Moving my evaporator

[Wanabe1972]

Guys, Are there any tips on moving a fully bricked 2 by 8 arch? I have a backhoe for the move as i have a stone dust floor and cant roll it on dollies. I have to move it 10 feet and turn 90 degrees. Also i will move it first then build the building around it.

Thanks Jeff

[adk1]

As in mortared in firebrick?

[BreezyHill]

Hey Jeff,
What about hard wood planks and pipes to roll the unit on. Dollies under the posts on the hard wood should work fine. I have a section of HD roller deck if you want to strap it to the bottom of the Fire area and roll it on planks. I use it to roll the set of duals of the big trucks when doing a brake job. Works slick as goose grease.

Ben

[Wanabe1972]

Yes they are mortared in so i dont really want to mess with that again. Breezy after i sent the post i remembered there are 2 4x8 sheets of steel 1/2 inch thick here at work we use when forktrucks fall through box trailers. Yes i said box fall through it happens a couple of times a year. I could probably get those and we have forktruck dollies here also. This maybe overkill but probably easier on the arch than trying to lift it.

[BreezyHill]

LOL...I have seen that happen really sucks getting them back out of the hole. I have thin plates on a few spots on the mill floor due to weakness. Temporary fix that has at least 15 years on them. Yes if lifting I would suggest 2" wide cargo straps. You can sling a beam off the hoe and attach to the bean the clamps of the strap and ratchet. Tighten for uniform tension and adjust the beam attachment for balance of the load.

Good Luck!

[jrgagne99]

Get a bunch of beer and some pizza and invite 8-10 of your buddies over for an "Evaporator Moving Party"!

[wnybassman]

Get a bunch of beer and some pizza and invite 8-10 of your buddies over for an "Evaporator Moving Party"!

Although the beer should be the reward, not the appetizer. lol

[lpakiz]

That brings to mind an Amish "shed moving party" just down the road. It was maybe ten years ago or so. I was not present, but observers reported that there were about a hundred of them. They attached cross members across the building at a convenient height. On the signal, everybody lifted and moved forward. They moved it across a town road. I guess it was a sight to see-just the 200 feet and ankles visible under the siding. The story was they would move it a couple dozen feet, set it down to rest, then start again.

[maple flats]

Sling under it and lift with the backhoe if you have the clearance. While I didn't move my 3x8 I did hoist it to pour concrete under it. I had 4 straps under the arch. 1 each a few inches from each end of the firebox, one was just under where the ramp got to it's top elevation and the last was about 8-10" from the back. The important thing was to start with each uniformly snug. I my case each was a steel cable with a piece of 1" board between it and the bottom of the arch. Each cable in my case was connected to a 1" pipe going lengthwise in the trusses on each side og the arch. On one end of each I added a T and a 2' pipe for leverage. When I raised it I turned one side 1/2 turn, braced that arm and then turned the other side 1/2. I repeated until the arch was about 3' above where I had to work. I then locked the pipe (winches) and then added a 2x6 down from 3 trusses on each side of the arch and nailed (or screwed) a cross brace for added safety. The main point is that it was safely lifted and could have just as easily been moved with proper lifting equipment without any damage.