# Feet For Southbend Lathe



## Joe0121 (Jun 6, 2016)

So my heavy ten is all apart and re painted and ready to go back together. It is a cabinet mount and I am deciding how I am going to support the lathe. 

I found these machinist jacks on Amazon and wanted some feedback how how they may work?

http://www.amazon.com/Fowler-52-104...r=8-1&keywords=machinist+jack#customerReviews


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## pineyfolks (Jun 6, 2016)

Those are normally used for supporting work on a mill or small lifting jobs. Search for leveling feet or build your own.
http://www.amazon.com/Winco-8T75SA6...&qid=1465233099&sr=8-8&keywords=leveling+feet


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## Bob Korves (Jun 6, 2016)

Look for leveling feet at W.W. Grainger.  If you look in their online or paper catalogue, rather than the choices brought up by their web pages, you will see MANY choices, some of which are pricey, and some are real bargains.  If your local Grainger store does not have them in stock, they can bring them into your local store with no freight charges, which also helps a lot.  First, perhaps, make sure you know what you are going to mount the lathe on, what size the holes are, the approximate weight, and whether the leveling feet will be at the lathe or under the stand/bench/cabinet.  The machinist jacks you referenced are not appropriate for mounting a lathe on.


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## Bamban (Jun 6, 2016)

Here is what I did on my  10x24 lathe:

Hockey puck
1/2 x13 Carriage bolts and nuts
1/4 x 3 inch round washers cut from 3 inch round bar.

I placed 2 pucks in the lathe against the face of the 6J chuck, then put the 1/4 washer in front, clamp all three,  and drilled a half inch hole through. Removed the steel washer, then bored the hole through the first puck, large enough to sink 1/2 inch washer past the bottom of the puck. This side would be on the floor side. Swapped the puck positions and bored the 2nd one.

Assembly, I could not find bolts locally just long enough for the job without much stick out, the carriage bolts had to do. Sandwiching the mounting plates are 2 grade 8 washers, the nut on top of the steel washer is torqued down against the other nut embedded inside the puck on the bottom side. The picture tells the tale.


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## TOOLMASTER (Jun 6, 2016)

how big is the hole..is it threaded?


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## Bamban (Jun 6, 2016)

Hole is 1/2 inch, not threaded, just a guide hole, adjusting is between the 2 nuts, while holding the carriage bolt, though mostly not needed to hold  on to the bolt once the puck is hard on the floor. I suppose you asking about the hole through the mounting plate.


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## Splat (Jun 7, 2016)

I went with epoxying rods into the concrete and it ain't moved yet!   I know that's not for everyone though. I tried the hockey pucks for my Heavy 10 but ditched it. I was chasing my tail around trying to wonder why I'd get it level and then it'd change days later. You're better off either epoxying fine-threaded rod into your floor and dropping the cabinet onto them or use 0.5" thick metal squares under each leveling bolt with a rounded indent in the squares so the bolts won't walk off the squares.


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## Joe0121 (Jun 7, 2016)

Splat said:


> I went with epoxying rods into the concrete and it ain't moved yet!   I know that's not for everyone though. I tried the hockey pucks for my Heavy 10 but ditched it. I was chasing my tail around trying to wonder why I'd get it level and then it'd change days later. You're better off either epoxying fine-threaded rod into your floor and dropping the cabinet onto them or use 0.5" thick metal squares under each leveling bolt with a rounded indent in the squares so the bolts won't walk off the squares.


Honestly I'm thinking I'll just pour a pad of self leveling concrete with all thread and bolting to lathe to that on some thin ss to keep the lathe itself from rusting. 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## Splat (Jun 7, 2016)

Joe0121 said:


> Honestly I'm thinking I'll just pour a pad of self leveling concrete with all thread and bolting to lathe to that on some thin ss to keep the lathe itself from rusting.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk



Sounds good to me, Joe!


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## TOOLMASTER (Jun 7, 2016)

easy enough to make aluminum pads to fit on a bolt head


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## Joe0121 (Jun 7, 2016)

TOOLMASTER said:


> easy enough to make aluminum pads to fit on a bolt head


That is the other option but this is my only lathe so I need to come up with something in the meantime. I figure a pad of self leveling concrete will be close enough. 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## John C (Jun 13, 2016)

Just made a set of hockey puck feet as Bamban described for my H10. They really dampen that little bit of vibration I was getting from the motor. The down side is, I'm just shy of 5'6" tall, and the lathe feels just a little bit high for me now. On the other hand, the work is now 2" closer to my ageing eyeballs, so I guess I can get used to it. 

Nice tip. Thanks Bamban.


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