so.............this is turning out into more of a shitshow than I was hoping. The riggers have left the site, so that option is out the window. I might be able to rent a wheel loader with forks or a local company with a hook truck/flatbed. Right now it looks like the most likely outcome is me loading this thing with no heavy equipment at all.
From the description I'll have to winch/pull it 15-30 feet out from under a mezzanine in a building with a sand floor, then get it onto an equipment float trailer that has fenders and flip down ramps.
I believe this thing to be damn close to 10,000 lbs.
I'd prefer to not drive two trucks to get it, so...question time.
I'll be driving a 2wd dodge dually, pulling a 6000 kg GVWR equipment trailer. Will that truck and trailer be static enough to winch the lathe out, or will it winch the truck/trailer to the lathe? Planning to leave truck in neutral and wedge the brakes on. I have a snatch block so I can also pound some steel bars into the ground through a length of chain to make a deadman anchor for the snatch block.
Once I have the thing out in the open, how do I get it onto the trailer without flopping it? From pics I think the base is two or three pedestals (not continuous on the floor) (see pic).
I have a 5 ton long frame trolley jack, 4 hi-lifts (yes they're dangerous, I know), bottle jacks, lots of lever hoists and rigging, some cribbing (but not much long stuff).
I'm thinking I can support the end of the trailer and put the two fold down ramps close together. I've got a 4x5 foot piece of 1/4 inch steel plate that I can lay on the ramps and winch the lathe up the ramps. I think the COG is very close to the headstock where it transitions to the bed, so once that part is on the trailer it shouldn't take too much to crib the lathe level and keep winching it on.
Am I gonna die?