Lathe beginners

[addjunkie]

Mines on machine feet, not bolted down either.

 

[pawsnizzy]

I've only ever bolted lathes down in pukka machine shops - my S7 is on feet

 

[dieselsamurai]

not bolted either but most larger lathes haves the holes to do so

 

[Barking Mat]

not bolted either but most larger lathes haves the holes to do so

Yeah, mine has too, but it's quite happy on a minimalist concrete floor.

 

[Richiew]

Bolt it down if it is on a ship.

 

[BarrieJ]

My L5 is free standing, although I was prepared to shim it should it have rocked.

 

[Richiew]

HMS Belfast.

 

[Barking Mat]

That's three lazy B*******s then.

HMS Belfast.

View attachment 389059

But I'm assuming HMS Belfast is a ship.

Not a workshop floor.

 

[Richiew]

I refer the honourable gentleman to the reply I gave earlier.

 

[Barking Mat]

Not by me anyway....neither Student or ML7 bolted. Levelled and packed that's it. And I....work to a millionth of inch +/- nano. A mm is a millionth of an inch.....right?
NB the shaper is DEFINITELY bolted to floor and the floor is bolted to the workshop and.....

Yes, same tolerances too.

 

[Kram]

Mine bolted to the bench but not to the floor. Turning big off center, unbalanced items will make the whole bench rock if not careful.

 

[joebog1]

Dont most lathes have adjustable feet to set everything up perfectly level ??.
That would make them solid but are not bolted to the ground.
Mind you, I am referring to decent concrete, NOT a dirt floor.

Joe

 

[Joe 90]

What about measuring tools. How much do you need to spend on a micrometer and what brands.
Is second hand ok and what to look out for.

 

[Richiew]

What lathe do you own, Les? What state is it in?

 

[500e]

You find M&W and others at boot sales
Look for smother turning over the full travel a standard gauge to set/check like a bar but a known measurement

 

[Arc Tourist]

What about measuring tools. How much do you need to spend on a micrometer and what brands.
Is second hand ok and what to look out for.

Second hand can be ok, as most old school brands such as this Moore & Wright will come with a wrench so that it can be recalibrated if necessary, by using what it called a "Standard", or with a gage block.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Not by me anyway....neither Student or ML7 bolted. Levelled and packed that's it. And I....work to a millionth of inch +/- nano. A mm is a millionth of an inch.....right?
NB the shaper is DEFINITELY bolted to floor and the floor is bolted to the workshop and.....

Mine just sits on the floor.

 

[prepman]

Mine just sits on the floor.

View attachment 389078

Don't think I'd get away with that with the Elliot 10M. It goes walkabout otherwise. I thought yours was a compressor at first look. Took me a while. What make, model?

 

[Arc Tourist]

Don't think I'd get away with that with the Elliot. It goes walkabout otherwise. I thought that it was a compressor at first look. Took me a while. What make, model?

Its a WW2 vintage 7" Ammco, a lovely little machine which I've had about 30 years. Haven't used or set it up since shipping it here from overseas. I really need to make a new stand.

We haven't heard back yet from the OP on what lathe he has ?

 

[prepman]

What about measuring tools. How much do you need to spend on a micrometer and what brands.
Is second hand ok and what to look out for.

Bought ruck of cheapo digital chinasium calipers which are mainly g clamps now. The Shahe digital one I've got is good and splash proof, I'd recommend it. Accuracy?

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The Moore & Wrights budget one isn't at all waterproof. Coolant is the bane of it.
Got a boxed set of cheapo china large diameter micrometers which OK but not the best.
0-25mm is an old Moore & Wrights. I have a Mitoyu (sic) vernier caliper which I found, can't see the gradients well these days.
If you're not making stuff for a 3rd party customer where you don't have the mating part and tolerances are fixed then the cheaper end of them will suffice, as the fits will all be relative to what you're making. i.e. You making the corresponding part to fit.