Moving your workshop

[ptt49er]

I'm moving over the next couple of months and that means packing up, moving and then setting back up my shop.

I've searched this forum, a couple of others, and the web and finding one spot with a lot of good info on moving your shop is hard to find. So I'd like to turn this thread into a giant brain dump for all of the do's and do nots of moving ww'ing equipment.

So far I've discovered that the short rolls of shrink wrap from the borg are great! It's about 5" wide and works wonders on bundling everything from lumber to clamps. Banana boxes from the grocery store seem to be great (as long as you put a bottom in them) for packing everything in. They are heavy duty and have removeable tops.

What about moving the equipment. Am I going to hurt the cast iron wings on my table saw by carrying the saw w/ them? Or the wings on my jointer? What's the best way to secure them in the trailer?

There's lots more questions, but I'd like to see what you all have to offer. A kind of lesson's learned journel.

Thanks!!!

 

[Mike Davis]

Great idea Phillip, I'm moving my shop in a few weeks and this will help greatly.

One thing I plan to do is invest in some Rubbermaid tote boxes to store all my small tools. Should be quick to load on the truck and ready to set on the shelf at the new place.

 

[Jim Kunzweiler]

Having moved my shop a couple of times and probably again here shortly...
I would say: allow more time than you think and be prepared with a new place to house your tools. Nothing worse than storing table saws and such in an over-crowded garage. The more things you can move from the old shop right into the new one the happier you will be. Secondly, have the electrical in your new shop done and maybe air and DC piping as well.... It's a nuisance to have to work around stationary tools after you've moved in. Thirdly, I would recruit as much help as you can.... it's back breaking work even toting boxes of clamps and hand tools.
Lastly, get some pallets and borrow or buy a pallet jack, makes short work of moving things like table saws and a cheap Harbor Freight/Jet pallet jack is far less expensive than back surgery.
Definitely take the wings off your table saw... nothing worse than cracking a nice cast iron top. Remember things tend to tip over when you least expect it.... with a pallet you can strap your saw down so it doesn't tip in the move. As I used to tell my guys packing shipping containers.... gravity does not always work in your favor.
Good luck on the move

 

[ptt49er]

I've been mulling over how to load the stuff to move...

Do I load the heavy stuff first and then move the little stuff, or should I move the little stuff first and then the heavy stuff? The main concern being how hard it'll be to get the new shop organized. I'm guessing big stuff first, then little stuff.

 

[ptt49er]

Thirdly, I would recruit as much help as you can.... it's back breaking work even toting boxes of clamps and hand tools.
Lastly, get some pallets and borrow or buy a pallet jack, makes short work of moving things like table saws and a cheap Harbor Freight/Jet pallet jack is far less expensive than back surgery.

That's a GREAT idea! I think I can even borrow a few pallets and a jack from the grocery store I used to work at.

Dang...I just remembered I can't get a pallet out the back door...Mabye I'll put the pallets on the trailer, strap the stuff down on the pallets and then unload w/ the jack...

 

[JimmyC]

Here is what I learned from my move...

- If you can get the banana boxes fine, if not don't worry because the boxes shouldn't be too large anyway. Otherwise you will load them with too much weight to move anyway.DAMHIKT

- If you have the time, write down contents of box, number, and keep in a master notebook. Also make a copy for the box in case you lose the notebook DAMHIKT.

-If you need something to work on the house you can find it easily using the above method. Otherwise you will find yourself buying an extra screwgun, level, picture hangers, etc. DAMHIKT

-When getting into your new shop make sure that you have adequate electric, insulation, paint the floor if needed,etc., or it will be hard to do afterwards. DAMHIKT

- When dropping stuff off in the new shop make sure that you leave rows in between for access to everything, otherwise it's a big pain.DAMHIKT

And last but not least, yes buy the 5" shrink wrap. It's great to hold drawers closed, keep hardware enclosed in their containers, bundle boards, bundle floor mats, heck it's good to bundle just about everything.

One last thing... DAMHIKT !

Good Luck !

 

[Bas]

Random thought, lots of factors to consider here of course (especially money). But, would it be a good idea to rent one of those self-storage spaces to store your tools for a month while you unpack trivial things like clothes, kitchen stuff, and prepare the new workshop? Much easier to do when you don't have to constantly move your tools, boxes etc.

 

[Mike Davis]

Due to a possible two day offset in my move and the current owner of my new place I may have to move most of my household furniture and goods into the shop while she moves out. Then move into the house and then set up shop.

We also need to build fences, a stable, dog lot, a wall across the back of the shop for additional storage and a small office for me. So, we will have a lot of shifting around and multiple handling. I think we can move all the outside stuff first then the shop and finally the house and maybe she will be out by then so we can take the furniture straight into the house without shifting from the shop.

It is going to be a big job, we've been here ten years.

 

[rickc]

I do not know how far you are moving - but have you considered renting one of those shipping containers - PODS? You could put your "shop" in first, and then the latter part contain household items.

Once you got to your new place, you could unpack your household goods, and temporarily leave your shop in the POD until you had the time to deal with it.

When we made a cross town move, it was very handy. They dropped the POD off in front of our house, we packed it. Then they came by, picked it up and then dropped it off at the new place and we unloaded. Very convenient. Plus we were not constrained by the mover's schedule. If we didn't get everything unpacked in one day, we just paid another day rental.

Food for thought!

 

[ptt49er]

I'm actually pretty lucky in the fact I can move the shop a couple of weeks before we move the house stuff. So I don't see a POD being a help in this move. If it were farther than what it is and had to be done in one shot I would probably look into them.

 

[RayH]

Phillip,

I think you have all the technical advice on the move. As one who moved every couple of years, all I can offer is:
1. Keep your sense of humor
2. Be very kind to your wife and order take-out instead of trying to cook in the new place that first evening.

Best of luck on your move.

Ray

 

[Mike Davis]

My boss is letting me borrow the companies 24 foot box truck, so I think I'm ok without the POD idea.

 

[jmauldin]

Just my 2 cents worth, but it comes from experience. When you move your table saw, jointer, etc, DO NOT pick these up by the ends of the table or bed. You will bend them. It is better to remove the table extensions. As for the jointer, pick it up at the bottom of the cabinet. This will apply to other tolls, but these are the first I think of.
Jim in Mayberry

 

[rickc]

Phillip,

I think you have all the technical advice on the move. As one who moved every couple of years, all I can offer is:
1. Keep your sense of humor
2. Be very kind to your wife and order take-out instead of trying to cook in the new place that first evening.

Best of luck on your move.

Ray

I might add be very PATIENT with your wife, too! She will be trying to make quick decisions regarding "her nest" on the fly. What tended to work for me was to be the "muscle", and get things in the room, and then move onto another room. I tried to minimize the number of "where do you want this?" questions and just responded when she needed help. Worked out pretty good.

I think I will be facing a move in the next 5 years, myself. Oh boy! :swoon:

 

[Bigdog72]

First rule in marriage:

It's better to be happy than right.

Keep that in mind when dealing with the LOYL!!!

 

[rickc]

First rule in marriage:

It's better to be happy than right.

Keep that in mind when dealing with the LOYL!!!

I listen to Baseball This Morning on XM, and that is Buck Martinez's mantra: What would you rather be? Happy or right! I grin every time I hear it!!

 

[Glennbear]

Over the past 18 months I have moved my household and shop contents from home to storage in NJ, NJ to house and storage in VA , storage in VA to house and shop. I cannot add much that hasn't already been said except to second what JimmyC said about keeping track of container contents and I found large plastic tubs handier than cardboard boxes. One last note, NEVER trust bungee cords to secure machines in moving truck
DAMHIKT :rotflmreplacement parts for a RAS can be pricey:eusa_doh

 

[Gotcha6]

I'll title my reply. "If i had it to do over":

1. I'd STILL get the 12 gallon flip top storage containers ($6 each) - but with the wire hinges. They're handy for may things afterwards - storing Christmas decorations, computer parts, etc.

2. I WOULDN'T pile stuff into them willy nilly. Organize your stuff by category before you move it.

3. I WOULD label each container, even though they are semi - clear.

4. I WOULD have some semblance of an idea about how my shop would be laid out and the wiring & cabinets organized.

5. I'd STILL borrow a tilt top trailer and a winch or some pipe rollers. A pallet jack is nice but it won't climb some slopes.

6. I'd STILL strap everything down like I wanted it to stay on the trailer if it was flipped over (it didn't).

7. I WOULD sort through my tools & such asking myself if I really needed that. You'd be surprised how many duplicates of tools you can accumulate - and how many you really don't need. Drill bits and sockets can breed on ya.

8. I WOULD have a garage sale after I'd moved the things I really needed & thin out some stuff.

 

[scsmith42]

As usual, lots of good advice on this string.

What I would add to what has alredy been stated:

1 - get the plastic containers that Bruce recommends a few weeks in advance, and pack up all of the small items in your shop in advance.

2 - think of tools that you will need right away (saw, drill, screwdrivers, screws, etc) in moving into a new house, and pack them all together in a separate container(s) that you keep with you. Things for hanging paintings, fixing "oops's" that occur during the move, etc.

3 - Assemble a bunch of friends, and move your large items first, and in particular any tables and workbenches. This will provide you with a place to stack all of the boxes while you're unloading. If you have the ability to wire the shop and add lighting in advance, do it.

4 - If you can move your shop early, you can then devote a few weeks time to getting the house put together (see item 2 above). then you can start putting things up in the shop after the house is relatively in order.

Scott

 

[Travis Porter]

Depending on your timing, you may want to coat your cast iron tools with something to prevent rust from moisture, sweat, etc.