"Dave H." wrote in message
...

"Richard W." wrote ...
"john" wrote...

If you bolt the lathe to the concrete floor you can make it a lot moe
rigid. Also proper leveling makes a big difference. There is an art to
doing long thin parts without getting chatter, a steady rest or follower
rest being manditory.


True, but a lathe with wide ways helps a lot. Tarnows have narrow ways.
At least the ones I have used.


Checking the spec' (translated as best I can from the original Polish,
will go see my Polish friend Mata if I get the manufacturer's handbook!),
it looks like the width of the ways on the smaller ones like this is about
equal to twice the centre height, and not having a bed gap might help
rigidity some? A new reinforced concrete floor (6" or 8" slab with top and
bottom steel mesh on insulation slab over compacted rubble and sand
blinding) is on the cards whatever I end up buying, and ragbolts into the
concrete would be wise, IMHO, to minimise vibration. I've seen machinery
dance across the floor when it hit resonant frequency, don't fancy 2 tons
of lathe chasing me out the door... 1/4 ton of rock'n'rolling ICL
chain-printer was bad enough.


The one I used was bolted to a concrete floor.

Richard W.