Gunner wrote:
On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:02:21 -0800, Grant Erwin
wrote:


David Utidjian wrote:


I need to anchor a 9"swing 40" long bed (with cabinet base) Rockwell
lathe to a concrete floor. I need to make it as level as possible and
then level the bed. There are level adjusting nuts and screws between
the cast iron bed and the cabinet.
The cabinet has 1/2" diameter holes in 4 tabs at its base.
The floor is well cured smooth flat concrete (poured about 30 years
ago). I have a Starrett No. 199 Master Precision Level for the final
leveling.

My plan was to use 3/8" X 3 3/4" "redhead" or "ramset" anchors and those
automotive shims that are about 1" square with U slots in them as the
levelling shims.

Does that sound like a reasonable plan?
Are there better tricks for getting the cabinet level than jamming in
shims?
Would 3/8" be strong enough? Would(approx) 3" of the bolt below grade be
deep enough?

I was thinking since the bolts will actually be studs and if I have
enough thread above grade I could first put a big washer and nut to
secure the stud in the concrete and then add another nut and washer as a
"jack" then comes the tab on the cabinet base and then a final washer
and nut. Of course this arrangement would raise the cabinet tabs at
least the thickness of two nuts and two washers above the floor surface.
I would also make leveling MUCH easier. Does that sound like a
reasonable idea? Should I go with the full 1/2" anchors instead of 3/8"?

Also... currently the lathe is about 6" from a cinderbock wall. Makes it
damn difficult to clean behind it. Since I have a lot of room to play
with how much clearance from the wall would be a good idea? Just enough
to walk around it easily?

Since this is my first time setting up such a (relatively) large machine
and since concrete anchor bolts are rather permanent I would like to do
it right the first time.

-DU-...etc...

I would not anchor the machine to a really flat floor; just move it to where you
want it, and level it.

I have given thought to how to orient a lathe in a small shop, and I now suggest
that you have it coming out 90° from a wall, with the tailstock end towards the
wall, spaced out far enough from the wall so that you can get around behind the
tailstock to squint at the marking for when you are adjusting tailstock setover.
It's bad news to put the headstock end towards the wall, because that interferes
with passing long stock through the headstock. Nor do I like having the back of
the machine face the wall as I have to get back there to clean chips and also to
look carefully at the scribed degree markings on the compound, or to monkey
around with the motor.

GWE



Most of my customers shops have the tailstocks at the wall..with the
lathe at a 45' angle for this reason. Gives a bit more floor space
than a true 90

Gunner

Thanks for the pointers.

A few comments:

As I understand it OSHA requires that machine tools be anchored to the
floor. This shop is in a small state college in New Jersey. I am
required to comply. With that said... none of the machine tools have
been anchored since installed about 30 years ago. I am having problems
with this lathe. It seems that the centerline of the tailstock is 0.005"
lower than the centerline of the headstock. Seems to me that I should
anchor it and level it _before_ I start to try and sort out the aligment
problems.

The worst things about these machines that I have been assigned is that
they have been abused and neglected over the years. Yet I find I can
still do useful work with them.

The manual says to anchor and level the machine to the floor.

Everything I have ever read on lathe setup says that machine tools
should be anchored and leveled to a solid floor. ( A machinist from the
USN says they used to weld their tools to the deck plates... but that
was a rather special situation I think ;-))

My high school machine shop (Berkeley High, Berkeley CA) had over a
dozen lathes. Most were mounted in two rows well away from the walls.
There were work benches and cabinets along the walls. All of the smaller
lathes (12" or less swing) were angled at about 60 degrees to the wall
(closest wall to back of lathe was the included angle). The big lathes
(Hardinge and Reed-Prentice) were at right angles to the walls and at
least as far as the lathe was long. It was a big shop. Very roomy and
well lit. Oh how I miss it.

I like the angle-from-wall idea with the tailstock closest to the wall.
I may move it out far enough to put benches and cabinets along the wall
space it used to occupy.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

-DU-...etc...