Powermatic 3520A is on its way!

I took your consensus advice and ordered a Powermatic 3520A. It shoud be delivered on Thursday, December 1st. I can hardly wait! :D Thaks all for your excellent advice.

Now I need a little bit more advice from Powermatic owners. How did you guys unpack and set this monster up? The shipping weight is listed as slightly over 700 pounds so picking it up and carrying it under my arm is probably not going to work very well. ;) I will get a lift-gate delivery to my driveway but I am assuming I will need to move it into my gargage shop. I may get lucky and the delivery guys may have a palet jack that could be used to move it but I'm not counting on it. Any suggestions for how to unpack, move and set it up?

Hi Kent,

If they are delivering by liftgate, they will have a "skidder" (palet jack) and providing ther is smooth pavement or other durable hard smooth surface they can wheel it in place for you. You PM3520 will come bolted down to the palet completely asymbled. You will need help removing it from the palet. The best way is to remove the headstock and tailstock units from the bed then removing the bed from the palet. All except the tailstock weigh over 50lbs. The headstock and motor weigh around 150lbs and you will need more help getting it back on the bed than getting it off. It also helps if you have a table close to the height of the bed. That way you can move the head and tailstock from the bed to the table. I was lucky and had a table on wheels that came within an inch of the height of the bed. The bed and legs weigh about 400LBS. Be carefull.

Many Congrats Kent.!!!!!

You're really gonna love that lathe!!!!!!

Once you get it in your shop, it will have a double-layered cardboard box over the top of it. Take that off. It will slip off over the lathe if you have the headroom in your shop. If not, just use a utility knife to cut the box from around the lathe.
Next, use a wrench and take the 4 mounting bolts out, one on each leg of the lathe through to the pallet. Once that is done? You and one more person with some strength can easily slide it off the pallet. NOT to the side of the pallet as the lathe will tilt and have a tendency to tip over on you and your helper..!!!! BUT...to the headstock end of the pallet. This will keep the lathe in it's most upright position and will be a LOT easier to control while moving it off of the pallet. You won't have to remove the head and tail stock, but you can leave them on for this process. As long as the lathe is "upright" and moving towards the end of the pallet, it is managable without a whole lot of effort. A 3rd person would be very handy to help steady the lathe and once the headstock end of the lathe is on the floor? The third person can simply pull the pallet out from under the tailstock end of the lathe while the two of you hold up the tailstock end and then you can easily set it on the floor.

To install the feet? Do it one end of the lathe at a time. I used a car jack, the rolling floor jack kind to lift one end, put the feet on the lathe and lower slowly back down. Move the floor jack to the other end, jack it up just enough to get the feet on the other end and lower back to the floor.

Now....here's a trick I learned about moving my 710 pound lathe about the shop to get it in position. Use a good 2 by 10 board cut to the length to fit under the cast iron "angles" on each leg set. Caution!!!! This will require two people to do, but one person is only to help balance the lathe. I then used the floor jack again to lift the entire lathe by positioning the floor jack in the center of the 2x10 board and lifted the lathe up off the floor about 1/4". Then you can push/pull the lathe around to get it into position where you want it. <b>To move the lathe across the shop</b> you and a partner can simply push the lathe on its new feet a little at a time to get the lathe moved in the general position you want it, then use the automotive floor jack and 2x10 to rotate the lathe or to better fine tune its final resting place.

Sorry this is so long, but after moving 2 of these babies in the last 18 months, I've learned a little more about moving them to include unloading them off the back of a trailer. All else fails, rent you an engine hoist and move the lathe that way. Hope this helps a little.

Congrats Kent! You're gonna love it!:)
I unbolted mine from the pallet and got some friends from work over;) . We removed the headstock and tailstock. 4 of us carried the bed, with legs attached, off my trailer and into the shop. Took 2 of us to put the headstock back on after we got it in place.

Like others have said, YOUR GONA LOVE IT!
I didn't have any help to get mine in the shop. NOT RECOMMENDED!
I disassembled all I could headstock, tailstock, I left the legs on and slid it into place and called some help to set the headstock back on. Picking it up was no problem but there was no way I could get the Block turned so it would slide between the ways.
If you have 3 guys it will be easy but 2 can do it.

OK, so I'm the minority here! I don't have one, nor do I have a clue about the series of events surrounding the setup of one. :rolleyes: :confused: BUT, I certainly DO know that a "CONGRATS" is in order, so, Congrats, Kent!!!:D I also happen to know a lot of folks with that particular model and I've yet to hear anyone say anything bad about it so, it's safe to assume you'll be quite happy with it. Pics when it gets here, you know!!!:) :cool:

Good for you Kent. I'm sure you will enjoy your new lathe.

One of the best ways to get a new lathe in the shop and set up, is to let all of your friends know you are going to have a social :D , and have them arrive shortly before the delivery of the lathe. Have some appropriate refreshments on hand, and when the delivery truck arrives, just make an announcement -- So, shall we all help this fine gentleman move this Big new lathe into my shop.;)

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

I moved mine by myself pretty much as described above, taking off the head stock, tailstock, etc. I had a dolly so used a car jack to lift up one end and slide the dolly under it, with 2x4's on top the dolly. I did need a friend to help lift the headstock back on the lathe. But the best way would be to pretend it's a heavy upright piano and get the man power you would use for a piano. If the trucking co does have a pallet jack and can move it into the shop, you should be able to jack up one end at a time and pretty much knock out the pallet from under it...a piece at a time!
Earl

Congratulations Kent!!!

Ernie

Some other details
Lathe requires 220 volt 15 amp circuit

Box is held on by steel strapping around the pallet, take the box off outside as there are no hand holds on the box. The box weights 40 plus pounds.

Face plate is held on with a set screw - loosen that before you take the face plate off.

Sliding the head stock along the bed ways allows the lathe to be scooted by one mature - chronologically that is - man.

Bottle jacks maybe used in place of a car jack.

Congrats on the purchase it is a great machine.

Congrats on your new tool.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you purchase it at? And were there any reasons as to why you bought it at the place you did over all the other places that sold the PM3250? Still considering my options.
Thanks,,,

Congratulations Kent.....I'm very jealous!

Love mine - don't think you'll be disappointed. Dennis has already detailed the move. Luckily I had mine delivered to where I work and a guy sat it on my trailer with a forklift... so all we had to do was dump it off the trailer. I left it on the pallet and when my shop was finished we slid it back up on the trailer (tilted) and then back off again. It's heavy, but not too much for 3 or 4 guys to handle without much difficulty (and no hernias).

Good luck!

Thanks all for your help. I know it will be much easier uncrating and setting up this beast now that I've benefited from your experiences.

I'm doing the wiring now although if it is not finished when the lathe arrives, it is not critical because I have a 220V extension cord that I use for the TS. Hopefully, I can finish the wiring this week before it comes.

Doug, I bought this one through Amazon for $2299 and free shipping becuase I would have had to pay sales tax if I had gone through Southern Too which has it for the same pricel. Also, I had a $100 gift certificate with them that I applied to the purchase.

Thanks again to all of you for your counsel.