Transporting a Jones & Shipman 540 Grinder

[Ian X]

I need to put my J&S 540 into storage ready for a move. I did not handle the delivery so it was easy to get in but I will be doing the move this time. The thing is light compared to the gear I have already shifted.
My problem if I have one is that I do not know how to secure it on the drop sider I will use. I have made a pallet ready for the move and can get the machine onto the pallet and onto the bed of the drop side. Storage have a lift truck so that is covered.
I would have used a Sprinter as the side rails would take a pair of hold downs to secure the machine mid body but the doors are just shy of machine height stood on pallet. With a drop side my anchor points are below the pallet.
Have any of you shifted a 540 yourself?

 

[julianf]

I'm unsure of the specifics of your post, but I've secured items in the past from both sides, going diagonally.

So the item is sat in the middle, but can not move closer to either wall, as its always limited by the strap from.the other wall.

 

[Spark plug]

Are there no lashing hooks under the body?

 

[Endeleus]

I moved mine recently using a Sprinter Luton, and lashed from the bottom rails, up and over the top of the machine.

I would do the same on a dropsider. As long as you don't go tearing round corners you should be ok - the machine is pretty darn stable on a pallet anyway, so lashing over the top as you would on a trailer should do the trick.

 

[Ian X]

I moved mine recently using a Sprinter Luton, and lashed from the bottom rails, up and over the top of the machine.

I would do the same on a dropsider. As long as you don't go tearing round corners you should be ok - the machine is pretty darn stable on a pallet anyway, so lashing over the top as you would on a trailer should do the trick.

If you used the low level rails then It should do for me. I did wonder about loading it with table in line with vehicle bed centre and lashing the hold downs on the inside edges of the eyebolts The top hat is only sheet metal though and I am worried about it taking a beating. I might purchase some D shackles large enough to pass the hold downs through and shackle the eye bolts, I could use some anyway. Its mainly safety that concerns me, the near 800kg lump wont stop easily if the vehicle stops. A good tip never to tailgate other traffic!
For those of you up the page unfamiliar with the anatomy of a J&S 540 they are slippy machines for holding down. The front chassis hooks are great for the correct lift but their tops are facing down and will not take webbing straps. The other machines I have moved have lots of very solid horizontal surfaces that form part of the bed/chassis, the J&S don't.
The table should be wound in and the wheel head wound down onto soft timber to help steady the table, that much I know. Cheers.

 

[awemawson]

The problem usually with J&S 540 moves, is people not realising that any lifting on the table will ruin the hydraulic piston rod, as the carriage just sits on the ways with gravity. Seen it happen on a couple of occasions where enthusiastic but uniformed 'helpers' got involved.

 

[Pete.]

I concur, mine had bent ram rods because of this, though credit to the seller he did try to tell me, I just didn't realise the significance at the time. Took me a whole afternoon to straighten those rods. I suggest you strap the table down to prevent any mis-haps.

To strap it to your drop-side I would wind the cross slide forward and put the strap right across the cross-ways behind the table. This will hold the slide to the ways and the machine to the transport.

 

[WorkshopChris]

They go in the back of a sprinter with a engine crane just! didn't strap down just let the weight and gravity do it's thing, probably one of the few occasions i have seen my dad driving carefully was moving the machines.
If you need to strap down could you use the eye bolt on the top down to the back and make a steel hook to go through the casting where the start stop switches are down to the front.

 

[Ian X]

They go in the back of a sprinter with a engine crane just! didn't strap down just let the weight and this time.ravity do it's thing, probably one of the few occasions i have seen my dad driving carefully was moving the machines.
If you need to strap down could you use the eye bolt on the top down to the back and make a steel hook to go through the casting where the start stop switches are down to the front.

It looks bastard tight on the headroom for a Sprinter. I knocked up a pallet today with the usual **** wet 4x4" for blocks and the same **** wet 4x1" for top and bottom rails with 3/4" ply top. I reckon on a 1/2" in it either way, being a hire motor and not having sat the beast on the pallet yet and taken a tape to it I don't fancy my chances so it will ride on a tranny flat bed. I would sooner it went indoors for transport as the last lump I moved the tarpaulin was shredded by the wind and sharp corners. I will wrap the thing in bubble wrap before tarping it to take out the sharps this time.
Having heavy lumps delivered to a final resting place before rust or house clearance vultures take it is one thing, hopping 500 miles with a rest area in between is another.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Good luck with the move, don't know how long its going into storage for. If it's for a extended period i was wondering if it would be worth removing the flat drive belt.

 

[Ian X]

Are there no lashing hooks under the body?

Nope.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Nope.

Just 2 eye bolts on the top towards the back then two hooky radiused parts of the casting either side of the table at the front to support slings, good for a lift but no use at all for a tie down.

 

[Robotstar5]

I would sooner it went indoors for transport as the last lump I moved the tarpaulin was shredded by the wind and sharp corners. I will wrap the thing in bubble wrap before tarping it to take out the sharps this time.

Could you use Pallet wrap we used to wrap control panels that were being transported on flat beds.

 

[Ian X]

Good luck with the move, don't know how long its going into storage for. If it's for a extended period i was wondering if it would be worth removing the flat drive belt.

Cheers for wishing me good luck! I will need a little with the onward moves too (a story to tell by years end if all goes well) The drive belt is alright but I reckon I will be talking with the very nice people at Andmar with a view to replacing belt, table piston seals. I only have one wheel flange/hub and wanted another two so will place an order for all at once.

 

[Ian X]

I am doing this move on Tuesday so I will see if I can get the D shackles I wanted anyway. If I can't then I think I will buy a webbing sling that will fold to pass through the eye bolts and loop a hold down through either end and lash in front and behind on each side if that makes sense.

 

[Ian X]

Could you use Pallet wrap we used to wrap control panels that were being transported on flat beds.

If I go belt and braces which my OCD causes me to do I may well use some. The weather forecast alone tells me that tarpaulin and pallet wrap may be used. The last machine I shifted ate the cheapo Machine Mart tarpaulin on the journey so a good binding of pallet wrap should keep the sharp edges at bay.

 

[Ian X]

Off the subject of moving machinery did any of you follow the "alastairseggie" thread on Practical Machinist concerning his spindle bearing replacement? His machine was providing a good enough finish but he just fancied new spindle bearings. I enjoyed the read and his link to his pictures.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Off cuts of carpet are very good for covering edges before wrapping.
Thanks for the info about Andmar hadn't come across them before. Just looking at the Practical Machinist project now.

 

[Ian X]

Nope.

Christ alive I realise what you meant. Yes there are load hooks under the flat bed on the hire motor.

 

[Ian X]

Tuesday it was. No shackles or sling through the eye bolts. I forgot about the hole either side in the base. I wrapped it up fairly OCD in pallet wrap then tarp with gaffer tape around it and used a 10 ton (allegedly) hold down either side using the aforementioned base holes and one further in LH column eye bolt to secure over cab safety frame and under flat bed. Machine and pallet snug against same.
It was a 3.5T Movano and the only handling note is that there was no evidence of pallet or machine movement but at certain speeds there was definitely a fairground ride feel to the journey. Hard to explain really and I wouldn't have wished any of you the journey to find out. Truly the 200 mile journey from hell itself with biblical rain and a vehicle wipeout on the M40. A 4 hour journey in 7 hours complete with **** in Pilkington wagon who steamed up on left hand side while I sat at right turn red light filter taking out nearside mirror. At least he stopped eh.