# rubber under lathe feet?



## Jadecy (Aug 17, 2009)

What size lathe are you talking about? I would suggest something like these -

Machine mounts: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=504&PMCTLG=00

Or use concrete anchors with studs.

If you want accuracy from your lathe make sure you level it and use a machinist level as a reference not a carpenters level.


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## New_Guy (Aug 17, 2009)

its a 12x36 lathe and yeah i have seen those machine mounts problem right now is cash there not very cheap over here in Aus and i want them larger than 40mm and i dont want to bolt it to the floor as i think the manual is for a different model lathe and im having enough trouble as it is with the plate  all i really want to know is if it will walk when the lathe is in operation?


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## bentprop (Aug 18, 2009)

My lathe is a 13x40,and I,ve never had it bolted down.Yours isn't much smaller than mine,so I think you'll be ok.No danger of it walking away,unless you're trying to run something huge in it.Even then it would have to be badly unbalanced to make it walk.
As for levelling,unless you're making aircraft grade parts,or have it parked on a dirt floor,I don't think it's going to matter enough to spend time or money on.
Note this is a personal opinion,it's worth what you paid for it :big:


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## Jasonb (Aug 18, 2009)

If its vibrating bad enough to walk then you will be having one hell of a job turning the piece.

Rather than the machine feet get some M12 nuts and bolts, have the head of the bolt resting on the floor, one nut under the mounting lug for jacking it level and a second nut above to lock it all up once set.

Jason


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## Jadecy (Aug 18, 2009)

It ultimately depends on what you are trying to make. The tolerences for different builds can be a lot different. An example would be stirling engines vs. steam engines. 

At 12x36 as others have said it isn't going to walk unless your floor has a really nasty slope (like a hill). I just finished leveling my 13x40 (Grizzly G9036) about 2 weeks ago and it definitely made a difference. I had additional things I had to fix but leveling did help. Sitting on a fairly flat floor you could measure a slight deviation (twist) in the bed with a machinist level. Now that it is level the twist is gone. 

On limited funds I would machine my own equipment feet and use bolts as suggested for adjustment. If it is not too much of a slope just weld bolts to steel plate for the feet. It is up to you but I would want something bigger that a head of a bolt against the concrete floor.


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## Blogwitch (Aug 18, 2009)

Just a little note.

When moving heavy machinery by hand, you can use sheets of metal underneath it and push it around as though it is on ice. Not recommended to put a machine onto metal sheets for a permanent fix.

No matter how large or small a machine is, unless it is levelled and rigid, you will never get the best out of it.

Just doing the old machinist thing of resting your backside on the edge of the drip tray at the tailstock end while rolling a smoke can induce bad finishes and wrong sizes, or a workmate coming up and leaning against the headstock while you are machining can do the same thing. No matter how large the machine, they are flexible. The more expensive, and so with heavier castings, the less flexible, but still they flex.

This has been discussed at great length on here before about bolting down or free standing.

The general concensus, even in industry, that if large temperature fluctuations are encountered in the workplace, the machines should not be bolted down, as the machines can bend and flex because they expand and contract at different rates than the floor they are bolted to. It is better to have them free standing on feet.

Cushion mounts for machines, personally I have doubts about. I have used them for my largish compressor, purely to reduce noice and vibrations, but I wouldn't like any precision machine of mine sitting on flexible pads.

My mill is sat on small stainless plates to get it levelled up. Then silicone around the edges of the plates to stop the machine going walkabouts, after letting it settle for a few weeks.

The lathe, I did the same as Jason, but in my case, there were 8 x 16mm holes, and so used 16mm bolts, with the cast in writing on the heads left on to facilitate some sort of grip into the concrete floor. I tried to move my machine into a slightly different position using two people with pry bars, it was impossible to get it to slide. We had to get the feet off the floor before it would move. Using the bolts method, it is very easy to level up, and I have found after the initial settling in, it hasn't moved since.

Maybe something to ponder over.

Blogs


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## bentprop (Aug 18, 2009)

Well there ya go,you learn something new every day. .New guy,please disregard my waffle.
Perhaps I should reconsider my position,or rather that of my lathe.
But since the bed is a bit worn near the headstock, would I get much of an improvement.What say you,John?


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## New_Guy (Aug 18, 2009)

well thanks for your input guys ill give a better explanation as to my problems.....

ok well after about a week of thinking and planing i thought that by using the bolts and 2 nuts i could get the stand level ready for the lathe on top. first problem the manual that came with the lathe describes a different stand the one with the foot brake and 8 bolt holes in the stand  so i had no idea of finished dimensions that made bolting the lathe to the floor (something that every man and his dog who has an opinion tells me to F#@$ do) so to get over that i was thinking of using the chip pan as a guide. i found some plate and i think they are old track plates 18X29cm the bigger the better i thought i did some measuring and put a countersunk hole in the middle of each plate for the bolts to sit in easy done. bolts...... well the holes are 18mm and the local bolt supplier said he would have to order in some full thread and they would be expensive so i went with 16mm but had to get a meter of high tensile threaded bar and cut it up i also put a small point on the ends (an angle grinder, a wood lathe and a little improvisation) no problem there. well it came to putting it all together and i wanted it to be put in right so did measurements and stuff but just getting the 2 stands in line at the correct distance apart (im not even sure that the distance i was going for was right anyway ) well it is impossible i couldnt get it done yesterday and after a night of sleep and thought i couldnt get it done this morning  then my grandad came in "when you going to bolt it in" IM NOT BLOODY BOLTING IT TO THE FLOOR!!!!!! "its top heavy some one will just lean on it and it will fall over..... owell do what you want"  im thinking the plates i have are to big ??? are warped and move badly making it impossible to get anything right. i roughly worked out that for my stand to be somewhat level the headstock end (pointing down drive of my shed) needs to come up 30mm at least is this to much to have the bolts up? should i go and find some smaller plate say 100x100x10mm? 

here are some pic's of what it looks like now so if anyone can give me advice on how better to put this stand up it would be much appreciated 

here is the 290x180 plate you can see the counter sunk hole for the bolt





here are the 16mm leveling bolts 




 and here im trying to line up the 2 stands if there is a line where the square is that im trying to line them up with but its not going to good


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## Jasonb (Aug 19, 2009)

With that amount of slope and the small footprint of your studs I would be worried about the lathe working its way down the slope. I would think about a thicker plate at the head end or drilling a couple of matching dimples for the 4 head end studs to locate them but leave the tail end free to move. 

The reason for using bolts rather than studding is that the upturned bolt head acts as a small foot and spreads the load. If you are going to stick with the studding then some 4"x1/2" flat bar cut into squares with a dimple for the stud would be better than a single plate


Benchprop
The twisting of the lathe will have the largest effect on your tailstock as its furthest from the head, this will put it out of line and affect between ctrs work as well as drilling. The wear near the head will not affect the seating of the tailstock but any twist will.


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## wmf138 (Aug 19, 2009)

theres also self leveling concrte that isnt to bad price wise 

Wayne


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## New_Guy (Aug 19, 2009)

well i may have to go with a raised slab to get it level and then i may as well bolt it down ??? the main reason for not bolting it down in the first place was because i dont have a proper map of where the bolts are going to go its the last thing i want to finally try lift the lathe and have 2 bolts out by 5mm  it is a big slope and i was worried about how high the headstock would be but i dont really see another choice  im warming to the idea of making a level slab but then that would push everything else out while i wait for it to dry :wall: has anyone tried an epoxy slab? epoxy doesnt move and it would be quicker wont it?

Edit: oh just so you know i didnt use bolts because i would have had to order a box as they dont have full thread funny thing is it would be dead easy to make some machine jacks if i had ......you guessed it .......a lathe


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## Kermit (Aug 19, 2009)

At the risk of earning the ire of this group. I say it would be fine, depending on which type of rubber you have in mind. The very hard (durometer 70 or better) rubbers would be fine to use. In fact the combination of the movable metal plate for leveling and the hard rubber underneath that would allow the feet to better contact the floor which is usually concrete.

Soft rubber which is what most people think of when one mentions the word rubber is not a good choice.



Kermit


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## New_Guy (Aug 19, 2009)

thanks Kermit you just answered what i first wanted to know when i started this topic 

ok now i dont know whats happening but i rechecked the slope in the shad and its not vary bad ??? i really only think it will be more like 10mm at the headstock end that will need to be lifted so im feeling very stupid  here is a pic sorry its very bad





 looking at the plate i think its more obvious .......well the pictures speak for themselves some are tapered very badly and they are just to big and heavy to move for small adjustments here is a pic of the plate ....not all of them are like that just so you know 





now im not sure what to do anymore i think ill go out and get some 100x100x10mm plate and try again


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## Lew Hartswick (Aug 20, 2009)

That last pic looks like someone snitched it from a rail road.
  ...lew...


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## New_Guy (Aug 20, 2009)

ok today is not so bad i did some more checks and the full distance of the cabinets is 145mm and that slope is 30mm over that distance. i have a few new ideas on the feet....

1) i could add the extra nut and use some locket to hold it or solder/weld it so it just sits on the head?

2)stick the thread out 4 or 5mm out the bottom of the nut and drill a 16mm hole in each plate right through so the bolt goes into the plate but not fixed and sits on the extra nut like a collar, i really like this idea best or..

3) just get the plate and drill 16mm hole about half way down so the point of the threaded rod sits in and wont move

i worked out that the minimum the bolts will sit up is 30mm and the maximum is 90mm so i have plenty of room to play with and with 30 to 50mm will take it to a good center height for me to work on after i get the plates down and everything is right then when i put the lathe on i think ill Epoxy around the plates so there is no way for them to move

right i hope this works


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## robbieknobbie (Aug 21, 2009)

It's pretty common on some heavier equipment to shim or jack bolt the machine level, then lag bolt it down, then fill the gap with grout. That's assuming you never intend to move the machine.

As for trying to match the hole pattern on the floor... you may try this if you have a welder available: cut some 1.5" angle iron into 2" wide pieces. put a 5/8 hole in one side. Then weld the tabs to the base of the machine (hole side down) and bolt down through the new 'feet'

I had my old Logan sitting on rubber feet for a few years and didn't notice the difference until I bolted it down. Take your time leveling it though, that's one step you can't rush.


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## The Artful Bodger (Aug 31, 2009)

I guess I am the odd one out here but this is what I did with my 12x36.





The stands are bolted down to the wooden feet and the only levelling I have done has been with a builder's level.


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