To Level Or Not To Level, That Is The Question

[Noah Barfield]

Hi all,

I just got my new Jet 1642-2 yesterday and added some wooden legs a la Dominic Greco's plans. The lathe is slightly out of level with the left hand (motor) side needing to come up a bit. However, this evening when I checked the alignment between the headstock taper spur and the tailstock taper spur, they match exactly--touching tip to tip. Should I leave it as it is or should I level it anyway? If I level the bed by inserting shims under the left side legs, would it bring the spurs out of alignment?

Thanks in advance,

Noah

[Bob Bergstrom]

Level it. Cast iron has been known to twist when left on uneven surfaces. It will also cut down on the viBration when turning bowls.

[Jim Burr]

Thanks for that post Noah...mine shows up on 9-30. The floor is so clean in the shop it could be slept on! This is one of those notes I'll jot down.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Experience has shown that it is worth the effort to level the lathe! Your headstock/tailstock may line up point to point when close together but without having the lathe leveled - you don't know where the center points are when the tailstock is 18" away!

[Dennis Ford]

If the lathe is put on an uneven surface, it will twist slightly and all four legs may touch the floor. The lathe will look okay and still work but the twisted bed causes alignment and vibration problems. Having the lathe level is not important but having it straight is. Leveling is the easiest way to make sure the bed is not twisted.