How to relocate a Robust AB

[John Tisdale]

I have been given a 7-yo AB - I think it's the 2-hp standard bed. Need to pick it up and move to my shop. As I'm a 76-yo with back issues, moving a 690-lb lathe intact, even with helpers, is a bit much.
Some questions to the Robust AB guys:
- The head-stock slides - any issue with sliding it off and then remounting in my shop?
- It has the tilt-away - while I plan to remove both the banjo and tail-stock, it should be easy to remove the tilt-away - I think Robust sells it as an owner install.
- The leg systems appear to be bolted on - the head-stock leg system has the controls / wiring and could be a pain - any thoughts/suggestions?

With three of four buds and a case of beer what could go wrong?

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

I do not have an AB, but have helped move one (twice!) as well as a couple Oneways. Unless you are moving it into or from a basement shop, I would not take it apart. What you really need is the wheel kit. Makes moving it a breeze. I’d reach out to your local clubs to see if a member has a wheel kit you can borrow. They are easy to put on and take off, so I don’t see anyone having an issue with loaning you a set. Once on wheels, the easiest way to move it is on a landscape trailer that you can rent from uhaul for $35. The back gate is a ramp that drops down. Roll it on and roll it off. In leu of the wheels made for it, you could Jack it up onto moving dollies, but small wheels will not do well on a driveway or up a ramp. If all of this is moot and you do need to take the headstock off, it may have a quick disconnect for the wiring (that’s an option when ordering new). If not, you will need to de-terminate a few wires before sliding the very heavy headstock off.

 

[hockenbery]

Ditto on @Kevin Jesequel.

I’ve turned on an AB that was trailered to the demo facility a dozen Times. This one travels in an enclosed motorcycle trailor.

I carry lots of lathes on my landscape trailer. My trailer has a steel mesh ramp/ tail gate. Small wheels role up it a lot easier on a 1/4” plywood - old paneling scrap I put on the steel mesh ramp.

Tarp for rain.

I take the tailstock and tool rest off and put them in a cardboard box inside the rich bed.
Tape or tie control boxes and wires or anything that can open

 

[Bill Boehme]

I am a 76-year-old guy with serious back problems and CHF. I have the mobility kit for my Robust AB so it is easy to move it around as long as the ground is fairly level and it only takes a few minutes to attach or remove the wheels. My Robust arrived here via an enclosed motorcycle-type trailer with a ramp that is a bit longer than the typical motorcycle ramp. It wouldn't be too difficult to load onto a low-boy trailer and even easier with a hand-crank or electric winch. For me, the mobility kit is essential because I store the lathe in my garage and roll it onto the driveway apron when I use it. In Texas distance terms we are practically neighbors. Dalworthington Gardens is a little city surrounded by Arlington. I would be more than happy to loan my mobility kit to you if you don't mind driving across the metroplex. I wouldn't be of much help if it needs to be loaded onto the bed of a pickup truck, but I am good at supervising while sitting down. I have removed and reinstalled the headstock, and that is probably a contributor to my back problems because it is really heavy. It is a lot easier if the headstock is broken down to spindle (surprisingly heavy), motor (heavy as hell, but that's no surprise), and bare headstock (heavy, but not a big deal to lift). Don't even think about removing the tilt-away unless the newer version is easier to align than my eleven-year-old model). They use a special factory jig to install and align the tilt-away.

 

[john lucas]

I built a removable wheel kit for my Powermatic. I use a floor Jack to lift it to install the wheels. I put 5" soft rubber wheels on it. I can move it myself even over gravel. It was challenging to roll up the ramp on my trailer but ropes and a pulley solved that problem.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

It's certainly possible to move them around, and the wheel kit makes it pretty easy (I was able to borrow one) on flat ground. However, if there are stairs involved and you already have a bad back I'd just pay the riggers to move it where it needs to go and save the expense of PT, orthopedic surgeons, or chiropractors.

 

[R Henrickson]

To get mine to a basement, I hired a piano moving crew.

 

[Brent@TurnRobust]

Hi John, Brent from Robust here. First congrats on a great gift ! We have some moving suggestions under the "Support" tab on our website. A few suggestions based on your note: As Bill Boehme suggests, it's best to leave the Tilt-Away on to maintain alignment. You can remove the headstock, but you do need to unwire the motor as well as the limit switch inside the headstock that detects the spindle lock position (can't start the lathe with the spindle lock engaged). That's covered in the instructions I mentioned. The headstock and motor assembly weighs 180lbs. and it's awkward to handle. Put a faceplate on the spindle to act as a handle if you remove the headstock.

The leg assemblies do come off with four cap screws as you've noticed. Get yourself an appliance dolly, the kind with a strap, to move the heavy stuff. As others have mentioned, a wheel kit can be a big help too. We usually have them in stock, and can ship right away. One other bit of friendly advise, save the beer until the lathe is set up ! Please also email me at brent@turnrobust.com with your contact details and who the previous owner was so we can update our data base. Please feel free to call or send an email with any specific questions you may have. Again, congrats on a great gift.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

.... However, if there are stairs involved and you already have a bad back I'd just pay the riggers to move it where it needs to go and save the expense of PT, orthopedic surgeons, or chiropractors.

To get mine to a basement, I hired a piano moving crew.

I bought a used SawStop ICS and could not get it out of the seller's basement. Hired movers who literally wisked it out of that basement, wisked into mine and as an added bonus lifted it onto my new mobility base. Moving cost was best money I ever spent on the shop.

 

[JeffSmith]

I’ve moved mine twice - brought it home from the San Jose symposium back in 2012 in a UHaul trailer. Brent has put connectors on most of the wiring, so removing the headstock was simplified. The mobility kit made getting it into the trailer by two people pretty simple. when I got it home my son and I took the bed/legs assembly out of the trailer by lighting one end and sliding off the trailer bed onto a dolly. Wish we had the mobility kit at that point, but we managed the chore. Glad there were no stairs to negotiate.

The second move came when we retired and moved further north. This time I borrowed a mobility kit from a club member. The lathe was moved into storage intact in a lift truck then delivered to the island. Getting it from the truck, down an cloned gravel drive about 100 feet to the shop was accomplished with the help of two other guys and sheets of plywood to form a path. Wasn’t too bad, but needed the help of a stout rope to provide braking along the way.

What did I learn from both moves? Get your hands on a mobility kit. Easy on and off and the 6” wheels make moving much, much simpler. Mine was one of the first with the new generation of Leeson 3hp motors - that thing is a beast that makes the headstock a two-man operation to remove and replace. Don’t scrimp on help and have plenty of beer on hand to be distributed freely AFTER the lathe is in place.

Congrats on a great gift…

 

[robo hippy]

When I got mine, many years ago, the delivery guy got it to the top of my driveway. I had to go over some gravel to get it to my shop. I got it off the pallet/crate it came on, got the mobility wheels on, and then used 2 sheets of 1/2 inch plywood so I wouldn't have to push it over the gravel. That worked fine. I have helped move our club lathe a couple of times, which is one of the Jet 16 inch lathes. The short ramps that come with most trailers are too short so it is a steep uphill push, and at the crest, it is a rather sharp transition so some times you still have to lift it over the hump. Not sure how far you are going to move it, or what the path is like. Have extra friends to help. Put a notice out to the club. You will have more help than you know what to do with....

robo hippy

 

[Steve Worcester]

Disconnect the electronics and labels everything. You can take the motor off the headstock, that save a bunch of weight. Slide the headstock , tail stock and banjo off. . All of them are heavy. If it has a tilt away, take that off now. There are eight allen head bolts for the leg assembly, 4 each front and aft. There are one more allen head bolt for each leg itself. Take a floor jack and a 4x4 with a V notch in it to remove each leg assembly. Then you are down to the bed itself.
That will make it into manageable bites where a friend or twoo can help.
That is where being in a club helps.

 

[Brent@TurnRobust]

@Steve Worcester, that's good advice, but I recommend leaving the Tilt-Away on to preserve alignment.

 

[Mike Johnson]

For a wood lathe I usually break them down into basic components to be moved and re-assemble them when they reach their new location.
Strap the components to a moving cart if you need to climb any stairs for the move. This provides a good opportunity for inspection and cleaning the lathe before you reassemble it. On occasion I have covered the lathe ways with cardboard and turned the lathe upside down and slide them up or down a flight of stairs if a moving cart was not available.

 

[Mike Novak]

I just moved a 3520c out of one basement and into another. In truth, I supervised while my two 40yo son in laws did the work. I think the 3520c is close to same weight class as the AB.

It went surprisingly easy. Disassembled as Steve suggested. Heaviest piece was the bed, but easy for 2 guys with a furniture dolly. The headstock at 150 was most difficult. No good place to grip. If I was doing it again I would separate the motor from headstock. I would also screw a stout piece of wood to a faceplate to use as handles.

 

[robo hippy]

One problem with removing the headstock is that it is very awkward to handle once you get it off, and there seems to be no good way to balance it on anything once you get it off.

robo hippy

 

[Barry Rooker]

As some have mentioned using plywood, a few years ago, I moved my Robust Liberty to the basement using 3 sheets of strand board I had on hand. I was lucky with those as the wheels almost went through the board on a couple of occasions. Plywood is definitely better as a path.

 

[John Tisdale]

I'm now the proud owner of a caster kit - add a little trailer from Home Deport and no problem.
Thanks guys - can't remember who said "I was a complete and total idiot for trying without the casters kit", but he was spot on.
John

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

I'm now the proud owner of a caster kit - add a little trailer from Home Deport and no problem.
Thanks guys - can't remember who said "I was a complete and total idiot for trying without the casters kit", but he was spot on.
John

I would never say you were an idiot for not using the wheel kit, but I bet having the wheel kit made you feel like a genius

 

[John Tisdale]

Kevin,
Gotta admit, I was feeling a little smug after getting the lathe moved.
How's the world of big leaf maple? While we have a few species down here, nothing we have holds a candle to your stuff. Would love to get a big stump for a hollow-form or two. Problem is, the luthiers are after the same cut

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

I have the same problem when it comes to the big stuff, the instrument wood suppliers buy the best maple and the slab millers buy the best walnut for prices I can’t compete with (plus I’m cheap‍). The best BLM I’ve gotten lately has come out of the estates of turners who set it aside years ago. Every once in a while someone screws up and cuts a nice tree into firewood. I just got some chunks of super curly fiddleback maple, but the biggest piece would be a mini for what you do . That said, if you’re seriously looking for something big and have money to spend, Dale Larson would probably be able to get you in touch with the right folks.

 

[David Propst]

On a related note, I modified a Harbor Freight hydraulic jack to lift my AB. I got the idea from this post by Mr Boheme and had the jack and modification parts ready the day I received my AB a couple of years ago.
Easy, much faster than turning a screw jack.

MODIFICATION: Outboard turning attachment....

SO...I bought the American Beauty at the Raleigh AAW couple of months ago. And - in conversation with Brent English, I asked what was different about his outboard turning attachment vs the Vicmarc. I had seen the Vicmarc, but not the Robust. He replied: Nothing! We just knocked it off! and we...

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[Karl Loeblein]

Kevin,
Gotta admit, I was feeling a little smug after getting the lathe moved.
How's the world of big leaf maple? While we have a few species down here, nothing we have holds a candle to your stuff. Would love to get a big stump for a hollow-form or two. Problem is, the luthiers are after the same cut

If you’re after big leaf maple burl blocks and other burls then look up Mike1950 on woodbarter.com. Mike will often drive hundreds of miles in the Northwest area to pick up tons of this drool worthy wood. Joining that forum is free just like here, and is a great place for woodworkers to either buy, sell or barter wood from other woodworkers. Keep in mind shipping is often cheaper when heavy wood can be shipped using flat rate boxes via USPS or UPS which works out well for woodturning blocks.