According to David Utidjian :
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.

O.K.

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?

Hmm ... My Clausing 12x24" lathe has six holes -- four under the
headstock pedestal, and two under the tailstock one. The manual for the
lathe recommends (assuming that there is some slope as there is with my
garage floor, designed to run water to the outside), that tapered shims
be made up for the full length of the pedestal front and back edges.
(Easy, if you have a big enough milling machine. :-) This is to avoid
stress on the pedestal which will warp it over time, I suspect.

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?

Probably -- unless you plan to put a big heavy workpiece well
off center on a faceplate or in a 4-jaw chuck, and then go through the
speeds looking for where you get resonance.

Where I worked, cut-off bolts just barely long enough to go
through the feet were placed in putty to keep the inspectors from
finding fault with the installation. :-)

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?

With only four points of support, that might well work nicely.

Should I go with the full 1/2" anchors instead of 3/8"?

Proably so -- just so they fill the holes better. :-)

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?

You want more than that, I think. I had to get to the back of
mine to install the taper turning attachment, and I have had to sit on
the floor and remove the back panel of the headstock pedestal to access
the motor to replace the starting capacitor a couple of times. (Next
time, it gets a three-phase motor and a VFD -- both of which are already
in hand), and once to replace the three paralleled belts running from
the countershaft to the spindle pulley. There, it is nice to have room
to lean back with the motor in your hands, without wedging your back
against the wall.

Of course -- now this space is at least partially filled by my
air compressor, but that is on wheels, so it can come out if I need to
go in. :-)

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.

You might be able to live without the bolts. I have, so far,
with a machine about 50% bigger than yours in terms of swing, though the
length between centers is quite a bit less.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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