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In case you missed it in my Shop Remodeling thread, Santa arrived a bit early at our place this year. A PM 3520b showed up in my driveway a couple of days ago, and I got it assembled last night. I figured I'd share how a guy with a wimpy back puts together a 630 pound lathe. Much of the credit for this goes to Ken Fitzgerald. Without his idea for using a ladder, I would have had to rent an engine hoist.
Lots o' pics, so I'll stop talking and let the pics to the work.
Here are the main two boxes. The little hole in the end of the box was the only shipping damage. A tiny scratch to the paint, in a non-noticeable place:
First order of business was to get it out of the driveway and into the shop. Using a good ladder, a cheap comealong, some scrap lumber, webbing and chain, I had a poor man's hoist. You'll notice the spreader (scrap 4/4 redwood) I used to keep the chain from pinching the box.
I got one end up high enough to get a furniture dolly under it to about the midpoint.
No pics of lifting the other side, but since I had the dolly under the center of the pallet, I was able to level the pallet on the single dolly. It only took another light lift with the hoist to raise the end enough to slip another dolly under the pallet. From there, it was a pretty easy push into the shop:
Everything was well-packed and secure. The two rectangular boxes in the upper part of the pic are the legs.
After lifting one of the legs out of the box, I learned that there was no bottom to the cardboard box. The sides (and top) of the box lifted off easily, leaving this:
I was planning to install heavy-duty casters (they arrived today, so they go on tonight, right after I post this), so I needed to drill out the holes in the feet a little bigger to accept the 12mm studs on the new wheels. Even though I didn't have the casters yet, I knew I wouldn't be able to drill the holes after assembling the lathe, so now was the time. The cast iron drilled relatively easy and quickly:
Next, I moved the hoisting rig into the shop and set up to lift the first end of the lathe bed.
After I relieved the weight from the heavy end, I was able to dead lift the unattached end and push the pallet (still on the dollies) out of the way. I set the loose end down on a spare piece of cardboard just to save the floor paint. I started noticing the ladder wanting to tip towards the lathe a bit, so I set the 82 pound extension bed box on one of the ladder outriggers. That firmed things up nicely.
Without too much trouble, I bolted the first set of legs onto the bed. You'll notice I'm using the feet that came with the lathe. They have a slippery nylon pad on the bottom, and I figured they'd protect the floor until I can get the casters on. After the first set of legs was attached, I moved the hoist to the other end. Here's a shot of things before I lifted the second end:
More pics, but not enough space...to be continued...
Lots o' pics, so I'll stop talking and let the pics to the work.
Here are the main two boxes. The little hole in the end of the box was the only shipping damage. A tiny scratch to the paint, in a non-noticeable place:
First order of business was to get it out of the driveway and into the shop. Using a good ladder, a cheap comealong, some scrap lumber, webbing and chain, I had a poor man's hoist. You'll notice the spreader (scrap 4/4 redwood) I used to keep the chain from pinching the box.
I got one end up high enough to get a furniture dolly under it to about the midpoint.
No pics of lifting the other side, but since I had the dolly under the center of the pallet, I was able to level the pallet on the single dolly. It only took another light lift with the hoist to raise the end enough to slip another dolly under the pallet. From there, it was a pretty easy push into the shop:
Everything was well-packed and secure. The two rectangular boxes in the upper part of the pic are the legs.
After lifting one of the legs out of the box, I learned that there was no bottom to the cardboard box. The sides (and top) of the box lifted off easily, leaving this:
I was planning to install heavy-duty casters (they arrived today, so they go on tonight, right after I post this), so I needed to drill out the holes in the feet a little bigger to accept the 12mm studs on the new wheels. Even though I didn't have the casters yet, I knew I wouldn't be able to drill the holes after assembling the lathe, so now was the time. The cast iron drilled relatively easy and quickly:
Next, I moved the hoisting rig into the shop and set up to lift the first end of the lathe bed.
After I relieved the weight from the heavy end, I was able to dead lift the unattached end and push the pallet (still on the dollies) out of the way. I set the loose end down on a spare piece of cardboard just to save the floor paint. I started noticing the ladder wanting to tip towards the lathe a bit, so I set the 82 pound extension bed box on one of the ladder outriggers. That firmed things up nicely.
Without too much trouble, I bolted the first set of legs onto the bed. You'll notice I'm using the feet that came with the lathe. They have a slippery nylon pad on the bottom, and I figured they'd protect the floor until I can get the casters on. After the first set of legs was attached, I moved the hoist to the other end. Here's a shot of things before I lifted the second end:
More pics, but not enough space...to be continued...