Over time, carpenters tend to collect many tools, many of which are quite heavy and bulky. This can make the idea of moving to a new wood shop, both along the road and across the country, a daunting task.
Having recently moved my wood shop halfway to the United States, here are some useful tips I found:
Consider your machines first
If you have a well-established timber shop, it is likely that you have bulky and heavy woodworking tools, such as a bench saw , column drill , band saw, planer, jointer, etc.
When you decide to move your wood shop, moving these tools should be your main concern. Not only are they heavy, but in most cases, the critical parts are made of brittle cast iron which, if not adequately protected, can break rather easily during transport on a truck.
Most auto-mobile options, such as rental trucks, do not favor moving heavy woodworking tools, because it is necessary to maneuver these bulky tools on a ramp or have a lot of hands to lift them, which can be rather dangerous. Professional dealers are an expensive option that will often charge extra for moving bulky items (ie if they do).
If you have large, extremely heavy cast iron tools, consider contacting riggers in your area who specialize in moving extremely heavy objects. Even if their services do not come cheap, they can often organize the collection of the items, prepare them for transport (either with a trucking company or with your movers), and then organize the delivery and installation.
Make sure your editors are tied and insured and you will have the peace of mind knowing that your biggest worries on the move are being managed.
propelled
If you are tied and determined to “move” your wood shop, you might consider using one of the companies that provides small, personal mobile containers.
They will deliver the containers to your location, allow you to upload them, then collect them and deliver them to your new location. I chose this method to move my shop (along with my household items) because the container floor is about four inches above ground level, making loading my woodworking machines relatively easy.
Regardless of the method you choose to move your store, you might consider moving bases for your heavier instruments. While it is possible to buy mobile bases for the most common woodworking machines, if the only need for the mobile base is to move, the construction of a mobile base could be considered instead of buying one. A simple mobile cart consisting of four 2×4 sections (assembled in a square model) with a sturdy blocking caster on each corner will generally be sturdy enough to handle even the most cumbersome woodworking tool.