Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

[Bill R]

I thought I had it all figured out... This spring I was going to rent a 1200-1500sf commercial/industrial space, move my wood shop out of my garage and storage, and my metal shop out of the tiny building I "rent" from my employer. This was going to be the first big step after many baby ones toward escaping the Corporate world. Great plan... until the Universe found out about it and started laughing hysterically...

Without a lot of detail, there is now a 98.9% probability that instead of moving it 25 miles, I will now need to move it 1500 miles. That kinda makes the original plan of having the hockey players that infest my house help for 3-4 days for the cost of sandwiches and beer no longer viable. Now I am faced with coming up with another plan.

How to move a big wood shop with all the stationary tools, benches, cabinetry and materials, jobsite tools and ladders/staging, along with the metal shop and all of it's stuff? I need to be relocated, reassembled and fully operational in less than 30 days from start to finish. I have considered making 3-4 round trips myself with a straight truck/lift gate, hiring a moving company, or putting everything on pallets, shrink wrapping it and sending it via common carrier. I will break down and pack/crate everything myself regardless of how it moves.

Who has done this? Any suggestions or advice?

[paulf]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Foe a 2500 mile move I would hire a professional mover and have everything insured.

Mark out on the new floor where each piece goes.

Where are you moving to?

[Ian McColgin]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

I don't see how you can do several round trips yourself and fit the time demand.

[Paul Pless]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Three to four round trips sounds bloody awful and expensive. Can you fit it all into a either one large box truck or perhaps a standard shipping container which can be loaded and unloaded at ground level and also serve as a storage unit as need be?

[seanz]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

40' container. Side-loader either end. Don't worry about the middle (2500 mile) bit, let someone else handle that.

[John B]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Considering the title , I believe the correct answer is 42.
A towel and Ford prefect would be handy as well.

[SMARTINSEN]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Denver?

[bob winter]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Looking on the bright side there is 1.1% chance it won't happen.

[BrianW]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Hi Bill,

Kaboom!!!



Since you're going to crate (palletize?) everything yourself, I have to agree with the shipping container idea.

Rent a quality pallet jack and a zoom boom with forks, and you can load all that pre-palletized equipment quickly and easily.

[BrianW]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Hey?

I didn't think your hockey players were old enough to drink beer?

[Bill R]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

I have a pallet jack. I hadn't thought of a shipping container. That may just work.

I didn't think your hockey players were old enough to drink beer?

Hockey players are like seagulls. SWMBO made the mistake of feeding my son's mentor and his friends. Now there is a flock of Junior hockey players that hang around here like seagulls in a McDonalds parking lot. It is impossible to keep food in the cupboards or beer in the fridge.

[skuthorp]

Re: Life, the Universe, and moving a shop

Done this once, less gear and only had to move it all about 120k. Some of the of stuff is not sorted yet!