A caster question

[Brian MacDonald]

I've bought a set of leveling casters from Great Lakes for my MM16 and they work well for the application.

I'm thnking about buying a second set for my Jet 16" lathe. The capacity seems fine, the additional height isn't an issue, but I'm wondering about the stability.

Has anyone tried either the GL casters or the Zambus casters on a lathe? I'd hate to drill out the legs for the 12mm stud only to find that it's going to be a shaker.

Thanks.

Brian

[Jim Becker]

Personally, I prefer a lathe to have all its legs right on the floor and would not put casters directly on the machine. A better route might be to position two swival casters on one end that are off the floor when the machine is flat and rolling when you lift the other end a few inches to change the angle.

[tim mathis]

brian,
i have the zambus casters , the set is rated at over 2600 # . i made a base and bolted the lathe to it.with the pads down and leveled the lathe acts as if it was on the floor. it is very stable with no added vibration. my foot print of the stand is wider and longer than the footprint of the lathe. tim in centerville,ohio.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/powermatic3520b001.jpg

[Jeff Wright]

brian,
i have the zambus casters , the set is rated at over 2600 # .


Good job Tim. I am a Zambus fan myself having installed them on my MiniMax20 bandsaw and my Oneida Gorilla DC system (so I can move it when cleaning/painting the shop). I plan to install them on my MM410 Combo machine and get rid of my pallet jack to make more room in the shop.

Question (to you and others): Must a lathe be level to perform properly? My garage shop floor slopes as do most garage floors for drainage. Would there be a problem if the live center end of the lathe were slightly elevated versus the its other end?

[Brian MacDonald]

Thanks for the comments!

I realize that having the lathe on casters won't be the greatest, but I'm getting crowded and short of downsizing, it's the only solution I could think of. I DO like that base!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Question (to you and others): Must a lathe be level to perform properly? My garage shop floor slopes as do most garage floors for drainage. Would there be a problem if the live center end of the lathe were slightly elevated versus the its other end?

Jeff I had trouble with my lathe as the headstock center point and the tailstock center point did not line up. I found the lathe out of level. When I leveled it the points were dead on and that is what you want.

[Jim Becker]

Bernie brings up an important point. Cast iron bends, so the machine needs to be re-leveled after each move.