Gun Safe moving, how too?

[lancem]

M
You do need a better grade of friends, too.

OK guys, did some figuring and here's where I'm at, county has over 6035 square miles with one city. The total population is 9546, city population is 6035 and covers 4.8 miles, leaving us with a little over 6000 square miles and 3511 people living on it. So about 1 person for every 1.7 square miles, not a lot of people to rub shoulders with. Most of you probably have 3500 people living within a couple of miles of you making finding good friends pretty easy I would think

[WRideout]

500 pounds isn't really that heavy.
A regular dolly will work. An appliance dolly is better.

A pry bar or even a big screw driver will go in under the safe to get the dolly's shoe in under it.

Strap it to the dolly with the door against the dolly, and pad it with old blankets or towels.
Then put a couple 2x4s between the dolly and the door to protect the handle and lock from hitting the dolly frame.

One piece of 3/4" plywood cut in half to cross the dirt.
As you roll across each piece, put the next piece's edge under the last one.
It's easier to drop down onto the next piece than to climb up onto it.

Voice of experience.

Wayne

[redriverhunter]

I thought I was pretty cool when they delivered my safe. my safe weights 976 pounds. my floor is allure flooring, they backed up to my porch and moved from the truck into my house with what looked like 4 inch pvc pipe, I thought for sure the pipe would not make it but it did. once in the house they took a rug and laid it out upside down and moved the safe onto the rug and drug/pushed it into place. I was amazed.

[MaryB]

OK guys, did some figuring and here's where I'm at, county has over 6035 square miles with one city. The total population is 9546, city population is 6035 and covers 4.8 miles, leaving us with a little over 6000 square miles and 3511 people living on it. So about 1 person for every 1.7 square miles, not a lot of people to rub shoulders with. Most of you probably have 3500 people living within a couple of miles of you making finding good friends pretty easy I would think

13 per sq mile here LOL

[blackthorn]

The upside down rug trick has been around for a long time and it works! Moving heavy objects may take some thought and planning but it is not really an insurmountable project. Lots of good ideas in this thread. As far as making friends, the concentration (or not) of population is not any kind of factor in making "good" (dependable/honest) friends! Years ago I read an article that said that if you make 10 real friends in a lifetime you were one lucky SOB. Friendly acquaintances yes but real friends---not so much. Good luck with your move and remember, safety first!

[Winger Ed.]

Voice of experience.Wayne

My last job (for 11 years) was working for a high security safe company.

We did stuff other companies wouldn't touch.
Like putting 4-5,000 pound safe up into, and through the windows of multi story buildings.
Some were too heavy for the elevators even with the 2,000 pound door removed.
It's easy enough unless the window is not as tall as the safe it, and has to go through diagonally.

Or going OVER a house from the front yard to be able to get it through a back door.

Or taking a 3-5,000 pound one up or down a flight of stairs.

Fun times.....

[Froogal]

I thought I was pretty cool when they delivered my safe. my safe weights 976 pounds. my floor is allure flooring, they backed up to my porch and moved from the truck into my house with what looked like 4 inch pvc pipe, I thought for sure the pipe would not make it but it did. once in the house they took a rug and laid it out upside down and moved the safe onto the rug and drug/pushed it into place. I was amazed.

Mine has the upside down carpet still under it. Made it possible to just slide it across a hardwood floor.

[Mk42gunner]

500 pounds? Get a couple of teenagers and tell them they can't do it.

That doesn't work well with nobody knowing about it though.

I moved several 1015 pound safes when I was in the Navy. The easiest way is to get three pieces of pipe for rollers, anywhere from one to two inches od. TO cross the dirt, a couple of pieces of 3/4" plywood should work, and if you are careful, you should be able to get them out of one 4x8 sheet.

If it starts to get away from you, let it go and figure some thing else out after the adrenaline settles.

Good Luck,

Robert

[Rockindaddy]

Safe moving is an art! I have 5 big safes. All full of guns. The last one required some steel 2" pipe. Laid the safe on its back and used a winch and a strap. Just have to have a helper sliding the 2" pipe under the safe to keep it rolling. However my big safe is a 4800 pounder. Good thing I had an old Pettibone 36,000 lb crane on the farm. Easy move!

[Winger Ed.]

Safe moving is an art!

Very much so, and I never get tired of watching it being done.

When we moved out of the city, my neighbor and long time friend who is also a safe mover did it.

For the 6,000 pound safe- he used a 7500 lb. capacity power pallet jack.
It raised the (full) safe up, and drove it onto a 'lift a load' trailer that the bed drops all the way down to the ground.
Instead of regular axles, it has what looks like the front steering/suspension parts for a heavy truck.

Then put it into our new garage.
Handling it on & off the trailer took about 4-maybe five minutes on each end.

Something cool to watch was when we'd get in a big/heavy safe that the door hinges had worn out from never being greased.
We'd turn it over on its back with straps & a forklift.
Move it into the shop, then cut off the old door hinges and weld on new ones.
Then stand it back up, repaint & put on a new lock.
The tolerance for getting the door positioned right was about the thickness of a business card all around it.
At the time, there was about 6 guys at 3 different companies in the US that could, or would do it.

We got paid to make them 'go away', then when re-furbished, they were sold with a regular warranty
for about 75% the price of a new one like it.

Another cool trick was to convert one from a right hand swing door, to left hand swing.
'All ya gotta do' is cut off the right side hinges, weld on left hand swing ones,
then stand the safe back up---- but upside down.

[Wayne Smith]

You have neglected to mention if any slope is involved. Believe me, if you thought there was none, you will find it if it is there!

[lancem]

You have neglected to mention if any slope is involved. Believe me, if you thought there was none, you will find it if it is there!

Luckily no, as far as I can tell we are all on even ground one place to another. With all of the comments I think I pretty much have a plan, just trying to decide whether to go the pipe method or weld up a dolly to go under the safe as I have heavy short casters that would work.

[MaryB]

My radio desk is over 500 pounds with all the stuff on it. Moving it was a pain when I needed to get behind it to work on cables... I added 4 caster you push down on a lever and it lifts each corner and locks in place.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

[fivegunner]

Alot of good advice here, My take, I moved one safe 1 time, next time I will buy a new safe and have the professional people install it. probably $3,5oo to 5 grand , The people who buy my house will have a nice safe .

[lancem]

My radio desk is over 500 pounds with all the stuff on it. Moving it was a pain when I needed to get behind it to work on cables... I added 4 caster you push down on a lever and it lifts each corner and locks in place.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

Mary you may be the prize winner with this one. I'm going to have to study a bit but I'm thinking these attached to angle iron that I can slip under the corners of the safe and strap on.... Yes have to think about this a bit.

[country gent]

1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 1/8 angle cut and bend into a square 1/8'-1/4" bigger than the safe cut 45* and bend then weld. weld the caster on the bottom. At 500 lbs get casters at least rated for at least 125 lbs and weld them on.Once sat down in this it can stay right there in it ready to go.

[jimlj]

"I really don't want to involve any friends as no one knows about this safe and I'd like to keep it that way" he said on the world wide web.


A 500 lb safe is about 150 lb heavier that an average refrigerator. A fridge dolly should move it fairly easy with one helper, especially if you can remove the door.

[txbirdman]

I heard a guy say he had moved one using golf balls under it as rollers. But I have no first hand knowledge as to whether that will work.

[scattershot]

I think some one mentioned it already, but taking the door off makes it a lot easier to move.

[Elmer Fudd]

Sorry if this is a duplicate response. I read through post 20 is all.

Try using golf balls under the safe on a hard surface. Use garden hose or 2x4s to corral the balls as you go. Obviously have to leap frog them as you would pipes, but spinning the safe is much easier on balls. Use plywood/OSB over the lawn or any other rough or soft surface. A pry bar is invaluable, especially the wide ones with a curve and a thickness taper (like a chisel) at the end. Use a pipe at the very end because it is safely removed without placing your hand under a teetering hand smasher.