How to prep tools for a move????

[Mike O'Reilly]

Hi all,
My family and I are getting ready to move back home to Canada from North Carolina. The movers will be handling my shop tools as well as the rest of the house. Is there anything I need to do to prep my tools for the move? I have cleaned and waxed the tables on my tablesaw, bandsaw, drill press and jointer. All my hand tools are wrapped in bubble wrap and packed in boxes. The hand power tools are all in there original cases and ready to go. The entire contents of the house will be sitting for a few days in a truck waiting to catch the ferry crossing to Newfoundland (home). I am worried about stuff sweating and then rusting. Should I leave a heavy coating of wax and not buff and polish it on the tables? Anything else I need to be concerned about with moving stuff like the tablesaw, drill press, jointer and bandsaw?


Mike

[John Branam]

Mike,

I recently moved and my tools were in storage in humid weather for a couple of months and I had no rust at all on the cast iron. What I did was to apply a heavy coat of paste wax on the cast iron surfaces and did not buff it off. This worked well for me.

[Frederick Gross]

I would suggest also adding a detailed inventory of the hand tools, especially if you have some that are of higher value. The company that moved me would not do it beyond the general box# and genereic label "Tools" on the inventory list. I had it on my computer, so printed it out and they attached it to the other inventory sheets.

I also had them note the condition of larger items like table or bandsaw with remarks "good, no dents/scratches", etc...

It may not be bullet-proof, but sends a message that they need to be as careful moving tools as carefully as they would a vase.

[Darnell Hagen]

I'd remove the table from the bandsaw and the fence from the jointer, and maybe the extension wings from the tablesaw. Imagine your mover is a gorilla who will pull and yank on the weakest part of your machine.
A layer or two of strech wrap will keep things like knobs, handles, dust doors, and switch covers being lost.
Welcome back!

[Robert Reece]

From a fellow North Carolinian - good riddance! Just kidding, we are sorry to see you go.

I would consider dismantling some of the larger machines. Many machines are awkward to move when fully assembled and while you have hired professional movers, it's just plain easier to pick up 5 less awkward and lighter parts, then it is to move one big thing.
I'd also be worried about some of the tools bouncing along the road. Like a jointer bed just hanging out there. I"d probably take my jointer off the stand and crate it up, making sure to block up the ends of the beds.

Have you talked to the moving company about your tools? Have they moved tools before and were happy with the results?

[Steve Kohn]

I would suggest also adding a detailed inventory of the hand tools, especially if you have some that are of higher value. The company that moved me would not do it beyond the general box# and genereic label "Tools" on the inventory list. I had it on my computer, so printed it out and they attached it to the other inventory sheets.

I also had them note the condition of larger items like table or bandsaw with remarks "good, no dents/scratches", etc...

It may not be bullet-proof, but sends a message that they need to be as careful moving tools as carefully as they would a vase.

+1. I moved overseas years ago and had tools that went into storage. When I came back there were several boxes that were no longer there. I didn't have a detailed inventory so couldn't make an accurate claim.

[Stephen Tashiro]

+1. I moved overseas years ago and had tools that went into storage. When I came back there were several boxes that were no longer there. I didn't have a detailed inventory so couldn't make an accurate claim.

The experience of one of my friend's wives was this: She had things put in storage when her first husband died. When she went back years later to get them, many items were missing or damaged from water. The storage company claimed that it was the moving company's responsibility that picked up the items since the driver signed a paper saying he picked up all the listed items. (Would he really have been able to inventory them?) The moving company claimed it was the storage company's responsiblity.

I wonder if it is a good or bad idea to write on the boxes what tools are in them. Probably, it's a bad idea.

[Greg Portland]

The paste wax will completely fail in that kind of climate. Boeshield will last a little longer. I would recommend Boeshield on the cast iron + make cardboard cutouts the size of the cast iron tops. Tape the cardboard onto the tops (around the edge, not between); condensation will form on the cardboard surface and not on the iron.

Take pictures of everything (before and after) and check your insurance. When I had my shop moved the insurance covered $X per pound which was nowhere near the replacement cost. During my move they almost dropped the bandsaw and drill press and snapped off the adjustment lever. If you don't go with the extra insurance then I'd require them to strap / bolt the equipment on pallets, especially the DP and bandsaw since they can easily tip over.

[Dan Hulbert]

I have moved my shop several times and have not had issues with rust. HOWEVER, as mentioned previously, movers are a little less careful with tools than antiques.

My recommendation is to dismantel and crate as much as you can. This is also a good way to move your scrap pile and have some materials for the honeydo list that pops up during the move in. I've built crates for each move and keep them around for the next move. Yes, my crate inventory is growing with each move, but I built several in the style of an old tool box with tills and put them on casters so they are useful between moves. I seem to be averaging a move every 6 years, so reusable crates are worth the effort to me.

Your old telephone book is a good source for small wrappers for the small tools that end up in your bench drawers.

Detailed lists and digital pictures can be worth the effort if anything goes missing or gets damaged.

Good Luck