Thread: Cheap and different lathe leveling method

Not much merit to the cheaper digital type. Connelly suggests a level for machine alignment purposes with a sensitivity of 0.0005"/12" this equates to roughly 0.0025 degrees. This is probably over the top for setting up a machine in the average shed but shows the order of magnitude being suggested. I doubt electronic levels from eBay are anywhere near this good.

Michael

Thanks Michael. That makes a lot more sense. The digital ones I have seen are really no better than .01
I have spent many years working with wood so I'm still getting my head around the micro scale of things.

Originally Posted by Greg Q

My lathe's headstock is part of the massive one piece casting that included the bed,

but of course.
+1 to all things being made of rubber.

Originally Posted by Michael G

a level for machine alignment purposes with a sensitivity of 0.0005"/12" this equates to roughly 0.0025 degrees.

My math says the metric 0.02mm/meter is just about half that. No wonder its so "interesting" trying to get something level.

Stuart

I've just tried this method using a pendulum rather than a plumb on a piece of string. I managed to replicate the measurements over 3 attempts and by my reckoning, I've got the bed to around .0185 mm over 600mm; mind you, it is difficult to measure due to swing in the pendulum, pointer width and being able to measure .25 of a mm on a S/S rule, etc. but it's certainly better than it was.

I have been reading this with interest and it occurs to me that if the plumb bob or pendulum was attached to the saddle of the lathe, then the whole arrangement can be moved along the entire length of the bed without disburbing the setup. If the suspension point was high enough, I can't see why a fairly high degree of accuracy could not be acheived.
I will be setting up my lathe over the next few days, I'm going to try this method, I'll post the results, or lack of here.

I was so impressed with the results from my mock up pendulum, I have made a new and improved model. Height of the pedulum hinge point is a little short, but as I said: .0185 over 600mm will do me. Unfortunately, if you only have a short bed, the carriage gets in the way.