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The dreaded stairs....

RGV

RGV

Gone Fishin'. Leave a message...
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
851
Location
Middlewich, Cheshire
Anyone got any suggestions on getting a pin up stairs? (aside from "don't bother, move your lounge upstairs instead" which I have already considered).

Its a standard set of straight-up stairs to a landing as you see in most 80s 2-story house/ terraces, the stairwell is wider than the pin backbox (just), but there's room to manouvre when we get it up on the landing.

My current 2 options seem to be:

1) Get 4 guys, two at each end, to just pick the thing up and carry it up the stairs.

2) Put it on a sack truck and have 2 or 3 people push it up the stairs with a 4th pulling on the truck above

Second option sounds a bit iffy to me due to all the potential bouncing up the stairs, but I'm open to opinions (and additional options) from people who've had to do this in the past.

Cheers in advance,

Rog
 
Done it a couple times. Obviously if you have space then more bodies to help the better. 4 guys would have no trouble carrying it up as long as they can fit round the machine.

From what I remember ...was a few years back ...we kind of rested the back on each step, guy with back end going up first could then lift machine up and onto each step by putting his hands in where the wiring looms feed up, with couple of guys at lower coin door end taking weight.

Yeah - I wouldnt mess about trying to involve a sack truck - sounds like a comedy moment waiting to happen :eek:

Worst case you can remove backbox and then move the 2 seperate parts easily.


Now ...getting a Star Wars cockpit video game down some stairs - that WAS interesting ;)
 
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I took a Rocky and Bullwinkle up stairs with the help of one mate, my stairs have a 90 degree turn and then a few more steps at the top.

Legs where of and head folded down and strapped. I took the back and he took the front and went first, set my end down if either got tired or felt like it was slipping, then the stairs were holding the weight.

Had to set it down on its end and turn it before going up the last few steps. seemed pretty daunting before we started but was suprisingly easy. If two guys can move it on flat ground its not much of a stretch to go up some stairs, the guy further down is in control and needs to be ready to get the bottom edge onto a step quickly if needed.

I move and set up pins on my own reguarly but wouldnt say im a particularly strong guy ...

Although I did set up Star Trek next gen* on my own using one of these to prop the backend up while I bolted the rear legs on. www.prasharsdiy.com_prash_components_com_virtuemart_shop_imagebd471b0a0c998405aedf52c5b63711b7.jpg

*For anyone that hasnt tried lifting a ST:TNG they weigh about the same as a small car.!!
 
I got a Lethal Weapon 3 down 3 flights of narrow twisty stairs once. It was just me and my brother. It was not easy but we just about managed. Just took the legs off and got on with it really.
There were a couple of hairy moments but that was mainly due to the twistyness of the stair case. It it were a regular straight one we would have been done in a few minutes I reckon.

PS> It was totally worth it.
 
If you can spare the time and effort you could consider entirely removing the head. If you do that you may as well also lift out playfield (and glass) all of which means you could probably do it yourself (with some grunting and straining).
 
I have half my collection upstairs.


If I need to move the machine on my own, I take the head off, take the glass off, take the playfield out, take the transformer out and then pull the empty shell up the stairs fairly easily, and then carry the rest of the parts up individually.

A pin can be moved up stairs complete by 2 people. Removing the head makes it much easier.

Myself and JMP discovered an easier way to move a pin up stairs on our last attempt :-

  • Take the back legs off the pin, but leave the front legs on.
  • Stand the pin up on its back.
  • The person walking backwards up the stairs first grabs hold of the legs for leverage to pull the pin towards them and lift
  • The person at the bottom of the stairs pushing guides the pin up and helps pushing it up one step at a time.

Don't know why I never thought of leaving 2 legs on before, it was so much easier.
 
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Luke that sounds like top advice. I fear they may have already started their task and they are all trapped under the machine at the bottom of the stairs.
 
Great advice there by Luke.
Said everything I was going to say + much more.
 
Thanks folks - Its now up and in with only a little effort (from me anyway:) )

Thanks, yet again go out to @Adrian Hufton, @Mooseman and @erd for showing me how professionals do it.

Also thanks to Wez for selling me the machine in the first place (don't know if he's on here). Loving it already.

Rog
 

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i know moose, but who is who out of the other three?

i spy a bloke in elbow pads, gurning
i spy a bloke with his mouth open, slacking
i spy a bloke playing up to the cameras (moose)
and i spy a bloke in the mirror, grinning
 
cooldan said:
i know moose, but who is who out of the other three?

i spy a bloke in elbow pads, gurning
i spy a bloke with his mouth open, slacking
i spy a bloke playing up to the cameras (moose)
and i spy a bloke in the mirror, grinning
Click to expand...

In the order above...
@Adrian Hufton
@erd
@Mooseman
@RGV

Well done guys on getting it up :) - Roger, I'll be over to play it shortly!
 
is roger the same as totalbobbins? if so, he makes me laugh on yahoo, i like his posts.
if not then forget it, that bastard can go swivel.

not really
 
Its not Roger Thornton Dan.
Will introduce you to Roger (totally bobbins) Thornton at the show. He is a great guy.
 
Last edited:
cooldan said:
is roger the same as totalbobbins? if so, he makes me laugh on yahoo, i like his posts.
if not then forget it, that bastard can go swivel.

not really
Click to expand...

i meant roger thornton, i don't know this roger RCV but he seems a great guy too. take no offence by my nonsense posting please
 
Good going guys. :)
Sounds like the Northern guys are very good at getting stuck in and helping people.
 
Calimori said:
Good going guys. :)
Sounds like the Northern guys are very good at getting stuck in and helping people.
Click to expand...

That doesn't start to cover how great a welcome to the hobby (obsession/ addiction) they've given me :)

I've also had offers of assistance from "darn Sarth" as well. From going to look at machines, to hints and tips on all things pinball (including how best to get the damn things up stairs ;) ).

I've made some newbie mistakes I'm sure, but if it hadn't been for folks on here (and the yahoo groups, despite how damn hard they are to use now...) my first pinball would probably have been a wreck from Blackpool that electrocuted me when I tried to play it and then set my house on fire...

Rog
 
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