This seems like a great idea. I am tall and have a bad back. I hate bending to use my lathe. I had thought about using a big piece of tubing to rase it but was worried about introducing vibration.
Good advice. I actually in the process of building my own toe jack and machinery skates. Moving sometime next year. I like the way you built the incased riser blocks. I need to go into the shop and recheck for settling.
Definatly interested in your toe jack build frank , It worked pretty good since the floor was relitivly smooth. Scattes is a good idea . We have also done it with bar stock like the egiptians did 1000s of years ago . So long as the floor is clean and the bottom has a flat. I will always have 2 or three bars under it at a time to stop the tipping it would have with just the one. To bad you where not closer i would come and give you a hand with the move :)
I see that this video is about 1 -1/2 years old but I still thought it was worth mentioning that your level is .0002" (2 ten thousandths) between graduated marks on the vial, not .001". The vial was made to indicate .0002 over a 10" span, in other words, the distance between the marks on the vial represent .0002" (2 ten thousandths) rise over a 10" span. Very sensitive level for sure, mine is .0005"/10" (2.5 times less sensitive than a .0002"/10" but still plenty good enough for the job).
It is not essential that the chuck is level for the lathe. However it is essential that you level the bed. Once the bed is level and the twist is taken out you will begin with taking test cuts. This is a whole other process. You need to dial in the tail stock in most cases .this is done by machining a point on some metal and then ruff lining up with the tail stock. Then take that out and put in about a 2" bar and take a cut the whole length. The. If it is smaller on the tail stock end by say. .020 move the tail stock .010away from the cutter. If the tail stock end is bigger by .020 then move it .010 closer to the cutter ( to the operator side ) there is also on some machines a head adjustment but I have never dealt with that personally. I'm sure I left some video links in the notes below.
@@Wrighmachining thanks for your reply. However, for example, if you bring the tail stock centre right up to the chuck centre point, they might touch in the centre, but when you move the tail stock away to the end of the bed, they might not line up then… for example, if you could put a laser pointer centred in the chuck, it might be pointing upwards by a few degrees, but you will never pick that up. Last weekend I made some levelling feet which I have now installed.. I’ve used a set of 1.2.3 blocks on the bedways to adjust the bed level… but I believe the chuck is out… anyway I haven’t had the time to test it yet or take any cuts.. hopefully I will be able to eliminate any taper…
@@conservative-proud ahhhh there is the problem. Sounds like the middle feet are to high. I can't off the top of my head put it into words how to solve that but inheritance machining has a great video for that!
A video camera pointing at the level hooked to a monitor would save a lot of up and down.
Good idea for sure .
This seems like a great idea. I am tall and have a bad back. I hate bending to use my lathe. I had thought about using a big piece of tubing to rase it but was worried about introducing vibration.
Its seemed to work well and im pretty sure now after using it for a bunch of years and dont notice any vibrations
Good advice. I actually in the process of building my own toe jack and machinery skates. Moving sometime next year. I like the way you built the incased riser blocks. I need to go into the shop and recheck for settling.
Definatly interested in your toe jack build frank , It worked pretty good since the floor was relitivly smooth. Scattes is a good idea . We have also done it with bar stock like the egiptians did 1000s of years ago . So long as the floor is clean and the bottom has a flat. I will always have 2 or three bars under it at a time to stop the tipping it would have with just the one. To bad you where not closer i would come and give you a hand with the move :)
I see that this video is about 1 -1/2 years old but I still thought it was worth mentioning that your level is .0002" (2 ten thousandths) between graduated marks on the vial, not .001".
The vial was made to indicate .0002 over a 10" span, in other words, the distance between the marks on the vial represent .0002" (2 ten thousandths) rise over a 10" span.
Very sensitive level for sure, mine is .0005"/10" (2.5 times less sensitive than a .0002"/10" but still plenty good enough for the job).
Thank you , you are absolutly correct . :)
@@Wrighmachining
You bet! 🙂
Great info, thanks.
Glad you liked it trapper
Thanks
You welcome .
I have to check my big Jet lathe often. Being 15 feet long it seems to move alot.
15 feet , wow buddy kinda jelouse :) hey i mailed you some stickers for your wall
@@Wrighmachining Awesome. I will be on the look out for them.
How do you know when the chuck itself is level ?
It is not essential that the chuck is level for the lathe. However it is essential that you level the bed. Once the bed is level and the twist is taken out you will begin with taking test cuts. This is a whole other process. You need to dial in the tail stock in most cases .this is done by machining a point on some metal and then ruff lining up with the tail stock. Then take that out and put in about a 2" bar and take a cut the whole length. The. If it is smaller on the tail stock end by say. .020 move the tail stock .010away from the cutter. If the tail stock end is bigger by .020 then move it .010 closer to the cutter ( to the operator side ) there is also on some machines a head adjustment but I have never dealt with that personally. I'm sure I left some video links in the notes below.
@@Wrighmachining thanks for your reply. However, for example, if you bring the tail stock centre right up to the chuck centre point, they might touch in the centre, but when you move the tail stock away to the end of the bed, they might not line up then… for example, if you could put a laser pointer centred in the chuck, it might be pointing upwards by a few degrees, but you will never pick that up. Last weekend I made some levelling feet which I have now installed.. I’ve used a set of 1.2.3 blocks on the bedways to adjust the bed level… but I believe the chuck is out… anyway I haven’t had the time to test it yet or take any cuts.. hopefully I will be able to eliminate any taper…
@@conservative-proud do you have 4 feet on your lathe or 6?
@@Wrighmachining I have 6 feet on the lathe…
@@conservative-proud ahhhh there is the problem. Sounds like the middle feet are to high. I can't off the top of my head put it into words how to solve that but inheritance machining has a great video for that!
Hollow Structural Sections
You are right ! Thank you bill :)