The purpose of leveling machinery

I set my stuff up using Tubalcain's video on the subject. He explains how to do it and why.
 
Joncooey said:
I set my stuff up using Tubalcain's video on the subject. He explains how to do it and why.
Click to expand...

what video are you referring to?

I've only ever seen his videos on aligning centers, and that's not the same thing.
 
I generally level the lathe so that fluids run down the bed to the tailstock end and dump.

There's nothing that says a machine has to be leveled to a standard. But like everyone has said, you level to remove any twist that could exists, like in a lathe. If you don't do so, it will induce a twist and show up in the work you perform. Then later in life, trying to remove a permanent twist from years of not keeping your lathe level, will take years to remove.
 
Level is only a point of reference.

Listen to contractors working hanging pipe..."is this level with that?"

Bed needs to be flat and not twisted.

Level to ground or to wall...

All points on the bed need to be in same reference plane.

Things like mills only need to sit without wobble...
 
I understand the concept of leveling a lathe and that it does not mean it needs to be perfectly horizontal, only that the bed is in the same plane. But there are all kinds of threads that suggest using Rollies Dads Method to get the lathe spindle parallel to the ways. That method involves putting shims under the headstock and / or tailstock to force twist into the bed. I have used this method with my lathe and the ways are now not in the same plane (ie twisted) but the spindle is parallel with the ways and it now cuts with a 0.0004" taper over 12". Is the correct way to: 1) get the bed in the same plane and then; 2) adjust the headstock alignment to get the spindle parallel to the ways?
 
Dan_S said:
what video are you referring to?

I've only ever seen his videos on aligning centers, and that's not the same thing.
Click to expand...
Hi Dan; I am looking for the video; might be thinking about the same ones that you mentioned. Any way I do have a periodical that he wrote - Lathe alignment - Tubal Cain - (1973), that talks about leveling the bed, taking out the twist (important for aligning centres), plumbing the head stock, etc. Also, I started out (and still often refer to) The Amateur's Lathe - Lawrence H. Sparey. (1948) I work with an Atlas and it is real important that you make these smaller machines, in particular, square and level in order to have a fighting chance to make accurate and repeatable work. I'm sure that these modern and more robust machines are easier to setup. Anyway, IMHO, real good reading regardless of your skill level and/or equipment. Build a house on a good foundation mentality, I guess.
 
Amazing replies you all!

So I get the gist of it and basically it boils down to this:
- machines have to be straight, plumb and square
- avoid twist in a lathe bed
- level is just a reference, albeit a convenient one!
- they don't bother on boats so I don't have to be anal about this in my concrete basement!
- machines have to be well stanced on the floor, with no wobbles, undue vibrations and such...

I watched a few youtube VDO on the subject and found TubalCain and this one from Dale at "metal tips and tricks" (interesting site for newbee like me)
And he does the levelling with a plumb bob. Neat! That's how Egyptian and Mayan pyramid were built!

In my case, I will set the machines nice and swell because I like it, and then move on to other subject matter. I also intend to keep an eye on the lathe for the first year or so to check that the lathe is not developping any twist, and that will be the end of this subject.

Sincerely, Luc
 
They do bother on boats! But "level" has nothing to do with making the bed of the lathe be all in one plane. On a ship all the equipment if fastened to the structure of the ship which is fairly stiff (not perfectly though.) So the lathe can be brought to one plane and then fastened down, securely. I was an engineering officer on an aircraft carrier. Our machine shops had large equipment.
 
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