Made machine feet for my Bridgeport -- pix and question

Ignoramus7760 · 2007-07-22T00:23:53+00:00

I made adjustable machine feet. I want to perfectly level myBridgeport mill by adjusting legs. Then some manipulations of partsduring milling would become easier, as I could use a machinist levelto align parts in vises horizontally. I want them to also beretractable so that I can mount the casters back and move the millaround. These feet are made from 1"-10 all thread studs and same nuts, weldedonto 0.25x1.5x4.75" steel flats. have not yet welded them to the mill's bottom frame (which is ahomemade frame for casters, if you recall, I would not be weldingthese feet to the actual machine base). My question is whether I need some set screw or some such, to preventthese 1" allthread studs from working themselves out of alignment,over the years, due to vibration. Or would they just hold in place. Right now, they are held by the nuts to the extent of being eitherdifficult or impossible to turn by hand, but all are easy to turn witha wrench. (due to changes of alignment that happened during welding).My gut feeling is that setscrews are not necessary, but I wanted tohear some opinions first. thanksi

Jul 22, 2007 23 Replies

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Ignoramus3627 18 years ago

It depends on how accurate I want to be. Not claiming to be an expert or anything.

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Lloyd E. Sponenburgh 18 years ago

Well, if you had a _really_good_ metrology level, and you _really_knew_ how to use it, and _really_had_the_time_ to set it that way.... seein' how's the heat of your hand could jump the bubble half a line...

LLoyd

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Ignoramus3627 18 years ago

Lloyd, the machinist levels offer some reasonable degree of accuracy, I think. Comparable to a dial indicator over a not too much distance.

Anyway, I am sure that you know 100x more about this stuff, than I do.

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Gunner 18 years ago

Thats NEVER going to happen in BP. Table sag and fixture deformation will bite you in the ass.

It might work on a big assed K&T, etc...but not on a Gumby..er Bridgeport

Gunner

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