Hi all, I'm going to be getting a Scranton and co power hammer this weekend and am wondering how I'm going to move it. I should be good with the pick up, we plan on laying it down on a trailer. I know it's not the best plan but really the only option. When I get it home getting in the shop is a problem. The guy says its 800 lbs, I'm sketchy on that. I have a couple pallets i could set it on and possibly get skid steer to get inside laying down (as the hammers 8ft and my door is 7ft) standing it up will be an issue. Could I, with out messing anything up, basically dissasemble it and put it in that way? Any advice would be great as I don't have long to figure this out! Thank yall

I saw that hammer on FB, I'm questioning the 800#.   Compared to a 25# Little Giant which is around 900# and less than 6' tall,  that 8' tall Scranton looks like it has more meat to it.  Looks like more weight than 800# to me from the pics, but I could be wrong.   

There's plenty that can go wrong with trying to upright very heavy & tall items. Depends on preparation and what equipment you have available for the uprighting process.  How do you plan on tipping it up once it is inside the door?  That Scranton has some delicate upper castings around the ram.  

Edited April 21, 201511 yr by Black Frog

A Champion number 1 is around 1,600# .  A Bridgeport type milling machine is 2,400#. 

If you can disassemble it enough so that it is no longer top heavy it will be much safer to tip up. Also if it ends up short enough to go in through the door standing up it will likely be safer too. 

one way to do it is with 2 chain falls /come a longs *** MAKE SURE the ceiling beam can take the load RE-inforce it MORE !!

if youre not use to lifting heavy loads find someone that is !! done wrong someone can get HURT !!! real bad !

I had to do this to a press in a garage 6 months ago had to let it down @ an angle till we toch the floor then pick it 

up flat to load on a trailer we got in the garage unloading was easy I have a lg forklift @ the shop where it sits now 

When I needed to do some heavy lifting from a joist I placed two lolly columns on either side of the area and  some heavy angle  (1/2" thick) between them.

I like using comealongs and will run a  block and tackle the other way to use to belay the hammer when it reaches the tipping point.  I've moved my two champion #1's several times so far all by myself. If it's laying down a sacrificial piece of plywood for it to skid on underneath it helps

sometimes old tires are perfect for a cushion to lay a power hammer down. A one ton gantry would be ideal for uprighting the hammer.

You can stand heavy things with an A frame, chain, and a 4wd, might have to remove a sheet off the wall.

This is how I brought my 50lb. Little Giant home. Look familiar? Not the scenery of course but if it does we can just get together and I'll help you stand yours up.

How much rigging experience do you have? It's not a terribly hard job standing a load like this up but you do have to do it right or B-A-D things can happen to the load and to YOU.

The second pic is it standing on the base I made for it. It's 4" x 12" through bolted and bolted to the hammer base. I put the base on the hammer before standing it up, that way I didn't have to lift the hammer to mount it. It also provided a cushion so the cast iron hammer foot wouldn't bang into the concrete floor. It also raises the hammer to a more comfortable working height for us late 20th century folk.

I backed my trailer in where I wanted the hammer and slid it off the back. When it tipped I then hooked the 12v electric winch dead manned to a floor anchor (I have gozintas  in the shop floors for just this) and belayed it to the pickup truck, NOT the trailer! It was off the trailer and standing in less time than it took to rig it which took a LOT less time than planning it.

I could make a lot of suggestions for offloading and standing your hammer up but I have more than 30 years of experience rigging loads of all kinds. I have no doubt I could suggest things to some of the guys here and they could interpret and take or leave them as suited the job. However, one rigger to another we speak  the language.

My best suggestion is to hire a rigger or at least a good wrecker driver. Ask around a crane or exploration drilling company, maybe a house mover, rigging is a daily duty for them. Shoot call the wire rope supplier nearest to you and ask for a referral. A rigger will have your new joy standing and positioned fast,  easy and most importantly safely.

Frosty The Lucky.

Frosty I have very little rigging experience. I would like to try and back the trailer in and tilt it out/lift it up but I have a pole building and am not sure it could take it. Ill try to post pics of where its going to give you a better idea. 

Frosty I have very little rigging experience.

At least you're up front and not trying to fake your way through it- get help with this move.  Either hire people who do this sort of thing, or get help from people who have.  Trying to do this on your own could be a very bad idea.....  Things can (and do) go very wrong, very fast.

Sam: This is just too dangerous for me to give you advice let alone directions to do yourself. Please forgive me but the best advice I have is to hire a pro. I don't have enough friends to risk losing one if I can help it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Sam: Frosty is giving you very good advice on hiring or finding a person experienced in rigging. I working 45 years plus skilled trades done a lot of rigging  and he is right when he says things go bad in a split second.

an old, experienced guy with a conventional wrecker with extendable boom can do amazing things. I have installed and uninstalled both a 50lb and a 100lb Little Giant hammers though a 6' 10" door way without a problem. it's all about finding the guy.

 

Good news! All is well and she is sitting in the shop! Now to just figured out what I need to do to make sure she runs well!!

Photos!

"Runs well"  Oil, grease,   "Too much is just barely enough" for these old beasts.

Ok guys. Bit of an issue. Frame has small crack. Will be looking for more in high stress areas. Will weld once power is hooked up to power. This would be cast iron being 100 years old right?  No chance of cast steel?

No chance of cast steel.

Where is the crack?

Andrew, the crack is in the back of the hammer near the hole for the top u bolt that holds the hammer. Its a vertical crack that extends towards the hole at about a 45 degree angle towards the hole. I wire wheeled all around it and it does not seem to reach into the hole. Aprox 2 in in length. I plan on going nuts with a wire wheel anywhere there is a stress point. Might just do the whole dang thing to make sure. Ive already contacted a local welder who has experience in welding cast iron to come look at it. If it was cast steel I would be set because I weld cast steel on a daily basis. Unfortunately i have no cast iron welding experience. I will keep you all posted and will try to post pics.