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Lathe foot question

Joined
Jun 14, 2011
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Location
Brooklyn, NY
I'm setting up a Jet 1642 and am considering eliminating the adj foot, using shims, as it seems lightweight and unstable considering the weight of the lathe and sandbags.
Any opinions?
Also what type of sand to use?
Rob
 

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I don't use sand. Seems like no matter what I put it in it leaks out eventually this time around I used pea gravel. Seems to dampen vibration pretty well and hasn't leaked out in 7 years.
I took the feet off my powermatic thinking the same as you. However it's hard to level it accurately because just a quarter of a turn makes a difference in how solid it is
 
when i first bought my 1642, i had trouble leveling it, my previous lathe did not have the screw levelers on it

i was constantly changing the heights, using a two by four and blocks, what a hassel...........finally saw a post somewhere about using auto lift, very fast, took me maybe 3 more times trying, the lathe ways will twist if it is out of wack over time, have not had to do anything in quite some time

i use sand to weigh it down, but if i am adjusting the screws to level i take the sand off, i leave the swing out basket on the lathe, cover the sand with thick gauge poly sheets, have only puncture one bag so far
 

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I'm setting up a Jet 1642 and am considering eliminating the adj foot, using shims, as it seems lightweight and unstable considering the weight of the lathe and sandbags.
Any opinions?
Also what type of sand to use?
Rob

Just a suggestion, I worked in the radiation shielding business for years so I have a lot of lead around my shop and yes, it's all on my lathes. So Lead is the answer... If you have a Tire shop in your town, you maybe able to talk them into giving you some of their old tire weights.. They melt down really easy, all you need is an old frying pan and your BBQ. You can make a mould out of sand or clay and make the lead weight any shape you like.
Good luck... Be safe...
 
old frying pan and your BBQ
Just don't use the frying pan for anything else. Here in the states, they are phasing out lead wheel weights. The environmentalists claim "they are being ground to dust and getting into the water supply."😕 If that is the case, there wouldn't be any wheel weights at an intersection where they drop off.
 
I originally set up my 1642 with the leveling feet and found that if the work was out of balance the lathe would walk across the floor. In some cases a couple of hundred rpm was unusable.

I removed the levelers, drilled holes in the concrete floor, installed anchors and bolted the lathe to the floor. I used wood shims under the feet to get everything level before tightening the bolts.

I can still get a little vibration at higher speeds with an out of balance log, but nothing that can't be managed.
 
This reminded me of all the fool things that I have done in the past like playing with mercury when I was a kid, using an air hose to blow the dust from brakes (asbestos dust and beryllium), using carbon tetrachloride without gloves as a degreaser and for taxidermy (not to mention also using formalin) -- same sort of thing with trichloroethane, trichlorethylene, MEK, and other wonderful VOC's. It is a shame that we were so slow in recognizing the toxic effects of lead because it manifests itself more slowly than obvious things like arsenic. As a result, most people are still unaware of the problems of lead. Remember when tetraethyl lead (TEL) was one of the main additives in gasoline?
 
If you are worried about a bit of dust coming off your lead weights, a simple coat of paint will render it harmless.
Poisons madie by man verses Mother Nature are far more deadly.

Remember, have fun!!!!

I can't imagine that playing with a lead weight is a hazard, but I would wonder why someone would be playing with a lead weight. 😀 Just don't stick it in your mouth. I think that it might be a choking hazard plus other people might start wondering.

It is when things are on a large scale that it becomes a different story. Probably the best known example is the lead smelting plant that was in Dallas.
 
If you are worried about a bit of dust coming off your lead weights, a simple coat of paint will render it harmless.
Poisons madie by man verses Mother Nature are far more deadly.

Remember, have fun!!!![/QUOeTE]

Make your holding case of a size & make lead bricks to fit in it & paint them gold colored & leave them exposed for a chuckle.😀

Or put a hinged lid on it so if someone asks what you used for weight you can show them.
 
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i never considered weight limit when i added sand, but i got way more than 250# on the jet adjusters
 
i never considered weight limit when i added sand, but i got way more than 250# on the jet adjusters

Did you divide the total weight by four? The weight isn't exactly divided evenly between the four feet, but you can get a ballpark idea of the weight on each foot by assuming a quarter of the total weight on each foot. A more accurate guestimate would be that the motor and headstock puts about 60% of the weight at the head end. If the headstock is fixed then maybe even more weight at the headstock end. For better accuracy, do a weight estimate for a lathe with no ballast. Next add in the ballast portioned evenly for each foot.
 
i use the tool basket, so there is more weight off the rear of the lathe, but when i turn outboard i turn off the rear of the lathe

9 bags of play sand @ 50# apiece
 
The sand would be 450 pounds and your lathe weighs ???. If it is less than 550 pounds then you are under a total of 1000 pounds which would average 250 pounds per leg. As you indicated, the load is always shifting around depending on what you are turning. Just assuming that each leg carries the same weight is more than good enough. If a leg leveler is rated at 250 pounds like the ones from Enco, they won't break if the load is 251 pounds and probably not even if the load is 300 pounds although their life expectancy might be reduced. All bets would be off if each leg had to carry 1000 pounds, but the legs might buckle before that happens.
 
i have not seen what the legs are rated at for the jet 1642 which is a stock adjuster. no room to add more, except when i turn outboard and move the headstock to the rear and add a saddle in the middle of the ways which will hold 3 more 50# bags.
 
Thanks for all of the responses including the whimsical ones.
So, is the consensus that using an adj foot (preferably a heavy duty one) will not adversely affect the stability of the lathe? Can it also be said that using shims under the larger metal foot will create more stability than an adj foot?
Assuming both statements are true, would the benefits of shimming under the foot justify the difficulties involved in leveling the lathe?
Also I imagine the rubber foot will prevent floor creep which is an additional benefit (not wanting to bolt it to the floor). I will be putting 300 lbs of bagged sand on the shelf.
I often turn rough blanks that are not balanced and have to rough out at too slow a speed for my level of patience.
Rob
 
The goal is to have all fours solidly planted on the ground. They will rarely carry exactly the same load, but you don't want one foot almost, but not quite touching. It is most desirable to have a solid footing, but hard rubber should generally be plenty sufficient. Try rocking the lathe and if you detect any motion then one foot is not making solid contact. A lathe does not have to be level although that would be nice. More important is a good solid footing. The slight variation from the bed being level won't even be noticeable unless you are wanting to store marbles on the bed of the lathe.
 
Robert - I'm working on a Delta 1642 and it's on a heavy stamped steel frame. First thing I did was to make sure the lathe was at the right height to be comfortable in my turning. You should have the drive center about elbow height when bent. My legs are attached to a 4" x 6" (one under each set of legs). I intalled a 2 x 12 on the shelf brackets attached to the legs. On that shelf I have three (approx.) 5 gallon kitty litter buckets filled with concrete. this adds about 300 lbs. which really helps.

With respect to your specific lathe, I once observed a fellow who was starting to turn a rather large non-uniform piece of wood which caused the lathe to hop about. He disappeared for a second and returned with a 5 gallon bucket which he had filled with concrete and embedded a stout chain and hook. He hung that bucket on one of the diaphragms between the lathe ways, as close to the headstock as he could, and that lathe settled down like a kitten with a warm lap.

Good luck!
 
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