# Mounting small machine tools?



## Aaron_W (Sep 12, 2017)

I have a Sherline lathe, but I don't think brand really matters for this question.

I mounted the lathe to a 1/2" oak board to provide a base to it. I haven't had any noticeable issues so far, but really haven't done that much work and everything has been small where issues from the board warping wouldn't be terribly noticeable.

I've since come to realize the potential issues of using wood as a base with weather induced changes. I'm considering remounting the lathe to a piece of synthetic decking like TREX that wouldn't have issues with humidity changes. I thought I ask around first so I don't replace one potential issue that hasn't actually been an issue yet, with another.

I'm also getting a small mill (also a Sherline), which I assume will also need to be mounted to something.

Thanks


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## core-oil (Sep 12, 2017)

Aaron,

Be careful mounting your little machine to a thin board,  What i do is to take your nice length of half inch board, and cross clead it underneath, If you can get another portion of your timber glue and screw it underneath , look at the end grain of the wood,  and screw the wood up with the ring curvature's going away from each other (Looks like  two rollers running against each other, That is my simplest way of explaining)  This was the old patternmakers trick to prevent patterns from warping in the wet foundry sand, One of my little lathes is as your suggestion mounted on a synthetic wood product , That way I have no worries about twisting or bowing the bed.


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## Aaron_W (Sep 12, 2017)

I can easily find another use for the board it is currently attached to. Mounting it to another board in reverse is a good idea if I was set on keeping it on real wood.

When I got it I wasn't aware just how sensitive these little lathes could be to a board warping. They are quite stoutly built, but of course it takes very little movement to create a problem.

I have no issue replacing the board with a piece of 2x4 or 2x6" synthetic decking. I assumed synthetic wood wasn't subject to changes in weather like real wood, but wanted to make sure I am making a correct assumption.


Thanks


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## mikey (Sep 12, 2017)

My Sherline lathe has been mounted on a piece of 3/4" Melamine-coated MDF for decades and it hasn't moved. We had this discussion before and if I were to do it again, I would mount my lathe to an aluminum extrusion. I think 80/20 might have something that will work. Something to think about.


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## DHarris (Sep 12, 2017)

I've mounted both my mill & lathe (Sherlines) to the top of my workbench.  Workbench top is 2" solid core door with a 1/4" steel plate bolted to the top of that.  I've just recently raised up the lathe (back & neck aching after a couple of hours on the lathe prompted this change), but construction is similar just with a drawer under the raised portion (note: drawer is not that deep, draw front just hides my crappy wood working skills).


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## mikey (Sep 12, 2017)

Hey Dave, I just noticed your belt sander has a gusset. Can you extend the gusset to back up the platen so it doesn't move around?


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## Wreck™Wreck (Sep 12, 2017)

Exactly what sort of performance are you expecting from these machines? Attaching them to a granite surface plate of excellent flatness will not likely help in any way, they are stand alone machines.


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## DHarris (Sep 12, 2017)

Hey Mikey,  The platen is a piece of modified angle iron 1" x 1.5" x .250" with 2 side bolts below the table holding it to the frame.  the gusset you see is to keep the top of the belt wheel structure from twisting (it's cheap / thin metal).  Any other suggestions?  I plan on modifying the table next to make angle changes better, easier and more precise.

WreckWreck - I've made this table as stable as I thought practical as the area I live in is Adobe clay & my garage floor "floats" up / down from winter to summer as much as 2" and not always in a level fashion!  I thought this might mitigate some of that movement.  So far everything has remained flat & no twists to the table surface.  I do have to shim the legs at times due to floor changes.  And, yes it's overkill for these small machines - but I'm retired and have plenty of time to overkill most of my projects!


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## mikey (Sep 12, 2017)

I need my mounts so I have something to grab when I pick 'em up and put them back on the shelf when I'm done using them. 

Also, they are actually precision machines. My lathe is mounted to MDF but it is also shimmed between the lathe and base so that it cuts true. I don't think the base material matters all that much but getting the lathe level on that base? Yeah, that makes a difference.


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## mikey (Sep 12, 2017)

DHarris said:


> Hey Mikey,  The platen is a piece of modified angle iron 1" x 1.5" x .250" with 2 side bolts below the table holding it to the frame.  the gusset you see is to keep the top of the belt wheel structure from twisting (it's cheap / thin metal).  Any other suggestions?  I plan on modifying the table next to make angle changes better, easier and more precise.



I was thinking that you might extend the gusset to include a mount for the platen that is not attached on one end. It has to be solid and hold the platen vertical and solid. Ideally, the platen would be removable from this backing so you can replace it at need. It would be even better if you can epoxy on a Pyroceram liner to the platen.


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## Aaron_W (Sep 12, 2017)

What Mikey said, the base is more to provide something solid for moving it around and give it better footing on the desktop. They are a little top heavy and have a fairly narrow base, so while unlikely, there is a potential for it to get knocked onto its side which a wider footprint makes much more difficult. I just want to avoid adding another potential source for misalignment.


I didn't think about aluminum, I could see a piece of rectangular tubing working and that wouldn't cost a lot. Not sure what 80/20 refers to though.


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## kvt (Sep 12, 2017)

I also have a Sherline,   It is also mounted on the 3/4 MDF with a melamine  sheet over it.   This allows me to move it around as needed,   The 5400 mill is mounted to a piece of 3/4 inch ply, with is cross mounted on two 1x6 that are mounted to a Base that can role around.    The back side of the base is also where I store the 4400 lathe, the 4000 is stored on a shelf as I primarily use it for threading.    Can clamp it down on the cart with the mill  to use it or move it over to the bench.   Main thing is to have a base under it that will keep it leveled and not twisted.   It also allows for you to move and store it with little problems


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## mikey (Sep 12, 2017)

Aaron_W said:


> Not sure what 80/20 refers to though.



80/20 is a company that produces a variety of aluminum extrusions. Look them up on the net and maybe call them to see if they make a piece that is wide enough for your needs. I would think something 4-6" wide would be sufficient.

Or, just use a piece of 3/4 to 1" thick Malamine coated MDF. It will be flat, stable and won't move with humidity if you put a coat of polyurethane on the exposed MDF edges. Works good.


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## richl (Sep 12, 2017)

Isn't cabinet grade plywood stable? More layers of veneer makes them stable as well as strong. So if your local home depot/Lowe's has precut of 2x4 with 5 or more layers that should be fine. It's reasonably cheap and easy to find...
Or I could be completely wrong  (I doubt it, I've worked in a few cabinets shops over the years)

Hth
Rich


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## old toolmaker (Sep 28, 2017)

I use a section of 1/2" 6061 aluminum to mount my Unimat DB200 lathe. It is longer and wider than the lathe for stability and good footing. Works good.
I also have a 7 x 16 MicroMark mini lathe mounted on a section of 6061 aluminum 1-1/2" thick x 8" wide as long as the lathe base.  It is a heavy piece but really stabilizes the machine. I have used this with no issues whatsoever for 6 years now.  I had this piece left over from another job so I put it to good use.

Dick


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## john.oliver35 (Sep 28, 2017)

I have some Sherline machines that I love!  I started an exercise to see improve rigidity by mounting on stronger substrates.  One thing I noticed is that given the way that  the ways attach to the base, there is no real torque transferred from the base to the ways.  No matter how rigidly you mount the base to a steel or granite block, it won't keep the ways from flexing in the base.

Not trying to say anything bad here - just that the flexibility of the base and the mounting minimize the gains one can realize from mounting the lathe on a rigid surface.


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## Alan H. (Sep 28, 2017)

Aaron_W said:


> I can easily find another use for the board it is currently attached to. Mounting it to another board in reverse is a good idea if I was set on keeping it on real wood.
> 
> When I got it I wasn't aware just how sensitive these little lathes could be to a board warping. They are quite stoutly built, but of course it takes very little movement to create a problem.
> 
> ...


Be cautious with synthetic wood (recycled plastic).  First it's rigidity can be less than that of wood and its quite elastic when compared to wood.  Its coefficient of thermal expansion is also quite high and if it would be in an area of temperature swings, not the best.


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## whitmore (Sep 28, 2017)

Aaron_W said:


> I have a Sherline lathe, but I don't think brand really matters for this question.
> 
> I mounted the lathe to a 1/2" oak board to provide a base to it. I haven't had any noticeable issues so far, but really haven't done that much work and everything has been small where issues from the board warping wouldn't be terribly noticeable.
> 
> I've since come to realize the potential issues of using wood as a base ...



The usual recommendation with machine tools, is to mount 'em through a steel/iron base to a massive concrete
floor.   This is because it damps vibrations (and a wood base, though good for support, is just a reflector
of vibrations in metal, it doesn't really carry the sound energy away).   So, a stone slab (or some paving blocks)
and a compliant gasket between (lead sheet?  Or, maybe just plaster of paris?) would be
good.  

Old tool designs used lots of (relatively soft) cast iron, and new ones get computer analyzed with finite-element
models.  So, it'll be different depending on the tool, and its use.   Variable speed motor schemes
are a trifle scary, there will be some potential for a VFD to hit a mechanical resonance, and cut
quality can suffer.  A single-phase motor mounted on the lathe (instead of belt-coupled) could make
a lot of 120 Hz torque variation, too.   It seems counterintuitive, but an oak board could just
become a spring in an oscillating mass/spring system.

BG Micro has the right gizmo for sale, if you want to find and snuff vibrations, though:
<http://www.bgmicro.com/search.aspx?find=seismometer>.   I bought one, plan to
wire it up and explore when I also get a round tuit...


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