New Stand

[Lu47Dan]

Why not level the container?
If that is not possible, the run 4" channel lengthwise with 1/2" bar stock under the cabinets for the levelers to act on.

[terry lingle]

So far as I know there is no actual need for the lath to be level. Straight without any twist works fine. There are thousands of lathes on ships that travel through the roughest seas. they are mounted on a suitably stiff subframe that is isolated from the ships frames and decking allowing the ship to flex without the lathe mount flexing.
I know of two local service trucks that have Jet 1440 lathes mounted in a similliar manner to facilitate field repairs on cats and hoes. The owner is ex navy. I wonder where he got the idea

[Farmersamm]

Originally Posted by terry lingle

So far as I know there is no actual need for the lath to be level. Straight without any twist works fine. There are thousands of lathes on ships that travel through the roughest seas. they are mounted on a suitably stiff subframe that is isolated from the ships frames and decking allowing the ship to flex without the lathe mount flexing.
I know of two local service trucks that have Jet 1440 lathes mounted in a similliar manner to facilitate field repairs on cats and hoes. The owner is ex navy. I wonder where he got the idea

I agree wholeheartedly. I've argued this point with a lot of folks when it comes to welding setups. It has to be planar, it doesn't have to be level Same with machine tools. You could mount the thing on a wall, and do acceptable work with it.

This instance though...……...The headstock gears run in an oil bath, and the spindle bearings are splash lubricated. Oil is slung towards the top of the headstock, and if it's made like the Grizzly look-alike, the oil finds its way to channels at the top of the headstock wall, and drips down into the bearings from above. I haven't popped the top yet, but I'm thinking this one has the same oiling. They're all the same to some degree.

The apron also runs in an oil bath, so I'm thinking it involves the same issues. Fluid has to be level to work as designed.

My milling machine has totally greased bearings, so it doesn't matter if it's level. Long as it's flat.

I might be totally wrong, and could get by with the slight angle. The floor slopes at enough of an angle to make it a chore to wheel equipment to and from the door. The splash lube might be vigorous enough to fling oil everywhere, even if the machine has a slight tilt, dunno. Better safe than sorry I guess.

Never owned a lathe, so I might be overthinking it. Anyways, the riser blocks will be an easy remedy.

Damn container can't be leveled without making it so the doors won't open without digging in the dirt. Has to come up 10" at the nose. It's doable if you raise the door end to compensate, but then it starts to look like a mobile home on blocks.....not real stable.

[MetalWolf]

Originally Posted by Farmersamm

but then it starts to look like a mobile home on blocks.....not real stable.

Well Sam... You could do like some of us Low class mobile home rich folks down here do and not use the bricks.... We use hover boards to level and float out mobile homes...that way we save on weed eater string an just shove it over to mow around the underpining or if we get tired of looking out the front at the front yard we can spin it a stare at the back yard……..

But on a serious note I have the same problem in my shop it slopes from one corner to the other and leveling my machines were a pain in the ass and aren't perfect but haven't been a super critical issue

[Farmersamm]

Complete with tie downs to meet insurance requirements, not more'n 100 feet from my front door

Set it over there for the folks to live in till they passed. Fascinating to watch them use grease, and plywood, to marry the two halves.

Us high falutin' Northerners (we are north of TX ) call 'em modular homes

(was moving a 40' cut cedar down the driveway)

[MetalWolf]

Originally Posted by Farmersamm

Complete with tie downs to meet insurance requirements, not more'n 100 feet from my front door

Set it over there for the folks to live in till they passed. Fascinating to watch them use grease, and plywood, to marry the two halves.

Us high falutin' Northerners (we are north of TX ) call 'em modular homes

(was moving a 40' cut cedar down the driveway)

If I'm correct here they consider mobile homes and modular homes different
and modular homes here are more out to retain their value than the mobile homes...

difference being as I understand it is mobile homes are mobile having wheels and axle
as where modular homes are prebuilt homes built in modular sections to be placed and assembled on pillars or concrete slabs...
but honestly I don't see what the difference is being modular homes are not any better constructed in my opinion than a mobile home

and sadly when you buy a mobile home now days the minuet you move it off the lot is has already depreciated in value as now it is a used home and no longer new...

[Ironman]

Originally Posted by Farmersamm

The container has 12" centers under the floor, and the original wood floor. Very close grained hardwood.

Samm, I have my machine shop in a seacan like you do. I have found the floor to be very solid and stable. My lathe is heavier, but I would not blame the floor.
My can is supported every 10 ft by screw piles with 2-7/8 well tubing extensions to lift the can 3 ft off the ground. Solid as a church.

I suspect you are on the right track with needing a solid stand. Those should be able to be made rigid with some work.

[Farmersamm]

You're seeing what I'm seeing.

I think I got it fingered out, sorta. (Woulda have had the new stand mostly built by now )

Gonna solid bolt the bases to the floor,, leveling front to back with risers. Risers to be welded to floor plate. Pretty much like I did for the old lathe.

Because I'm dealing with a bunch of angles...…...base will be leveled, as above, with the risers. Then bolted to floor. This leaves me with only one remaing angle to contend with. The side to side leveling angle.

Same treatment above the stands. The area between stands, and base of lathe. Nuther set of risers. No dealing with weird compound angles this way.

The original plan was to build a new stand with "blank" legs. Cut long enough to fit into "cups" on the base plate. Set it level, then weld the legs to the base plates via the cups/sleeves. Sleeves were to be bolted to the base plate, then the new stand assembly tacked to these sleeves in proper position, all of it removed for finish welding. Would have only required shims between the sleeves, and base plate, to tweak the leveling. Hard to explain. It's like welding the main legs to little mini legs. Woulda been a Uranus spectacular!! Tube within a tube kinda thing. F'n awesome

But I sure like those little blue cabinets. So I caved

[Farmersamm]

K'kins been climbing my ass over this thing.

Took about 2 days to decide to commit to a new lathe. Now she's hammering my butt to get it in service.

Had to tell her it would take damn near a day, after it's been mounted, to break it in. Manual calls for 3hrs at 70rpm, another 2hrs at 700ish, and an hour at whatever the top speed is. Thing'll be worn out before I ever get to cut a shaft on it

The clock's tickin', and her foot's tappin' .

[Farmersamm]

Only reason I want it fairly level.

https://youtu.be/SFPNXRohUtg

At 22.05 on the video, the headstock oiling is discussed. Pay attention to the grooves in the top of the headstock, and how they direct the oil to the spindle bearings.