Thread: Lathe Levelling - A Different Tack

My attempts at levelling my twin pedestal lathe have been frustratingly useless. With the outrigger flat bar mounted adjustable feet, the lathe wobbles even when it is level.

The concrete floor is not level. There is a fall of about 7mm from the headstock end to the tailstock and a hump in the floor under the headstock pedestal. The hump results in a fall of about 3mm towards the left hand end of that pedestal. Then there is a fall of about 3mm from the rear of the lathe to the front.

The flat bars are gone.

Michael G suggested self levelling grout. I am warming to the idea. Has anyone used the stuff?

If I could level the floor with a topping I would bolt the headstock pedestal down and fiddle with the tailstock end until level and then bolt that down.

A getting despondent BT

Level the lathe at the 4 corners at each end of the cabinet.
If you wish raise the lathe 3/4' to 2" on packers 1st and the do your leveling.
If you are going to grout the extra clearance will make it easier.
You will just need to put a timber dam/wall around the outside to stop the grout running away.
Ideally you want the grout as a slurry so it flows easy.

Hi Bob,
I have used both Ardit and Lanko self leveling products and they are both good. However they do have a few flaws that i can see being a problem in your case. If you dam the area first and then use the product, then put the lathe on top, i think this would work best. You will need to clean the concrete really well and use a bonding agent specific to the product. You can get the products in a few different styles that are designed for different thicknesses, but the thinner you go the better. It is not that strong a product either, if you drop any decent off cut on it it will chip, crack and/or break away from the concrete.
I have only used it under tiles, and for leveling concrete kickboards in commercial kitchens. It is only self leveling over a fairly small area, you still need to spread it well first.

Hi BT,
Have I drawn this before?*
Lets you level and bolt down. As a bonus you get to play around for a few hours making them

Stuart

* didnt even try to draw the loxon

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Level the lathe at the 4 corners at each end of the cabinet.
If you wish raise the lathe 3/4' to 2" on packers 1st and the do your leveling.
If you are going to grout the extra clearance will make it easier.
You will just need to put a timber dam/wall around the outside to stop the grout running away.
Ideally you want the grout as a slurry so it flows easy.

Peter,

The problem I have is that the lathe sits on two separate sheetmetal pedestals. When I first attempted to level it with adjustable feet located only at the four external corners, the pedestals tilted inwards and the whole assembly easily rocked backwards and forwards. I then fitted feet to the remaining four corners in an attempt to provide rigidity. The feet flexed.

The idea of the grout would be to provide a flat surface to bolt the lathe down onto rather than pour the grout under the levelled pedestals which is the normal practice.

BT

Originally Posted by Ueee

Hi Bob,
I have used both Ardit and Lanko self leveling products and they are both good. However they do have a few flaws that i can see being a problem in your case. If you dam the area first and then use the product, then put the lathe on top, i think this would work best. You will need to clean the concrete really well and use a bonding agent specific to the product. You can get the products in a few different styles that are designed for different thicknesses, but the thinner you go the better. It is not that strong a product either, if you drop any decent off cut on it it will chip, crack and/or break away from the concrete.
I have only used it under tiles, and for leveling concrete kickboards in commercial kitchens. It is only self leveling over a fairly small area, you still need to spread it well first.

Ewan,

I just had a look at Dunlop's data sheet for Ardit. Looks like I'd have to buy 20 kilos of the stuff. I'd be lucky if I needed more than a kilo. Still, if I have to buy a bag I could use it to level the mill now that I've discovered the adjustable feet I have aren't up to the task.

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Hi BT,
Have I drawn this before?*
Lets you level and bolt down. As a bonus you get to play around for a few hours making them

Stuart

* didnt even try to draw the loxon

Stu,

I don't think I've seen that sketch before.

Given the limited access to suitable fixing down points on the bottom of the pedestals, I'm wondering if your suggestion could be modified to fit between the lathe bed feet and the bases. Hercus provided adjusters in that location on the 260.

BT

What about tying the 2 end cabinets together with some angle iron first.Then bolt it down.Or then use the levelling feet.

Hi BT,

It could be if you have threaded holes in the lathe base or you could turn it up side down(or just use nuts and bolts like mine). But if you are going to do the leveling on top of the pedestals why does it matter if the pedestals are just bolted straight to the floor?

Also if you are going to level at the top, think about reinforcing the top of the pedestal*. I didn't because I didn't think about it at the time. I'm not sure it needs it but it couldn't hurt.

Stuart

*because if your lathe base is like mine, you take a nice distributed load from the top of the pedestal and turn it into four point loads, that cant to much for rigidity

Hi Bob

With the flex in the base, have you thought of bolting 2 pieces of angle iron to the front & back of the 2 cabinets. Use 50 x 50 / 75 x 75mm, 2 bolts in each cabinet. This should eliminate the bowing effect.

Make 4 or 6 feet out of 6mm steel 100mm square with a theaded rod welded or tapped to the centre. Glue it to the floor with construction adhesive etc.

Put on some nut & washers and level it. I'm thinking of doing this with my 260. Easier than getting someone to weld up a base out of 50 x 50 mm tube & less overall gain in height.

Regards
JohnQ

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Michael G suggested self levelling grout. I am warming to the idea. Has anyone used the stuff?

Hi Bob,
I've used heaps of the stuff to level floors before tiling and also as a grout under steel posts for a deck and a carport.

For the posts I built a 'dam' from 16mm melamine around each base plate and poured Lanko grout into the void under the plate. When the lanko has set but is still 'green' remove the formwork and trowel/scrape a slight bevel on the edges.

I would level the entire area under the lathe. Bear in mind that 1kg of the powder makes less than 1L of grout. Just make up the whole 20kg and pour the lot into your formwork. Take whatever thickness you end up with. Should be around 20mm thick for an area 600x1200. If you don't make it deep enough it won't self-level properly and you'll be back to where you started.

It will leak through any gaps under the formwork. I used blue-tack strips as a removable sealer under the formwork. You need a slow speed drill and a stirring paddle to mix the stuff properly.

Chris

Hi AB

Sounds like the same bloke who did your floor did mine. I had the same problem, big bump up where the headstock is, dropped away at the tail stock end. I had a good talk to the Instructors at Midland TAFE when I did my night course on machining, they suggested to affix the lathe in the same method as their Colchesters Lathes were.

Their mounts were just a big piece of angle iron with two holes drilled through, one for the dyna bolt, the other hole I welded a nut to it then screwed a bolt through for the leveller.

I made 6 mounts, welded them to the base stand, made up some shim packing metal to slip under each mount and used Sparey's method to get it all even.

Took the best part of a day to get level, I don't like to rush things. Works a treat. Floor is rough as guts as the previous owner used a broom to brush grooves in the concrete for grip.

DD

I wonder if the bloke who layed my concrete is still with us. 20 plus years ago I had my sand pad hosed down with Heptachlor, a nasty termiticide that has long since been banned and I aked the concretor whether he was concerned about the fumes. His reply was " Nup, I love the rush it gives me". Reckon I stood much chance of having a level slab?.. FN.

I'm hatching a new plan after a discussion with Rod M this morning. The headstock pedestal would be levelled with shims and bolted down. The tailstock pedestal is left to float. Adjustment and levelling of the bed takes place between the bed feet and the top of the pedestal with shim washers with the swarf tray removed. When the lathe is cutting true the swarf tray is refitted. The tailstock pedestal could have some packers screwed to the underside to raise it up to be on the same plane as the headstock pedestal.

BT

those things above that Stuart has drawn will do the trick..or you could just use adjustable feet over expanding grout and bolt down and level when cured