On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 17:50:30 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

Hi,

I recently bought a 12" x 36" lathe with stand. I unpacked the lathe
and attempted to use a engine crane to place it on the stand. As I
found out, unfortunately the legs of the engine crane would not pass
under the lateral brace and even if it did, do to the center of
gravity of the lift point (near the headstock), one of the legs needs
to pass through the stand columns anyway. This is one of those
generic 12x36 lathe stands as I'm sure you've seen.

So I was reading Bill's recent lathe adventures and some one mentioned
to twist the lathe lengthways, with the headstock toward the crane
column, lower the lathe it on the floor, then recouple (so it doesn't
twist back, lift and straddle it onto the stand length ways? .

Is this the way to do it? I was tired when I gave up on it last night,
but it seems like a resonable idea. With my mills I built my own
stands, with the use of a pallet jack and crane in mind so this isn't
an issue. But this is first heavy piece of gear I've got that came
with a stand. When I got sick and tired of it last night I was certain
that I would need to spend a couple hundred dollars on some steel and
weld up a custom stand this weekend, but I would just as soon use the
stand I paid for if possible.

Maybe you could place a 4x4 underneath each cabinet or
something similar that would give you enough clearance for
the crane leg. Set the lathe down on the cabinet and bolt
into place. Then use the crane to carefully lift the head
stock end and remove the 4x4. Repeat on the tail stock end.

Just a thought...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
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