Cross Country Move Question - Dust Collection

[jcredding]

My wife and I are going to move from SoCal to Charlotte NC, so moving the shop. My question is about the dust collection system and what to move (or not). I have an Oneida system with snap lock metal with a 7” primary line and then some 6” with 5” drops. I’m trying to figure out if I should dismantle and try to move it or just sell it cheap and buy new on the other end.

Also open to any other advice on a cross country move.

Thanks, John

[R Clark]

I've moved my shop several times over the years; once with pro movers, the others were DIY.

Are you moving yourself, or are you going to have a moving company do the work?  A mix?

As to the Snap Lock pipe, I presume you're talking about the standard cost-efficient HVAC ducting that you have purposed for your DC system.  I've never tried to "unsnap" duct like that; is it even possible?  I think I'd sell the snap lock duct and buy new at the distant end.  Assuming that the only disassembly you will do is to break down the runs into individual sections, leaving the ducts round, you will consume a disproportionate amount of truck space for empty pipe.

I did most of my own packing when it came to the shop.  I used the opportunity to downsize some of the odds and ends that accumulated over time.  I used rolls and rolls of that plastic stretch wrap to keep things together and prepare for shipping.

Machines:

- Contractor saw:  Removed the wings, the motor, and the fence; packed these separate.  Left the rest of it assembled.

- Table saw (SawStop):  Removed the wings, extension table, fence rails.

- Delta closed stand 14" band saw:  Done this machine two ways.  On the cross-country move, I removed the saw assembly from the closed stand.  Built a shipping crate for the saw assembly.  Knowing that I would eventually move this saw a long way, I kept the particle board base the saw assembly was originally shipped on from the factory and built the crate around that.  On the local move of this saw, I rolled it into the U-haul truck and carefully transported it to the temp storage place and then again to the new shop.  I kept a junk blade in place on the wheels; not super tight, but some pressure.

- Removed belts from machines with open stands like my jointer.

- Put all removed machine-related hardware (bolts, screws, nuts, etc.) in ziploc bags and taped those bags to an inside surface of the machine it belonged to.  It's amazing how stuff like that can get lost in a move, so take the time and reduce your risk.

- I moved my liquids myself (paints, stains, lubricants, adhesives, etc.)  I was somewhat selective about what got kept.  For example, a can of stain that was 3/4ths empty either was given away or sent to hazmat disposal.  Full/nearly full cans went into a plastic tub that I carried in my pickup.  Some professional movers won't carry liquids like that.

- Lumber:  Ditch the scrap bin.  Be selective about what lumber you're going to take.  Lumber takes up space and can weigh a lot.  I'm guessing that lumber prices are going to be much easier in NC than in SoCal, so perhaps you sell your stock now and replace it on the other end.  I would only move lumber that has some special value. 

- Work benches.  If you have that dream Roubo bench that you lovingly made, move it.  However, if your primary bench is made to fit your current shop space and is made of framing lumber and is easily replaced, I'd sell and build new at the other end.

Hope all goes well.  Good luck.

[fredhargis]

I've moved my shop twice in the last 10-12 years, but nor nearly as far (we only went over one zip code each time). I can tell you that moving the DC ducting (PVC, in my case) was by far the most labor intensive part of moving the shop. If I was facing what you are, I'd do as WXman suggested...leave the ducting behind (I would take the DC with me) and start over at the new place. Little doubt this will cost a little more...but you will be so happy you did that. Reassembling a new system form the old duct work is a real PITA.

[tomsteve]

If I was facing what you are, I'd do as WXman suggested...leave the ducting behind (I would take the DC with me) and start over at the new place. Little doubt this will cost a little more...but you will be so happy you did that. Reassembling a new system form the old duct work is a real PITA.

plus the shop layout can be completely different requiring running the ductwork differently which can cause a PITA trying to use the ductwork layed out for a different set up

[TDKPE]

I would probably toss the straight runs, assuming it’s cheap HVAC duct, but keep specialty fittings like takeoffs (which I made myself) and blast gates (same).  My cyclone sits on a tall wooden stand, and I’d put it inside the stand and box it in with plywood so it’s a crate, and fill the voids with the specialty fittings.  Blower and motor would get its own crate, since it’s just sitting on top anyway.

I’d also have to think about what to sell off.  Not going to be easy, though, as I have relatively little to start with.  

[jcredding]

Thanks for all the great information. We are hiring professionals, will probably move in early April, so I’m going to have to get started. I had planned on taking the fittings, but was trying to figure out if the ducting was worth it.

And really appreciate the insight on machines. The one issue is that I’m going to have to build the shop on the other end, so have to find some storage too. I got some marine corrosion inhibitor (someone noted that in a prior post) and plan to use that since everything will probably sit for a year.

For the lumber, I’m keeping the stash of true specialty wood - I still have about 15 bf of ebony, 80 bf of cocobolo, etc. The rest I was planning to get rid of at good prices. I may start selling some stuff soon.

[fredhargis]

Both times I moved my tools they had to sit for a year (roughly). In my case it was in our garage. Anyway, I have no idea if thsi is better than corrosion inhibitor, but it might be easier. I bought a roll of magnetic sign material (amazon, I think) and cut pieces to completely cover the cast iron surfaces of my tools. It worked really well for the time they were in storage. Just something to keep in mind.

[BrokenOlMarine]

I moved from VA to OK, and spent two months going thru the shop. I tossed most, 
, of the scraps, but i hauled most of the wood from my stores. We had gotten lucky several years before and bought a pickup full of mixed live edge slabs... I wasn't leaving it behind. 
. LOML said, "We aren't hauling all that wood across country.".  I grinned. " Then we aren't hauling thirty rubbermaid tubs of material from your sewing shop across the country. "


  "Gonna be a long trip.". We were glad we didn't leave supplies behind.  Quality is expensive now.  Glad I didn't sell off my reloading supplies, all my nuts, bolts, and nails. .. To save gas in the uhauls. 
   One case of ammo, one slab of walnut would pay for all the gas. 


I did dump a lot of "I might use this someday."
 We went thru every room in the house twice.
Every building on the farm.
If we didn't need it, it didn't go.

[AHill]

I moved from SoCal to Central Florida 3 years ago. My entire shop was moved by professional movers, and it included about 4 months of storage prior to getting into the shop.

My thoughts:
- Make sure you clean out your filters or dust collectors. If they tip over or the seals get open, it'll be a mess.
- Apply rust prevention wherever you can. Past wax, Boeshield, or whatever. SoCal is practically rust-free. NC humidity (just like FL) will start attacking things the second they arrive in state.
- If you have the original packaging, put it in the packaging for shipment, but leave the top open for the movers. That way it counts as carrier-packed vs. owner-packed. Also, the original packing was designed in the first place to provide protection during transportation.
- If you take anything apart, package all the fasteners / hardware in a zip lock bag, label the bag, and duct tape it somewhere on the tool.
- Pack loose items by similarity. For example, everything that goes with your router should be a box labeled "Router Accessories." When I moved, the packers labeled every single box from my garage workshop as "Garage" or "Tools". Well that helped. (Not!)
- Some moving companies won't transport lumber because it may carry termites, etc. that may infect the wood floors of the truck / van.
- Many tools are pilferable. Make absolutely sure if you're using a moving company that they document exactly what tools are in a particular box. Some companies are better than others, but some will take advantage of you and use an ambiguous label (like "garage") knowing they can go back, remove your nice Milwaukee drill, then claim it was never packed in the first place.
- Take photos of everything you are shipping prior to it being packed. That way, you have some proof it was damaged in shipment.
- Read the fine print on the packing list. Packers are notorious for marking every item as dented/scratched/rusty, etc. Pics will dispute that.
- Read the contract of the moving company and check with your insurance. You may need mover's insurance just in case.

[Philip1231]

My wife and I are going to move from SoCal to Charlotte NC, so moving the shop.  My question is about the dust collection system and what to move (or not).  I have an Oneida system with snap lock metal with a 7” primary line and then some 6” with 5” drops.  I’m trying to figure out if I should dismantle and try to move it or just sell it cheap and buy new on the other end.  

Also open to any other advice on a cross country move.

Thanks, John

Leave the ductwork, take the cyclone (and the canoles).