ChattanoogaPhil
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If chose DIY... video and pics please...
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Moving the safe down the stairs
- Thread starter rustythread
- Start date
SAFireman
SWCA Member
Ask your local gun shop that sells safes, it is likely that they have someone that they would recommend.
Don't try this yourself, it can result in pretty gruesome injury and/or death (take it from someone who has had to deal with the aftermath of some really awful failures of 'we can do it, it can't be that hard!', in both agricultural and semi-industrial settings).
Don't try this yourself, it can result in pretty gruesome injury and/or death (take it from someone who has had to deal with the aftermath of some really awful failures of 'we can do it, it can't be that hard!', in both agricultural and semi-industrial settings).
Protected One
Member
Some jobs are fine to DIY, other are meant for the pros.
This one is the later.
This one is the later.
Another idea for moving your gun safe downstairs:
1. move the safe by dolly to the top of the very edge of the stairs
2. tip the safe forward
3. the safe will take its self to the bottom of the stairs.
*** do this when the family is not home
** immediately leave home and stay away until the family has returned home
* on returning home, blame everything on an earthquake
(your welcome)
1. move the safe by dolly to the top of the very edge of the stairs
2. tip the safe forward
3. the safe will take its self to the bottom of the stairs.
*** do this when the family is not home
** immediately leave home and stay away until the family has returned home
* on returning home, blame everything on an earthquake
(your welcome)
rburg
Member
There are safes and then there are safes. Gun safes are just glorified steel file cabinets. Not very heavy for their size and make sure a safe mover knows before he quotes. Also, there are safes that can be broken down to move. I think the name is Zanotti, and they're expensive but you can move them yourselves (plural, as in getting some other sucker to do the heavy lifting.)
We pulled a double move 7 years ago. Out of the old house and then into the new one on the same site. Not really that bad because I gave the old safes away. One they moved to a son's house and down into his basement. The other my oldest and his stocky friend moved themselves. I did no constructive work, only offering unwelcome advice. The hardest part of the move was the ammo and reloading components. I hired the work done because I'd just had bypass surgery and was limited to some minor weight limits. The mover said my wife's piano was the hard part. For me the only hard part was handing out $.
I had my new safe door delivered to the drive where it sat on pallets for months. But the Amish and Mennonite guys who did the framing had a cool little thing called a skid steer. They placed it in the "laundry room" before framing. Nice guys, good workmen. The laundry room term came from a bystander/kabitzer standing around watching. Worked for me. But it was lying on its side well away from the opening it was going into.
And I was still living with a lifting limit. So I got my older son and his buddy to stand the thing on edge. When we finished unwrapping it, I saw it for the first time. Shipping weight was 800#. So I made a mark on the floor, found a chunk of 2x4 and a 6# sledge hammer. By placing the wood against the frame on the far side from the doorway, I could "tap" the board with the hammer. Just slightly swinging. One tap, 1/8". I was still off work with nothing else I wanted to do. And I had all day. You'd be amazed at what an old guy can accomplish with time and patience. So that tap-tap-tapping sound took a couple of hours. Into the opening it went. All by my little self. Harder was drilling the anchor holes, but I did that, too. Did anyone here know a 9/16th anchor won't fit through a 9/16 hole? Well, you do now.
So I join the others here suggesting the OP hire it out. Most moving companies will move a sheet steel gun cabinet. Stay away from the word safe unless they use it. Oh, and empty the darn thing before any moving takes place. Breaking the job down into small manageable pieces makes it easier. If possible, don't move anything that suggest guns or firearms until after dark. No reason to attract the dirt bags. And if the new one comes in a cardboard box that has "gun safe" plastered all over it, don't put it out for the trash. Burn the box or haul it someplace that will let you throw in in a dumpster. Cut the box up with a razor knife. Remove any address info, too.
Just my advice. I lived through it. What started as the most stressful part mentally ended up being easy. Pay someone else.
We pulled a double move 7 years ago. Out of the old house and then into the new one on the same site. Not really that bad because I gave the old safes away. One they moved to a son's house and down into his basement. The other my oldest and his stocky friend moved themselves. I did no constructive work, only offering unwelcome advice. The hardest part of the move was the ammo and reloading components. I hired the work done because I'd just had bypass surgery and was limited to some minor weight limits. The mover said my wife's piano was the hard part. For me the only hard part was handing out $.
I had my new safe door delivered to the drive where it sat on pallets for months. But the Amish and Mennonite guys who did the framing had a cool little thing called a skid steer. They placed it in the "laundry room" before framing. Nice guys, good workmen. The laundry room term came from a bystander/kabitzer standing around watching. Worked for me. But it was lying on its side well away from the opening it was going into.
And I was still living with a lifting limit. So I got my older son and his buddy to stand the thing on edge. When we finished unwrapping it, I saw it for the first time. Shipping weight was 800#. So I made a mark on the floor, found a chunk of 2x4 and a 6# sledge hammer. By placing the wood against the frame on the far side from the doorway, I could "tap" the board with the hammer. Just slightly swinging. One tap, 1/8". I was still off work with nothing else I wanted to do. And I had all day. You'd be amazed at what an old guy can accomplish with time and patience. So that tap-tap-tapping sound took a couple of hours. Into the opening it went. All by my little self. Harder was drilling the anchor holes, but I did that, too. Did anyone here know a 9/16th anchor won't fit through a 9/16 hole? Well, you do now.
So I join the others here suggesting the OP hire it out. Most moving companies will move a sheet steel gun cabinet. Stay away from the word safe unless they use it. Oh, and empty the darn thing before any moving takes place. Breaking the job down into small manageable pieces makes it easier. If possible, don't move anything that suggest guns or firearms until after dark. No reason to attract the dirt bags. And if the new one comes in a cardboard box that has "gun safe" plastered all over it, don't put it out for the trash. Burn the box or haul it someplace that will let you throw in in a dumpster. Cut the box up with a razor knife. Remove any address info, too.
Just my advice. I lived through it. What started as the most stressful part mentally ended up being easy. Pay someone else.
V1 Rotate
Member
I've Done It--Please Read.
I moved an 1100 pound safe down a set of wooden basement stairs. Yes, remove the doors but I'd like to advise that moving such a heavy safe can be dangerous, even fatal if you think nothing bad can ever happen to you.
We lined the top of the stairs with 2X4 skids and the stairway itself was supported from beneath with several risers, also cut from 2x4s. We tied a very sturdy rope around the safe and slid it down on its side. We had eight men to hold onto the rope and to ease it down.
Once down, we used all our muscle to set the safe upright on its casters. This safe became hopelessly damaged during Hurricane Sandy but with age, comes wisdom. We hired a safe mover to get the danged thing out of our basement. They lashed it to an electric stair climber with a tank-like tread and that baby brought the safe up the stairs with ease. In fact, one of the movers rode the device in front to prevent it from tilting backwards.
I moved an 1100 pound safe down a set of wooden basement stairs. Yes, remove the doors but I'd like to advise that moving such a heavy safe can be dangerous, even fatal if you think nothing bad can ever happen to you.
We lined the top of the stairs with 2X4 skids and the stairway itself was supported from beneath with several risers, also cut from 2x4s. We tied a very sturdy rope around the safe and slid it down on its side. We had eight men to hold onto the rope and to ease it down.
Once down, we used all our muscle to set the safe upright on its casters. This safe became hopelessly damaged during Hurricane Sandy but with age, comes wisdom. We hired a safe mover to get the danged thing out of our basement. They lashed it to an electric stair climber with a tank-like tread and that baby brought the safe up the stairs with ease. In fact, one of the movers rode the device in front to prevent it from tilting backwards.
Paying a thousand dollars is a lot cheaper than having someone die.
gman51
Member
Yep hire a professional mover. They are covered in case the worst happens. They do it so often that they know exactly how to do it. Well they should anyway...just make sure they have insurance. I do know for moving a safe up or down stairs does dramatically increase cost to move.
Ad in local paper..........gun safe for sale......estate sale......don't know combination. Buyer responsible for removing safe from the house.
Ad in local paper..........gun safe for sale......estate sale......don't know combination. Buyer responsible for removing safe from the house.
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rburg
Member
I saw that ad in a Chicago paper. Rumor has it that it was once Al Capone's safe. Some tabloid news wants to pay to film the opening, big bucks. I think the tabloid was called the Chicago Tribune, but not sure. I do recall it was a lefty slanted paper.
brigeton
Member
Leave it on the ground floor.
The video link on their website pretty much would rule them out for me. Yes, with enough muscle you do almost anything, but that looked scary and dangerous to me. There are electrically powered dollies made now that can negotiate stairs, up or down. A friend had one of his safes delivered to his upstairs this way and it worked very well. Here's an example of one:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifWSXhCJFkE"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifWSXhCJFkE[/ame]
OH heck, someone has to do it!!
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckGwu5TWuuM[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckGwu5TWuuM[/ame]
When I purchased my safe, I hired the safe dealer to deliver and install mine.
He had one of those electric stair stepper dolly machines. Just a simple one man job.
Best $100 that I've ever spent. Period.
He had one of those electric stair stepper dolly machines. Just a simple one man job.
Best $100 that I've ever spent. Period.
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my safe empty weighs about 1100 lbs...I moved it into the room where it now sits...there was 3 of us and an appliance dolly....that being said...hire someone,sit back,drink a beer,plan to fill it after its installed
When I purchased my safe I checked the load bearing rating of my basement steps with the manufacturer. Since my safe weighed 1200 lbs it was determined the steps would not bear the weight. So the first thing we did was re enforce the steps.
There were two brothers that delivered the safe, big brothers. Anyway they came in and surveyed the area. They laid 3/4" plywood down on the kitchen floor. Went to the bottom of the basement steps and built a platform two steps up, this was so the safe could be set upright and turned.
They had their trailer backed into my garage bay and proceeded to hoist the safe down and out of the trailer onto a moving dolly,,,heavy duty! They then rolled it to the kitchen/ garage door which is one step up and slid the safe onto a solid 6" round piece of PVC and rolled and pivoted toe the basement steps.
There is a vent hole in the top of my safe which had an eye bolt threaded into it.
They laid plywood down the steps to the bottom platform.
Next they rigged towing straps around the safe which was still in its cardboard box.
The one brother went on the steps, the other brother, my son and myself grabbed the straps. We worked the safe to the top of the steps and kicked it back.
With the one brother holding back at the bottom we now left the safe slide down the steps to the platform where it was uprighted turned and then dropped or slid down to the floor on top of 2 6" solid pieces of round PVC. From there it was rolled to its current location and set in place.
This is how its done when you have people that know what they are doing, these guys were good! These guys moved a few safes
My only mistake was that I didn't take they 2nd safe they had ordered for me. They bought a next size smaller safe just in case this one didn't fit!
Needless to say when I move or the house is sold I guess the safe stays?
There were two brothers that delivered the safe, big brothers. Anyway they came in and surveyed the area. They laid 3/4" plywood down on the kitchen floor. Went to the bottom of the basement steps and built a platform two steps up, this was so the safe could be set upright and turned.
They had their trailer backed into my garage bay and proceeded to hoist the safe down and out of the trailer onto a moving dolly,,,heavy duty! They then rolled it to the kitchen/ garage door which is one step up and slid the safe onto a solid 6" round piece of PVC and rolled and pivoted toe the basement steps.
There is a vent hole in the top of my safe which had an eye bolt threaded into it.
They laid plywood down the steps to the bottom platform.
Next they rigged towing straps around the safe which was still in its cardboard box.
The one brother went on the steps, the other brother, my son and myself grabbed the straps. We worked the safe to the top of the steps and kicked it back.
With the one brother holding back at the bottom we now left the safe slide down the steps to the platform where it was uprighted turned and then dropped or slid down to the floor on top of 2 6" solid pieces of round PVC. From there it was rolled to its current location and set in place.
This is how its done when you have people that know what they are doing, these guys were good! These guys moved a few safes
My only mistake was that I didn't take they 2nd safe they had ordered for me. They bought a next size smaller safe just in case this one didn't fit!
Needless to say when I move or the house is sold I guess the safe stays?
