovely driver. Thankfully a smaller vehicle can get close but it might be fun (in a really twisted way).

To be honest I would prefer a professional go get it, its a 1000km drive, but I can’t find someone. If anyone else knows of friendly freight companies I’d love to hear of them.

So from your description you are suggesting using a block and tackle to pull the guillo onto the trailer using steel bars as rollers? That makes sense.

I’ve read so many other posts about people moving C&Ps and the like I was hoping it wouldn’t be so daunting, until now. Thanks tkosaka, that was exactly what I was thinking to do but I have no idea what the current location is like as to whether it will be a good load point (I know our exit point is going to be hairy).

I still have a couple of weeks to figure out logistics or find a freight company.

Thanks again,
Nykke

Hi again,

Correct about the block & tackle and the steel bars as rollers. When we hired the trailer to go and pick up our windmill from Brisbane we also hired a pallet jack too but alas, when we got there we faced a stretch of lawn that we had to get the press across and the pallet jack wasn’t going to make it so we ended up putting down fence palings as tracks to roll our metal pipes on. It was a challenging process. It will pay to find out exactly what conditions you are heading into so you can arrive prepared (that’s if you do decided to take up the challenge yourself)

Depending on how far up in the mountains you are, the guys out at Penrith Printing Museum might have some suggestions for you. They open up again this Saturday (02 4739 2640). I haven’t had any luck with freight options either but you could also give Neil Tapp a call (ex heidelberg engineer) who does a lot of press moving (0408 114 246).

I can’t believe you moved a windmill from Brisbane yourself. That’s where mine came from too, but the freight company I used aren’t answering their phone. I remember watching mine wobble around on the crane and that freaked me out (our garage was a touch further than the reach of the crane and has around a 30 degree tilt.

I had thought about talking to the Museum guys about sharpening the blades (in case they weren’t in great condition) but good idea to talk to them about moving, I will actually be there this Saturday so a little side trip can’t hurt.

Thanks for the suggestion.