Lathe stand with built in bed trueing system

[toglhot]

This is my lathe, a 280 x 700 Impala (Optimum Maschinen). The stand I threw away and made my own with built in bed levelling. The stand is made from 50mm heavy wall tubing I had lying around, some new RHS, some 50mm x 8mm flat and some 65mm x 8mm angle I also bought.
Made in two sections, the bottom section of which is loxined to the floor. It has a drawer at top for metrology, reamers, etc, and two shelves below behind the swing out doors. The top shelf holds chucks, faceplate, change gears and steadies, while the bottom shelf just holds small stock.

The top section is of 65mm angle and has a small shelf at front under the chip tray for odds and sods. It's affixed to the the lower section by way of four bolts welded to the underneath. Trueing the bed is by way of these four bolts, 5-10 minutes tops to level, much quicker than fiddling around with shims and the bed can be trued to 0.02mm.

The stand leans to the rear a little for the coolant to exit the swarf tray via the two drains at the rear. The level I'm using is a precision machinery level, accurate to 0.02mm.

The video attached show how to true the bed.

 

[BTL-A4]

Sweet!

I leveled my Atlas Craftsman with shims on top of a wood counter I made. What a PITA. I think the wood flexes just a bit, but I'm not a good enough machinists for it to matter. Ha!

Have you noticed any settling over time? In other words, does it stay true? I suppose we should all check our lathe beds from time to time.

 

[toglhot]

The lathe is cast iron, the stand is welded steel and it sits on a thick concrete floor. No chance of it moving or settling nor does it need regular trueing. Once done, it stays level until I move it. Wood is not the best choice for mounting machinery!

 

[Firebrick43]

As a cnc machine mechanic, and i have rebuilt/rescraped a lot of manual lathes as well from hardinge super precisions to lodge and shipleys, cast iron moves over time. Its better than most materials but still it will move over time. The foundations will move as well. We go back every 6-8 years and relevel machines. Some have reinforced concrete 4' thick on 4 foot of stone and its amazing how much they move over time.

Typically on most lathe leveling systems is 3 points of contact. Two under the head stock and one under the tail stock. Its pretty easy to force a twist in the beds if the owner doesn't understand the leveling process very well or not very detailed oriented. 3 points make it harder for someone to put a twist in.

I am not questioning the OP skill or construction. It appears top notch. I normally do it on the ways itself at the far ends instead of the carriage. 123 blocks lift up the level to keep from contacting inverted v way although some lathes this is difficult to do and you have to go back to the carriage.

 

[toglhot]

Then there is wear! But every six years. I don't think that's particularly worrysome. I wonder how often you'd have to do it on a wooden bench. Then of course, how many people true the bed on their lathes, not many I'd wager. Your post does bring up a question though, if the bed has two points at the headstock and one at the tailstock, how would you true the bed?

 

[Packard V8]

The lathe is cast iron, the stand is welded steel and it sits on a thick concrete floor. No chance of it moving or settling nor does it need regular trueing. Once done, it stays level until I move it.

Nice work and a better stand than most.

However, you don't understand entropy. Everything moves over time.

Entropy - lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder. All ordered systems proceed toward chaos.

jack vines

 

[toglhot]

Nice work and a better stand than most.

However, you don't understand entropy. Everything moves over time.



jack vines

Perhaps you should not use words that you don't understand. Entropy is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty.
As for 'everything moves over time', sure it does, but I think you need to use a little common sense, and understand you are not making scientific instruments, if you were, you wouldn't be working out of your garage, you would be working out of a controlled environment. A garage is hardly that! Trueing the bed of a lathe is not a daily chore, nor is it a weekly, monthly or even yearly chore.
When, if ever, was the last time you trued the bed of your lathe?
BTW, you do not level a lathe, it is not necessary. You true the bed in relation to itself.

 

[racecougar]

Nice work!