boting down lathe

[marcros]

I have just about finished the bench for my metal working lathe. it is a simple affair but is strong, wooden and has a thick dense top. It is sat on some adjustable feet made using carriage bolts and hockey pucks.

I was planning on bolting down the lathe, because i just assumed that is what you needed to do. But, I have noticed an issue. The headstock is threaded underneath, but on the tailstock end of the bed, the single threaded hug has been snapped.

It is a Boley 4L, and it is too much for me to lift on my own- it must be in the region of 100kgs i would imagine. I plan to use it for making pens- so no large out of balance pieces. I dont think that there is enough meat in the cast iron to drill and tap another hole.

Does the lathe need to be bolted down?
If it does, could I get away with epoxying a plate to the foot and bolting down through the bench. I could do the same to the headstock end to keep it level.
Any better/other suggestions?

 

[woodpig]

Unless the Lathe actuall moves while you're using it then I don't think you really need to bolt it down given its intended use.

 

[CHJ]

Unless your bench is perfectly flat and true in all planes and not likely to warp then you are better off just securing it at the headstock end only and not attempting to bolt the tailstock end of the bed down, just support it on stiff thin cork sheet and let the tailstock end float.

Then any movement in the bench through moisture level changes etc. wont be trying to compete with the stiffness of the bed ways.

 

[MusicMan]

As you know, I have the same lathe. I would fix it down, as though you may not need it now, your needs may change in a few years and you might forget! Also you may sometimes get some vibration.

That's very unlucky, you really cannot see that lug without picking it up. BTW if you remove the headstock and tailstock it is not toooo bad to roll it over. But don't risk dropping it. In any event, I think a repair to the lug would be too much faff. I don't think epoxy would really do anything against that mass.

However, I just looked at mine and the bottom of the base at the tailstock end does have a lip. I suggest using that to clamp that end to the bench, one clamp each side. Clamps could be as simple as 25 x 10 mm bar steel, with a single bolt or heavy lag bolt going into the timber, one each side, with a spacer the other side of the bolt to make the clamp roughly level - standard milling table clamps would do nicely.

No need to worry about wood movement. Your grain will run parallel to the bed, and movement in this direction is negligible (less than 0.1%). But anyway, the clamp arrangement would allow for movement anyway.
Keith

 

[marcros]

it was much easier to roll with the head and tail stock removed. I havent worked out what to remove to take the carriage off yet to clean it.

I may need your assistance with the countershaft arrangement, Keith. I only looked at it for a few mins, but i cant work out quite what goes where. Yours has the motor elevated and angled- I am hoping not to have to do this. I was given some spacing bars, but I am not convinced that they are for this lathe- the seller wasnt sure either.

 

[MusicMan]

If you send me pics of the bits you have I'll be happy to try to help. I think we both have different home-made layshaft systems.

It is tricky to take the carriage off, since it surrounds the bed on both sides. There are some large flat-headed screws at about the level of the top of the bed, which hold the upper and lower split parts of the carriage together. The lower part can only be detached by rolling the bed upside down, and it contains the mechanism for the split leadscrew nut. This is altogether not a trivial bit of engineering and I advise leaving it alone, especially the lower part! The upper part is easier to take off but I never have, as there may be alignment issues getting it back. However it is fine to take the top and cross slides off for cleaning and this should be all you need.


Keith