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Raising a lathe?

jmdriller41

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Anyone ever raise a lathe up say 6 inches? I’m 6”3 and now that I’ve started actually useing/learning to run my 14.5, I find I am stooping over quit a bit to get to the apron, and to see what I’m doing, looking for pics/ material used? I thought of just some square tubing blocks with some rings on top so the feet can’t walk off, and some conveyor belt material glue to bottom? any thoughts?
 
You can do pretty much whatever you want to help yourself, experiment and adjust as needed. But preferred for any machine would be to be mounted on concrete for stability/rigidity. And if you really want to make a change, could be a chance to do something. Make a boxes out out of 2x6's, cement is cheap, fill the boxes with cement. Could even place all-thread or bolts in the cement. Set the machine over the bolts/all-thread. Use shims between lathe and concrete to get level and be bolted down nice and rigid.

Use a 2x4 as a template, drill holes exact length of base bolt holes. Shove bolts in 2x4, and lay over the top of box, cementing one end of bolts in.

If your shop has a concrete floor, could put a piece of plywood on bottom of box to allow the cement block to be moved if needed later.
 
HD sells 16 x 8 x 4 concrete blocks for 1.70ea.
That is what I used to raise my SB 7 shaper.
If you want to double them up. You can glue them together with masonry adhesive.
Set the lathe on the blocks, level it and use masonry bolts to hold it down.
 
I have a bad back so bending over gets old quick. I have raised several of my lathes 4-6" . Good idea to bolt the lathe to whatever you use as a riser so no chance of it slipping of the riser. Would never use standard concrete blocks !
 
Not cinder blocks. These are solid concrete with 3,800 PSI compression strength.
They are on HD’s site.
Or as stated above you can make your own pad.
 
I have a bad back so bending over gets old quick. I have raised several of my lathes 4-6" . Good idea to bolt the lathe to whatever you use as a riser so no chance of it slipping of the riser. Would never use standard concrete blocks !

Seconded, Similar reason. Only 5' 10" .. or I would be if "cable tensioned", but scoliosis, so the lathes are up 3 to 4 inches,

You are in the SB forum?

ATTACHED .. square tube you can easily move, modify, LEVEL and periodically check and RE-LEVEL.. should do yah well-enough.

Which implies provision for carry-through, ELSE it's own, adjustable/shimmable floor bolting to get and retain the best out of the "spaghetti bed".

No pull-down, but even my dining room table has adjustable feet. Hand-laid porcelain tile floor thing.

Heavier than a SB nine is incidental.

It was intentionally built so 3 active kids were to slam into it, there just be an educational bruise rather than wine spills on the lace or linen!

Fast learners, kids can be!

You'd have to ken "bank shots"?

Also work gone wrong so badly it can tip a light lathe to a faceplant - or scary close to - that a 2000 lb more massive lathe would very nearly ignore.

:(
 
LatheRisingLevelingFeet.jpg
The attached photo shows what I did with my Heavy 10.

These feet are actually tapered, larger at the bottom, but it doesn't look like it because of the camera lens distortion. The forms were 2.5 quart plastic paint pails from the hardware store, upside down. That seems to be just the right size. The bottom is plywood, maybe 5/8. The studs are 1/2-20 bolts, fastened to the plywood at the bottom. I did weld a small cross piece of rebar to the studs, because why not. The plywood fit nicely into the top of the paint pail, and I held it in place with wood screws into the edge.

I think I used an endmill to cleanly put a 1/2 inch hole in the center of the bottom of the pails and that held the top of the studs in place. I cut out a big section, maybe a third of the bottom of the pail (top of the foot) to pour the concrete into. I had to sit them at an angle to get the concrete to fully fill the top of the foot, and let them set up that way.

After curing, I used the engine hoist to lift the lathe off the pallet that I transported it on, and set it right on these feet.

These have more than enough stud coming out of the top to level the lathe. There is a matching washer and nut under the lathe foot. The lathe is sitting 6.5" above the floor. I'm 6'0" and I thought this felt about right.

John
 
My 9A bench model came with 4" steel block between the bed and the chip pan that the previous owner installed. It dose make it easier to see the work and clean out the chips.
 
I have my Logan, which is fairly light, raised about 4" on maple blocks. The ends are pocketed out for adjustable feet, so it can't walk off. It's worked fine for years but I'd want something more substantial for a heavier lathe. Welding rings to some box channel sounds like a good idea.
 








 
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