Hey Guys,
Well, everything is in the new shop. IN. That's all. Still to be placed in the "correct" (yeah, right!) spots for each. I bought and used a 2500Kg pallet cart (pump jack) to move everything around when loading the truck, and so each machine is still sitting on a skid of sorts.
It's been seven months since I loaded the truck, and a month or so longer since I ran any of the machines.
I'm 6' 2" tall, and almost that far in circumference!! My 10" X 30" SB bench lathe is mounted on a decently high custom wood and metal framed bench with casters, and with jack bolts to level and steady it on the floor. This puts the centre of the spindle at exactly 48" from floor level. Works good for me. I remember thinking to myself, especially running the surface grinder and not as bad but more often the 13 X 40 lathe, that I'm getting old and that this stance with a slight bend all the time is a real pain (pun intended). So this morning I'm moving the 15 X 60 into it's hopefully final resting spot ready to lower it down off the skids to the concrete floor, and realize that this extra 6 inches of distance off the floor seems like it might be nice if left it there at that height. I measured, and both it and the 13 X 40, up on the skids each have a spindle centre height of 50" I can't leave it on the "skids" that it/they are on, because lathes inherently being pretty top-heavy and narrow stanced, the skid pieces stick way out front-to-back (prevent tipping in moving/shipping). But I am considering placing it, and the other machines, up on blocks of PT wood timbers of say 6" X 6" X cabinet/foot depth. I think I would put maybe 1/4" plate between the riser and each foot of the machine(s).
Any comments or suggestions, pro or con?
Anybody else done this?
Any thoughts as to what will happen as the humidity changes?
Maybe I'd try it temporarily, and if it goes good I could make up some metal blocking. I could do it either way right now, but expedience is to try the wood.
Any comments today or ASAP (want to get going here now!!) would be appreciated, although I don't really know what the big rush is!!
Take care.
Brian Lawson.
(cross-posted to rec.crafts.metalworking and modeleng-list)