New (to me) safe, need ideas.

[MossRoad]

Man, that much weight is death on rollerskates. How much time do you have before you have to move it? I've moved a couple 5000# safes at my old employer from one building to the next. Flat, level concrete is one thing. You get it on even the slightest of inclines on a rough surface, like, say asphalt, and heavy equipment dollies tend to stop rolling, or the load tips, etc... we had equipment dollies and 10,000# forklifts, so we were OK.

Forklifts are rated at load center distances. So if a forklift is rated at, say, 10,000#, and it has 48" forks, that 10,000# is measured at the center of the forks, or only 24" from the mast. If you move the center of the load out to, say, 36", you're gonna lose probably 1/3 of the lift capacity right there, bringing it down to about 6600# of lift.

If you decide to do it yourself, just be aware and double your safety factors, use twice as many straps as you think you need, etc... if that 10,000# safe gets rolling, it could snap safety straps, chains, etc... and/or crush you like a bug. Be careful.

 

[thatguy]

any updates or even better pics of the move??

 

[Sysop]

Update is as follows. After measuring how close together the ramps will go on my 14k equipment trailer, I've decided to hire a local heavy duty wrecker service for the move. Too much weight would be on the inner edges of the ramps for my comfort. Perfectly centered, there would be 4" of each ramp being used to support the safe. That is insufficient.

Since I really have no place for it currently, I'm going to be spending this weekend building a temporary platform for it to reside on until I get a more permanent solution in place.

If possible, I will provide pics of the move itself.

 

[flingwing1969]

Thanks for the update - we've all been sitting here with worms on our tongues. You know, baited-breath?

 

[Sysop]

I try to update my threads when a solution is settled on and task completed. So far the only real news has been disappointing. My ramps, at their closest position are 30" apart and the safe is 38", which would put way too much strain on the welds that hold the inner ends of the ramp hinges in place. I don't want to take a chance on breaking the weld or twisting the ramps. Beyond that, I've also been told by someone with better knowledge of such things, this safe weighs closer to 12k pounds than the 10k I had originally been told. That would be beyond what I'm willing to subject my equipment to.

Only other news is the 35k pound straps and the 11k pound prybar (mentioned earlier in this thread) have arrived. I'll use them to move it from the temporary location to the final destination when the time comes. That final move will only be about 100'.

 

[sandman2234]

Sitting on pins and needles awaiting the move!
David from jax

 

[rustyshakelford]

I try to update my threads when a solution is settled on and task completed. So far the only real news has been disappointing. My ramps, at their closest position are 30" apart and the safe is 38", which would put way too much strain on the welds that hold the inner ends of the ramp hinges in place. I don't want to take a chance on breaking the weld or twisting the ramps. Beyond that, I've also been told by someone with better knowledge of such things, this safe weighs closer to 12k pounds than the 10k I had originally been told. That would be beyond what I'm willing to subject my equipment to.

Only other news is the 35k pound straps and the 11k pound prybar (mentioned earlier in this thread) have arrived. I'll use them to move it from the temporary location to the final destination when the time comes. That final move will only be about 100'.

I’ll say it again. Get a wrecker with a boom to lay it over on it back and a roll back to winch it up flat. Reverse the process. Get some plywood or something strong to secure it too and away you go. If you back the flatbed up to it have him put a winch around it and have the other one release line to slow it’s fall to be very controlled. Might take a couple hundred bucks but should be very do able

Brett

 

[Egon]

Wise decision!

 

[Sysop]

I’ll say it again. Get a wrecker with a boom to lay it over on it back and a roll back to winch it up flat. Reverse the process. Get some plywood or something strong to secure it too and away you go. If you back the flatbed up to it have him put a winch around it and have the other one release line to slow it’s fall to be very controlled. Might take a couple hundred bucks but should be very do able

Brett

Sounds like a good plan, but at this point I'm not the plan maker. These guys are used to moving the equipment that moves stuff like this safe and have tons of experience moving lots of tons at a time. Around here, they are who is called when 40 tons of loaded semi falls into a 200' deep hole. When I told them I may have been told the weight incorrectly, that it is likely 12k instead of 10k, they just shrugged and said "ok" in such a manner I may as well have told them it weighed a ton less rather than a ton more. They seem totally unconcerned about the weight. Distance of travel seems to concern them more than the amount of weight to be transported. I'll let them handle it however they want to and learn what I can from them by watching.

 

[Teachu2]

I would get some pipe and cut rollers to set it on when they unload it, or at least block it up a few inches.