taking the Buddy Apart

[SmilingPat]

How hard is it to take the shopbot Buddy apart for moving. I will first be using it in the basement of my house until I get enough business to pay for renting a shop. I will need to take it apart to get it through the door and into the basement. Patrick

[ironsides]

How hard is it to take the shopbot Buddy apart for moving. I will first be using it in the basement of my house until I get enough business to pay for renting a shop. I will need to take it apart to get it through the door and into the basement. Patrick

Have wrench, will travel.

George

[SmilingPat]

I take it that means it is not to hard as long as you are mechanically inclined.

[ironsides]

Actually, I have no idea.
I have a PRSalpha 48 X 48 and had to have my neighbors help assemble mine because I am in a wheelchair and can hardly lift a wrench.

George

[gerryv]

Patrick,
Whats the width of the door opening of the narrowest door you'll be going through (1) with the door removed from the hinges and (b) with the door frame popped out? The latter is actually easy to measure by simply removing the trim from around the door (not the top) on one side of the wall. If you do have to remove the door frame, doing so and replacing it (correctly) is easier than many people think.

I can measure my Buddy 32 Standard next time I'm at the shop but I suspect that a call to Shopbot tech support would give you the clearance needed at least for the current version of the Buddy, if not the previous ones as well. Their 800 number works in Canada too, unlike some other companies.

As Gary says, you'll be very well looked after dealing direct with SB and that's whether on a new machine, something in between or even an oldie.

[Brady Watson]

It's easy.

Mark where the gantry and legs are attached with a fine tip Sharpie. Don't be bashful - write yourself notes, like LF for Left Front etc. Pull the spindle off of the Z and box it up with VFD. Plastic twine (Saran Wrap) entire YZ car to gantry to keep it from flailing around. Put it aside and protect it with foam.

Only if necessary should you disassemble the bottom and center crossmembers from the lower table. This is if you can't fit it thru the door. Be sure to mark where the roller support ties into the table sides on the AL extrusion.

You can wipe the Sharpie marks off with denatured alky when you reassemble. You can also use blue painter's tape to write yourself notes for reassembly. Take pics if you don't have a photographic memory.

-B

[SmilingPat]

Thank-You Gerald for the great information and tip. I will ask ShopBot direct for the answer to my question. Just in case can you please messure yours at your shop to let me know what the width is of the Shop Buddy? Patrick Mclaughlin

[Acmeaviator]

I also appreciate the help with this topic - the very first thing I'll be doing with my buddy is taking it apart and moving it into my basement shop I managed to get my wife's ceramic kiln (a 9 cubic foot 12,000 watt small-production unit) into the shop so hopefully this will go as smoothly.