Input Needed on Leveling 16" Jointer on Garage Floor

[johnny means]

The correct way to permanently install heavy machines is as follows:
[1] Position the machine in it final location.
[2] shim into perfect level
[3] install epoxy anchors into the concrete floor, thus fastening into permanent location
[4] Grout the complete base with a hi-strength cementious grout. use about 1" thick grout at minimum thickness.
[5] allow to cure as per mfgr's instructions
[6] enjoy
I've installed hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of piece equipment, tanks, pumps, etc in this manner with no failures. This is the only way corporate America handles this issue. This was my business for 40 years.
And by the way, total cost for epoxy embed anchors and hi-strength grout should be less than $100. And 'NO' don't expect to find anyone in Lowe's or HD that knows anything about fastening down heavy machinery.

Seems a bit much for a 16" jointer.

[Charles Coolidge]

Machine leveling pads will be fine, they are used to level 9,300lb Haas CNC milling machines. Machinist level if you truly want the machine level. I used to have a used Starrett 199Z I bought off ebay.

[Warren Lake]

been in a ton of shops many top ones. Never seen an instal of a woodworking machine that way.

A larger jointer weighs from 1,300 to 1,600 lbs. Its not going anywhere.

The first 8" jointer I had was a toy by comparison. It could have benefited from being bolted down for heavy material but more important was infeed and out feed support.

[Andrew Hughes]

In California there is good reason for securing machines with grout and such. Earthquakes
I talked to Oshpd deputy inspector for hospital work. We discussed the seismic over engineering that goes in hospitals. He personally inspected a basement in older building downtown Los Angeles. This basement had a very large sheer left behind from the past. He said after the Northridge earthquake there wasn’t a wall in that basement that wasn’t touched by that shear.
I keep putting off the tethering my bandsaw. I’m sure it will fall over in big enough earthquake

[Alex Zeller]

I'm not sure if I would spend too much time leveling a jointer. Get it close and make sure each foot has equal pressure on it. Think about it, once it's in place you are going to adjust the outfeed table to the cutter head and in feed table. I guess you could go back and fine tune the levelness.

[Bill Dufour]

In California there is good reason for securing machines with grout and such. Earthquakes
I talked to Oshpd deputy inspector for hospital work. We discussed the seismic over engineering that goes in hospitals. He personally inspected a basement in older building downtown Los Angeles. This basement had a very large sheer left behind from the past. He said after the Northridge earthquake there wasn’t a wall in that basement that wasn’t touched by that shear.
I keep putting off the tethering my bandsaw. I’m sure it will fall over in big enough earthquake

Andrew after 1989 most Hospitals in California are being torn down and rebuilt to new codes. They really started enforcing retrofitting or shut down laws for hospitals around twenty years ago.
I just found out my garage, and probably entire house, built in 1969 has no siding under the stucco. So the chicken wire is the only shear wall.
The other way to mount a machine is to put down plastic, or not, then pour a plinth or two of level concrete with embedded anchor bolts. The plastic will allow it to be removed easily if desired.
Bill D.
Modesto, CA

[Myles Moran]

The correct way to permanently install heavy machines is as follows:
[1] Position the machine in it final location.
[2] shim into perfect level
[3] install epoxy anchors into the concrete floor, thus fastening into permanent location
[4] Grout the complete base with a hi-strength cementious grout. use about 1" thick grout at minimum thickness.
[5] allow to cure as per mfgr's instructions
[6] enjoy
I've installed hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of piece equipment, tanks, pumps, etc in this manner with no failures. This is the only way corporate America handles this issue. This was my business for 40 years.
And by the way, total cost for epoxy embed anchors and hi-strength grout should be less than $100. And 'NO' don't expect to find anyone in Lowe's or HD that knows anything about fastening down heavy machinery.

This is the exact method I spec for any sort of permanent equipment installation. I usually call for 2" of grout, but we also commonly have large flat plates that need a bit more massaging to get the grout to fully flow and make contact underneath. For a jointer (assuming it's just the outline of the footprint) I see no issues with 1". I'd only add that using chamfer on the formwork will give a cleaner look without a sharp edge.

[Jerry Bruette]

The correct way to permanently install heavy machines is as follows:
[1] Position the machine in it final location.
[2] shim into perfect level
[3] install epoxy anchors into the concrete floor, thus fastening into permanent location
[4] Grout the complete base with a hi-strength cementious grout. use about 1" thick grout at minimum thickness.
[5] allow to cure as per mfgr's instructions
[6] enjoy
I've installed hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of piece equipment, tanks, pumps, etc in this manner with no failures. This is the only way corporate America handles this issue. This was my business for 40 years.
And by the way, total cost for epoxy embed anchors and hi-strength grout should be less than $100. And 'NO' don't expect to find anyone in Lowe's or HD that knows anything about fastening down heavy machinery.

This is the way we were taught in millwright school when I did my apprenticeship.

[Bill Dufour]

I knew we might move so here is how I anchored my lathe. Set it i n it's place and marked for all four anchor bolt locations. Moved it over a bit and drilled each mark for a 3/8 drop in anchor. Dropped in an anchor and had all thread sticking up 14" or so above floor level.
I cut some 6" PVC pipe to 12 inches. Used a length of 1/2" pvc as a core for the anchor bolt hole then filled each piece with concrete to the top. The anchor hole was off center so the leveling bolt was centered since it as about 2-3 inches away from the hold down location.
After the concrete had cured for a few days I picked up each piece and put it in a bucket of water for a few more days to cure underwater. Then I placed one pedestal over each piece of all thread and dropped the lathe over the all thread and bolted it down. I left the pvc on the concrete and painted it blue.
I am 6'2" so the extra height helps me and it allows milk crates to go under the lathe to store junk.
This is to be reversed soon as I move the lathe to a new home. I will fill the old anchor holes with concrete self leveling caulk. I feel safer with my 1750 pound lathe bolted down so it will not fall over on my feet, ever.
Bill D

[Kevin Jenness]

Your 1750 lb. lathe is sitting on 12" standoffs above the floor? Yikes. Let's have some pictures...

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s a good idea.
Thanks

[Tom Bender]

The Manuel for my jointer also says to level it and grout in place. It also says not to bolt it down. The manufacturer says the concrete foundation should be at least 6 inches thick. Im short for sure
Ive got 2inchs of slope to my shop floor and a live oak tree roots that add more whenever it wants.
My jointer has oil bath bearings so I believe the level part is important.

You've got a tree attacking your house? Fight back! Dig a trench along your foundation and cut those roots. Add a harder and deeper barrier. The tree will not be harmed much.

[Tom Bender]

Leveling feet are ok for lighter machines but yours is not that light. If you go that way use feet with at least 1/2" threads. Grouting is a better answer. Not only will it be more secure, it will not collect stuff and critters underneath. Raising it an inch may be good if there is ever any water on the floor. A chamfered pad have a professional look.

Congrats on the new machine.

[Brian Holcombe]

I’ve been tempted by Airloc leveling pads. They’re a cast iron block with a screw driven wedge padded top and bottom with a vibration damping material.

They have stuff rated up to 25000 lbs, so they seem like a pretty serious setup.

[Mark e Kessler]

Don’t buy by looking at the thread diameter alone, look at diameter ,pitch and pad diameter (there is more to consider but that would be going overboard ). Also important to use thick washers and obviously a solid mounting point.

leveling feet are fine for heavy machines, i have seen 30kpd grinding machines on 8’ deep isolation pads, the pads i showed are 1/2” x 13 with a 4” pad and are rated at 5k each. There are also some in the same style 3/8 x 16 with a 3”pad rated at 5k per. My saw is somewhere around 1800pds and one corner is up maybe 2” on a sloped garage floor and is as solid as can be…

Not sure why anyone would want to grout their woodworking machines in place, is that a earthquake area thing? The place I work has hundreds if not a thousand high precision machines and I haven’t seen one grouted in place, we are currently installing a new Fastems work cell with 5 cnc centers and a robot - each machine is isolated from the main slab and on levelers sans the robot, it is on a track/rack that holds 5k tools and is bolted directly to concrete pillars.