Creative way to raise lathe hight

[Ben Richardson]

I have just purchased a new lathe and need to raise it approximately 7 inches. It is a jet 16-42. Does any one have any good ideas or designs for a base to lift the lathe this much?

[Tim A. Mitchell]

You could use CMU block under the feet. Fill the holes with grout for strength. Embed treaded rod to give aomething to bolt the legs to to keep things in line and on the block. I don't have the lathe, but the pictures look like they could be set for bolting down, or made to work that way.

If you grout to the top, that would typically be 8 inches. If the feet fit in the holes, you could grout to what ever level you want.

Alternatnatives I see are to pour concrete in 2x8 frorms (7.5 inches). Just about anything could be used to seperate it from the surface below.

[Denny Rice]

I have just purchased a new lathe and need to raise it approximately 7 inches. It is a jet 16-42. Does any one have any good ideas or designs for a base to lift the lathe this much?

Ben,

about a month ago I was checking out the same thing, because I am getting ready to purchase a new Jet lathe. I came across a thread by Dominic Greco, he has pics on this thread of his ballast box and how he raised the height of the legs with the trestles he made, including measurments. Hope this helps.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Big boy aren't you Ben. To need 7 inches you must be 6' 6" or more.

I stand on a mat that is almost two inches thick to get me up to height. How about I cut a few inches out my frame and send it to you.

Search 'stands' or 'tool racks' I remember somebody had a 2 x 6 base made for thier 1642 that elevated it some and made the foot print bigger too.

Frank

[Jim Becker]

I would suggest that Tim's method is a good one to consider first, but you could also use some heavy timbers bolted to the bottoms of the cast iron legs. If you can't find thick enough timbers, 2x material, say 2x6 stacked 5 high would get you close to what you need. They would absolutely need to be lagged together into one construction and I suggest you extend them slightly in front and a little more behind the lathe for additional stability...you're raising the center of gravity substantially on a very heavy machine. This is one case where I'd want the whole thing bolted to the floor, too.

[Andy Hoyt]

Vibration would make short work of crumbling the CMUs to dust. Go with wood.

[Al Wasser]

See if you can find some fairly decent railroad ties. I think they are about 8" sq. Landscaping supply places may have some.

[Ben Richardson]

Thanks for all you ideas!:D I had read the review mentioned and forgot I will check it out.
Thanks again!
Ben

[Bill Stevener]

Although I have turned on that lathe, I have never put an eyeball on the configuration or the assembly of the lathe bed to the legs. You may wish to consider bolting "I" beams between the lathe bed and the legs. Kinda like riser blocks. ;)

[Richard Madison]

Another vote for Bill's idea (sorta), and another vote for Jim's suggestion to widen the footprint a bit. The I-beams go under the legs. The holes in bottom of the legs are tapped 3/8-16, I think, for the screw-in feet. You may have to run a tap through the holes to clean them out all the way through. I did. Drill matching holes in the I-beams, and four hex cap screws (bolts) will get 'er done. One piece of 6" beam for each end and two pcs. of 1" square bar stock welded to the ends of each I-beam should do it.

[Bill Wyko]

Myself, I'd use some square stock steel and make a spacer to go between the legs and the lathe bed. Weld some thick flat stock to the ends and thread the flat stock and Bolt it all together tight. IMHO

[David Foshee]

I needed to raise mine about 3" I used 2 2x6 laminated I did not bolt the legs to the riser but wish I had I will go back and do that. I added ballast to mine so it does not move arount too much but I also bandsaw my bowl blanks round so I don't get much vibration.
I would not use blocks if you have much vibration.

[Curt Fuller]

Casters! I raised my Oliver with locking castors. Solved both height and mobility issues. Get some quality, heavy duty ones.

[Bill Fleming]

I put my MiniMax T-120 on Zambus Carrymaster http://www.zambus.com casters and it works great. It raised the lathe approx. 4" and you could add a spacer to gain further height. The casters have a great foot and I have experienced no problems or movement during usage.