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Posted: 12/30/2006 4:21:29 PM EDT
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not sure if there is a better place to post this, if there is, please move it I am looking at a gun safe for my AR and future AR collection, and am wondering how the best way to move it downstairs to my basement would be? it looks like it wieghs a hair under 600# I will get several people to help, and am thinking of renting/borrowing an appliance dolly any other advise? |
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I used to work for a moving company, and we delivered many safes in the 1000# range. We used a large blue "kick-back" type dolly. Definitely make sure it is strapped to the dolly tight and use a couple people on the top and bottom. It shouldn't be a problem with a dolly, but I wouldn't even think of moving it without one. Keep in mind it will be easier if the dolly is taller than the safe. just as an example..... http://www.toolsoutlet.com/handling/1204-5200.html |
what would be the easiest way to transition to the stairs to the basement? |
| The guys who delivered my safe had a dolly that would climb stairs electrically. I am not at all sure if it could be used to lower a safe down stairs that way, but it probably could. A thousand pound safe falling on someone you care about down a flight of stairs would make me want to leave it to a professional. |
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I recently moved a decent sized safe (probably 500 without the doors) down a set of stairs with only the wife to help me. I used hdf particle board laid on the stairs for a ramp and used come alongs to ease it down. It wasn't easy, but it worked. I used a 4x4 across doorways to anchor the come alongs. Anything is possible if you plan your approach correctly. It's all about leverage. |
Exactly. Too many people try "moving" it. Let the weight of the safe move it down, just be there to guide it down slowly. Even 2x6s long as the stairs with enough people to lower it down would be a lot easier on everyone. |
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To transition to the stairs you may have to stand the safe straight up and slide it with the dolly attached. You could lay down a blanket to prevent scratches if necessary. Then just make sure the dolly is square to the stairs and hold on for the ride. he If your dolly is taller than the safe you can have two people hold on to one side of the handle each to slow it from the top, and then have a person or two slow it down from the bottom. Just make sure the people on the bottom don't take your balance away by pushing the dolly at a steeper angle. Tell them to keep the safe at the same angle while assisting. |
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I subcontract for GE appliances. I used my appliance dolly to bring my 700lb safe upstairs, then when i moved i brought it back down stairs with the same dolly. i did it with my self and my helper "but we have also worked togeather for 4 yrs now" but you should be able to get it done with 3 ppl. one on top and two on the bottom. just go slow one step at a time. edit: make sure you get a good heavy duty appliance dolly that has a strap on it. |
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I helped a friend move about a 500-600 pound safe a while back. We didn't have an applicance dolly, but it would have helped. We did strap a 600 pound capacity dolly to the safe though. It was definitey maxed out. We rigged up 2 4x4's and 2 2x4's. Similar to a ladder. The 4x4's being the sides, and the 2x4's being the rungs. We then took a 1/2" bolt about 10 or 12 inches long and ran it through the 4x4's. We found a piece of PVC pipe that went over this bolt between the 4x4's. The 2x4's were spaced so that they fit in a door jam. We went ahead and put screws through the 2x4's into the jam and stuck a 4x4 between the whole thing and the floor. It was solid enough for 2 200+ guys to sit on it. So the 4x4's went on the outside past the door jam, and the 2x4's fit where the door goes. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically all the pressure was on the 4x4's which was pushing on the studs in the walls for the door. Here's where we got really creative have We then had my wife sit in the truck, using cell phones as walky talkies. The safe was moved into position to go down the stairs, layed down and the rope was tied and tightened up. We then started the safe down the stairs.. 1 stair at a time. We would tell my wife to let off the brakes and hit the brakes to allow enough slack in the rope to slide the safe down 1 stair at a time. Amazingly, this was very easy manual labor to get the safe down stairs. I supervised the slack in the rope, my wife hit the brakes on the truck, and my friend pushed the safe down each stair. (Yeah, we pushed the safe down the stairs, it would sit at each stair on it's own with slack in the rope) No one was downstairs in case the rope broke and the safe went on down the stairs. The hardest parts were tilting the safe up and down. It basically could have been done with 2 people. I thought that was pretty good for a 5-600 pound safe. have |
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