Bolt it down dilemma...

[Bi11Hudson]

I use a Craftsman 12X36 (101.27440), basically an Atlas machine. I mounted the machine to a heavy wall box tube and trued it to the tubing. Then mounted the tubing to a chip pan and a homemade stand. The machine lifted one foot off the floor and was shimmed. It isn't "level" but is true to the tubing. The term is a "strongback" from my time on ships. An Atlas is a fairly light weight machine, as such go. The strongback provides a rigid, and quite stable, mounting point. Even though the stand is less so. My solution, but it does what its' supposed to do.

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[jwmay]

The plywood that you have the lathe sitting on

That's actually a laminated hardwood top. It's not that thick though.

 

[jwmay]

I mounted the machine to a heavy wall box tube and trued it to the tubing. Then mounted the tubing to a chip pan and a homemade stand.

I could do that, and maybe a frame under the toolbox like this picture I stole from the internet. This came from the PM website, and was built for a milling machine. I assume it's ok to show it here. I DID NOT make it, but may try to copy it. Mine will be uglier and less square of course.

 

[kcoffield]

My machine isn't anchored to the floor but it is anchored to a very sturdy and heavily weighted stand on leveling feet. With lathe and everything in the drawers it's at least 800lbs. No arguing that anchored to floor is better because inevitably there will be a lifting force on one corner of the bed and thus one of the feet of the stand. IMO, and in practice, if you have a heavy weighted stand, an Atlas lathe will not further benefit from being anchored because it isn't capable of a heavy enough cut. Grind sharp tools and cut accordingly within the limits of your machine.

IMO, if you want your lathe rolling on that toolbox, and want the best possible rigidity and performance, you need to make a very stiff sub base between the lathe and rolling cabinet. A skinned weldment made form channel and sheet like a cored closet door say 2-4" thick. It doesn't have to be perfectly flat, because you're going to level the lathe on it anyway. You could incorporate leveling features and even chip tray......how far are you willing to go for the performance and mobility you desire?

Best,
Kelly

 

[Larry$]

As a woodworker I can't resist adding one thought: Wood moves! Any change in moisture content will change its size, flatness etc. Plywood commonly has a lot of stresses built in. Depending on your idea of flat it may be great or a potato chip. We avoid it in our manufacturing plant because it is so damned unstable. MDF also has built in stresses from the heat pressing but much less than plywood. It usually starts out flatter but if one side is exposed to more water vapor than the other it will potato chip! And it is subject to a lot of volumetric change with moisture. Sealing it with a water resistant finish or plastic coating helps a lot. Same for particle board. There is a plywood made with a water proof resin (phenolic?) that is quite stable, expensive, and used for highway billboards. You might find a sign shop selling or giving away used panels from their billboards. Great stuff! All wood products will be spongy to some extent.

 

[akjeff]

My Craftsman/Atlas 12x36 was on the factory cabinet with the under mount motor. I leveled the cabinet and anchored it to the concrete floor. Then shimmed/leveled the lathe to the cabinet. It both cut and drilled pretty darn straight. I also filled the open space in the cabinet with the biggest toolbox that would fit in it, and filled it with all the heavy stuff I had for the lathe to add as much mass to the whole thing as possible.

 

[wa5cab]

A lathe or any other machine tool that is operated on casters is unfortunately an accident waiting to happen. If the steel stand that came with the lathe is too short or lacks storage space or if there is any other reason why it isn't suitable, then what you can do is to add some sort of lifting mechanism to the cabinet that you prefer that will lift the castors clear of the floor or slab when the lathe is moved out to wherever you normally use it. The lifting mechanism would be adjusted to level the surface that the lathe sits on to the accuracy of a decent carpenter;s level. The the bed should be shimmed to take out any twist to the accuracy of a machinist's level. Several companies make and sell castor sets with adjustable legs that lift the stand clear of the castors for operating. Shopsmith is another possible source.

But the one thing that will eventually maim or kill you is to operate the lathe while it is still sitting on wheels and free to move.

 

[jwmay]

You could incorporate leveling features and even chip tray......how far are you willing to go for the performance and mobility you desire?

Well probably not very far. I like standing in front of a machine and running the handwheels. I'm not real big on this sort of work. But I can do it. I won't...probably.
I mentioned Frank Hoose earlier. He has a 1000 pound machine on one of these boxes. He blocked it up with 4x4's. He made 4 wedges with threaded rod to pull the two halves together. Instant leveling feet. Viola. That's more my speed. Lol

But I'm liking this sub base idea. I'll have to think on it. Thanks!

 

[JPMacG]

I have a tool chest with several sheets of plywood glued and screwed together for the top surface. The original castors were very wobbly so I replaced them with C channel and hockey puck feet with adjusting screws. It was then impossible to move, so I added deployable castors. The lathe is very stable once the hockey pucks are adjusted. Of course, any time it is moved I need to re-level it (both the feet and the bed shims), so I avoid moving it unless there is a pressing reason.

 

[NC Rick]

A lathe or any other machine tool that is operated on casters is unfortunately an accident waiting to happen. If the steel stand that came with the lathe is too short or lacks storage space or if there is any other reason why it isn't suitable, then what you can do is to add some sort of lifting mechanism to the cabinet that you prefer that will lift the castors clear of the floor or slab when the lathe is moved out to wherever you normally use it. The lifting mechanism would be adjusted to level the surface that the lathe sits on to the accuracy of a decent carpenter;s level. The the bed should be shimmed to take out any twist to the accuracy of a machinist's level. Several companies make and sell castor sets with adjustable legs that lift the stand clear of the castors for operating. Shopsmith is another possible source.

But the one thing that will eventually maim or kill you is to operate the lathe while it is still sitting on wheels and free to move.

That is a valid and important consideration I failed to think of. I’m sorry I brought up casters and lathes. on my welding bench, I installed heavy casters along with a set of mach leveling feet which need to be raised with wrenches to allow for the casters to contact the ground. It isn’t super convenient but serves my needs.
kinda 205’d by @JPMacG .
a couple lengths of square tubing or “C”- channel could be the top. I like the idea of a bolt together or weldment.
the Husky T.B. Conversion is really nice work.