Relocating a Welding and Metal Fabrication Workshop: Machines, Iron and Gas Cylinders

The half-finished gate is leaning against the fence, two bundles of iron rods are rusting beside the generator, and the landlord has stopped answering the phone politely. A fabrication workshop does not pack into boxes. Everything in it is long, sharp, hot until recently, or heavy enough to flatten a foot.

The move goes well when you finish or hand over open jobs first, make the cylinders safe, and let the steel decide the loading order.

Finish, hand over or park the open jobs

A finished gate or window burglar-proof can go straight to the customer's house instead of your new shop. That saves a double carry. Phone the owners of anything ready and arrange move before moving day, even if it means one earlier trip.

Half-made pieces are different. Tie a tag on each with the customer's name, because once everything is stacked in a truck, nobody remembers which frame belongs to whom. Photograph each unfinished piece against the shop wall so you have a record at both ends.

Cylinders first, and with care

Oxygen and acetylene cylinders are the part of this move that can hurt people. Treat them seriously.

1. Close the valves fully and fit the protective caps.
2. Keep every cylinder upright and strapped to the truck frame or a proper cylinder cage. Never let one roll or lean.
3. Load them last and offload them first, so they spend the least time on the truck.
4. Keep them away from fuel containers, oil drums and the generator.
5. Do not move a cylinder you suspect is leaking. Call the supplier.

Follow the manufacturer's guidance and the supplier's instructions for your specific cylinders. If you rent them, tell the supplier about the move so the records stay right.

Machines: welders, cutters, grinders and benches

An arc welding machine looks small and weighs more than people expect, because of the transformer inside. Switch off, let it cool fully, coil the leads and tie each one. Wrap the body, then strap it to a pallet or a board so the crew can lift it together.

Bench grinders, pillar drills and cutting machines should have their blades or discs removed and packed in their own box. Mark the box with the machine name. Photograph the wiring before you disconnect anything.

Anvils, vices and steel work tables go on the floor of the truck and as close to the cab as you can put them. They are the heaviest things you own. If you want to see how weight adds up on a pickup van (limit 2,400kg) against a truck, read moving building materials without overloading the truck.

Iron stock: rods, pipes, angle iron and sheets

Raw iron usually arrives in long lengths, so decide early whether your load fits a truck bed. Bundles that stick out behind the tailgate need a clear flag and a driver who knows about them before the job starts. Say it in the request.

Bundle by type and length with wire or straps, and put thicker pieces at the bottom. Flat sheets should lie flat on the bed, not lean against the side. Lay timber or old tyres between steel and the truck floor so nothing scrapes through the paint or slides.

Wet steel rusts quickly, so cover the load with a tarpaulin. The knots and strap tension in securing a load with straps, ropes and tarpaulins apply here too.

Ready to move?

Request a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.

Get Sphere on Android Get Sphere on iPhone Talk to our team

Offcuts, rods and the small stuff

Welding rods keep better dry. Pack them in their original boxes, then in a sealed bucket or tin. Gloves, helmets and visors go in a separate crate so that spatter-damaged items do not scratch your good ones.

Offcuts are an honest question. Many workshops keep a heap that has not been touched in two years. Sell it, give it to a scrap buyer or leave it. Moving a heap of scrap on your truck costs the same as moving good stock.

The new site: floor, power and ventilation

Before the truck arrives, check these at the new shop:

• the floor will carry an anvil and a heavy bench without cracking
• the sockets and the generator position can handle your largest machine
• there is somewhere safe to stand the cylinders, away from the doorway
• open space or good airflow for cutting and welding work

Mark where each machine will go on the floor with chalk. Unload the heavy steel first while the crew is fresh, then machines, then cylinders into their fixed spot, then small tools. For a similar plan with engines and jacks, see relocating a mechanic workshop.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a truck for a full fabrication shop, or a pickup van if you only have a welding machine, a bench and light stock. Add the pickup and drop-off and describe the load in detail: "2 arc welding machines, 1 pillar drill, 2 steel benches, 4 bundles of iron rods (longest 6 metres), 2 gas cylinders, 6 boxes of tools". Name the longest item and say that cylinders are on board. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.

See also truck hire in Lagos and business moves in Lagos.