Tips for packing/ moving your shop?

[BigguyZ]

Well, this afternoon- barring any unforeseen circumstances- I will be (finally) closing on a new home- complete with a large 2 stall garage that's all mine. So now, I'll be moving the shop from the basement in my duplex to this garage.

What tips/ tricks do you have for moving a shop? I think the big stuff will be the easiest to figure out, as it's pretty straight-forward. But what about packing/ moving all of the tools, jigs, scrap wood, bits, and other odds and ends that a shop is made of? Do you pack as you do with household items, or are there more efficient ways to move all this crap?

Thanks!

[Uncle Cracker]

The only tips I can offer are to take the opportunity now to inventory and organize everything. How many times have you bought something that you knew you already had, but couldn't for the life of you remember where it was? Now is the time to put all things right...

Now is also the time to run any extra power outlets, air lines, and dust collection piping that you might be planning. If there is attic space above the garage, think now about access and insulation.

[chopnhack]

I' have to agree with uncle c....you will regret it later. Now is the opportunity to make the shop before you clutter it up. If its possible leave some of your stuff in storage or see if the landlord will let you leave it behind until your ready to move it out. To have to vacate the garage to build the shop after moving in is double work.

[BigguyZ]

Well, I am the landlord for the duplex, so I think I'm covered.

That's a good point about getting the new space set up first. I like the idea of not climing over stuff to put up lights and such.

I'll definitely be recording things, including taking pictures for insurance purposes as well. A good opportunity to catalog all my cra.... um.... stuff.

[toolguy1000]

my only siggestion...if you are moving any material distance, disassemble as much of each tool as you can. if the tools are being handled by movers, you have to make them idiot proof so the movers don't do things like grab the rails on a TS to lift it, or lay a band saw, table attached, on its side. if you know of the wood whisperer, one of his videos covers his move to a new house. he seemed satisfied with his movers, and i always wondered about that as i watched teh video where they move his powermatic TS via the rails. one of those "things that kinda sorta make ya say...... HHMMMMM!"

[Hoakie]

The WoodWhisperer did a video when he moved his shop. you may get some tips there

[sscherin]

Tools are heavy so I found reinforcing the box bottom helps allot.

When we moved I used regular small book boxes but lined the bottoms with a sheet of 1/4" ply for the heavy items like bench grinder, routers and so on. .. Use lots of packing paper to keep everything from moving around and to protect the tools from each other.

The other thing I did was write the entire contents of the box on the side..
It really helps when you go looking for things at the end of the move.

All the tools that have their own cases were packed inside a storage cabinet after it was loaded into the truck..

Large things like my 44" roll cab are moved loaded..

If you can do a tool only run as tools and nice furniture don't play well together.

If you can't do that let lots of moving pads.. they don't cost much.

Ratchet straps are like clamps.. You can never have enough when moving..

Oh yeah the boc kits from Costco are worth the $50.. It's nice having loads and loads of boxes that all stack nicely.

Get a hand truck! Just buy one.. You have no idea how handy they are.

Don't pack your cordless drill, a set of drill bits, driver bits, flash light, crescent wrench, adjustable pliers (think about removing washing machine hoses) and a set of screwdrivers..Put them in a tool bag..
Last out first in..
Put them in a tool bag.

[E. J. Hansen]

Great ideas in this post...especially sscherin, ToolGuy1000 and Uncle Cracker. I wish I had seen their ideas a few years ago. When I moved 2 years ago I was frustrated when I couldn't find key handtools and parts. Looks like another move may be coming up. I will mark 4-5 boxes (orange spray paint?) that contain the key tools I expect I will need (beyond sscherin's tool bag list). Then when you need to find those key tools you need focus on the boxes tagged with orange.

[BigguyZ]

Definitely some good points! I'll make sure to note everything in the box as I load it.

I'm actually moving only a mile or so away. So the heavy machinery will be moved in my brother's explorer by him and myself. I'm mostly worried about all of the small stuff....

[JR]

... So the heavy machinery will be moved in my brother's explorer by him and myself. ....

Presuming he has a hitch, you might think about renting a nice heavy-duty trailer. You won't be able to get much inside an Explorer and a trailer would be a lot easier to load.

JR

[sscherin]

Presuming he has a hitch, you might think about renting a nice heavy-duty trailer. You won't be able to get much inside an Explorer and a trailer would be a lot easier to load.

JR

On our last cross town move we rented a 6x12 ramp load trailer from U-haul (open trailer)
Great trailer and the ramp makes loading heavy gear with wheels or a hand truck easy.

If you move furniture in one watch out for grease spots.. They get used for hauling equipment quit a bit. We covered the bed with a big tarp for the furniture loads.

If you you have to space to store it just buy a trailer.. It's amazing how handy they can be.

[capncarl]

For my last move I put all shop tools that I could not pick up on mobile bases.
That way I could secure them in their new home quickly and not worry about theft during the house move, then it was easy shove them around as the new shop evolved. 3 years later they are still on wheels. When I move again it will not be such a hassle. Use plenty of ratchet straps to secure them on the trailer.

capncarl