[modeleng] Re: A level lathe

  • From: "John Pagett" <john_pagett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 22:40:05 +0100

Gents,

I agree that a lathe doesn't have to be level, it just musn't be twisted, 
but here's the thing. If it is level, fore and aft and along the bed, then 
it can't be twisted, and you can determine its levelness (levelity??) 
relatively easily with a spirit level. How do you determine that a lathe 
that is not level isn't also twisted?

So I think the reason is simply that people haven't understood the rationale 
behind the mantra.

JohnP

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Dayman" <jeffdayman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 10:07 PM
Subject: [modeleng] Re: A level lathe


>I do agree AJ.
>
> My old South Bend lathe has a neat feature which helps eliminate twist - 
> the
> tailstock end rests on a pivot foot, which allows the bed to settle 
> without
> twisting. This allows the lathe to be bolted to wood or metal benches that
> may be a long way off level and or twisted but the lathe bed remains rigid
> and true.
>
> Lathe leveling is a similar religion among some ME's along the lines of
> worshipping the god Myford and making extremely complicated tool and 
> cutter
> grinders to sharpen $5.00 throwaway millling cutters and 50 cent drills.
> >ahem< to each his own, however.
>
> Cheers Jeff Dayman
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Terry Lane" <tel.47@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 5:03 PM
> Subject: [modeleng] Re: A level lathe
>
>
>> Dead right you are AJ - a level machine means absolutely nothing, the
>> lathe can be tilted fore and aft, or side to side to almost any angle
>> and it won't make a scrap of difference, as long, as you say, there is
>> no twist in the bed.
>> On 8/07/2011 5:43 AM, Alan Stepney wrote:
>>> I am sure we have all seen lengthy discussions on the best way to ensure
>>> that a lathe is level.
>>> Why?
>>>
>>> I dont believe that they need to be level at all.
>>> I have a lathe that came off a Royal Navy Cruiser, and the one thing I
>>> can
>>> guarantee is that, at times, the sea isnt level!
>>>
>>> The main thing is to ensure that the bed is not twisted in any way,  and
>>> the
>>> headstock and tailstock in line, whether or not that line is level with
>>> the
>>> surface of the earth or not, makes no difference.
>>>
>>> If it did, vertical borers  etc wouldnt work. Or rather, wouldnt give
>>> accurate results, which they do.
>>> The same would apply to face milling or fly cutting with a vetical mill.
>>>
>>>
>>> Does anyone agree or disagree with me?
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
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>>>
>>
>>
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>
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