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Moving table saw down stairs

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13K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  SPalm 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I want to buy a table saw, but am now sure how I'm going to get it into my basement. It has to go down the stairs that came with the house; just 1 inch pine boards on the sides. The treads and risers are stapled into the sides. It doesn't look like it can hold that much. Anyone know how much weight can go down them, or any tricks for doing this?

What are the consequences of taking a saw all apart and moving it one piece at a time?
 
#4 ·
Yeah, how the top attaches is hard to see. All I see in the top riser is a couple of nails. (Can't see attachments on the side at all.) Someone told be it's "bullnosed" into the upper floor - I"m not sure what that means. It doesn't attach at the bottom, I also hear I should nail a cleat to the floor, which is concrete. The saw I really want is 435 pounds (Steel City 35900); would I have to also bolt some supports to the underside, and where would they go, on the sides or under the treads?
 
#5 ·
I agree with Roper and Beechpilot-the stairs will hold and make a ramp. You'll be fine. Also to BeechPilot if you are still out there, do you fly a Bonanza? My father did for years for fun and to take us to dinner in Chicago & etc. back in the 70's. As always, bbqKing
 
#6 ·
The house is 15 years old. Can't say if it's prefab stairs; the treads and risers are fitted with triangular shims. Sides go straight through without support. And I only see the two nails you mention (perhaps one more one one side). Good idea on the bottom, it's about 30 inches to the wall. But that's another problem, even if the saw fits at the bottom, there's no room for people to work it; I think I'll have to build a platform a couple of steps up. Sounds like I can't trust these stairs at all, might have to take the saw apart. Didn't want to have to do that, but oh well.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
How about this alternative, in lieu of taking it through the house and down the stairs, build an access area to your basement from outside the house. Excavate a 16' long by 8 foot wide sloped ramp, pour a footer, lay block up the side, pour a concrete ramp with rail track. Then, install a 7' tall by 6' wide set of french doors into the basement. Imbed a hoist assembly that you can use to lower your assembled saw.

Never mind, using 2/8's as runners on your stairs would be easier.
 
#10 ·
Another thought, when we moved into this house the movers had to get all the heavy stuff into the basement, the biggest piece that would not disassemble was 500 lbs.

We have a bilco door and stairs, just to be safe I bought some 2×4s and ran them as vertical supports under each step. So each step then had its own vertical support going to the floor. I centered the support width wise and as close to the front edge of the step as possible, there are no risers, just steps.

That will give you piece of mind, but the 2×8s ramps should be enough.
 
#11 ·
it seems crazy when you consider all these lucid, well-thought replies.

I've moved a lot of machines by the seat of my pants. Getting them
up stairs is a helluva lot harder than down in general.

I would probably take the wings off and strap it to a hand-truck
(preferably with big tires), get a helper on the bottom to slow
it down and bump, bump, bump - down you go. Unless your
saw is an antique behemoth you should be able to move
it quickly and easily this way with two fit men (you being one
of the two).
 
#12 ·
listen I know guys who have taken heavy metal lathes and bridgeport milling machines down to their basement so lighten up it's a piece of cake whaT YOUR DOING.I have taken a big felder saw with a cast iron base and a spindle moulder all in one into my workshop up stairs and then up the garden before installing it in my woodshop so good luck Alistair ps excuse my poor typoing
 
#13 ·
Thanks for all the replies. The only thing I've seen go down these stairs was my jointer, about 225 pounds and we just slid the box down the treads. I have a friend who is a material handler at work, I'm hoping to get him over here and have a look at things. I have the money, I know what I want (Steel City 35900) and I have a birthday coming up. The heaviest piece is 435 pounds; and I suppose I could take the motor out. I like the idea of bracing the underside, I'll just have to remove some custom built shelving I have under there. It just has small screws through angled half-lap joints in the sides, so I doubt that would hold up much. Getting close to pulling the trigger on this thing. Does anyone know if drivers are willing to drop the crate in a garage, or are they hamstrung by insurance to leave it at the curb?
 
#17 ·
My husband is a gun collector. We had a gun safe upstairs. When we moved we hired movers, found them in the yellow pages. I think the name was something like 3 guys. We hired them for an hour and they moved the safe and everything else down those narrow cape cod stairs. Hire movers.
 
#18 ·
Joe,
Your comment really hits home; should I subject my friends to this kind of risk? I'll get some quotes from movers. Plus I'll have that friend of mine come over and have a look, he does have experience with these sort of things.
 
#19 ·
In the event you do decide to move it with your friends, I'd also make the following suggestion - Tie a big rope or chain, or cable to it and anchor it to a suitable anchor (auto?) Many years ago I helped my neighbor move a full size upright piano out of his basement. We planked the stairs (after doing a structural analysis) and tied a big rope around the piano and hooked the rope onto a car so that we did not have to depend on muscle power alone. The geometry was such that we could get a fairly straight shot at the stairs and we used my Intl Scout 4×4 in low low gear so it was easy to move forward really slow. I think a better way would be a come along or block and tackle.

Seeing how I was young then, and now that I am old I still think the pro's are the way.
 
#20 ·
A side note to those contemplating the labor of a truck-driver as mentioned above.
If you make your purchase with the expectation of freight delivery, you are going to have to deal with this: Most trucking companies will charge more for 'Residential Delivery' because the truck will be far afield of its normal routes. Freight rates are based implicitly on so-called 'curb delivery' and that means either the driver will move your freight to the tail of the trailer, or, in some cases the obligation ceases once the freight hits the ground, which requires the use of a trailer with a lift-gate, for more money. You can call the local dispatcher and request "Inside Delivery" but that will be another big surcharge. Explain to the dispatcher that you wish inside delivery and down a flight of stairs….they might refuse, or sub-contract the actual delivery to an outside source from the local freight depot to your basement. I knew of one guy who ended up removing his basement stairs and using a gantry and chainfall to lift and swing an old milling machine down the empty stairwell. At least the labor of tearing the machine down was avoided.
 
#21 ·
I have a friend who cut through his upstairs ceiling to expose joists and installed a couple of block and tackle systems. Using come-alongs, he took a 935 lb geothermal heating unit down some oak steps. No way I'm going that far. Sadly, all this has to go on hold as I have gall bladder surgery this Friday.
 
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