Levelling a machine on four feet

D

Dave022

Plastic

Joined

Feb 16, 2018

• Jun 29, 2019

• #1

Both my lathe and milling machine sit on stands with four adjustable feet. I am having to move them again and the last time I levelled them it was a painful experience, with the end result being more luck than judgement.

Without just building new stands with three levelling points; is there actually a correct method of levelling off four points?

 

g-coder05

Titanium

Joined

Mar 5, 2006

Location

Subic Bay

• Jun 29, 2019

• #2

Leveling machines is just an art perfected over time with experience. Four pads is just a matter of getting them on the ground and starting off with a 6" level then fine tuning with a 12" master level. Only having four pads it sounds pretty small so jacking the screws shouldn't be too hard.

Should have come help me level my Johnford SDMC (Junkford) with 164 pads!

 

gbent

Diamond

Joined

Mar 14, 2005

Location

Kansas

• Jun 29, 2019

• #3

To level 4 pads put your level on a diagonal between 2 pads, then do the other two to remove rock.

 

D

donie

Diamond

Joined

May 17, 2003

Location

Walla Walla Wine and Wild Turkey

• Jun 29, 2019

• #4

Hardinge, recommends adjusting with 3 feet, then adjusting the right rear foot, to keep the machine from rocking. But, the machine is balanced that way, may not work with others.

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Jun 30, 2019

• #5

donie said:

Hardinge, recommends adjusting with 3 feet, then adjusting the right rear foot, to keep the machine from rocking. But, the machine is balanced that way, may not work with others.

Click to expand...

Most hardinge beds are three point kinematic mounts to the cabinet. Cabinet only had one extra tab foot in the right rear, just to keep the
cabinet from getting rocky.

 

Cole2534

Diamond

Joined

Sep 10, 2010

Location

Oklahoma City, OK

• Jun 30, 2019

• #6

donie said:

Hardinge, recommends adjusting with 3 feet, then adjusting the right rear foot, to keep the machine from rocking. But, the machine is balanced that way, may not work with others.

Click to expand...

The concept certainly does.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

M

Mcgyver

Diamond

Joined

Aug 5, 2005

Location

Toronto

• Jun 30, 2019

• #7

less than four points its kind of not even a conversation, as in there's nothing to do as there isn't any worry of twist.

All four feet should take a similar load, I disagree with it level with 3 then use the fourth to stop rocking for a lathe. The might might work on a solid squat shape like a mill base, but not on a lathe of any size where it will twist under its own weight. Get them all in contact and level across the ways (with the level on parallels on the ways, not on the tops of the v's) at the headstock and tailstock. Its nice to have it level in the Z as well. Do a few iterations and and you're done. Its a bunch of bending over and wrenching, but its a pretty simple process.

 

A

Archer120x

Cast Iron

Joined

Jun 10, 2012

Location

Davis Junction, Illinois

• Jun 30, 2019

• #8

If you are having trouble with 4 adjusters, just wait until you get a big boy machine with 6 or more!

 

K

KMoffett

Cast Iron

Joined

Aug 6, 2010

Location

Minnesota USA

• Jun 30, 2019

• #9

OK, How about the the technique for ones with six feet? Four on the headstock and two on the tailstock.
Ken

 

A

Archer120x

Cast Iron

Joined

Jun 10, 2012

Location

Davis Junction, Illinois

• Jun 30, 2019

• #10

KMoffett said:

OK, How about the the technique for ones with six feet? Four on the headstock and two on the tailstock.
Ken

Click to expand...

Lathe, PDF Page 80:
http://victoriacaruk.com/Mazak%20General%20Information%20Manual%20-%20CGENGA0015E.pdf
Mill:
Leveling - VMC