Moving big tools into basement shops

[atgcpaul]

For those of you with a basement shop, how did you get your big tools
down the stairs? Industrial furniture dolly? Teleporter?

My big tool (heavy) purchases are going to be a cabinet saw and maybe a
European style 17" bandsaw. A little down the road maybe a jointer. I don't
want to have to strip down the tools and rebuild them to save myself from a
hernia.

Anyone have one of those basement cellar doors added? The kind that have
stairs leading down to the basement through a door in the house foundation?

Thanks, Paul

[JSUPreston]

I hear gravity works real good!

Seriously, I don't know. I'm fortunate enough to have a 20x20 outbuilding for my shop. I assume either people have taken the tools down into the basement in pieces and assembled in the basement or hopefully have some sort of exterior access. Begs to ask the question...how do you get completed projects back upstairs?

[lkazista]

Paul,
my neighbor recently added "Bilco" doors, took 3 days. 1 day witha back hoe to dig it all out, 1 door to drop the door in and bolt it on, and then a 'finish carpentry" day to intsall the interior door, and clean up.

Cost him $4,500 complete, no permits required here (PA), he says it is worth every penny.

Lee

[atgcpaul]

Paul,
my neighbor recently added "Bilco" doors, took 3 days. 1 day witha back hoe to dig it all out, 1 door to drop the door in and bolt it on, and then a 'finish carpentry" day to intsall the interior door, and clean up.

Cost him $4,500 complete, no permits required here (PA), he says it is worth every penny.

Lee

Thanks Lee. I'll look into this. To be clear, your neighbor had someone else do this and they
also broke through the foundation wall?

Maybe I should buy gym equipment and a weight belt to get ready for this
move.

Paul

[LinuxRandal]

I have always broke down and reassembled my tools (have had a hernia fixed). As I have no place for outside access (and wouldn't want it due to crime rate, thanks meth) I have always considered building a sled, that a crane would hook to the door frame, or an overhead block and tackle setup. I got the later idea from another woodworkers shop, that I believe has been posted here before. Wish I still had the link.

[Tom Miller]

I haven't taken anything overly large down my stairs:

17" Floor DP
6" Jointer -- closed stand
14" band saw -- closed stand
2HP DC

Only the first item was in a single box, so it was definitely the biggest and bulkiest.

I took everything down the stairs by myself by sliding the boxes while controlling them from the downhill side. If anything had been too big to handle by myself, I think I would still use the same approach, but with a second person on the stairs with me.

You could also control the descent by putting a 2x4 across the top doorway of the stairs, and using a block and tackle, or similar. In this case, a couple planks on the stairs would allow for better sliding.

Regards,
Tom

[Thalermade]

Except my BT3000 which started off in the garage, all my big tools were new purchases still in the box and added after I had been awarded shop space in the basement,


Ridgid Jointer - carried down in pieces to assemble

Hitachi bandsaw in box- put small rug underrneath - slid it across the hardwood floor in the kitchen to the basement steps. Removed rug as I transferred it to a piece of cardboard to slide dwon the carpeted steps. Loaded on two-wheeler at bottom of steps to take around the corner to the shop.

Hitachi Drill press in box - see hitachi bandsaw

Russ

[WayneJ]

Got any large friends? Time to call in a few favors. Getting them down is easy, getting them back up is another story.

[lkazista]

Thanks Lee. I'll look into this. To be clear, your neighbor had someone else do this and they
also broke through the foundation wall?

Paul

Yeah, actually my other neighbor just had it done by the same guy. It is a one man show. He uses the back hoe as his helper. Our walls are poured concrete not block, but I do not think that mattered to him.

Both neighbors were begging for an inspecter to come out (some dude cutting through the exterior wall of your house seems like it would warrant it), but the township told both of them that is did not require it. BTW - if they added a window to the house, they would have needed a permit.

Lee

[vaking]

I have a shop in a basement and plus I have a really nasty staircase, narrow with 90% turn. My tools are not that big (BT3100, 12" bandsaw, 14"DP), getting them down was not that hard. Getting the refrigerator out of the basement was much harder. Bringing a full sheet of 3/4" plywood down that staircase is priceless. Getting a separate entrance would be a dream but not realistic I am afraid.

[atgcpaul]

Problem solved!

Thanks for the replies everyone. In the end we didn't bid on the house with
only basement shop space. We're getting the one with the detached 2 car!
LOML loved this house so much that I made a deal that if we bid on this higher
priced one, I get the garage. More questions to ensue.


Thanks, Paul

[lkazista]

Sounds like a win-win.

Hope the bidding goes well.

Lee

[JimD]

Here in South Carolina they only build walk-out basements. The shop part of ours has it's own driveway and garage door. Our last home had the garage in the basement and the front part was my shop.

I am interested in the answers but quite happy with my arrangement.

Jim

[LinuxRandal]

Thanks for the replies everyone. In the end we didn't bid on the house with
only basement shop space. We're getting the one with the detached 2 car!
LOML loved this house so much that I made a deal that if we bid on this higher
priced one, I get the garage. More questions to ensue.


Thanks, Paul

I am interested in what you end up with, and if that house has a teleporter (you mentioned in the first post).

[atgcpaul]

I am interested in what you end up with, and if that house has a teleporter (you mentioned in the first post).

We are officially in escrow! We close August 24. It is definitely a buyer's
market, but for the price we are paying, the house should come with a
teleporter. Today is the home inspection. It's only 10 years old but I'm going in
there with my magnifying glass and a list of questions for the inspector--like
how much power is currently running into the shop.


Paul