Lifting A Tom Senior Light Vertical

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

Good evening again, looking for some advice please.

I am planning a house move, and included in my goods and chattels is a Tom Senior Light Vertical.

The question arises of how to pick it up safely. I don't like the thought of putting a sling around the cast iron bar at the top of the machine where the head is attached – all of the weight has to be carried by those two little castings clamping the head. Or am I being over-cautious? Having the casting crack would be the end of Mr Senior.

I moved it on a pallet the last time, but of course it's top heavy.

Any thoughts?

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

Advice Please

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I would take it apart, it is pretty easy.

Take the motor off.

Take the head off (two shcs)

Remove the heavy head mount.

The bed

The cross slide Y axis

The knee

The door

The column (four bolts inside, this is the heaviest part)

The tray

The base (not as heavy as it looks)

If you have lifting gear for the whole thing, it would still be best to at least remove the motor and head, and use the bar that holds the head on to run the slings around. The bar is steel, and the clamps should be easily able to take the weight, just leave the bar clamped up as per normal.

Check out the thread by Miles Hellon, "Restoration and modifications to a Tom Senior Light Vertical Mill"

Edited By old mart on 17/10/2019 22:30:31

Edited By old mart on 17/10/2019 22:47:22

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Dismantling is good, but a pair of scaffold poles or stout timbers under the stand's tray, orientated fore-and-aft, and lashed together so they are tight against the base make good lifting points for strops and a crane. It would be sensible to take the head off, though. I used this method when I moved an M1 and a Universal, with large table – both heavier than your machine. In fact, two hefty blokes can 'walk' one of these machines around quite easily, using the poles as handles. Four can lift it…

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 18/10/2019 11:04:08

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I would agree with you and not lift on the small brackets,I have seen broken bearing caps on stationary engines when an engine has been lifted by strops on the crankshaft,and the base of the engine hanging on the caps was too heavy,A long time ago before I had decent lifting gear,I brought home a Senior M1 by dismantling,the base and column went in a small trailer and the rest went into a mk1 escort.

[Bob AstillParticipant @bobastill76884]

when i bought mine from machinery place they slid the bar in so sticking out both sides then slug of both sides the 2 nuts that tighten the bar were left loos i have had no problems.

Bob

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

I have moved my Tom senior four times now and I have always taken the table and knee off a lifted the main coloumn off the base. I lifted it with a light alloy scaffold pole through the top holes. Two strongish blokes can lift the coloumn and I have always built a breeze block staircase next to the machine. This way we can lift it in short stages and have a rest as it is very heavy. I have also moved it on my own intact many times by crow barming it up onto broom handles then it rolls very easily.

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