Lathe mounts in floor?

[Sonny Kemp]

There was a thread a few days back about what,Im not sure.Someone commented that they had mounted their lathe on a platform built on piers that were in the floor.Anybody know about that or am I just dreaming I saw it?I tried searching and have had no luck.

[Glenn C Roberts]

I believe he had a wood floor, buried pipes surrounded by (and sitting on) concrete in the ground below, mounted his lathe legs on the pipes. Think he said they were adjustable. Sounds solid to me if the concrete pad is sitting on hard pan, or it is one thick pad larger than the footprint of the lathe.

[Neal DaMommio]

Sunny that was my comment you are talking about but wasn't my original idea. I believe the person I copied it from was named Richard Stapley and his website (I don't think it is still active.) was called LaymarCrafts. If I remember he had actually cut holes in his concrete floor to install his. His website had more high quality information than any I have ever visited. I also fabricated his captured hollowing tool and I consider it to be better than any other hollower I have seen or tried. I included a picture of the pier. This setup is very, very solid. If you need any other information don't hesitate to ask.



Neal

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[Sonny Kemp]

Thank you Neal.I get the idea but not sure I understand how it adjusts without separating the lathe from the column and the connection to it.

[Neal DaMommio]

I actually found Richard Stapley's new website but he has taken down all of his hints and tips. Talented man.

http://laymarcrafts.co.uk/

Neal

[Neal DaMommio]

Sonny the only adjustment is designed to compensate for any movement in the piers. If you notice the all-thread welded to the side of the column and the nuts holding the mounting plates allow for me to level and on a small scale change the height of the lathe. When I talked about setting the height of the lathe in the other post I was actually referring to height I set the pipes when I installed them not the ability to adjust after the fact. You could of course use heavier all-thread and allow yourself more adjustment if you wished. This setup is so solid I make sure to be aware that the old "turn it up until it wobbles and then back off a bit" rule for speed could get me into trouble.

Neal

[Thom Sturgill]

The critical thing when mounting the lathe solid is to make sure there is no twist. I have also seen an article where someone cut holes in a wood floor that had too much bounce and put concrete risers in that came to floor height and bolted the machine to that. You have to make sure that works with the framing.

[Neal DaMommio]

Thom that is exactly what the all thread mounts are used for. From time to time I unbolt the bed from the mounts to see of it sits perfectly flat on the mounts. My thinking was if there was any movement I could then adjust the mounts using the nuts on the all-thread. Fortunately where I live doesn't really have an issue with movement so I haven't had to compensate.


Neal

[Sonny Kemp]

Thank you Neal.I think I got it.The lathe mounts to the plate,that is mounted on the all thread, welded to the column.You can level it by adjusting the nuts on the all thread.How big is that pipe?Im assuming its poured full of concrete?I realize it may be different where Im at, but how deep is your pipe in the ground?

[Neal DaMommio]

Sonny you have it exactly. The pipe is 13" across with a 3/8 wall thickness and is buried about a foot into the ground but there is concrete and rebar not only in the pipe but below the pipe. I dug the hole deeper than the pipe and held them in place with an engine host while the concrete set. The pipe I found was not as long as I would like it so I used the concrete "extension" to solve the issue. The pipe and the concrete extension of the pipe is buried about 2 feet with a large mushroom shaped footing at the bottom. I actually started to just use 12" pier forms and just pour concrete piers but ran across the pipe and liked the idea of using the pipe. Here in Missouri there is basically no issues with movement so I have had no problems at all.

[Sonny Kemp]

I think I like the pipe idea too.I got a buddy that owns a couple big recycling yards so I should have no problem rounding some up.A big plus too,Im building this shed new to put just my lathe stuff in so digging will be a lot easier than if it was already there and had to dig between the joists.Thanks for your help and Ill let you know how it turns out.

[Neal DaMommio]

Please do and if you have any other questions or need better pictures just let me know. You are absolutely correct about digging between the joists, it was grunt work.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I used the large pipes to make my lathe’s base, I did this 21 years ago, however I have it bolted to the concrete floor, rather than down into the dirt with concrete around it.

When I moved to my new place here, I did do the same thing, bringing my stand along and bolting it again to the floor.

I like the freedom of an open base and the rigidity of the base, cleaning under and around is a breeze also.

The lathe itself sits on a 10 inch I-beam that I welded onto the heavy walled pipe, the lathe is levelled with some round shims/washers onto the I-beam.

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[Sonny Kemp]

Thanks for that Leo.That ought to be there from now on.Im gonna have a wood floor is the main reason Im gonna go in the ground.Where its gonna be would make a simple plan a major ordeal to pour a concrete floor.Your opinion is much respected by me.That I Beam across the pipe gets my attention.

[Olaf Vogel]

I think I like the pipe idea too.I got a buddy that owns a couple big recycling yards so I should have no problem rounding some up.A big plus too,Im building this shed new to put just my lathe stuff in so digging will be a lot easier than if it was already there and had to dig between the joists.Thanks for your help and Ill let you know how it turns out.

Sonny, how big of a lathe are you trying to anchor?
I agree that for really large pieces, esp. unbalanced, you want a really solid anchoring to the floor.


There are two solutions I’ve used for big stuff.


1 - its a wood floor show, that couldn’t hold the weight of the lathe (~4000#), so I also dug through the floor as well, put down three 12” columns, embedded the largest threaded rod I could find. Then laid a 4x4 square pipe across the two columns at the headstock, drilled holes for the pipe and bolted it down. The lathe headstock bolts to the pipe. (Moving the lathe around so it lined up with the bolt holes was...um...interesting.)

The other single column holds up the tailstock end.


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(that shop is a bit of a mess. It rarely gets used now that I have a new shop)


2 - my other lathe does not have such a solid cast iron bed (its an old post & beam lathe). I jacked it up to the right height, and put two temporary wood braces under the bed. Then, while the feett were hanging in the air, I build a wood form around the feet and just poured a big slab of concrete over them.


http://www.olafvogel.com/cant-bros-lathe.html
Sorry no pics of the construction.


Both solutions add a lot of mass and neither more at all - in any direction. :)

[Jim Barkelew]

Another solution is one used in machine shops for large machines. Basically pour a block of concrete the size of the machine footprint flush with the floor and mount whatever to the block. You can imbed steel plates or all-thread in the concrete for mounting and leveling. The block moves as one piece making the machine more stable over time. Also because the concrete is flush with the floor, moving the machine leaves nothing sticking up thru the floor.

Jim