New mill, anchor to floor or just sit it down ??

[akjeff]

I just finished assembling these leveling bars, that I made for a Lagun FTV-1 that's on it's way. I too pondered the free standing vs anchor dilemma, as I live in pretty active seismic country. But, after talking to several local pros, and having been in a few local shops. None of them anchor their mills, and no tip overs that I'm aware of. So, it'll be free standing, on vibration pads for me. I bought the feet from H&W, and then made the bars from 1" x 2" solid stock.

 

[Gaffer]

I just finished assembling these leveling bars, that I made for a Lagun FTV-1 that's on it's way. I too pondered the free standing vs anchor dilemma, as I live in pretty active seismic country. But, after talking to several local pros, and having been in a few local shops. None of them anchor their mills, and no tip overs that I'm aware of. So, it'll be free standing, on vibration pads for me. I bought the feet from H&W, and then made the bars from 1" x 2" solid stock.View attachment 337559

I did the same thing on my BP clone. They work great.

 

[JRaut]

I made leveling feet for my Bridgeport with 4 big bolts and 4 blocks of oak.

Not bolted down and no issues.

I check it for level from time to time and it's always bang-on.

 

[Papa Charlie]

I just finished assembling these leveling bars, that I made for a Lagun FTV-1 that's on it's way. I too pondered the free standing vs anchor dilemma, as I live in pretty active seismic country. But, after talking to several local pros, and having been in a few local shops. None of them anchor their mills, and no tip overs that I'm aware of. So, it'll be free standing, on vibration pads for me. I bought the feet from H&W, and then made the bars from 1" x 2" solid stock.View attachment 337559

Where did you purchase those leveling feet? Don't know what H&W is.
Thanks

 

[akjeff]

Where did you purchase those leveling feet? Don't know what H&W is.
Thanks

Oops, sorry. Should have pasted a link. It's H&W Machine Rebuilders

Leveling Feet - Feet Only | SR602B

These feet are not suitable to put straight onto your machine, they are to put on a bar. The post is not long enough to thread through the base.

www.machinerypartsdepot.com

 

[Gaffer]

Where did you purchase those leveling feet? Don't know what H&W is.
Thanks

Like akjeff said, buy some 1X2" bar. Drill and thread it and bolt it to the underside of the base through the factory mounting holes. I bought my hardware from McMaster-Carr. EDIT - I purchased the feet from Barry at H&W Machine Repair. He is great and helped me with a near-impossible part for a repair at a very reasonable price. The nuts and bolts came from M-C.

 

[Twirpunky]

I saw an article written one time in a book about machine placement. Guy L--- something was the author. He would level the machine with shims about an inch off the floor and mix up some grout and pack it under and around the base. Paint it the same as the mill. Nothing rolling under the mill and if you ever want to move it, just take a hammer and brake up grout. It comes right off the concrete floor.

D

 

[Papa Charlie]

That isn't a bad idea. My lathe has eight mounting holes, four on each pedestal. I could build a stand for each of the pedestals and use only two per for a total of four instead of eight.

Thanks, I like it!

 

[hman]

Geez, youse guys! Wuz I copying you or wuz you copying me? Here's the feet (McMaster_Carr, ⅝" stems) and steel bars I just installed on my new mill today! (With help from a neighbor with a backhoe.) One of the bars is 1x3½", the other 1x4" - both straight out of the rem bins at Industrial Metal Supply. As wide as they are, I was able to "cheat" a bit, and place the feet up to 2" further forward and back from the mounting holes. The long stems allow me to raise the mill enough to get a pallet jack underneath.

 

[Gaffer]

Geez, youse guys! Wuz I copying you or wuz you copying me? Here's the feet (McMaster_Carr, ⅝" stems) and steel bars I just installed on my new mill today! (With help from a neighbor with a backhoe.) One of the bars is 1x3½", the other 1x4" - both straight out of the rem bins at Industrial Metal Supply. As wide as they are, I was able to "cheat" a bit, and place the feet up to 2" further forward and back from the mounting holes. The long stems allow me to raise the mill enough to get a pallet jack underneath.
View attachment 337669

I love the rem bins at IMS - I shop their Riverside location.