# Designing a wood bench for a lathe



## ttabbal (Nov 9, 2017)

Obviously, the size of the lathe matters, in my case it's a PM 1127VF-LB. About 600lbs. The manual lists the footprint at 56x26 inches. I would like to include extra space on the sides to use as a general workbench for lathe related operations. I was thinking of mounting a vise and such, but I wonder if hammering on things near the lathe is not such a good idea. I think I'll move that elsewhere. So perhaps 6x3ft? 

My initial thinking is to base the design off the stands people build for large aquariums. They are able to hold thousands of pounds of water, and thousands of dollars in livestock. They also have to maintain level, and can't sag or the tank cracks. The basic idea is to keep all the weight on wood, no screws in shear bearing weight etc.. 





I'm open to suggestions. This concept just seemed simple enough and very sturdy. 


The shop floor is poured concrete, not the most level. I'm considering using leveling feet in the posts, perhaps an extra one in the middle on one end to make a triangle leveling setup. Level that way, then run the other feet down for stability. I know the lathe doesn't need to be leveled to the horizon, but it's nice if the parts don't want to roll of the bench too. And if the bench is at least close, the machinist level has a chance of not being pegged to one side when leveling the lathe. 

Looking at the lathe and various posts here about benches and leveling, it looks like the weight is mostly in 2 places along the length. The lathe feet. So it makes some sense to build the center posts on that distance to accommodate that, with a board across the posts to mount the lathe to. Perhaps with some form of leveling adjuster under the lathe. I think it was Mikey that posted a pic of some Enco leveling adjusters that looked easy to make that would work well. Then similar boards for the table top to mount to at the ends. Perhaps cut the center posts 4" short and run a piece of 4x4 between them. 

I'm 6'4", so I would want it high enough that I'm not leaning over the machine all the time. It would help if I knew the base to center height of the lathe, perhaps someone would measure theirs? I can ask PM as well. Perhaps 3-4ft posts, then 1-2" for the table top. It might be easier to build or buy an adjustable stool though..  

I figure I can add shelves/drawers in the bench as well to hold tooling.


----------



## Richard White (richardsrelics) (Nov 9, 2017)

I am at this stage as well, my lathe is currently on factory legs, but at 6'5" it is just too dang short


----------



## mikey (Nov 9, 2017)

ttabbal said:


> I think it was Mikey that posted a pic of some Enco leveling adjusters that looked easy to make that would work well.



Emco, the Austrian machine tool guys, not the now defunct Enco. But yeah, the arrangement works well and is simple to fab. Much better than shimming, let me assure you.

At your height, you might consider one of those 56" Harbor Freight tool cabinets instead of wood. You will have convenient storage right there and its already on casters should you need to move it. You can mount leveling feet on each end to keep it all stable and take the weight off the casters. The weight of the stuff in the drawers will add stability, too. Pretty sure the frame will handle the weight of the lathe (3400# capacity).

If you do this, I suggest you use two layers of MDF (laminated together and sealed) on top of the cabinet and glue/screw down a 1/8" thick mild steel plate on top of that. This allows you to weld your leveling blocks to the top. You may have to cut slots in the chip pan to allow them to protrude through the pan but you can seal around them if you plan to use coolant. 

If I was a long guy like you and Richard, this would be the way I would go. Of course, wood or tubular steel would be cheaper.


----------



## ttabbal (Nov 9, 2017)

Thanks for the clarification. Avoiding shimming was why I was considering them, and it looks like I could make them out of some mild steel, a few bolts and a tap. 

I think I'm going to stick to wood for now, even the HF tool cabinets are a bit pricey for this use, and I can make it any height I wish. I'm also not sure I want to try moving something this heavy on HF casters.  

So if I keep my wood, is there any reason not to bolt the adjuster to the wood cross bar, through the table top? I understand I might have to mod the chip tray, I'm fine with that. A little quality time with the dremel and some caulk should prevent oil/coolant leaks. Or even just bolt them straight through the chip tray? Then I only have to drill a couple holes, not cut out sections. 

Any reason for MDF specifically? I was planning to use ply, maybe 3/4" or 1". Then some kind of finish to make it nicer to work on. 

Richard, since you have a lathe on legs already, how tall would you want your bench to be? We're similar height, so it might make a good starting point for me.


----------



## Brnoczech (Nov 9, 2017)

I can't seem to figure out how to copy the reference directly to a prior post I made.  Its post number 147 under the "Show us your Shop" forum category.  My lathe is a Myford Super 7 which is about 1/2 the weight of yours.  The picture on my post shows the wooden stand that I made for it.  The top is 4 layers of plywood, each screwed and glued to the previous layer.  The undercarriage is primarily 2x6's and 2x8's as I recall, again assembled with screws.  I made a shelf that is braced from underneath, that you can see in the picture, to store my chucks and other accessories.  One thing I did do, that you might want to consider, is having a metal top cut.  I went to a large metal supplier (local) with my measurements and they cut it with a huge shear.  I then put separate sheet steel pieces under the feet of the lathe at each end, and put mounting bolts with adjustments through the table top.  I have found that the top is very durable and it's nice to have something that is metallic so that you can place the occasional magnetic base on it when you want to.  It may be that the lathe that you are getting already comes with a metal tray/base, but if not the metal top I had cut works well for me.  I have separate adjustors on each of the four legs of the table that I bought locally (Lowe's maybe), so no anti-vibration type feet, but again works well for me.
'


----------



## mikey (Nov 9, 2017)

ttabbal said:


> So if I keep my wood, is there any reason not to bolt the adjuster to the wood cross bar, through the table top? I understand I might have to mod the chip tray, I'm fine with that. A little quality time with the dremel and some caulk should prevent oil/coolant leaks. Or even just bolt them straight through the chip tray? Then I only have to drill a couple holes, not cut out sections.
> 
> Any reason for MDF specifically? I was planning to use ply, maybe 3/4" or 1". Then some kind of finish to make it nicer to work on.



Totally understand about the cost.

No reason you can't bolt a block of steel through the chip pan and into the wood below. Just understand that wood will move and I'm not sure how that will affect your lathe leveling. The reason for the MDF is because it won't move with changes in humidity, especially if you seal it first. Plywood may move, as will solid wood.


----------



## ttabbal (Nov 9, 2017)

Just linking Brnoczech's post in. 

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/lets-see-your-shop.484/post-78496


----------



## Eddyde (Nov 9, 2017)

mikey said:


> The reason for the MDF is because it won't move with changes in humidity, especially if you seal it first. Plywood may move, as will solid wood.



I respectfully disagree, MDF can move with changes in humidity. It must be sealed on all surfaces, if laminated with formica it must be on both surfaces, it must not be laminated to a dissimilar material like plywood, otherwise it will bow badly. It is not very strong and will sag if not fully supported. Also, it off gasses a lot of Formaldehyde which may be a concern. I ran a custom cabinet shop for over 20 years and worked extensively with MDF, I'm not a big fan... 

I recommend a double thickness of good quality ¾" plywood, but even a single thickness will suffice if brace directly beneath the lathes feet.

The support structure in the picture looks more than adequate.

Sounds well thought out. Please post picture when you are done!


----------



## mikey (Nov 9, 2017)

Eddyde said:


> I respectfully disagree, MDF can move with changes in humidity. It must be sealed on all surfaces, if laminated with formica it must be on both surfaces, it must not be laminated to a dissimilar material like plywood, otherwise it will bow badly. It is not very strong and will sag if not fully supported. Also, it off gasses a lot of Formaldehyde which may be a concern. I ran a custom cabinet shop for over 20 years and worked extensively with MDF, I'm not a big fan...
> 
> I recommend a double thickness of good quality ¾" plywood, but even a single thickness will suffice if brace directly beneath the lathes feet.
> 
> ...



Appreciate the correction. I have used MDF for a long time, always sealed on all sides and never had it move on me. I use it because its flat but you're right - has to be well supported.


----------



## DHarris (Nov 9, 2017)

The structure in the first post looks plenty strong for your lathe (the old engineer in me just can't help but to add a "butt"), but, I would also add a couple of diagonal braces (front to back) between at least 2 of the uprights and a couple across the "back" .  These will help with any fore/aft or front back movement in the structure from outside forces / vibrations.  Prob. overkill, but 600 lbs is still a significant weight.


----------



## richl (Nov 9, 2017)

To add a suggestion to Dave's point on cross bracing. Think construction adhesive when putting together the cabinet, all joints. Plywood to fit between the upper and lower section on the vertical back, glued and screwed. On each of the vertical 4x4 member sections, plywood, glued and screwed. Place a piece of plywood on the floor of each of the three sections and you now have 3 compartments to store fixtures, chucks, faceplate and anything else too big for smaller storage. Added benefit, that cabinet if built with care and braced with plywood will never move


----------



## ttabbal (Nov 10, 2017)

Just working on visualizing it.. https://cad.onshape.com/documents/2...37c916d641efbf6d59/e/ec1a32c25dc9ef73eaa94221

Wood in the diagram is 4x4 and 2x6. 

3x6 foot, main posts are 3ft, so the tabletop would be about 3.5ft depending on the wood used for the surface. The middle legs would be adjusted based on the lathe's mounting feet to ensure they land right on the added supports. I would also box in the supports with the 2x6s like the original pic, this was mostly so I could have something to look at. 

I had been considering using ordinary wood glue on all the joints, screws to clamp and provide extra support. For braces, are you thinking just the enclosure covered with plywood or structural braces with 2x4 or similar? Both? 

I'd also likely seal and maybe paint it. Humidity is pretty rare here in Utah, but we do have temperature from about -10 to 110F. I fully expect to need to adjust lathe leveling a few times a year to account for that.


----------



## DHarris (Nov 10, 2017)

+1 to what richl said above.  if you do as he suggested, you won't need the 2x4 cross braces (I was just being cheap!).


----------



## ezduzit (Nov 11, 2017)

It appears that the frame in the photo is poorly designed for your purpose. The horizontal members should be let into the vertical members to take shear loads off the fasteners. Also the lower horizontal members seem inappropriately low and will cause the frame to rock on the floor's high spots, if no adjustable feet are added.


----------



## ttabbal (Nov 11, 2017)

The plan is to use adjustable leveling feet, so the lower parts won't be on the floor. 

The onshape design shows more of what I have in mind. There are 4x4 beams across the vertical beams. The idea is to put the load across those and down the 4x4 beams. The 2x6 is intended primarily to help hold everything square and perhaps provide convenient areas for covering material to make it look better if I decide to. I might use 2x4 material for those, as they are not used for any load bearing. 

I agree with your points on the pic in the first post. Do you think the modifications I proposed in the text and CAD address them?


----------



## ezduzit (Nov 11, 2017)

Then it should be OK, as long as you skin the back and sides with plywood to resist wracking.


----------



## Glenn Brooks (Nov 11, 2017)

Yep, a vote to seal and paint everything, including extra attention to the ends of plywood and endgrain.  Iam not a big fan of paint on work benches, as often it lifts off or discolor, due to oil penetration.  Instead I use Australian Deck Oil,  and sometimes varnish over the top - sometimes up to 8 coats for flat surfaces under the lathe.  Tung oil if the wood construction is furniture grade work.  This seals the wood to keep way oil and lubricants from penetrating into the surface.  Also multiple coats , with a light sanding with 300 grit emery cloth after 3 or 4 coats produces a brilliant, long lasting shine.


----------



## ttabbal (Nov 11, 2017)

Random thought, probably too expensive anyway, but what about the epoxy coating made for garage floors?

My first thought was a few coats of polyurethane, but I'm open to ideas.


----------



## ezduzit (Nov 11, 2017)

I would use one of the Pro-line epoxy paints commonly used in boat engine rooms. They have excellent gloss, for an epoxy paint, and are extremely durable. I have used it inside my own boat.


----------



## Glenn Brooks (Nov 11, 2017)

+1 on Marine epoxy and polyurethane.  Both are excellent coatings. Plywood and open grain wood require the usual extensive preparation - sealer coat, couple of coats of undercoat, two coats top coat will last for many years. I used to seal the end grain on marine plywood on my boat with common marine epoxy, then launch into the undercoating/topcoating routine. Lots of good options if you include marine paints in your choice.  Being in Utah,  you might need to order on line.  Interlux is a good product line, available on the west coast. Some brands seem to be more common than others, depending on where you live.

Glenn


----------



## richl (Nov 11, 2017)

West systems 
Mas
Are 2 good brands to look for, they come in all kinds of types for drying time and hardness, depending on your skills, size of work and the temps in the shop.


----------



## ttabbal (Dec 1, 2017)

What thickness of plywood do you recommend for the back/side bracing? 1/4"? 1/2? I'm not quite ready for it, but I've seen people sell it cheap on occasion, so I thought I'd start looking.


----------



## tq60 (Dec 2, 2017)

No need for epoxy glue or paint.

600 pounds across the footprint is nothing.

Imagine 3 big guys standing in line...

Skin back and 2 sides with good grade 1/2 to 3/4 ply and look for some with many layers.

More layers the better.

Front if open bay needs 2 X 6 minimum but if center post can be less but it depends on where the the feet on the lathe actually are as that is where the point load is.

For the top use 2 layers and if you want overkill use 1.125 plytanium subfloor as it is really strong.

For top layer use a sheet of the mdf or particle board coated with white vinyl as it is resistant to most oils and other things and it cleans well.

Our bench that had the RF30 hr mill and Logan lathe has this for a top layer for 15 years and no stains.

They sell iron on edging if you wish to have all sides look good.

Plywood skinning is how they make homes earthquake resistant so it can handle substantial loads so simple 2 X 4 in corners with tight bond glue and screws to glue it together with good square joints and it will hold it without a problem.

Make the top FLAT and the lathe can be leveled on top of the table regarding twist if needed.


----------



## juiceclone (Dec 2, 2017)

that pix looks very much like the one I built for my lathe/mill years ago, and still in use.  Though I used 2x4 verticals and filled the lower area with drawers.  All carriage bolted together.  Plywood back and sides would add rigidity, but I didn't do it because mine's bolted to a wall.


----------



## Downwindtracker2 (Dec 2, 2017)

They have a plywood that has a fiberglass like coating that they use for concrete forms . I've used it for a ATV box. I built it like a wooden boat, epoxy and more fiberglass. But for the workshop, I prefer Baltic Birch plywood, it's very good plywood. Avoid the Chinese white board plywood, you can see it move. Having talked about plywood, I have to say I made my lathe stand out of 1 1/2"  1/8" square tubing with a 3/16" plate top. I stuffed two of the shorter bottom roll around toolboxes in it for drawers. I mounted cast iron 4" casters but I lift and level with 3/4" redi rod into hockey pucks. Then I shim the lathe to get it machinist level.


----------



## ttabbal (Dec 11, 2017)

So I've got the main frame put together. So far so good. I have to wait on the center supports for the lathe to get here, same with the ply skinning. So I thought I'd order some leveling feet. That got me thinking about how I'm going to get the lathe up on the thing. I have an HF shop crane, it can lift it, but it can't straddle the bench. So, what about making the leveling feet tall enough to fit the crane under there? It would be about 7.5", just to get the lathe on it. Then I would lower it down to level. I'm looking at some feet on mcmaster that have a threaded area you can put all-thread rod into. So I could make them long, with a bore in the legs, then retract them for use. Once the lathe is in place, I don't see needing to move it around a lot... 

Mounting the feet would be a flat plate about 3" square, and holes to screw it to the wood leg. I'm leaning towards just having a hole in the plate to feed through and putting a nylock on the end to keep it from falling off the bench while moving it. The leg would have a hole in the middle for the adjustment bolt. The size I'm looking at take a 1/4-20 thread and are rated for 750lb each. There are 8 legs, 4 in the middle holding the majority of the load. Seems to me that the threads are the potential weak spot. My gut reaction is that 1/4-20 threads aren't going to be enough. But I also don't want to overbuild and waste money.


----------



## ttabbal (Dec 12, 2017)

Any thoughts on the weight capacity for the threads?


----------



## Bob Korves (Dec 12, 2017)

ttabbal said:


> Any thoughts on the weight capacity for the threads?


The rating is for failure in shear.  That is not how they will be loaded,  The failure you will see will be in bending.  I would use something like 1/2" for those bolts, probably overkill depending on the unsupported length, but peace of mind and aesthetic satisfaction are important factors as well...


----------



## richl (Dec 12, 2017)

You should be OK with just standard plated bolts, I have hardened grade 8 bolts 5/8"
I prefer finer threads, they give you a bit more finer adjustment. My lathe is a 1440 lathe at around 1600lbs fully loaded.

Hth


----------



## ttabbal (Dec 14, 2017)

I took the recommendation to move to 1/2". Zoro had some feet for a better price than mcmaster with free shipping. 

https://www.zoro.com/level-it-level-mount-boltless-12-13-1-78in-base-tsw-2ox/i/G5416381/?q=G5416381

I thought about trying to find finer threads, but these are just leveling the table top. The lathe will have an additional leveling setup. Most of the time, I don't expect more than 1" of exposed thread for leveling use, so bending force should be minimal. Even lifted for install, there are still 8 of them holding the weight, so I expect it will hold alright. I'll take precautions when lowering it though.


----------



## richl (Dec 14, 2017)

You will be fine, one of my lathes is on fine threads, the other on coarse threads. The coarser thread machine is a bit more problematic to adjust in, very tiny movements of wrench and bolt have a bigger effect on movement of the machine. Just takes more time to dial it in... 
Glad to see the guy rowing your machine across the Pacific is getting closer


----------



## ttabbal (Dec 14, 2017)

Thanks! I want to feel sorry for him, but I really want to make some chips!


----------



## ttabbal (Jan 27, 2018)

Well, I got the shipping notice! I should be getting the machine Wednesday. To celebrate, I turned about 2 pounds of the workbench into sawdust sanding some rough spots etc..


----------



## mikey (Jan 27, 2018)

Looking forward to some pics ... Congratulations!!!


----------



## blue_luke (Jan 31, 2018)

I have been there and here is my toughts on the subject... 
-  You DO need adjustable feet, wood will shrink and expand with humidity changes. Here in Québec this is quite major as in summer we can hit 100% RH and in winter with heating system everything becomes bone dry and you get static shock with every door knobs, cat, dog or girlfriend you touch! 
- adjustable feet are very easy to make with hockey pucks, threaded rod, large washers and a fisful of nuts
-  I would not use a wood base for a lathe. Lathe beds can become twisted if everything is not _perfectly_ straight
- Epoxy, paint, spar varnish, or any coating agent is OK with wood but it will eventualy crack, peel, get scratched and you will have humidity swelling problems
- MDF reacts and swell a lot with RH variations!
- Baltic birch plywood is the best material for shop furniture!
- For a lathe base i would definitely prefer steel as basic material. Even if you don't have a welder, you can devise some simple way to build a very sturdy bench using nothing but a zip cut tool, a drill and some files. And metal is easy to buy locally anywhere. Get 1X2 for reenforcement, 2X2 for structure and 2X4 for footing and you can build a base where a tank can go over! The trick is to design the structure where the pressure is always on top of the piece underneath. For exemple, a piece of 2X4 is used as footing to spread the weight on the floor. A 2X2 leg is held in place with some reinforcement plates and screws on top of that footing. The top cross member rest on top of the leg and so forth. This way, the screwed or bolted on gussets, angle brackets and what nots never bear any structural load, they are there just as 'glue' so things don't fly apart. Believe me, I have built structures that can support a few tons this way!

- Mehhh! don't use wood for machine tool bases!


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 5, 2018)

Just thought I'd share a picture of the bench with the chip tray on top for scale. According to the can, the polyurethane has a few days left for full cure...


----------



## middle.road (Feb 5, 2018)

If that is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased from a yard and wasn't sitting up in an attic somewhere for ages, I would seriously consider adding some steel angles or straps to the length of it. It's going to move on you.
Kiln dried lumber is fine for framing - not so much for cabinets and such.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 5, 2018)

Then something like this for leveling... 1/4 x 1.5 bar stock, 2 bolts for adjustment, one for holding the lathe down. Hold down bolts are about 1/2". Might make sense to go the same size all around. 

There are 4 feet on this one, 2 per end. Tailstock is pictured. Headstock is longer and has 2 hold down bolt holes.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 6, 2018)

middle.road said:


> If that is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased from a yard and wasn't sitting up in an attic somewhere for ages, I would seriously consider adding some steel angles or straps to the length of it. It's going to move on you.
> Kiln dried lumber is fine for framing - not so much for cabinets and such.



Where do you see it moving? It is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased. I'm not opposed to adding metal supports, but I'm not sure where it makes sense to do so. Every joint is glued and screwed with multiple screws, and every board is trapped by at least one other board in addition to the plywood sides and top.


----------



## mikey (Feb 6, 2018)

Wood, the material itself, will expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. We all know this. However, your bench is solidly built and I would use it as is. If it changes enough to affect your level I would be very surprised but if it does you can address it then.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 6, 2018)

That's where I'm leaning. If it gets bad I can always weld something up. Now I just need to get to cutting and tapping the levelers so I can install them when the poly cures. I'm thinking to use long wood screws into the cross supports to attach to the bench. Maybe make them long enough to overshoot the supports as well and run bolts on the end through the bench with large washers on the backside as well. I'd have to make sure the bolt heads are away from the foot or otherwise can't interfere with the leveling bolts though. Might be more trouble than it's worth. I guess I could fire up the belt grinder and shorten the heads. 

For the level adjustment bolts, how much length do I need? I wasn't planning on much, maybe 1/2" long.


----------



## mikey (Feb 6, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Now I just need to get to cutting and tapping the levelers so I can install them when the poly cures. I'm thinking to use long wood screws into the cross supports to attach to the bench. Maybe make them long enough to overshoot the supports as well and run bolts on the end through the bench with large washers on the backside as well. I'd have to make sure the bolt heads are away from the foot or otherwise can't interfere with the leveling bolts though. Might be more trouble than it's worth. I guess I could fire up the belt grinder and shorten the heads.



Sorry but I have absolutely no idea what you just said!  



ttabbal said:


> For the level adjustment bolts, how much length do I need? I wasn't planning on much, maybe 1/2" long.



I don't know how warped or twisted your lathe is but I suspect it isn't going be out by much. When leveling, we are moving in fractions of a millimeter once the lathe is close to level. My leveling bolts have about 3/8" of possible adjustment but I only use a tiny, tiny fraction of that. My vote would be to provide that 1/2" of travel (you don't need to use it all) but I would personally use a fine pitch thread. I would also be sure to have room for locking nuts to ensure they don't move from vibration.


----------



## middle.road (Feb 6, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Where do you see it moving? It is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased. I'm not opposed to adding metal supports, but I'm not sure where it makes sense to do so. Every joint is glued and screwed with multiple screws, and every board is trapped by at least one other board in addition to the plywood sides and top.


The plywood will most definitely help for sure. I didn't see that portion. (Speed reading and looking at the picts.)
The 2x6's are what stuck out to me. The bench will support a heck of a lot of weight.
I have a 10" logan. When I first got it (20+) years ago I mounted it to a slab of bowling alley that was well 'aged'.
The second bench I fabbed in 2000 when I moved here to TN was similar to yours, except I used only (4) posts and used 2x6's on the front, rear, and top. Then I screwed the bowling alley slab to the 2x6's. 
The first winter two of those screws gave out. They weren't 1/4" lag but just slightly smaller than that. And the friction style drawers I added on the sides were stuck.
It didn't affect the lathe except for the tailstock end of the slab was loose on top of the bench. 
And that was in a basement shop with HVAC. (I miss that shop... not the house, just the basement shop...)
I like @*ttabbal*'s suggestion above for the levelers...


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 6, 2018)

mikey said:


> Sorry but I have absolutely no idea what you just said!



Yeah, I was rambling a bit there...  

The idea is that since I have extra supports under the lathe feet, I would screw the levelers to those, then thread the leveler for the hold-down bolt for the lathe foot itself. The support is a sandwich of a 4x4 with a 2x6 on either side, vertically oriented. The levelers will be perpendicular to those support beams. So for the pic above of the foot, the center would have the hold-down bolt, the leveling bolts would be to either side, countersunk screws in between them to screw to the support beam. Though I have been thinking about using a pair of lag bolts there. 

The other thought I had was to do that and also have a pair of holes that would be to either side of the support beam under the lathe. Those would be through holes drilled through the 3/4" ply top and supported on the back by washers or maybe a piece of steel plate to spread the clamping load. 

The bit about the bolt heads interfering with the leveling bolts was that they might be tall enough to cause a problem. However, I forgot about the locking nuts. Those should space things out enough that it wouldn't be an issue. I don't expect I'll actually need to do a lot with the leveling bolts to start with. It's a new lathe and likely isn't really twisted much if at all. 

I am planning to use fine pitch bolts for the leveling. 1/4-20 is easy to get locally. 1/2 drops to 13tpi for local. If I order I can get 1/2-20. Looks like my local fastenall has 1/4-28 and 3/8-24. Probably about 1" long, about 1/4" for the plate, another 1/4" or so for the nut, leaving plenty of adjustment. I'm leaning toward 3/8-24.


----------



## middle.road (Feb 6, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Yeah, I was rambling a bit there...
> .....trimmed......
> I'm leaning toward 3/8-24.


Are you talking 3/8-24 between the lathe and the plywood? or from the posts to the floor?


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 6, 2018)

middle.road said:


> Are you talking 3/8-24 between the lathe and the plywood? or from the posts to the floor?




Between the lathe and plywood top. The bench has 1/2-20 leveling feet I will adjust first.


----------



## middle.road (Feb 6, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Between the lathe and plywood top. The bench has 1/2-20 leveling feet I will adjust first.


Ah, got it. (if the phone would quit ringing I could read through properly ...  )


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 7, 2018)

Test fitting the levelers on the tailstock... Need smaller diameter washers and a bit shorter bolts.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 8, 2018)

Hmmm... Apparently, washers for 1/2" bolts are just that size. As standards go, I guess it could be worse. 

Since I have a lathe.... Any reason not to mount it up without washers, put a stack of them on a bolt, and turn them to fit? 

Got the machine cleaned up, lubricated, and spent a little time getting acquainted with the controls. Everything feels smooth and there's a thin coat of oil on all the moving parts now. There wasn't too much of the thick grease on it, and what was there cleaned up without too much trouble.


----------



## Bob Korves (Feb 8, 2018)

You can grind off one side of the washer to a D shape to get you going...


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 8, 2018)

Bob Korves said:


> You can grind off one side of the washer to a D shape to get you going...



Seems too easy.  Thanks for mentioning it! That should work fine. 

I thought of grinding, but only thought about trying to keep them round for some reason. Needed to think outside of the disk.


----------



## mikey (Feb 8, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Hmmm... Apparently, washers for 1/2" bolts are just that size. As standards go, I guess it could be worse.
> 
> Since I have a lathe.... Any reason not to mount it up without washers, put a stack of them on a bolt, and turn them to fit?
> 
> Got the machine cleaned up, lubricated, and spent a little time getting acquainted with the controls. Everything feels smooth and there's a thin coat of oil on all the moving parts now. There wasn't too much of the thick grease on it, and what was there cleaned up without too much trouble.



No reason I can think of.


----------



## Bob Korves (Feb 8, 2018)

There are USS and SAE imperial washers, and none of the dimensions are the same between the two for the same nominal bolt size.  USS wahers are "big", SAE are "small."
http://www.almabolt.com/pages/catalog/washers/combineddimensions.htm


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 8, 2018)

I stopped to grab the right length bolts and thought of the drawers for "special" hardware. I found some M12 washers that look about right and fit over the 1/2" bolts fine. If that doesn't work for some reason, I have a couple options, thanks guys. Now to get this thing set up so I can make some chips..


----------



## middle.road (Feb 8, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Test fitting the levelers on the tailstock... Need smaller diameter washers and a bit shorter bolts.
> 
> View attachment 257193


Wanna come on over and redo my Logan like that? Much better than what I did.

I've also been using metric washers on SAE bolts lately. Good snug fit.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 8, 2018)

middle.road said:


> Wanna come on over and redo my Logan like that? Much better than what I did.



Thanks! It's a bit of a drive from Utah though.  

And I'm not in a rush to hand tap another half dozen 1/2-13 holes. It was SO tempting to get the impact driver out, but my luck I'd break the tap. The 3/8-24 wasn't bad, but those bigger ones were a pain. Couldn't have had anything to do with my POS Harbor Freight taps.. Really need to buy some better taps.. And drills....


----------



## middle.road (Feb 8, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> Thanks! It's a bit of a drive from Utah though.
> 
> And I'm not in a rush to hand tap another half dozen 1/2-13 holes. It was SO tempting to get the impact driver out, but my luck I'd break the tap. The 3/8-24 wasn't bad, but those bigger ones were a pain. Couldn't have had anything to do with my POS Harbor Freight taps.. Really need to buy some better taps.. And drills....


Keep you eyes peeled for auctions. That is my #1 source for taps and cutting tools.
Then again I don't know the level of industrial type businesses or sales in SLC.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 17, 2018)

After way more work than I expected, lots of crawling around under the bench, sitting on cold concrete adjusting leveling screws, then leveling the lathe and swearing at the machinist level....

Oh, and swearing at the change gears I had to remove to get one of the bolts in... There was a fair bit of swearing....






Topped off the oil, really low in the apron... Lubed all the things, ran some tests and experimented with my indicator holder. Tomorrow I make chips. Too tired to feel safe running the machine tonight. I'll do a 2 collar test and verify everything is straight as well.


----------



## Boswell (Feb 17, 2018)

_"Tomorrow I make chips."_

Anticipation !


----------



## mikey (Feb 17, 2018)

Not to be a downer but do you plan to site the lathe in that position on the table? Its sitting sort of way back from the edge and I wonder if your back will thank you for that.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 17, 2018)

It's there. It's about 6 inches back from the edge. I thought it would be nice to have a little room in front, but if it becomes an issue I can change it.


----------



## mikey (Feb 17, 2018)

Okay, just a suggestion. There are times when you need to get your eyes right over the work or over your hand wheels so you can see the index marks clearly. I have some back issues so I am aware of it; may not be a problem for you, I hope.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 18, 2018)

Thanks for the tip. I may end up moving it, or perhaps building something to stand on. It ended up a bit taller than I wanted. Always something. 

On the up side, I did the 2 collar test. Started out about 0.002 out over 8". I got it down to 0.0005 with only a small adjustment. I'm good with that for now. Now to make some stuff other than swarf.


----------



## mikey (Feb 18, 2018)

ttabbal said:


> On the up side, I did the 2 collar test. Started out about 0.002 out over 8". I got it down to 0.0005 with only a small adjustment. I'm good with that for now. Now to make some stuff other than swarf.



Pretty good! I suggest you check it in a month - it will move. Eventually, the lathe and bench will settle down and remain pretty stable but no lathe stays adjusted forever. I check mine several times per year to make sure nothing is out of kilter. There are some hobby guys who are reluctant to buy a decent machinist's level, saying that they'll only use it once or twice; they must have lathes that don't move. Wish I had one of them lathes!

Have fun with you new toy!


----------



## ebolton (Feb 24, 2018)

Very nice. It looks beefy. BTW, it's a good thing you guys aren't building boats or airplanes...they would be way too heavy to float or fly.

My own South Bend 9A is lighter than this lathe, but it's on the table it came to me with. I think it's been on the same table since the factory that bought it had it in the 60's. It seems to be a shop-made affair. It has a 2X4 wood perimeter frame. The top is .142 thick steel screwed to the frame. No other reinforcement. Steel legs  made from angle stock about the same thickness hold it up, and are screwed to the frame. There is no other structure at all.

Since I've had it, I added heavy duty casters. Everything in my shop that can move needs to be able to, since I'm really tight for space. Since it moves around to where I can use it when I need it, it isn't always dead-nuts level. This has never seemed to be a problem. Of course, I'm working in .001's, not .0001's.

In fact, lathes like mine were installed on Navy ships. Ships underway move around constantly and are pretty much never level.  I've always thought people get excessively hung-up on leveling lathes.

So, I think you have some overkill going on. Better too much than too little, though.

-Ed


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 24, 2018)

Thanks. I was going for overkill as I would rather only do it once. I also wanted some mass to help absorb any vibrations. 

I wasn't too worried about level to the world, other than enough to get a reading on the precision level so I could make sure the bed isn't twisted. And
to prevent round things from constantly rolling off the bench.


----------



## Creativechipper (Jul 19, 2018)

Great looking set up!!
 I am thinking I may need this.


----------

