Stiffening A Mini Lathe Bed

Convenient as well... everything is within reach of your hands!!!:cheerful:
 
Looks real good petros! now...where is the bed flexing after the mod? you can add some concrete in the lathe bed webs this will stop any twist!..well i would only add about half way as you may need some twist to make it straight...

just a few thougths..I prob will do this to mine thanks for sharing...I too added a larger chuck a 6 3/8" diam one!

Lawrence
 
some thougths I have a 24"x24"x3" thick piece of granite surface plate that I was thinking of drilling some holes to mount my little lathe too...

what you guys think?

Lawrence
 
some thougths I have a 24"x24"x3" thick piece of granite surface plate that I was thinking of drilling some holes to mount my little lathe too...

what you guys think?

Lawrence

Well... although very interesting thought, I think it is a ...misuse (to say the least) of the surface plate to use it as a base for the lathe. Besides of its high cost, I should think that the base of your lathe is not meant to be bolted on a surface plate as it is not flat. You need either shims or to use bolts & nuts to adjust it. But this way you cancel the advantage of the surface plate: it's flatness.
I think you could do it if you machine the base of the lathe flat (and parallel to the bed ways) and then use the S/P as a base.

Petros
 
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You could also fill the bed with cement or concrete. Just make sure you keep the level below the tailstock clamp.
 
...where is the bed flexing after the mod? you can add some concrete in the lathe bed webs this will stop any twist!..well i would only add about half way as you may need some twist to make it straight...
Lawrence

Lawrence,
Sorry but english is not my mother tongue and I'm not sure I can follow your question:
"where is the bed flexing after the mod?"
I was trying to eliminate the flexing in the first place!

As for the concrete you gave me the idea of filling it after eliminating any flex of the lathe bed to keep it that way for ever Ok not for ever but for a long-long time.

Petros
 
all good Petros :)...I was just curious as to the flexing now that the bed is not more inert....I just bolted per your idea! 2.... 1/4" thick pieces x 4" wide plates of 1045 steel together to span across one side to the other boss...I its an improvement...now to add some concrete in between the webs...

IMG_0930.JPG
 
Lawrence did you measure flexibility before and after the mod as to have an idea of the plate's contribution to stifness of the lathe?
It would be interesting to have some flexibility data of the lathe in all 3 states: as is - with plates - with plates and concrete.

Petros
 
Hello Petros, believe it or not I took your word for it...and we all know it flexes but no i didn't measure before after etc...

let me ask you so were both on the same page how did you measure the flex?

further i can tell how it sits there and while running esp with my huge chuck its more stable
 
Lawrence hi
To measure flexibility just fix a bar to the chuck, support the TDI to the toolpost move the carriage all the way towards the tailstock touch the bar with the TDI and zero it (see photo)
(edit) DO NOT support it at the tailstock end!

Measure flex.jpg


Now with your left hand hold headstock and with your right hand hold tailstock. Pull with one hand and push with the other while reading the measurement on TDI.
Reverse the push-pull procedure and note the new measurement.
In my case the measurement was + 0.25 and -0.25 mm accordingly.
Needless to say that with a bar that has the maximum length the lathe can handle, you will take the most accurate data.

Petros
 
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