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Thread: Installing a lathe
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7th May 2022, 09:51 AM #1Golden Member
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Installing a lathe
Hello all
I will be installing a lathe in my shed all up about 700Kg.
I am wanting to gain a little height and spread the load on the concrete.
The lathe comes with steel cabinets at each end.
Am I asking for problems if I put a sheet of 18mm Form Ply under the cabinets on top of the concrete.
Is this likely to cause accuracy problems down the track. The cabinets will be bolted through the Form Ply to the concrete.
Thanks Steve
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7th May 2022, 11:11 AM #2Most Valued Member
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With only 700kg you don't have any load problems to worry about spreading. I would just level it up and skip the wood. I do use 2x2s for height boosters on some machines but they are short and boxy and unlikely to twist.
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7th May 2022, 11:15 AM #3Most Valued Member
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Hi Steve,
For a 700Kg lathe, I would imagine that the bed could be easily twisted if sat on uneven ground or even a well made concrete slab. This may affect its ability to turn parallel. Placing it on some form ply will not help because being timber, it is compressible albeit by a small amount.
A good basic project for your lathe is to turn up some screw jacks that have a decent steel pad to sit on the floor.
They can be as simple as a piece of all thread (as big as you can go that fits through the holes in the base of your cabinet, 20mm or so) and welded to a steel pad. Steel pad can be around 60 - 70mm in diameter and maybe 10 - 12mm thick. Add a couple of adjustment nuts and your good to go. Adjust these pads until you have your lathe bed flat or your lathe turns parallel within spec.
Simon
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7th May 2022, 11:21 AM #4Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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Can't see a problem if it bolted.
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7th May 2022, 11:31 AM #5Golden Member
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- Adelaide
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While timber does had some 'give' maybe form ply is up to the task, it is after all used to support concrete pours on multi story buildings, personally I would be opting for something out of steel - while you are at the design stage you may want to consider adding enough height to accommodate a duck board so you are not constantly stepping on any swarfe/chips that come off while turning - I have one that came from a butchers shop, though they are easy enough to make.
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7th May 2022, 09:48 PM #6Senior Member
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10th May 2022, 11:15 PM #7Senior Member
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- Jun 2011
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- Melbourne, Australia
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- 129
Installing a Lathe
Whilst my lathe barely weighs half of the OP's, I too was concerned about uneven concrete and any resulting twisting forces on the lathe bed. Moreover, the concrete in my garage has shifted over time an it's anything but level. So I modified the cabinets to include height adjustment
Legs are from 50x25 bar MIG welded to the cabinet undersides. Bolts are 3/4 UNF (much to my metric OCD's disgust because the 3/4 UNF tap was on hand and I wasn't able to readily source a similarly sized metric equivalent), generously chamfered on the ends. Feet are from 50mm round bar.
I also managed to have my local paint supplier colour match the cabinet OEM paintwork and supply a couple of spray cans - a worthwhile move IMO if you want the modification to look like part of the original equipment.
Salv
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