OT: Moving a gun safe

[rockrat]

Here is a look at my safe move. It was between 600 and 700 lbs. I used 1/2" dia pipe to roll the safe around on and was able to move the thing myself. Young, dumb and full of ..... I learned a while back that you can move heavy things by yourself but you have to be thinking constantly and watching your back. Levers, ramps, chains, rope and wheels.

Moving

Do as noted in an above post, lag bolt that thing to cement on the bottom and the back if possible. Keeps the safe in place.

[This message has been edited by rockrat (edited 01-01-2005).]

[Paul Gauthier]

If you can open the doors you may be able to lift them off makes it much lighter.

------------------
Paul G.

[Wayne02]

The space at the end of the hallway is too tight to have any sort of moving dolly sticking out past the perimeter of the base of the safe. It's got to make that 90 degree turn while completely upright and boxed in on two sides. The clearance thru the door opening will be tight but doable if I remove the door to the room.

Seems like this pretty much dictates some sort of multi piece slider arrangement. Either pipe or uhmw. Pipe would work if I put plywood down. Pipe seems like it would work ok going in one direction. But if I need to side step the safe a bit in that travel, I'm not sure how they would work.

Maybe 4" wide strips of uhmw or equivalent material, say 2ft long, quantity 4. 1/4" would likely sink into the carpet under that weight and become ineffective, so maybe some 1/2" stuff? Where would I look for something like this?

Been toying with the idea of picking the safe up from the store myself. They want $200 just to drop it in the driveway, and don't offer any sort of placement service inside the house.

I have a open deck, tilting car trailer with a winch. Maybe have them set it on the trailer with their forklift. I might be able to back the trailer right up to the landing by my front door. If I could somehow wrestle it off of the shipping pallet while it was on the trailer, and then strap it on the dolly. I could tilt the bed, get the dolly/safe combo lined up with the front door opening... then jump on it and ride down the slope hoping to squirt thru the front door...

Ok, maybe not. May be able to winch the dolly/safe combo down the slope though.

Wayne

[MikeHenry]

It's not a safe, but I used a method similar to Rockrat's to move a grinder base down a flight of stairs:

http://member.newsguy.com/~mphenry/base_move.htm

I'm no structural engineer but figured it was better to have the winch frame anchored at the base of the door frame, rather than part way up as Rockrat did. I also used a HF 400/800 lb electric winch to lower the base as the remote switch let me stay away from the cable should it have decided to break loose.

Make sure you use rigging slings rather than binder tie downs between the load and winch or come-along - the slings are available from McMaster-Carr.

Mike

[jkilroy]

That slippery stuff is Teflon. Strips of solid teflon aren't real cheap either. I watched one guy slide a 1500lb safe across a piece of the stuff that looked like a bed sheet. He warned us to never try standing on it unless you want a short trip to the ground.

------------------
James Kilroy

[rgravis]

I used to sell gun safes. A good apliance dolly will do the trick on a 750 lb. safe. You should be able to scoot it on carpet. If it does not scoot, try putting a piece of cardboard under it. If it is on a slick floor, get a piece of carpet and put it upside down on the floor and put the safe on top of it. Get plenty of help, go slow, and be careful. Good Luck!

[This message has been edited by rgravis (edited 01-03-2005).]

[rockrat]

Mikehenry - I set my rig up to allow me to move the safe under the horizontal brace. This way I was always strapped in as the safe tipped over the edge of the steps. I didnt worry about the house structure with the horizontal where it was due to the fact that there is a wall running parallel with the stairs on each side of the door. But, I do like your electric winch. You probably have more distance there that I had with the come-along.

I did however slide the safe on the cardboard box that it came in similar to what rgravis mentioned.

It sounds like you have a good thought with the trailer. Give it a go. Have some help with you for backup. Use pipe under the safe to roll it along. Works great.

The store should load it into the trailer for you. The place that I bought it from had 3 big boys lift it into my truck! And they had a forklift that I tried to point out would be safer than some young studs back. Oh well, never give up. rock-

[This message has been edited by rockrat (edited 01-03-2005).]

[MikeHenry]

Rockrat,

No slight intended - just trying to point out other ways of doing things and issues that might need considering.

Bottom line is that we both completed our respective moving jobs with no damage to human or tool.

Mike

[rockrat]

None taken, we're all just having fun learning! rock-