Ludlow - how many men to lift?
Hello
I am about to acquire a Ludlow.
The nice gentleman I am acquiring it from claimed that many years ago 2 men lifted it into his shop.
It however appears to be very heavy, and weights close to 470kg / 920lbs according to:
http://www.hotmetalservices.com/ludlow_equipment_weights.htm
How many men would it take to lift it into a van?
Any one with experience in moving Ludlows?
Thanks
Nathan
The easiest move i made with a ludlow was with a engine hoist to lift it then lowered it into a pickup truck, remember to drain the water tank first.
Nathan
no no no
have you ever moved
any machinery
you do not
get four or five guys to
grunt lift 920 lbs
in to a van
one slip
and somebody’s hand
foot or worse is crushed
use a low trailer
steel pipe rollers
don’t pick it up
more than a few inches
get rollers under it
roll it to trailer
roll it up trailer ramp
like dickg have also used
a engine hoist
do internet search
there are sites show how to
pick up and move machinery
mac
dit dit
Lobster and such are correct they is one heavy lump .
Not for lifting with the hands at all !
Its one thing to lift it into vehicle ,easy with fork lift but getting it out at home is a different grief, as mentioned above find someone that has tail ramp it can be winched or rolled up ,
To Lobster Shift [mac?] et al:
Amazing how much is on internet; only a couple of things I have not been able to find, but that’s another story.
Alan.
P.S.: By the way, further to story of stereotyping, there’s a lot on internet. On thing I remembered since is that like (nearly?) all paper products the flong shrinks if it is made wet, then dried. I heard some flongs used in other places were very wet. The stereotyper where I worked moistened the flongs (softening) before moulding, then dried them to a curved shape in an oven built by the manufacturer of the equipment for the purpose. Shrinkage was fairly predictable, but someone tried to do full-colour work, of a large picture, wasted much paper. The flong shrinks more in one direction than the other (grain oriented) but it’s nearly 37 years, so that I have forgotten the (approximate) percentages.
Alan.
Just a crazy thought…if you use two monotype machines does it become stereotyping?
It is doubtful that two guys lifted the Ludlow. A simple pallet jack and blocking under the cross bracing will move it well. Another thing to note is that the Ludlow is quite top-heavy. If you lay planks to get it into your truck, make certain to support them from underneath so they will not flex, as once it starts to tip, it will be difficult to stop.
John H.
Absolutely, two people who aren’t on steroids can’t lift a Ludlow safely, though they may slide it. Alone, I’ve positioned one onto casters and shifted it around the shop, but with jacks, blocking, bars etc.
Muscle does not do more than brain does, and when you rely on muscle alone, it is the muscle that fails—maybe with a broken machine, sometimes on top of the muscle.
The 920 pound figure on Dave Seat’s site is for a machine without crucible. You should use the figures for a complete machine: 1140 pounds for gas, 1300 pounds for electric. (If it is a Model L, you can drain the water tank, but that won’t save much weight.)
Note also that the machine is very topheavy (as jhenry noted as I was writing this). It needs to be secured well to the vehicle. A trailer is best, because generally they permit strapping the machine down to the frame of the trailer (most trucks have entirely inadequate tie-down arrangements). In addition to strapping the machine firmly to the vehicle, if it has wood floors you will want to nail down wooden strips to block the base of the machine from shifting.
Do NOT use the liftgate of a truck to get this into a truck. Liftgates can fail, and tend to slope backwards, and put all of this topheavy weight perched out a meter above the ground ready to fall.
Regards,
David M.
www.CircuitousRoot.com
Tail lifts on most 7 tonners are not able to lift this sort of weight ,i know from very hard earned experience and hefty bill to pay for one on a hire d vehicle!!
The hydraulics do a brilliant impression of an aerosol can!!!
Once had a automobile wrecker lift a C&P with its hoist. Put straps around the press and lifted it onto a dolly that I had built for the press. Once on the dolly, we secured it to the base and were able to CAREFULLY moved it.
Good Luck
Moved a Ludlow in March. Rolled it on pipes. On pipes, used a come-along to pull it into a trailer. Can’t imagine people lifting a Ludlow. Sedan chair-style with long, thick rods? Don’t take someone’s word on this one, Nathan. Use the best practices. In my experience, I’d use a forklift instead of the come-along up a ramp next time.